Question Popping noise when audio starts or stops (Realtek HD Audio)

[sirmandudeguy]

Hello,

I'm having a weird audio issue with the sound coming from my PC. That being, whenever ANY sound plays or stops, a pop noise can be heard briefly. It doesn't happen DURING the audio being played but It's really annoying, especially since I'm an audio editor and often have to cut audio to start and stop. This issue happens on every single device capable of playing sound. My monitor speakers, my sound interface (Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd gen), my headphone jack. It also happens on both my sets of headphones, so I know this cannot be a hardware issue.

I've tried the following solutions:

1. Setting minimum processor power to 100%
2. Reinstalling the Realtek High Definition audio driver's with my motherboard's latest audio drivers

Would really appreciate some help. My PC specs are below:

GPU: MSI GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Gaming X

CPU: Intel i7 7700K Quad-Core processor @ 4.5Ghz

CPU Cooler: Corsair H150i Pro 47.3 CFM

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2X8 GB) 3200 Mhz

Operating System: Windows 10 Home - 64 Bit OEM

Motherboard: MSI Z270 Gaming Pro Carbon ATX

Storage: Samsung EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD | Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200 RPM HDD

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Tempered Glass ATX Full Tower Case

Monitors: 2 x AOC I2369VM 23.0" 1920X1080 60 Hz

Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 Wired

Mouse: Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB Tunable Gaming Mouse

Thank you!

 

[sirmandudeguy]

check this Tom's thread too where he solved it

https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/realtek-hd-audio-pop-noise-before-and-after-sound.1221093/

"Anyway, go the Realtek HD Audio Manager (accessible by double clicking the tray icon) and in the lower right-hand corner there is a tiny button with a battery on it. In the window it opens, uncheck Power Management Enabled. This removed this stupid popping. What you thought about the speaker port being enabled and disabled was almost true in my case at least - the card has a stupid power management system. It may save some battery life but it's a very frustrating thing. "

basically remove the power management for that stupid thing and it should get rid of the popping. if that doesn't solve it do this... strip off everything not on the motherboard and get that poping fixed there first, since there is probably where it comes from (disconnect all usb audio, etc. and just use onboard Realtek)

I would test your Solo on another laptop or desktop and start doing tests to eliminate the poping hardware. could be you have a defective something or other on the mobo where the audio is concerned.

I've already tried the solution in his thread. However, the power management option is not in my Realtek Audio Manager software (Fully updated on the latest version). The solo, even when disconnected, does not factor in. The popping always there, regardless of the solo being present.

So just to make sure Im clear.. The pop is only when u 1st start, or stop an audio track No matter wether its in your DAW or simply through Windows Media Player? And you have tried using speakers directly into the line out of your mobo bypassing the solo correct?

Also you have tried headphones directly connected to the line out on the mobo?

And you can still hear the pop on all of those sources? Correct?

The pop is present when I first start AND stop any sound on ANY program. Heck, it even occurs in Minecraft when looping sounds like Minecarts travelling on rails are playing. I've put my headphones directly into the Line Out of the Mobo and the popping is still present. On every output, every source, even my HTC Vive speakers in the VR headset, the pop is ALWAYS there.

I have disconnected the Scarlett Solo and the popping sound was STILL there.

 

[rocktalkrock]

Have you tried going to "Control Panel > Sound > Sounds" and changing "Sound Scheme:" from Windows Default to "No Sounds"?

 

[Ketchup79]

Listened to it all the way through several times and there are no other sounds. But that does help actually. It means that a hardware problem is causing that sound, it's nothing in the software. Have you tried different output devices, like speakers vs headphones, for example?

Just to update, I did listen to this again today through headphones, and there are two things I noticed:

1. The sound seems to be geared more to one side over the other
2. The only "pop" I hear is what you would hear is when the sound it ended abruptly. For example, if you click on the sound bar to create the sound, then click on the desktop to stop the sound abrumptly, there is a small noise, as the sounds interrupted.

As for ideas, I would suggest you share more of a noise from your computer, such as playing a built-in wave file in it's entirety. Also don't cut the way file down to much when you share, if possible, as the quality of the sound is at question here.

Also, I would like to see if anyone else in this thread can or cannot confirm hearing your popping noise.

 

[rocktalkrock]

I can hear the popping noise but it's very faint. I did not notice any popping sound the first time i played the recording. In the past i've had popping/cracking noise on my computer when i shut down Windows and it was so loud i was afraid it would damage my speakers.

 

[sirmandudeguy]

Have you tried going to "Control Panel > Sound > Sounds" and changing "Sound Scheme:" from Windows Default to "No Sounds"?

