[Dell Precision M3800, Realtek ALC668, Black Headphone Out, Left] Strong background noise

[VladU]

When I connect the headphones, there is a strong hissing in both left and right side. It does not amplify or reduce along with the master volume. Instead, if I completely mute the master volume, the hissing disappears. It comes back as soon as I unmute the master volume.

The internal speakers of the laptop are not affected: when headphones are not connected, there is no background hissing noise.

Standard four questions:
1) Ubuntu release: 14.04 LTS
2) Package affected: kernel? (linux-image-3.13.0-24-generic) or maybe alsa-driver?
3) Unless I play music, I expect no to hear anything in the headphones
4) I get a background hissing noise in the headphones

Thanks!

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: sun 1875 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: sun 1875 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sun May 4 02:46:01 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-05-02 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140417)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AlsaPlaybackTest: ALSA playback test through plughw:PCH successful
Symptom_Card: Audio interne - HDA Intel PCH
Symptom_Jack: Black Headphone Out, Left
Symptom_PulsePlaybackTest: PulseAudio playback test successful
Symptom_Type: High background noise, or volume is too low
Title: [Dell Precision M3800, Realtek ALC668, Black Headphone Out, Left] Background noise or low volume
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 02/06/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A03
dmi.board.name: Dell Precision M3800
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A03
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Not Specified
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA03:bd02/06/2014:svnDellInc.:pnDellPrecisionM3800:pvrA03:rvnDellInc.:rnDellPrecisionM3800:rvrA03:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrNotSpecified:
dmi.product.name: Dell Precision M3800
dmi.product.version: A03
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Raymond (superquad-vortex2)]

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-driver/+bug/1252733/comments/24

does it help if you disable the audio mixer ?

[AureusPhoenix (aureusphoenix)]

Hi Raymond, could you please explain, how the described procedure works? I just see some source code. What should I do with it?
Thanks a lot!

[VladU (vlad-ureche)]

Raymond, thanks for the pointer! If I understand correctly, I would have to compile the kernel myself with the suggested patch, right? If so, please bear with me for a few days, I've been working round the clock these last few days...

[Mikael Svensson (svensson-mike)]

I have the same problem. Did you have any luck fixing this?

[VladU (vlad-ureche)]

Nope, unfortunately I haven't found a solution :(

[Raymond (superquad-vortex2)]

https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/tiwai/sound.git/log/sound/pci/hda?qt=grep&q=alc668

[Mikael Svensson (svensson-mike)]

@Raymond does this fix the problem? the latest kernel update to ubuntu 14.04 did not fix the problem.

[Mikael Svensson (svensson-mike)]

I still have this problem. See attachment.

[Raymond (superquad-vortex2)]

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/3525/t/19563481

do jayfree 's solution fix the problem ?

[Mario Limonciello (superm1)]

Based on posts at that community forum, it sounds like this should be fixed in 3.16. Affected users can try to install linux-generic-lts-utopic on 14.04 to see if it resolves the issue.

[Mario Limonciello (superm1)]

Can someone please validate that 3.16 does fix it though? If not, there are some other workarounds mentioned:

hda-verb /dev/snd/hwC1D0 0x0c SET_AMP_GAIN_MUTE 0x5180
hda-verb /dev/snd/hwC1D0 0x0c SET_AMP_GAIN_MUTE 0x6180

[Mikael Svensson (svensson-mike)]

I have tested 3.16.0-30-generic and it did not work for me. Still same background noise.

[Mikael Svensson (svensson-mike)]

I tried this workaround and it fixed the problem. Still it have to be fixed in the kernel.

[David Turner (dwt)]

Mario's workaround worked fine for me! It will be nice if it does get fixed upstream.

[Mikael Svensson (svensson-mike)]

The workaround i used: http://xps13-9333.appspot.com/#background_noise

[Eric Baumann (eric-mannbaum)]

Hallo.
I have the exact same noise problem on headphones
on brand-new HP Zbook 15 G2.
(more infos here: http://askubuntu.com/questions/599539/noise-on-headphones-on-hp-zbook-15-g2-with-ubuntu-14-04-2-or-14-10)
Marios workaround didn't work for me...

[Cyril Soler (csoler-users)]

Apparently I've just got the exact same bug, with the same machine (M3800).
My kernel currently is 3.16.0-43. The bug also shows up with 3.16.0-41.
It makes the headphones absolutely unusable.

The white noise sound pops up when the sound card is woken up, and it disappears (or more precisely gets down to a very low level) when the sound card returns to sleep, a few seconds after being released by the application that used it.