most of these soundcards and drivers are now optimised for VOIP – I’d check there isn’t some echo cancel or EQ software automatically activated (lol nearly ended that sentence with automatisch geactiveerd for some reason, probably what comes of trying to read partyvibe and partyflock on dual screen :laugh_at:)

I would always use external soundcard anyway. Since I recently rediscovered another hobby of radio listening, its shocking just how much interference computers chuck out, from AF to about 170/180 MHz…..

the SMPSU’s in laptops and other cheap SMPSU is made to be both compact and cheap and lack ferrites / chokes to keep away the RF. I have to even run my HF radio on batteries otherwise all this electromagnetic filth comes straight down the power rails and into the set (and I used all my stock of ferrite cores making baluns for antennas and forgot to buy some more..).

there is some horrible kit around, someones idiot-lantern round here is every so often transmitting mangled audio onto VHF marine band (probably leaking out the IF stage) – there was a time DTI or Ofcom would have someones door put off the hinges and the offending item removed for doing this. I though it was someone pissing about with a VHF set and came close to reporting it. Hopefully this won’t be going too far and if its being spat back out the antenna should be pointed back to land, but if I ever hear this sort of crap any nearer the coast I will be calling either Coastguard or Ofcom myself before someone at sea is endangered. To be fair they do realise that people often aren’t deliberately doing it and know no better, and many TV sets are still assembled in Europe in areas near the coast (to make transporting them cheaper) and the manufacturers will make design changes if they are notified (a OM from Belgium goes about on his bicycle with a great loop antenna and his HF radio and searches out this interference. poor old boy did have to take some months off with a hernia though (not surprised carting all that around on his bike at his age, I would struggle with it!)

And the HF band is half wiped out at night, now I see why the old boys are back to using Morse again in spite of it being decomissioned from public service / military use 10 or more years ago, its the only mode what gets through this crap.