Tried your 1520's headphone jack?

From what I've seen, the problem lies in the sleep states. Since the BIOS doesn't have any options to change the highest level of sleep, I simply use CPUIdle, which essentially sends the HALT state for unused processor cycles. Voila, no more buzzing. Any similar software will work fine.

It's a very irritating problem, though.

 

Just joined to post this of my chat dell today:

BTW I have the noise!!

-------------------------------------------------------------
Rep ID 133006 Devanath: Steve Just know checked and confirmed with my Supervisor that the issue is already escalated to Higher level
Customer: what does that mean?
Rep ID 133006 Devanath: Expected resolution time is 10 days.
Rep ID 133006 Devanath: We are expecting a Bios update to be released
Customer: what sort of resolution?
Customer: this is a common problem, then?
Rep ID 133006 Devanath: Issue is due the power management properties of the processor
Customer: what if it doesn't fix it?
> Clipboard sent by Customer accepted by Rep ID 133006 Devanath.
Rep ID 133006 Devanath: One minute
Rep ID 133006 Devanath: let me check
Rep ID 133006 Devanath: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/CPU-Tweak/RMClock-utility.shtml
Customer: i know about that
Customer: I should rely on third party solution to dell problems
Rep ID 133006 Devanath: Lets check for a while and if it fixes it will be easy for it
Rep ID 133006 Devanath: but this is a temporary resolution
Customer: the noise will still be present even if it works unless that program is running.../.
Customer: i still hear slight noise... but quieter
here is where the guy played with cpuclock for 10 mins and i got pissed
Customer: i think I can figure this out
Customer: i will wait for update from dell


So dell is sending me to RM Cpuclock for the fix!
Hopefully the bios update fixes it.
This was a system replacement from a damaged insp 6000... nice upgrade.

 

Told ya. I knew the problem is the C3 power state.

 

Does anyone know of a way to control the volume of the headphone jack separately from the general volume? The headphone jack volume is SO LOUD which I'm sure is making this problem worse. (I realize I could by headphones with volume control but I already have nice headphones and don't want to be spending my own money because of this problem)

 

No, the level of the noise is not going to change even if you lower the volume.

And I don't think there is "a way to control the volume of the headphone jack separately from the general volume".

 

Even with everything muted there is still a buzz... there is no way I know of to change headphone volume only.

 

Cross-post from the other topic.

I have a Dell Vostro 1500. Here's a small part of the chatsession with tech. support.

10/17/2007 03:28:11PM Me: "Ok. Is it also certain that there will be a BIOS or other driver update that will fix the problem?"
10/17/2007 03:33:13PM Agent : "They are still reviewing with Intel. Not a date."
10/17/2007 03:46:24PM Agent : "According to the research it is with the BIOS-processor activity."
10/17/2007 03:47:46PM Agent : "We can wait for the update. But then you would not have access for the exchange."
10/17/2007 03:49:02PM Me: "Ok, and seeing as how they are reviewing it with Intel there will eventually be an update, is this correct?"
10/17/2007 03:49:22PM Agent : "Yes it will."

And this is over 2 weeks later.

 

Don't bother with an update.....

It appears to be shielding/hardware issue. Thats why some have the noise and some don't.

If you get one with noise, keep exchanging till you get one without it.

 

I have only noise at almost max volume...its definitely better then on my d610, where it sucked on any volume level.

My conclusion is that differently than on the d610, where it seems to be a design problem as all notebooks have this noise, the problems on the 1520 could be because of some building defects, and you can have a good one which has better shielding, with minimal interference.

 

OK.. seeing the poll ratio... i think a major population seem to have issues with the sound from their headphone jack... i'm using XP Prof and i installed the Creative HD Advanced and seriously the sound quality is absolutely mind blowing on the noise isolation headphones they have sent along withe my Inspiron 1520... no kind of static at all or any kind of disturbance... the only issue i have would b that the lowest volume.. ie from no volume to a single press of the voice Media Button, the volume is quite loud and there is no intermediate volume level... the volume on full is totally unbearable... i think a gunshot would sound like a whisper to that... yea but final word... sound on the headphones provided on the 1520 is phenomenonal.

