SSM2602
Not Recommended for New Designs
The SSM2602 is a low power, high quality stereo audio codec for portable digital audio applications with one set of stereo programmable gain amplifier...
Datasheet
SSM2602 on Analog.com
Hello, bdoan,
This is super difficult for me to determine what is wrong or different.
I noticed the detail that you just swapped the part onto the same board that the WM8731 was installed and working. So that is an important detail and I did not miss that point.
What is making this difficult is because there are so many variables so more info and tests need to be done. It would be good to look at the noise on a scope and see if it is also on the power supply?
So the question to figure out is where is the noise coming from? Where is it seen and not seen?
So many switching power supplies these days can have noise on it. So that is a possibility.
You mentioned no audio input,... Have you actually grounded the input? I do not have your schematic so I am not sure if this is possible without shorting an output.
Where is the noise seen? There are four outputs. Two are a headphone output and two are just line level outputs. Is it on all of them?
Then is it seen on the VMID pin?
Is there too much gain in the system? Is the gain the same as the WM part?
You mentioned the registers are "almost" the same. So this will require more study to see what is different and could this be part of the problem?
So this is my initial first thoughts on collecting some more data to get an idea of what is going on and where?
PCB layout can also cause issues but I will put that on the back-burner since the layout worked for the WM part. Still, this is an assumption.
Dave T
Thanks
I have found, first and foremost, that the input impedance of the SSM2602 is much higher than that of the WM8731.
This exposes a (fairly) high impedance node with a 1” trace.
I will look at terminating the line input to the Vmid terminal to load it.
Hello bdoan,
The inputs will already be terminated to VMID internally. I am not sure exactly what you are using or not using and which inputs are the problem. But, look at the datasheet typical application for some hints.
You will note that the VMID pin is there mostly for decoupling.

Hello bdoan,
The inputs will already be terminated to VMID internally. I am not sure exactly what you are using or not using and which inputs are the problem. But, look at the datasheet typical application for some hints.
You will note that the VMID pin is there mostly for decoupling.

The input is capacitively coupled to the output of a unity gain buffer.
The issue seems to be stability. If the DC level of the buffer is offset from the 1.65V (Vmid) the noise is not present but when the DC levels on either side of the cap are the same, the whistle appears.
I have tried various methods of supply decoupling and isolation with no change in performance.
The noise is present with 0db gain and at increased gain levels.