Audio issues

Question

My speakers has been giving out a crackling sound whenever i play music or any sort of sound through the laptop speakers. Can it be rectified by myself or do i need to approach the laptop service centres?

Answer 1

Hi, good day!

• When was the last time it worked properly?
• Have you made any changes to your computer recently?
• Have you tried the AI suggested solutions?
• What is the exact make and model of your computer?

Press Windows key+R to open Run then type: msinfo32

Press Enter

Please take a screenshot of the System Information window and post it in your next response. Note: Don't include any personal information or sensitive data as Microsoft Q&A is a public forum.

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Press Windows key+R to open Run then type:

control mmsys.cpl sounds

Press Enter then select Communications tab

Select "Do nothing"

Go to the Playback tab, then select your audio device and click Properties. Navigate to the Advanced tab, then untick “Enable Audio Enhancements.” Click Apply, then OK.

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Answer 2

Crackling or distorted sound from laptop speakers is often caused by software or driver issues and can usually be fixed without visiting a service center. For Windows 10, try these steps in order:

1. Turn off audio enhancements
   1. Right‑click the Volume icon on the taskbar.
   2. Select Sounds.
   3. On the Playback tab, select your laptop speakers.
   4. Select Properties.
   5. Open the Enhancements tab.
   6. Select Disable all enhancements, then select OK.
   7. Test the audio.
2. Change the default audio format
   1. Right‑click the Volume icon on the taskbar.
   2. Select Sounds.
   3. On the Playback tab, select your speakers.
   4. Select Properties.
   5. Open the Advanced tab.
   6. Under Default format, choose a different format.
   7. Select OK, then test again.
3. Update or reinstall the audio driver
   1. Select Start, search for Device Manager, and open it.
   2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
   3. Right‑click your audio device and select Update driver.
   4. Restart the PC and test.
   5. If crackling continues, right‑click the audio device again in Device Manager, choose Uninstall device, restart, and let Windows reinstall the driver. If needed, install the latest audio driver from the laptop manufacturer’s support site.
4. Restart Windows audio services
   1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   2. Right‑click Windows Audio and select Restart.
   3. Right‑click Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and select Restart.
   4. Test the sound.

If crackling persists after these software steps, the issue may be with the speakers or internal hardware, in which case contacting the laptop manufacturer or a service center is recommended.

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References:

• Fix distorted or crackling audio in Windows
• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows