scratchy audio wont go away

That scratchy audio just wont go away. I've re-installed the same OS and same programs on the same hardware that I've used for a while, and now the mysterious scratchy sound. Only difference is a 120GB SSD instead of a 150gb HD for OS. Everyone seems to agree it is annoying but has a different solution. What I have tried and what it is not:

Windows 7 SP1
the Realtek driver
the windows driver
Direct X
loose audio jack
bad speakers
bad hard drive

You know I only come on here in emergencies. :) This one has me stumped....

Roger...

I'm new to audio problems, if I've uninstalled all audio drivers, what does that mean? It is using the Win7 audio driver, and still sounding scratchy. What types of programs might have a conflict with an audio driver? I see lots of "Oh, I unistalled Xxx program or driver and now it works great", except its a different program or driver for everyone.

I started uninstalling programs, which I was loather to do, and sure enough, clean sound started coming out of the speakers. For like 5 seconds, and then the pops and glitches start. As if removing *something* started to clean up the sound, and then whatever conflict is causing the noise, takes back over and creates the issue. Sometimes its rhythmical fading sound, sometimes just an odd distortion that slows the song way doowwwwwnnnnnn . . . . before picking up where it left off.

Last attempt had me uninstalling the 1.67xx whatever audio driver that came with the board, at which point there was a red x through the audio tray icon. Then rebooting at which point windows automatically installed a driver I have no idea which one. Then I installed the latest 2.67 driver from Realtek and rebooted again. No change. Its as if the Realtek driver, if it is the problem, inserted or created some kind of bug that affects the sound regardless of what driver is installed.

Since I don't know anything about this, if I uninstalled the only audio driver that was installed, and rebooted, and the Windows logon sound had the scratchy effect, before Windows installed its own driver, that means *something* is driving the sound and its not the Realtek and its not the windows default driver.

what it sounds like. they are .3gp files from my Droid, I changed the extension to .txt to be able to import them. Just change it back to .3gp to listen to it.

I had scratchy, squeeky sound using Asus MB's integrated sound. It was awful. I disabled on board sound and installed a HT Omega Claro XT and things have been crystal clear ever since.

Thanks mucho, I bought a $20 Asus sound card and clean sound is here again. And louder than the onboard controller.