Sound crackling, clicking etc. when playing sounds

[Repa24]

Hello there,

I just got myself registered and I have some problems with my sound which now exist for ~ 6 months.

1. Problem:
You could describe the problem as a sound clicking or crackling. Those appear in various situations, for example when playing a MP3, videos from YT, gamesounds and so on. Mostly they occur when the sound starts or ends (for example a cut in a film), even the simple windows-sound when adjusting the volume has this problem, when i rappidly klick on the volume-slider.

Things i tried, nothing of them helped:

Reinstalled Windows 7 two times, bought a new headset (QH-95), bought two different soundcards (Asus Xonar D1 and Asus Xonar U7), bought a new mainboard (ASRock Z77 Pro3, same as my old one), updated all drivers (reinstalled windows), checked the sound with the Latency Check-programm (everything is green), tried playing the sounds without soundcard (Asus Xonar D1) , changed sound frequienzies, played audio without WiFi on, played audio without any devices (apart from headset and mouse) and defragmentaded my harddrive.

There is still no solution until this day. I slowly start to belive i'm the only one who can hear those sounds, it's just crazy and and the same time also depressing.

Examples of videos where the crackling appears for me:

5:29 - 6:00 (continiously)
https://youtu.be/DxAgB3EI2vk?t=5m29s

1:08 - 1:15 (continiously)
https://youtu.be/HIvQvIEsHZM?t=1m8s

1:21 - 1:22 when he starts driving over the kerb (again, "at-the-start-of-a-sound-clicking")
https://youtu.be/iYlQ_OD68Gc

Video made by me; right after the downshifts 0:10 - ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEMhWOz6y-c


2. Problem

This should be easier to resolve: Sometimes i get, out of the nowwhere, extremley loud "white noise", example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KaOrSuWZeM.
After i stop the audio (for example Youtube-video), the problem stops.
Also, my right headphone sometimes stops working, but it can't be the headset because it works perfectly on my smartphone and on other devices. After a restart of windows the problem is solved.

PC Specs:

ASRock Z77 Pro3
Intel i5 3570k (was overclocked, but resetted it)
8 GB RAM
ASUS HD 7950
1 TB HardDrive
Thermalright HR-02 Macho (CPU-cooler)

Senneheiser PC360
Asus Xonar D1

Logitech G400 (Mouse)
Logitech G510 (Keyboard)
Logitech Driving Force GT (Wheel)

Now it's your turn. Those are the most frustrating PC-problems i ever had, hopefully somebody can help me.

Regards,
Florian

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello and welcome Florian mate sorry for the wait but it is a strange problem.

Now what immediately pops up for me is you equipment on an electrical circuit that is quite close to anything that uses microwave devices - phones, ovens, wireless communications or even wired communication stuff ? ham radio??

Now another thing that I think of is the sound card sitting snuggly in that slot and are the connecting cables also a snug fit?

Now I suggest you clean the slots and sticks cards etc first. I also have to assue all drivers are up to date?

SLOT CLEANING

Now as for the slots toclean them use a strip of old credit card (or any card thin enough some arebetter than others ) about 1/2 inch wide nip the corners off one end - preferably round them off hold a piece of thin lint free cloth over theend dab on some form of alcohol - isopropyl alcohol (what we swab the skin withbefore an injection) is good and GENTLYswipe along the slots.

This can also be done for the GPU slot/s andalso the contacts of the sticks or cards - not the stick but some lint freecloth of course. See my pic for the stick but please be very gentle doing it ifyou are in any doubt - please ask before doing it but I use this all the timeand have yet to damage anything.

Lastly but not necessarily the end can you read my ditty and post back your findings


Using HW Info

PART A:

You can test the volts on the PSU with HW Info HWiNFO, HWiNFO32/64 - Download < download the right bit version and close the right handwindow select Sensors and scroll down to the power section where you will seewhat the volts are doing see my pic. In my pic the section (Nuvoton) with VBATT is a dead give awayyou are in the section for the rail voltages. There are other section titlesand one that pops up often is ITE

Now the voltage on the different rails have to be within 5% =+/-of what is required or the machine will not work properly if at all.

See this for the rail voltage info

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-specifications-atx-reference,3061.html (Section 2.)

