X220- headphone jack problem- hardware?

Suddenly my X220 has developed a hiss when headphones are plugged into the jack.

-It doesn't vary with the volume control or whether or not muted.

-If I restart the machine the hiss goes away when the screen goes blank and comes back when Windows starts up.

If nothing is played for a minute or so, the hiss goes away (I think Windows disables devices if they're not used to save power) and as soon as something is played it comes back. Also goes away if the audio device is disabled in device manager.

-So far it seems that anytime the audio jack is supplied power it's hissing, whether or not it's muted.

Does this sound like a hardware issue? Though still under warranty, I think that would unfortunately mean a motherboard replacement. This hasn't been the most reliable machine, so far two bad screens, a bad fan, and now potentially a bad headphone jack.

 

I assume you've tried different headphones? It does sound like an hardware issue to me, i.e. as soon as the device is active you hear the hiss. But you could test this easily, just download and boot from an Ubuntu iso, Windows PE or something similar.

I had a similar issue on an old Dell Laptop, but there it was clear that the port was physically damaged (the port wobbled around). If you don't want to replace the MB an alternative would be to buy a cheap & cheerful USB soundcard.

 

Did you try a Linux disc, just to see if it's a Windows issue? If not, at least you're still under warranty.

My X220i has been rock solid, except the card reader, which I rarely use.

 

It's happening with the speakers plugged in as well, and with Ubuntu as well. Guess that confirms it. It's not that loud of a static noise, but it's obvious when Windows cuts power and restarts the jack, and that's pretty annoying.

ZaZ, what's wrong with your card reader?