My internal speaker sounds terrible playing CD's or listening to media.

Question

My speaker sounds terrible playing CD's or listening to media. I now barely have the sound on as it at least does not hurt my ears. A scraping scratching sound when voices get high.

This computer is new. Had it for a about month. It is an OptiPlex Tower 7020. Anyone else have this problem?

Answer 1

Your subject says "My internal speaker sounds terrible playing..." Like most desktops the OptiPlex Tower 7020 does not normally have an internal speaker. Please clarify what kind of speaker your have using and how it's connected so we can help you better.

Answer 2

Hi! Let me help you with this issue.

Let's troubleshoot the Audio driver. Please follow the steps below.

Please hover your mouse over the sound icon in the lower-right corner, then right-click it and select Troubleshoot Sound. Let the troubleshooter finish its task, then this should either resolve the problem or display an error message.

If that doesn't work, we need to remove the Audio driver from the Device Manager and restart the PC to reinstall it.

Here are the steps to completely remove a Device from your computer.

Step 1. Use the Windows key + X shortcut.

Step 2. Select Device Manager.

Step 3. Expand the entry Sound, Video, and Game Controllers. Right-click the problematic device, which is either Realtek Audio, or AMD High-definition Audio, or High-Definition Audio, depending on the audio device installed in your PC, and select Uninstall device.

Step 4. You need to check the option Delete the driver software for this device and then click the Uninstall button.

Step 5. Reboot the computer.

After the reboot, please see if the problem is fixed.

If that still does not work, please visit the support website of your laptop or desktop and then download and install the latest Audio driver, then restart the PC.

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Answer 3

Poor-quality, distorted, or “scraping/scratching” audio on a new PC is typically caused by either:

• Incorrect/low‑quality audio settings or enhancements, or
• A problematic audio driver or hardware issue.

Try these steps in order:

1. Verify basic sound path and volume
   • Test with headphones or external speakers. If they sound fine, the issue is likely the internal speaker quality or its tuning, not Windows.
   • Lower the system volume and the app volume (e.g., media player, browser) and see if distortion reduces.
2. Turn off audio enhancements Audio “enhancements” can cause harsh or distorted sound, especially on voices. For Windows 11:
   1. Select Start > Settings > Sound.
   2. In Output, select the device you are using (internal speakers).
   3. Scroll to Advanced settings and set Audio enhancements to Off.
   For Windows 10:
   1. In the search box on the taskbar, type control panel, then select it.
   2. Select Hardware and Sound > Sound.
   3. On the Playback tab, right‑click the Default Device (your speakers) and select Properties.
   4. On the Enhancements tab, select Disable all enhancements (or Disable all sound effects), select OK, then test audio.
   5. If needed, repeat for any other default device.
3. Check sound settings and mute states (Windows 10)
   • Right‑click the Speakers icon on the taskbar and select Open Volume mixer.
   • Ensure nothing is muted and volumes are reasonable.
   • Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
   • Select the output device > Device properties and make sure Disable is not checked.
4. Try different audio formats (Windows 10) Sometimes the default format causes issues with certain hardware.
   1. Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound.
   2. On the Playback tab, right‑click the Default Device > Properties.
   3. On the Advanced tab, under Default Format, choose a different format, select OK, then test. Try a few options.
5. Update or reinstall the audio driver Distortion on a new machine can be driver‑related.
   • Update automatically:
     1. In the taskbar search box, type device manager, then open it.
     2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
     3. Right‑click the sound card/audio device (e.g., Realtek, High Definition Audio Device) > Update driver > Search automatically for updated driver software.
   • Reinstall the driver if updating does not help:
     1. In Device Manager, under Sound, video and game controllers, right‑click the audio device > Uninstall device.
     2. Check Delete the driver software for this device if available, then select Uninstall.
     3. Restart the PC so Windows reinstalls the driver automatically.
   • If distortion started after a driver update, try rolling back to a previous driver version in the device’s Properties > Driver tab (if available), or use the generic High Definition Audio Device driver as an alternative.
6. Run the audio troubleshooter
   • Windows 11: Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Audio > Run.
   • Windows 10: Start > Settings > Update & security > Troubleshoot > Playing audio > Run the troubleshooter.
7. If only CDs sound bad (older systems/media) If the issue is specifically with CD playback in Windows Media Player, poor playback can be related to digital playback and effects:
   • In Windows Media Player, on the Tools menu, select Options > Devices tab > select the CD‑ROM drive > Properties and enable Use error correction.
   • Turn off SRS WOW Effects and Graphic Equalizer in Windows Media Player (View > Enhancements > Graphic Equalizer / SRS WOW Effects > Turn off).

If external headphones/speakers also sound distorted after these steps, the issue is likely with the audio driver or hardware, and contacting the PC manufacturer’s support for a warranty check would be appropriate for a new OptiPlex.

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References:

• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows
• How to troubleshoot playback in Windows Media Player 9