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I have an Intel NUC10i7FNH computer, purchased in December 2019 and running Windows 10. Within the last year, it has started to produce audio crackles and pops during many different types of audio playback. There are several posts related to this topic (like this one), and usually they all involve rolling back some driver or running LatencyMon to get more data.

I discovered the following through some experimentation:

  • Issue only occurs on hard-wired connection to the system's 3.5mm jack or through the display via HDMI audio; does not occur over Bluetooth Headphone audio for the same sound sources.
  • Issue appears to be dependent on audio decoding used by software.
    • Playback of a video file using the stock Windows 10 Windows Media Player reproduces issue.
    • Playback of the same video file using Windows 10 Movies & TV app does not produce issue.
    • Identical results between above applications when playing back the same MP3 file.
  • All YouTube videos reproduce the issue.
  • Playing a system sound by adjusting the system (software) volume reproduces the issue (system tray volume adjustment).
  • World of Warships game reproduces the issue.

I don't think this is an audio driver issue given the discrepancy between the Windows media applications, nor do I think the LatencyMon suggestion is applicable as it points to Windows kernel system drivers.

For what its worth, I'm running all of the latest drivers as prescribed by Intel and Microsoft, and Windows 10 is in a stock configuration pertaining to power management. The Intel NUC has a 6-core 4.7Ghz CPU and it is utilized significantly more with Windows Media Player than Movies & TV. However the YouTube CPU utilization is comparable with Movies & TV, so I'm not sure that is applicable either.

Any thoughts on what might be causing this? The data above suggests a software issue, though I'm not sure where to look next.

Steve Guidi
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  • Very strange. Just a wee bit confused by this, “Issue only occurs on hard-wired connection to 3.5mm jack and through HDMI audio…” Do you mean the 3.5mm jack on the system itself? Or somehow a 3.5mm jack connected to the HD display? – Giacomo1968 Jun 15 '21 at 03:26
  • @SteveGuidi If it happened all the time on the 3.5mm connection then I'd say its the hardware but since it doesn't, I would suggest it has to do with audio levels. So you have the main volume control for your NUC however, there is also individual level adjustments for each device. – NetServOps Jun 15 '21 at 03:33
  • @SteveGuidi As you know, different codecs are differing in quality. If the audio levels are high enough, sometimes you can hear clipping and other audio artifacts. Have a look at the 'Playback' tab under the 'Sounds' configuration. Select the playback device that corresponds to the 3.5mm output and choose 'Properties'. Now, under the 'Levels' tab, have a look and see what its set as. If the slider is all the way to the right sitting at 100 or another high number, then slide it down to 50 as a test. Now playback the video and let us know if the artifacts disappear. – NetServOps Jun 15 '21 at 03:33
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    @Giacomo1968 Sorry for the confusion -- I meant that in either case I experience the issue. Audio through the system's 3.5mm jack or the monitor via HDMI. – Steve Guidi Jun 15 '21 at 04:45
  • it's usually caused by clock drift… which is real easy to say & a whole lot harder to track down;) Try simply toggling your hardware output from 44.1 to 48 or vice versa. Similarly, check output bit rate, 16 or 24 should both be 'safe' these days but your machine may prefer one over the other. – Tetsujin Jun 15 '21 at 06:29
  • @SteveGuidi Did you look at your audio levels yet? – NetServOps Jun 15 '21 at 06:35
  • @NetServOps I only use the 3.5mm output to a pair of speakers (HDMI output is disabled) and the master audio level is typically at 50 or lower. I can hear the issue as low as 30 when playing a game but haven't tried any lower. Do you think the audio codec might still be an issue given that two different media players produce different results for the same audio/video file? – Steve Guidi Jun 15 '21 at 14:32
  • @Tetsujin Unfortunately, I can hear the same issue when trying each of the four frequency/bit-rate options in the control panel for the 3.5mm output device. I used the "test" button to play a test sound for the given selection. – Steve Guidi Jun 15 '21 at 14:38
  • Can you test if it repros in Safe Mode [though tbh I've never tested Win audio works in safe] I get the feeling something at low level is causing the clock to drift then catch up… maybe test VLC for video/audio files & another browser for YouTube, see if we can narrow it down a bit. – Tetsujin Jun 15 '21 at 14:57
  • If the speakers are powered and have a volume control, try actuating the volume control a bunch of times. Potentiometers (the knobs) can become corroded and this can manifest as static or crackling when adjusting the knob but also as interference with the audio in some cases. Contact cleaner or just repeatedly rotating the knob through its range of motion can clear the electrical contact. – Yorik Jun 15 '21 at 15:05
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    @Tetsujin Unfortunately, Windows 10 disables audio in safe mode, though I might be able to get the HDMI audio driver working and try to repro there. I'm out of town right now, but I'll try the other your other suggestions on returning. I have a feeling this is related to the H.265 codec I installed several months ago, so I'll try to disable that too. – Steve Guidi Jun 18 '21 at 15:27

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After nearly 18 months of accepting persistent audio crackling issues as the norm, I found the culprit earlier this evening.

Corsair's iCue peripheral management software

I committed to a clean install of Windows 11, using the upgrade as an opportunity to track down the source of audio issue once and for all. It was only after I installed this software that the issues start, verified with a revert via a Windows system restore point.

Here is another report of this issue: https://forum.corsair.com/forums/topic/168593-icue-causes-audio-stuttering/

The software has been updated several times in the past 18 months and I therefore have no confidence that the issue will be fixed. Ironically, I was using the software only to turn off the bright DPI-indicating LED on my mouse, a feature I can live with given the alternative.

Steve Guidi
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