 

I have the noise, too. And so I try to install the Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook for the ExpressCard54 Slot. It worked fine with XP and was is a great sound. But it won't install in Vista... does anyone know what to do here?

 

I sent my laptop in for repair for a different issue. I wrote a note, explaining I also had the high pitched noise and static through my headphones jack, and they fixed it. They replaced the system board (which is not related to the other issue I had), so I guess their solution to this problem is to replace the system board.

 

Forget it. Maybe i didnt listen properly or maybe it came back after a day, but it's back and it's worse than before.

 

nope. i just mines and i tried with the creative headphones and i don't hear anything! the screen is perfect and the laptop is so quiet that i don't hear ****!

 

Actually, I just went and got an inline volume control from Radio Shack (The guy tried to sell me a battery for my iPod btw...wtc?). Anyway, I took the volume down barely a notch and the static/high pitch is inaudible. Anyone else got a better solution?

 

Hmm... (and yes: http://davron.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/ipod-minis-battery-replacement-part-2/ )

 

Haha, well I just thought it was a bit odd. Before he tried get me to replace my iPod's battery he also asked if I would like an MP3 player to go with the $8 volume cable. I understand it's their job, but sometimes the Radio Shack guys get on my nerves. But their the only place in town that actually has cables I need. Oh well.

 

Yep, they did the same with mine, replaced the motherboard and I still have the noise. Currently emailing back and forth with the service techs.
They have said everything from unselect all the options but a few required ones in the startup of MSConfig in Win XP, to telling me Win XP isnt supported on it if it came with Vista and that voids the warranty (WTF, in my state, its illegal to void the warranty even if you open up the laptop and change the RAM, so in now way is changing the software going to void my warranty).
I asked her if Dell was working on a new BIOS that changes the sound and she didnt directly respond to that, but said to download http://ftp.us.dell.com/bios/1520_A03.EXE, which I told her was already on my system, lol.
Oh well, I guess we'll see where it goes from here. This is getting old though as I listen to a lot of my lectures for class on podcast and DVD on my headphones in the library (50% of why I bought a new laptop in the first place).

 

I just got my Dell 1521 and come to find out the audio jack on this one is crap too! This is unbelievable. I tried 2 HP's before this and thought there is no way that the dell could have the same audio porblems... boy was I wrong. I've been reading this forum and seems like a LOT of people have the same problem..... Im contacting Dell monday to get this resolved or they can keep their laptop. Unless they want to give me a free PCMCIA sound card for free... seeing how they knowingly send out bad laptops.

 

I've said it before, but I just wanna let you know again, the noise has just disappeared on mine. My 1520 is like 2-3 months old now. using 10-25% cpu.

Things I've changed:

I played around with BIOS Setup (pressing F2 on startup) a little bit, one thing I remember changing:
- Harddrive speed (performance)
I also reset the wi-fi catcher.

- I also split my HDD into 3 partitions
- Used the 3 prong adapter for a few days, then back to the 2 prong, still no noise.

But my wi-fi catcher did stop working, so that might be the reason the noise is gone, the "catcher" doesn't seem to show any networks when I turn it on

So I don't really know how I got rid of the noise.
All the changes I made were made with no intention of getting rid of the noise, it just disappeared.

 

Contacted dell again because I am pissed. They said the A04 bios is due in november now. It should fix the noise

 

I just changed every setting in the bios and disabled multi processor support and I will say I think it might have been quieter, not sure which variable it was, but it was still there for sure

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Now playing: Against Me! - Borne On the FM Waves of the Heart

 

wow.. I haven't checked this in a while...Dell STILL hasn't fixed this yet?

I returned my 1520 3 months ago for the static issue that they could not fix, or admit was a widespread problem..

Good thing I just took the chance and went with Sony (FZ 190) ..or else I would still have been waiting for a fix (which I WAS going to do, but since i returned my 1520 2 times w/o being fixed, i had enough of dell.)

 

When it is on battery, the noise is gone. It gets more pronounced when I plug in the AC adapter. Now it seems it has cured itself...I no longer hear it.

