[drambit]

For the past few weeks my computer has been generating this crackling, static-like sound whenever audio is playing out of my speakers, it is starting to get so bad that it is absolutely unbearable to listen to anything at all on my computer.

Here is my setup:

• A Logitech 2.1 desktop speaker setup.
• A Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE PCI 7.1 sound card
• A Gigabyte GA-P45T-es3g motherboard
• Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit

My on board sound is completely disabled, with all Realtec drivers removed, and the drivers powering my sound card are the official creative drivers that came in the box with the sound card. The sound card is in the lowest possible PCI slot, which has been recommended by a few people in other forums. I have reformatted my computer a couple times (for unrelated reasons,) and each time the sound issue has persisted after the reformat. I have tried basically everything that has been recommended in other forums by other people, including the creative FAQ itself, and each time I have came up completely flat. Also my sample rate and bit depth are 41k and 16 bit, aka cd quality, so that's not the issue either. I can 100% rule out the possibility of it being my speakers, my bit depth/sample rate, or my audio files, but I haven't really solidly ruled anything else out 100% yet.

If anyone could help me it would be greatly appreciated, I'm ready to pull my hair out over this, it is incredibly frustrating.

 

[drnilly007]

What happens when you hit mute when it is crackling then unmute?

 

[chalkbluffgrown]

The drivers on the initial CD were meant for Xp and those are 10 ten years old at best. I do have to say that you may have received an updated CD with your card, but I do doubt it.

You might want to start with the newest for Windows 7 and go from there. I had the Audigy LS and I had to wait for quite a while until the driver issues were smoothed out. Again, my memory may be lacking as this was a long time ago..........

For Windows 7, here are is the newest 32 and 64 bit driver. It is an all in one driver for Windows 7 and 8

http://ccftp.creative.com/manualdn/Drivers/AVP/12659/0x7975FE8F/SB24_PCDRV_LB_WIN8_1_04_0090.exe

 

[SpeedyVT]

Sounds to me you might that you have your cards max output is conflicting with your speakers as they are already powered and have their own amperage so you're producing unnecessary static. Lower the device volume and just turn the dial on your speakers.

 

[drambit]

I am pretty sure the CD drivers are actually newer ones for windows 7, given that on the very package it says it is compatible with windows 7.

Anyway though, I just plugged my speakers into my iPod for an hour so I could listen to music without clawing my eyeballs out, and when I plugged my speakers back into my computer the crackling disappeared. This happens regularly though, like for no discernible reason the crackling will just completely stop out of the blue, then it comes back later. I will report back to this thread when it comes back, which will probably only be an hour or two. I updated my drivers to the ones linked to me in the second post.

If this tips anyone off as to what the root of the problem might be take a swing at it.

 

[chalkbluffgrown]

When you are using the system with the sound card in it, is the sound card near any fans or graphics card exhaust? I have had two sound cards in the last fifteen years that acted as you say when my system got hot!

Shot in the dark I know........

 

[SpeedyVT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chalkbluffgrown

When you are using the system with the sound card in it, is the sound card near any fans or graphics card exhaust? I have had two sound cards in the last fifteen years that acted as you say when my system got hot!

Shot in the dark I know........

It's why I'm officially sticking to external DACs

 

[Diablosbud]

Are you sure that everything in your computer, including the card is grounding okay?

 

[drambit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chalkbluffgrown

When you are using the system with the sound card in it, is the sound card near any fans or graphics card exhaust? I have had two sound cards in the last fifteen years that acted as you say when my system got hot!

Shot in the dark I know........

There is a video card exhaust a few inches above the card, it is throwing air at the card. Here is where things get strange though, for the hour I had the speakers plugged into my iPod, I was playing a graphically intensive video game, and my video card was probably pretty close to molten lava when I plugged my sound card plugged back in, and it worked fine. Beats the hell outta' me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diablosbud

Are you sure that everything in your computer, including the card is grounding okay?

I would assume that everything is grounding alright given that some of the time it works perfectly, but I obviously don't know 100% I'm not going digging around with my multimeter while my computer is plugged in lol.

As far as I know right now honestly the problem could be permanently fixed and I wouldn't know, but I am making an assumption that it isn't based on that it happened randomly and that this happens occasionally, and then falls back to **** sound again. I will run some basic tests in a little while such as restarting my computer and playing around with some software to see if the problem comes back. I have this thread bookmarked though so even if it takes a few days I will report back in when it happens. It's the strangest thing.

 

[Diablosbud]

Does it only occur when your video card is under load? It could just be electromagnetic interference, my ASUS Xonar DGX was unshielded and I used to get a small amount of noise (mind you, my speakers were at unbearably high volume).

 

[DzillaXx]

Friend was having this same problem with his XtremeGamer sound card. I would look into replacing your sound card, especially one based on such a old hardware. He ended up not using the Creative card anymore instead of rebooting to fix the problem.

Sound card is probably just getting old and needs to be replaced.

 

[drambit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diablosbud

Does it only occur when your video card is under load? It could just be electromagnetic interference, my ASUS Xonar DGX was unshielded and I used to get a small amount of noise (mind you, my speakers were at unbearably high volume).

This could perhaps be it, although the exact situation is somewhat baffling to me. After almost 6 days without any interference whatsoever (including tons of intense gaming during those 6 days, every day,) I just quit out of my game, started playing moonlight sinata in FLAC and the static is back, and again, although it is at a reasonable volume, it is unbearable to listen to music when this happens, every high note is crunched by static. I let my video card cool down to normal temperature and the static persists. Any thoughts? Do you think it is shielding?
Quote:

Originally Posted by DzillaXx

Friend was having this same problem with his XtremeGamer sound card. I would look into replacing your sound card, especially one based on such a old hardware. He ended up not using the Creative card anymore instead of rebooting to fix the problem.

Sound card is probably just getting old and needs to be replaced.

The sound card is no more than a year old. I don't remember the exact purchase date but I'm pretty sure it was around fall last year.

 

[drambit]

bump