Windows 7: Terrible sound quality when playing CDs. How can I fix this?

ClairR · 12 Dec 2010

Ok, I have an Advent laptop. When I play CDs (on both iTunes and Windows Media Player) the sound quality is extremely bad. It's really crackly and fuzzy. Strange though because this only occurs with several of my CDs. Other ones play perfectly.
I have tried playing the CDs on a CD player to make sure it isn't them but they played fine on the CD player.

Is there anyway I can fix this problem?

linnemeyerhere · 12 Dec 2010

ClairR, Welcome to SF. My guess here is these two or three discs are recorded with especially deep bass which is distorting the speakers and making them break up. This is a guess but with the small and very cheap speakers which laptops are known for they just can't play loud and they can't play at the extreme ends of the frequency spectrum.

linnemeyerhere · 12 Dec 2010

I've found that attaching higher performing powered external speakers would be an option or you can look to find the equalizer function and reduce the bass levels till the speakers stop distorting. This will make the speakers sound even less full but may help them to stop breaking up.
Altec Lansing Orbit IM237 MP3 Portable Speaker IM237 - RT at TigerDirect
This little guy could help as it's portable and offers clearer sound than most laptops can produce.
Altec Lansing FX3022 Expressionist Bass Speakers - 25 Watts RMS, 1.5 Full Range Drivers, 9 Watts 4 Subwoofers (x 2), AUX In, Volume Control, Black at TigerDirect
These are just some of the vast options but they have a nice small design and the bass drivers are in the base of each speaker.

ClairR · 12 Dec 2010

Well yes maybe it is the speakers being distorted but this terrible sound quality even occurs when I plug in headphones while these CDs are playing.

linnemeyerhere · 12 Dec 2010

Then that's something else than. Could the discs be damaged or dirty and the optical drive is having issues reading the info cleanly? Try washing the disc in your hands in soapy water and then drying with a soft towel and re-inserting ! What are the head phones your using, ear buds from another device or real head phones?

ClairR · 12 Dec 2010

I shall try cleaning them and see if it makes a difference but as I said I have tried playing them on my CD player and they are working fine.

brianzion · 12 Dec 2010

worth checking the bit rate sampler for playback?

PassMark SoundCheck™ is a Windows based application that allows users to test their PC sound card, speakers and microphone. Verify that your sound card can record and playback sounds at various audio sample rates. Check the capability of your speakers to reproduce the highest and lowest frequencies (and your capability to hear these frequencies). Create perfectly formed test tones and loop them back into your sound card to look for distortion using PassMark audio loopback cables. SoundCheck also provides an audio FX test and a surround sound test to analyse those advanced sound card features.

PassMark SoundCheck

PassMark SoundCheck - Download software to test your PC sound card

Aphelion · 12 Dec 2010

If it's a standard CD (not an Mp3 data CD) it has to be burned at 16-bit 44.1K.

Are these CDs the original CDs or are they burned copies?

If they're copies burned on different burners it could be the burner had a weak laser or didn't track quite right.

Right click the Microsoft speaker icon in the taskbar, selct Playback Devices, single left click on the Default Device (speakers) and select the properties button, select the advanced tab.. set the rate to 16-bit, 44.1.

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Windows 7: Terrible sound quality when playing CDs. How can I fix this?

Terrible sound quality when playing CDs. How can I fix this? problems?