 

If I plug in external speakers, there's no noise. If I use headphones with an in-line volume control, I can set the in-line control to low and there's no noise.

 

I find no noise when I use my headphone on my 1520.... That too the headphone is a very low quality one without any builtin volume control or anything....

 

I don't notice it as much on my cheapos, but my $100 shure headphones pick it up bad....

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Now playing: Rage Against the Machine - Ashes in the Fall

 

Dell is aware of this issue. An ex dell employee posted info on another threat stating that dell blames the issue to a bad MB design.. Dell also stated there is no workaround as of OCT 2007. Normally this kind of info would never see the light of day. Lets just say I believe that info to be legit.

So if you think Dell is knowingly sending out bad laptops you are correct. Its sickening to hear all the excuses and remedies that dell is telling everyone about this static noise when all along, they understand they screwed up the design on the MB. I doubt even the CSR's know about the major flaws. But the static noise is one.

This really should not surprise anyone. This little static item is rather a systemic issue if you ask me. It popped up immediately on the new inspiron launch back in June and has been constantly posted on this forum ever since.

 

My only real concern is whether it actually does hearing damage. I'm kind of a pilot, and well, hearing high pitched noises is a plus. I love this laptop and that's the only thing wrong with it. Are there any other laptop's out there with similar specs/build, with the 8600gt card that don't have this issue for about the same price? I may have to return it and switch.

 

Wow, that is absolute crap. Why are they selling these things with a faulty design?
Did it ever cross their mind that someone out there would see this laptop with its excellent specs for a low price and decide to use it for audio work? Only to realize their brand new laptop cant even output decent sound, something laptops from like 6 years ago were able to do better than this thing.
Ugh.
Too bad I'm past the 30 day mark on returns.
Does anyone know of people successfully getting a refund after like, say, the 3 month mark?

 

The biggest plus for the 1520 is the price point with the 8600GT. There are others that have it but generally cost more. It may be cheaper for you to purchase a creative express card sound card. If you are talking about the high pitched whine from the core2 intel chip that is another matter. That issue seems to effect many notebooks.. not just dell. I would get a replacement for the cpu whine issue. But as for the static noises.. either just go with another option like creative or just return it. I would not waist time on trying to fix the static issue when Dell themselves have no resolution.

 

There are viable work arounds.. I strongly suggest getting the creative express card SC. That will work and give you HQ sound. There are other USB options as well. But its a worthwhile investment for someone in your situation as to being past the 30 day mark.

 

Or maybe just use wireless headphones. They should work with the laptop's integrated Bluetooth, I guess?

 

Hmmm. Class action suit anyone?

 

I don't suggest that. Mainly since it does not allow for line in recording or outputting to external speakers. When I briefly had my dell I had a pair of Motorola S9 which are considered one of the better ones out there.. Problem is they are decent enough.. but will cut out occasionally, which is something else that others have reported on these forums on the stereo BT headsets and dells. The volume levels are lower then with regular headsets. Because of the limited range and bandwidth of BT, I don't recommend waisting money on BT headsets. I have plugged in my Sennheiser RS 130 wireless headphones and those work 1000 times better with greater range, sound, volume, and battery life. But you do have to plug in the antenna bay station to the headphone jacks for that to work. Probably the best solution like I said before would be the creative express card SC which will stick out the side a bit.

As for a class action suit? I don't know if one could hold them to what should be an internal powerpoint document. This info normally would not be open to the public.. Nevertheless, it was indeed leaked. And it is indeed quite incriminating about the static/headphone jack problem. I am sort of surprised dell would have put that down in writing any,shape or form.

At any rate, the ex dell employee made some posts back on Oct 23... and I have not seen him post since. But you might say I know his sources and its legit as far as I am concerned. Read this thread and you will know who I am talking about: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=181198&page=2

He made two posts on this page, the first one talks about the headphone static.. futher down he discloses much more about his sources. There is no way I would purchase anything from dell now.. not that I would anyway after my first and last purchase I had with them back in July. Dell does have excellent support and customer service and I do give them high marks for that.. And I did get my money back without any fusses.

