External speakers popping/clicking sounds on new 24" iMac 2,8 GHz

Hello everyone,
got a new iMac from Gravis in Germany and connected it via it's headphone jack to my external stereo amplifier and it emits clicking or popping sounds whenever I switch the light in my room on or off. I've used the same connection for my Windows PC and that is working fine - no pops or clicks. The problem also exists if the Mac is muted. I can not hear clicks or popping noises when I disconnect the external speakers and use the in-built ones.
I brought my Mac back to Gravis and explained the problem and they replaced the audio board and cabling. No success. The popping and clicking is still there. Replacing the audio cable with a better shielded one does not fix the problem. Turning the power connectors of amplifier and/or Mac 180° does not help also.
The problem seems to come from a bad shielding inside the Mac or the built-in power supply that is not capable of filtering the power surges.
I've found some threads but I'm not sure whether or not these issues are related. Some people seem to think that these problems are software related.
A workaround could be:
1) getting an online USV that disconnects the Mac from the power cabling
2) using the digital output (toslink)
3) getting an external Firewire or USB sound device for sound output
Neither of these three workarounds are options for me - I still want a fix for my Mac.
Anyone here who has the same problems?
vex

Hi Elvinio,
I'm trying to solve this problem by getting rid of the analog connection between Mac and stereo. I've ordered a digital 7.1 receiver for 250 Euro and a toslink cable for 20 Euro.
Another solution would be an online UPS. That UPS disconnects the Mac from the direct power source and delivers "freshly generated" and "perfect" current without disturbances.
I think that those pops are power surges that are not filtered by the Apple Mac's power supply. My ordinary Windows PC is not subject to clicking and popping sounds - so I suppose that either the power supply or the internal shielding of the Mac is crap.
I hope that those ugly pops are gone when I establish the new connection...
I will post the results of my not too cheap work-around.
Regards
Message was edited by: viciousvex

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This signature left intentionally blank.

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