The original right hand window shows the machine running and ishandy for that but for looking at the components in some detail close it anduse the main left hand side panel

FOR OTHER COMPONENTS

PART B:

Open each small square with + in it on the section thecomponents are in and then click on the individual component/s (it will highlight in blue) - in the righthand side will appear all sorts of details including brands speeds and otheressential info that particular device. See pic for example.

Use PART A: It may seen an odd ask but PSU's are more of a problem than most would like to think

 

[Repa24]

First of all, thanks for the answer!

I skipped the slot-cleaning part because I have doubts if that works because the mainboard is acutally pretty new (since 2 months) which is the same as the old one. So the issue shouldn't refer to "dirty slots".

I also read your link and used the tool to show the voltages. For me the values look good (CPU, +12V, +3.3V, +5V, the same when i have a game running), but you should maybe have a look on the values because i'm not very experienced in this.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry late reply mate had problems myself the PSU we can rule out as the rail volts check out ok and would not be supplying the board with bag values and in any case it has that inbuilt circuitry that will not let the machine fire up if any of the rails were bad. It is just sometimes the values can be a just that little low or high to throw things out.

The slots point taken the card contacts though just check them.

Now it just needs to keep looking .

 

[skywalker991]

Hello there,

I just got myself registered and I have some problems with my sound which now exist for ~ 6 months.

1. Problem:
You could describe the problem as a sound clicking or crackling. Those appear in various situations, for example when playing a MP3, videos from YT, gamesounds and so on. Mostly they occur when the sound starts or ends (for example a cut in a film), even the simple windows-sound when adjusting the volume has this problem, when i rappidly klick on the volume-slider.

Things i tried, nothing of them helped:

Reinstalled Windows 7 two times, bought a new headset (QH-95), bought two different soundcards (Asus Xonar D1 and Asus Xonar U7), bought a new mainboard (ASRock Z77 Pro3, same as my old one), updated all drivers (reinstalled windows), checked the sound with the Latency Check-programm (everything is green), tried playing the sounds without soundcard (Asus Xonar D1) , changed sound frequienzies, played audio without WiFi on, played audio without any devices (apart from headset and mouse) and defragmentaded my harddrive.

There is still no solution until this day. I slowly start to belive i'm the only one who can hear those sounds, it's just crazy and and the same time also depressing.

Examples of videos where the crackling appears for me:

5:29 - 6:00 (continiously)
https://youtu.be/DxAgB3EI2vk?t=5m29s

1:08 - 1:15 (continiously)
https://youtu.be/HIvQvIEsHZM?t=1m8s

1:21 - 1:22 when he starts driving over the kerb (again, "at-the-start-of-a-sound-clicking")
https://youtu.be/iYlQ_OD68Gc

Video made by me; right after the downshifts 0:10 - ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEMhWOz6y-c


2. Problem

This should be easier to resolve: Sometimes i get, out of the nowwhere, extremley loud "white noise", example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KaOrSuWZeM.
After i stop the audio (for example Youtube-video), the problem stops.
Also, my right headphone sometimes stops working, but it can't be the headset because it works perfectly on my smartphone and on other devices. After a restart of windows the problem is solved.

PC Specs:

ASRock Z77 Pro3
Intel i5 3570k (was overclocked, but resetted it)
8 GB RAM
ASUS HD 7950
1 TB HardDrive
Thermalright HR-02 Macho (CPU-cooler)

Senneheiser PC360
Asus Xonar D1

Logitech G400 (Mouse)
Logitech G510 (Keyboard)
Logitech Driving Force GT (Wheel)

Now it's your turn. Those are the most frustrating PC-problems i ever had, hopefully somebody can help me.

Regards,
Florian

It looks like we have the same issue although root cause may be different... I have popping like in your first link, recorded here: https://app.box.com/s/0gutgyjmpn8gbcuwz9r0nz0lqa7de1dq

I've been trying to sort it out for a while (1 months) and tried quite a few things (will list them later - it's rather long list) to no avail but worth noting is that this issue occurs regardless of sound hardware: onboard (realtek), 2 internal sound cards, spdif external dac, 2 x usb external dacs. Which makes me think that it's some kind of Windows resource conflict (resource sharing?) is causing all this.



