Intermittent Static when using headphones

[jdm2008]

When using my wired headphones(with the dongle) I get an intermittent loud burst of static. The static is so loud that I can't hear audio at all. When I take my headphones out and listen through the air, the audio is fine. Don't hear it on audio either. Should I be 100% convinced it's the hardware? If so what's more likely the issue, the dongle or the headphone?

 

[B. Diddy]

Can you test another pair of headphones using the same dongle? Does it seem to be related to bending or torquing the dongle, especially near the transition between the cable part and the plug part?