I am bringing this older thread up again on this thread since I think its worthy of more attention. For those that are going in circles over this headphone issue it may make their decision easier to return or just use another solution.. eg creative express SC etc. But I hate to see people getting frustrated when they still have the issue after a MB or system replacement. Its not ethical and poor business practices from Dell. But dell tries to avoid the real issues and plays along like its a faulty MB or something else.. when in fact it is the worst case scenario.. a bad design.

Note, Dell is also working on a bios work around.. but that is pending and so far nothing fixes issue. Busmastering, BT toggle is last option. But MB replacement does not fix problem.

The sad thing is they probably won't admit that to you in person. But behind your back its different.

 

I just received my solution (I hope) which is a Turtle Beach USB sound card which is relatively small and has Vista drivers. I will install and try it out later today. It seemed like the easiest solution and not too expensive either. It was $30 shipped from Newegg.

I agree that it's a design problem, but the Vostro 1500 is such a great value considering what you can get that it wasn't worth pursuing it with Dell. That's especially true since I already have a replacement system trying to get a good screen. At this point, I wouldn't want another replacement because of the chance of getting a crappy screen. A work-around is obviously not ideal but offers a path of low resistance.

 

Turtle beach has been making SC's for a long time. I expect it might to the trick for you.. good luck.

Also, if that does not work out for you I think the Creative express SC may be better.. but its cost much more as well.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=11832&stc=1&d=1193672088
Creative express SC.jpg

 

I had a minute at lunch to try out the Turtle Beach USB sound card. It works great. Silence is golden! Between songs anyway

 

I just got off the phone with customer service and setup an exchange. I'm guessing that the new one i get will have the same issue, at which point i will return it for a refund... Does anyone know of a laptop manufacturer that builds quality notebooks?

 

Apple.
Sager. (Clevo)
Asus.
Lenovo. My Dad just got a T61 through his office, the thing is crazy nice. Thinkpads have been in the business from the very beginning and are still going strong. If I could, I'd get rid of the 1520 for a T61p widescreen with Quadro 570m in a heartbeat.

 

my friend is going thru the same thing everyone is talking about. He got the laptop for its price and features. Now he is gonna return it.. all that hastle(he didn't listen to me the first place )

 

im beginning to think the world is against me getting a new laptop. Its now been 3 with various audio problems....

 

I read the first 14 pages here and I didn't find wether replacing the MB worked for anyone. What is different with the people that do NOT have interference?

Dell is sending me a new MB next day shipping and I will replace it myself. I'll post up wether it is any different or not. My interference seems to be ONLY through the jack. Not the onboard speakers or anything else. I have bluetooth and wifi etc. I have not tried the 3rd party software - battery life is very important to me..

 

Ya know what I'm wondering, do we have any Inspiron 1521 users here? I'm curious if it has any buzzing, as doesnt it use a different motherboard and non-Intel parts?
That could start narrowing it down to what components specifically are causing it.

 

Well my replacement arrived today... same problems. I also noticed another problem with this laptop. It emits an odd noise every so often.. it sounds like a stomach gurgling and it comes from under the lefthand side of the touchpad. Also i did some benchmarks on this system and it scores terrible.... Oh well its going back and im buying something else.

 

My laptop, which I've had now for about 3 months, made that "gurgling" sound a couple times too...I fixed it with a restart, but I hope it isn't anything to be concerned about...

 

my vostro has the noise problem too. my solution was to use a logitech usb headset with 2.0 surround sound. i dont even use the jack and now all is well.

 

[edited per DMCA request]

Either get a USB SC or other option but don't waste time on something that probably can't be fixed. Probably why some don't hear the issue as much is when toggling the BT. RMclock can also help but thats going to extremes and I would not advise that.

 

FYI dell sent me the little card part that your headphones plug into and I replaced it today, seems to have worked!

 

Is that the creative express card? Thats good if they did. I think Dell should offer that option to anyone who complains about the static noise. Being they screwed up the design thats the least they can do. Its either that or fix the MB design flaw. Giving the customer the run around should not be happening.. period.