Audio Crackles

[Valigarmander]

Hey, I've been having a problem, and maybe one of you computer wiz kids can help me out.

I got a new laptop a few months ago, and I've had a frequent issue with the audio becoming crackly. I have no idea what triggers it, and it seems to happen more or less at random. Disabling and re-enabling my speakers will fix the problem temporarily. The drivers (I have Realtek High Definition Audio) are all up to date. Messing with the sample rate/bit depth doesn't stop it from happening. I've never had this issue before, so I'm a bit at a loss what to do. Got any suggestions for me?

[I am nobody]

Are you getting it through the external speakers or an audio jack?

[Valigarmander]

The built-in speakers. I don't typically use the audio jack, but I might test it out the next time I get crackles.

Edit: Well, that didn't take long. The audio's the same when using headphones, and switching between speakers and the audio jack doesn't appear to change anything about the crackles.

[I am nobody]

Probably worth contacting the manufacturer's support if you haven't already. It could be a motherboard/sound card issue from what you've described, and sometimes you can get free upgrades out of companies when things break this quickly.

[Valigarmander]

Yeah, that's what I feared. I was hoping maybe there was some easy fix I wasn't aware of.

[I am nobody]

It might be something simple, but you'd probably void the warranty by opening it and checking yourself. Could also be drivers fighting, but that's usually not any easy fix either.

[ScottyMcGee]

Did you figure it out? What brand is it btw?

[Jere]

Yeah curius to see where this is going for you.

[Valigarmander]

I'm still having problems with it, but I haven't gotten around to contacting the manufacturer yet. Might do that this weekend.

[е и ժ е я]

I'm still having problems with it, but I haven't gotten around to contacting the manufacturer yet. Might do that this weekend.

Hey, it can depend on a few factors, could you describe the sort of audio crackle you're experiencing? Would you say it sounds similar to when an audio engine on an emulator is struggling to keep in sync? Any odd pops or stutters? What are the specs/hardware beyond that in the system, and in what context, if any specifics, does it happen?