Are you talking about distortion or static (as in crackles you hear when your radio isn’t tuned to a particular station)?
Have you tried it with an external power supply to ensure that the problem isn’t with the battery (that may be low in charge)?
There is a noise floor on the Macchiato, but it should be very low compared to the audio signal you get; and you should get basically no sound when the volume is all the way down. If you are getting some sound with the volume down then that means the problem is with one of the components after the volume pot. Go through the schematic and just check to make sure all the components after the volume pot are correct and installed properly. The problem is most likely the LM386 audio amp or associated components.
-Brach