Ixel The Headphone Sound Issues

[Stevenxowens792]

Ixel - try deleting the sound drivers completely and all the software. Clean the registry with CCleaner. Then re-install the sound drivers. Also make sure you disable the "what you hear" option in the realtek software as this causes extra interference with the microphone.

Let us know how it works.

Best Wishes, StevenX

[Ixel]

Hi,

I just noticed this thread, assumably in response to the one at NBR. I did what you suggested prior to the thread creation, except the option you mention of 'what you hear' which I can't find. Listening to the device in the usual sound options in Windows 7 is disabled. I've even gone as far as disabling the microphone device. Any other suggestions?

[Stevenxowens792]

Sorry Ixel, just logged back in. I was reading the NBR thread. Does it only happen on headphones? do you hear crackling when it's on speakers (be careful if you have to crank volume up).?

Items that cause crackling..

1. Hardware itself (short, solder, etc..)

2. Microphone

3. Driver

4. Other (something running in parallel). Maybe another piece of software causing the issue.

[Ixel]

Well I'm at a loss other than my headphones picking up RF or EM noise when somehow plugged into this laptop. I thought it disappeared last night, utter bliss with no background noise whatsoever. Later this morning it returned . Two options I can only see I'm left with are to either try buying a new set of £100-£150 headphones, or to try a good quality USB sound device, preferably one like Creative. Maybe this noise I'm picking up is also the cause of the wireless interference I was mentioning I once had, which is forcing me to use the LAN cable (again that's intermittent interference on wireless, just like my headphones making intermittent cracking noise sessions, just enough so you can hear it though).

I've even gone as far as turning off all nearby power sockets to ensure there's no electricity inside the room, just battery power and my headphones plugged in, but I get this slight static noise still. I don't get it if I switch the power management option on to disable sound when nothing is playing, but that's not an option I should have to live with considering I didn't get this problem on my Sony Vaio laptop, and besides of which if I don't have the sound loud enough I can hear the noise faintly even if I have music playing.

Speakers built into the laptop don't appear to produce this effect as I can see. Could it just simply be the Intel HD audio chipset is not up to the job?

Edit: Interestingly I was wondering if recent solar flare activity could be having this effect and it's just coincidence I didn't get it on my old laptop when I had it because issues of solar flare activity weren't as big back then?

Edited June 23, 2011 by Ixel

[Stevenxowens792]

ixel - funny you mention flare as our HD channels here in the US have been having issues lately. (local over the air HD channels)

Have you tried just a cheap (other) pair of headphones? Even if you have to borrow a pair? Sounds like your doing a great job trying to narrow down the root cause. If the speakers dont reproduce the issue then it's not the chipset. it could be the headphone port. Have you tried them both? Do they both do the same thing? The creative usb xi-pro go is ok. I have it and I have experimented between it and the standard on board. Little better clarity on the USB but not too much difference.

[Ixel]

I've tried both headphone ports, they do exactly the same thing. The noise, though obviously not right for the headphones, is less noticable when I switch from stereo to 5.1 in the Realtek options, but obviously I must use stereo. Unfortunately I don't have another set of headphones to try, so the only two options I have are to buy a cheap set first, and if that's the same then buy the X-Fi USB device. Only worry I have is that a cheap set of headphones may not produce the problem for one reason, because they are cheaply made.

Unless it's coincidence, last night the noise was gone when the sun went down completely, and for the remainder of that night (I was up till around midnight).