When using my IEM I noticed a static noise any time its plugged into the audio out. This is not present on my old model deck (tested this afternoon) Its very very noticeable and greatly affects the use of my device. I reported the issue to Valve this afternoon. I LOVE my Oled Deck but this is very distracting/concerning.
I am hoping this is software related and not hardware related. I hope to receive an answer from Valve soon! If this is a software issue, it needs to be fixed ASAP! Everyone with this issue, let Valve know so we can get this fixed if possible!
I got my 512GB unit yesterday and immediately noticed the problem. The ground noise is unnacceptably high and varies between menus, in-game, according to the chosen power options, etc.
I just ran a few comparative tests this morning using different headphones to see how bad it is:
- Hyperx Cloud II: the ground noise is very noticeable at all times. It’s even more prevalent in the Steam Library than in-game but it never goes away.
- Moondrop Quarks (IEM): the most noticeable of all, given the higher sensitivity. Unusable for anyone who cares even a little bit about clean audio.
- Sennheiser HD 598SR: my oldest and most-used pair, usually slightly sensitive. The SD’s ground noise is a little less intense VS the previous two but still very noticeable and not acceptable. Once again, menus somehow show it the worst.
- Sennheiser HD 560S: slightly less noticeable than with the 598. During gameplay in Prey (2017) I can almost forget about it, although it’s still there. Becomes noticeable yet again in menus.
- Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro 250ohm: the only pair which completely hides the issue for me. Not noticeable in-game or in menus. It’s a studio pair with higher impedance and lower sensitivity but it is not representative of a typical consumer-oriented product that most people will be using to play portably.
I am somewhat hopeful that this issue can be mitigated through software. Maybe it’s a voltage control issue with the internal DAC or something of the sort. My LG G7 ThinQ smartphone had a dedicated Quad-DAC with purpose-built “audiophile” internals and it read some audio inputs completely wrong, creating lots of distortion with some headphones and none with others.
I need to know if they plan to address the problem. I am not about to keep an almost 600€ portable device which can’t play well with portable headphones and IEMs.
One final consideration is that I suspect they have the pre-amping on the internal DAC/ Amp way too high. The fact that my Beyerdynamic basically run perfectly and without any lack of volume points to the source gain being way too high for regular, sensitive headphones and IEMs. I really, really wouldn’t want to have to send this back.
I found a dead pixel on the screen as well. That combined with this audio issue. I said hell no and getting this returned back within the 14 day window. Last thing I want is to be stuck with a sub par product if they cant fix the audio. I will revisit the Steam deck again next year to see if quality control has improved.