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Spark 40 Whining Noise when connected with external device

What is the issue?

Upon connecting a Spark amp to an external device (including smartphones, computers, PA systems, or other guitar amps) through Guitar In (input), Aux In (input), or Headphone Out (output), customers may experience a persistent, whining/high-pitch noise emanating from the Spark amp.

Below are some further description from some customers:

After changing to a 3-pin PSU, connecting the computer to the Spark amp aux in results in a whining sound.

When connecting the Spark amp aux-in to a computer, there is a high-pitch noise. Have tried two different cables and various scenarios, and discovered that this noise occurs when connected to a computer (the same situation occurred with two different computers). When connected to an iPhone, there is no issue.

Response

Please use the following statement (approved by product team) to respond to the customer.

The noise you are experiencing might be caused by a phenomenon called "ground loop." A ground loop occurs when two or more devices in an audio system are connected through an audio or USB cable, with each of their own electrical grounding point, creating an unintended ground loop. This loop can pick up interference and generate audible noise, and is often influenced by the user's specific environment.With this understanding, we would like to suggest a few potential workarounds that may help resolve the issue:

  1. Try using alternative audio or USB cables to connect your Spark amp to the external device. Some cables may be more prone to interference, and changing to a different cable may help alleviate the noise issue.
  2. If possible, switch the power sockets to which your Spark amp and the external device are connected. This may help eliminate any electrical interference that could be contributing to the noise.

If neither of these suggestions resolves the issue, we recommend connecting your Spark amp to the external device via Bluetooth for audio playback as a workaround. This method should remove the ground loop factor and eliminate the noise.