-

 

[essenbe]

skywalker991, would you please start your own thread about your issue. Just go here http://www.sevenforums.com/sound-audio/ and press the big orange New Thread button. It is too confusing to have more than 1 OP in a thread.

 

[skywalker991]

skywalker991, would you please start your own thread about your issue. Just go here http://www.sevenforums.com/sound-audio/ and press the big orange New Thread button. It is too confusing to have more than 1 OP in a thread.

sure will do. apologies

 

[essenbe]

No problem, just trying to keep things straight.

 

[skywalker991]

Hi, not sure if you tried Uni xonar drivers already UNi Xonar Drivers official page - MaxedTech

I had similar issues with sound as you and these drivers fixed my sound. Give it a go they may help

 

[gavinh87]

Did you ever get to resolve this?
I'm having the exact error on completely different hardware which makes me think it is a windows issue.
I've also tried and external sound card (soundblaster omni) which just amplifies the noise if anything.
This is a second motherboard as it appeared the first was faulty. (Asus z170-a which had an alc 982)
turns out this is the same.....

Asrock Z170 fatality with realtek alc 1150 soundcard
i5 6600K
16gb ddr4 ram
gtx 970
corsair 240gb ssd

I will create my own thread I just wanted to see if the op had made any progress.

 

[Repa24]

No more progress in the problem, i'll probably buy a new PC with Win10 anways, so let's see how that will work out.
I mean, if it's a windows issue, we can't be the only ones who hear it? That would be strange with Windows being the most used OS, wouldn't it?

Back in the days, when i played Minecraft (yes i know...) i drove with the minecart quietly often (no soundcrackling). When i play Minecraft now and get into a minecart, right at the point where the loop of the minecart-sound stops and begins, i get the pop-sound / crackling noise. Therefore, something must have happened to my PC, software or something else.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hmm now just before you rush out and buy another PC for the record I don't really like 10 anyway although this sounds (no pun intended) to me like a hardware issue rather than a software but please run these to get them out of the way


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html< if necessary include the /f and /r in the command line as per Option2 >in safe mode if need be

if no go then these

https://www.malwarebytes.org/mwb-download/index.html

http://www.superantispyware.com/

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/

ADW download from bleepingcomputer delete any rubbish found with the malware scans

NB If anyone is runningKaspersky security it may rant about ADW - just ignore it or disable it for awhile

Now I do know a member I know is really good at this stuff and if we come up with nothing after this then I will ask him for help.

Now I suppose you have checked all cables sockets plugs etc? It would be very unlucky to get two MB's in a row that are bad but not out of the realms of possibilities.

 

[Repa24]

Tried all of the things described in your post and reinstalled Windows because of graphic-problems, sound problem is still there.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok Repa I ask him for some ideas

 

[Repa24]

That'd be nice, thanks!

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Repa I have left him a message to look .

 

[fireberd]

I've been on travel and haven't done much lately on the forum. I was asked to comment on this.

First thing, run the free DPC Latency Checker and Resplendence Latency Mon and see what they show. They may help to isolate the problem.

I remember this type of problem from years ago when I worked on the Dell forums. Been so long that I don't remember what was done to resolve this.

 

[Repa24]

Hello,
first of all, thanks for your help.
I already tried the DPC Latency Checker a while ago, everything was in the green area. I got the same results when i tried it today.

The Latency Mon programm shows those 2 red bars, i'll see what i can do in terms of the described BIOS settings.

 

[fireberd]

Latency Mon should list programs and which ones are the major causes.

I have two desktops with ASRock motherboards, one is the same as you have (with an i5 3550 and 16GB RAM) and the other is a Z77 Professional Fatal1ty (with an i7 3770 and 16GB of RAM). I don't have any problems with either.

 

[Repa24]

Well, the programm-list shows a .exe (sorted by hard pagefaults) which is a part of my antivirus (GDATA). The thing is, even if i uninstalled it, the problem wont go away (already tested that).
I already used the antivirus before i got my soundproblems, so that can't be the problem for sure.
The second process showing high amount of hard pagefaults is svchost.exe which is a process by windows, obviously i can't stop that one.

I still have to check the BIOS settings, let's see what i can do there.