Windows 7 - hard click on startup

I have a strange issue with my sound when booting or shutting down Windows 7 64.
I think it's when the sound driver is initialized that this happens, but I'm not sure.

I hear a loud click (the kind of sound you'd sometimes hear when turning on an amplifier when the volume is at it's max). The same thing happens when shutting down.

Sound playback is normal in windows, no problems whatsoever.
I have a Rampage Formula board, and Windows 7 installed the drivers for the sound on install, so that seems right I guess.

The volume in windows is at 10% usually, so it should not be making a loud noise at all.
Are there other users with similar problems? What could be causing this behaviour?

I get a "click" or "pop" when Win 7 first starts with a new SoundBlaster Xfi sound card. I didn't get it with the previous card (and HTO Striker 7.1). Apparently how or where in the startup sequence the sound card is initialized or the shared IRQ.

Uninstall the sound card in the Device Manager and then restart the PC and when Windows starts it will reinstall it and maybe put it on a different shared IRQ or in a different location in the startup sequence and it MAY fix it.

I usually have my speakers powered off when I start the PC so it's not an issue for me.

So he click is cause by the IRQ it's on?
or is it just a possible cause?

I'll give it a try none the less, will post back.

I've just uninstalled and rebooted my sound device, and the problem remains.

I hear the same click when muting my windows sound (mute button on my keyboard). If i manually turn the volume all the way down this does not happen.

Can this be caused by the card's drivers, or is this a Windows 7 issue?
I have a pair of active speakers connected to my PC, and I don't like the clicking since it can, if the volume is loud enough, break the speakers.