Still happens, I'm afraid.

 

[Jason H.]

It could be a ground issue on your mobo.

However I listened to the video and I hear the noise your referring too. And its normal when a sound suddenly starts or stops.

If you go to play a normal audio file, like a song, from start to finish, does the pop happen at the beginning and end? If not, there is no issue.

 

[JohnMai]

Hi,
I've been having the exact same problem right now after connecting headphones to my mainboard through a seperate headphone Amp/DAC, using the board's S/PDIF interface.
I could see that on the Amp, every time a sound was played, the power/active LED went on and off again, which resulted in a 'pop'.
This was most obvious on short windows system sounds like folder selection.

The workaround now was what I found in a similar article on the internet.
- Change Realtek HD Audio Device to standard Windows High Definition Audio Device in the Device Manager

Now the active LED on my headphone Amp stays on and the popping is gone.
As has been mentioned in that thread, the audio quality might suffer by not using the Realtek driver. So it's more of an intermediate solution for me.
Luckily I'm just testing the Amp on this mobo. I actually bought it for my ESI Juli@ so I can connect headphones to it.
I'm hoping that the ESI drivers don't have this annoying power saving feature the Realtek driver seems to apply.

So my advice would be to switch to a discrete soundcard with a non Realtek soundchip.

Maybe this helps a bit in solving the problem for other users.
I'll add a post if I should find a solution including the Realtek driver. Unfortunately in the version I was using, there was no registry entry and no power saving icon in the audio manager.

Best regards
J.M.

 

[onetimist]

Hi,
I've been having the exact same problem right now after connecting headphones to my mainboard through a seperate headphone Amp/DAC, using the board's S/PDIF interface.
I could see that on the Amp, every time a sound was played, the power/active LED went on and off again, which resulted in a 'pop'.
This was most obvious on short windows system sounds like folder selection.

The workaround now was what I found in a similar article on the internet.
- Change Realtek HD Audio Device to standard Windows High Definition Audio Device in the Device Manager

Now the active LED on my headphone Amp stays on and the popping is gone.
As has been mentioned in that thread, the audio quality might suffer by not using the Realtek driver. So it's more of an intermediate solution for me.
Luckily I'm just testing the Amp on this mobo. I actually bought it for my ESI Juli@ so I can connect headphones to it.
I'm hoping that the ESI drivers don't have this annoying power saving feature the Realtek driver seems to apply.

So my advice would be to switch to a discrete soundcard with a non Realtek soundchip.

Maybe this helps a bit in solving the problem for other users.
I'll add a post if I should find a solution including the Realtek driver. Unfortunately in the version I was using, there was no registry entry and no power saving icon in the audio manager.

Best regards
J.M.

Still happens, I'm afraid.

Had the same problem and tried all other remedies and finally solved it by updating the BIOS. Realize that doesn't help the OP, but maybe for anyone else...

 

[Tetriser2020]

I'm having the same problem here, but when the only played audio stops.

Had the same problem and tried all other remedies and finally solved it by updating the BIOS. Realize that doesn't help the OP, but maybe for anyone else...

That doesn't help in my case.

 

[Jason H.]

Hi,
I've been having the exact same problem right now after connecting headphones to my mainboard through a seperate headphone Amp/DAC, using the board's S/PDIF interface.
I could see that on the Amp, every time a sound was played, the power/active LED went on and off again, which resulted in a 'pop'.
This was most obvious on short windows system sounds like folder selection.

The workaround now was what I found in a similar article on the internet.
- Change Realtek HD Audio Device to standard Windows High Definition Audio Device in the Device Manager

Now the active LED on my headphone Amp stays on and the popping is gone.
As has been mentioned in that thread, the audio quality might suffer by not using the Realtek driver. So it's more of an intermediate solution for me.
Luckily I'm just testing the Amp on this mobo. I actually bought it for my ESI Juli@ so I can connect headphones to it.
I'm hoping that the ESI drivers don't have this annoying power saving feature the Realtek driver seems to apply.

So my advice would be to switch to a discrete soundcard with a non Realtek soundchip.

Maybe this helps a bit in solving the problem for other users.
I'll add a post if I should find a solution including the Realtek driver. Unfortunately in the version I was using, there was no registry entry and no power saving icon in the audio manager.

Best regards
J.M.

Hey thanks for all the info! I was trying to resolve the OPS issue but it didnt seem like I had enough info to really help him as responses were either short on info or far in between.

In your case, when using an external Amp/Dac you are using the audio driver within that hardware. It will not matter how Windows recieves that signal, it will not change it. The Realtek HD Driver is strictly windows, so if you plug your headphones into the mobo or front plug on your case.