Question Audio cracking and popping at start of playback

[sanfrangelico]

I have this problem with any set of headphones plugged into the case audio jack on my PC, where whenever it begins playing or even detects a new potential audio source it "crackles" for a second. It also crackles continuously on some media streaming platforms when the volume slider is being adjusted. Even just opening a page with media that can be played causes the crackle, but if there is even slight ambient audio playing already, like from a game or podcast the crackle will never occur. It only started doing this after I cleaned out my PC with compressed air (and shortly after a clean Windows 10 reinstall, its possible I wasn't being perceptive before) but I don't know how to even begin troubleshooting, there isn't like visible dust blown into the jack as far as I can tell. It still happens after pushing the audio plug on the mobo in a little bit/blowing more air near the connection to the case.

Specs:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060 Super
Mobo: X570 Phantom Gaming 4

 

[Tioym]

What are your cpu temps?
have you tried using the motherboard jack to see if the crackling stops?

 

[sanfrangelico]

There's still a crackle when plugged into the backplate. Its either less severe or just seemed that way because I only tested it briefly, but its definitely still there when playback first begins. CPU temps are normal, but almost certainly not the issue since it crackles the second the PC begins starting Windows and audio becomes active, before the CPU has had time to heat up.

 

[jeerotus]

I had exactly same problem with my PC. Crackling sound got worse if PC gets stressed like game or even fullscreen video. I really tried to fix it for weeks but problem for me was that BIOS normal settings were wrong. Crackling used to be in headphones and in microphone. I have different PC but same problem. For me the fix was lowering VCCIO and System agent voltage to 1.1V I have differrent components but i would try to do this and if it not work change them back. Maybe try to lower like 0.05V at time.

 

[sanfrangelico]

That seems like kind of a shot in the dark... especially when it was working fine before without changing any BIOS settings. I'm not opposed to ever trying that but I'm apprehensive to tweak BIOS settings I don't understand to fix a problem with ostensibly no association.

 

[sanfrangelico]

The issue is persistent. Very rarely audio will not play at all, like clicking play on a youtube video or launching a game will cause the audio not to play until the audio stream is restarted. It happened just now with Halo Infinite, instead of the game audio there was just buzzing until I relaunched.