Crackling sound while playing music in HP SPECTRE X360 Ultrabook

[TedSteel]

Let's see how this goes:

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Audio/Help-HP-Spectre-x360/td-p/5489374

[TedSteel]

For what it's worth at this point, found a similar thread about crackling issues:

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Audio/HP-Pavilion-x360-speaker-problem/td-p/3876154/page/3

[Sweyn]

I posted in the other thread as well, but just to say that for me, with the crackle only occurring when using the on-screen touch keyboard, this was fixed by following the instructions below:

1. Right click the Speaker icon in the bottom right corner by your time.
2. Click Playback Devices.
3. Click Speakers.
4. Click properties.
5. Click the advanced tab on the Properties window.
6. Change the Default Format drop-down to the highest quality.
7. Apply the properties.

[iJoris]

Just found something out.

When i'm lisiting to music there is no problem, but when i start downloading huge files, (speedtests, utorrent).

Its pure static noise.

[BinaryJay]

Guys, I said this ages ago... it's no different now.  The problem is caused by high DPC latency and the source of the problem is the Wifi adapter.  The faster your network connection and the busier the wifi adapter gets (more throughput) the worse the problem becomes and the more chance it will cause crackles.

It's a combination of the wifi adapter/driver causing high latency in the system and the audio system poorly handling it with not enough buffering.   If one were to buy a replacement wifi adapter without this problem, open the laptop up and replace it (they are usually fairly easy) I imagine the problem would be gone... I'm not willing to possibly void my warranty opening mine up but when my warranty is done the wifi adapter in this thing is going bye bye.

http://core0.staticworld.net/images/article/2015/02/hp_spectre_x360_guts-100570548-orig.jpg

You can clearly see the Wifi adapter in the top left corner of this image, it is a standard half length adapter as is almost always the case in every laptop now.  They pop right out and it's just a matter of popping a new one in and sticking the antennas back on.  I'm just not sure if there are any warranty labels that get broken internally when removing the bottom cover on this laptop.

Frankly I'm surprised HP doesn't just offer to replace the wifi adapters to anybody that contacts support about this, it's not a big deal... I would be happy if they would just mail me a new model and I would just replace it myself as I would prefer not to have some barely trained monkey mangling my PC and be without it for weeks for such a simple thing.  They are not that expensive at any rate.  But if you are at your wits end then you can just pop the bottom cover off and replace this and I almost guarantee you that your problem will be rectified for good.

[TedSteel]

So similar to this article:

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-upgrade-your-laptops-wi-fi-card/

I didn't realize you were fully confident in your assessment of the wifi adapter being the cause. Even still, if this is the case then why hasn't HP figured this out on the laptops that have been sent back for repair? We have a couple of those folks on this board.

Also, I'm not sure the wifi adapter is causing the left channel pop. Seems completely unrelated to me given it will do it while not streaming data.

Ted

[andrewiam_com]

I'm not sure if the Wi-Fi adapter is the cause of all the problems. I tested the clippiest song I know (Don Diablo's On My Mind, on SoundCloud) and activated airplane mode after it loaded. There was no change. Let me test other music today and recheck if the Wi-Fi card causes any issues. I've opened my laptop up three times and removing the Wi-Fi card is as easy as undoing one screw, releasing the antenna connectors, and pulling it out.

[BinaryJay]

---

@andrewiam_com wrote:
I'm not sure if the Wi-Fi adapter is the cause of all the problems. I tested the clippiest song I know (Don Diablo's On My Mind, on SoundCloud) and activated airplane mode after it loaded. There was no change. Let me test other music today and recheck if the Wi-Fi card causes any issues. I've opened my laptop up three times and removing the Wi-Fi card is as easy as undoing one screw, releasing the antenna connectors, and pulling it out.

---

You should test it completely offline, as in download it (from somewhere) before playing anything.  Forget airplane mode, try disabling the wifi adapter in device manager completely.  If you have an old laptop around or other source of spare wifi adapter even try replacing it.

All I know is that I could always see big DPC spikes when wifi is being used that coincide with snap crackle pop, or at least one of the kinds of audio problems I'm not saying it's the only one. 🙂  All I know is most people complain about the audio issues coinciding with streaming things which supports the theory and evidence.

[TedSteel]

Hey I'm not discounting anything you're saying, just trying to understand all of the various data points.

If the adapters are ill-fit for the machines, I would have thought by now that HP would have identified the issue and when folks have sent in their laptops (or they were purchasing brand new machines like we've heard somewhat recently), they would have been swapped and not hearing the issue. So I still think this is software related or at least a combination of software and hardware. I could certainly be wrong.

Are there improved/faster wifi adapters even available? I haven't even looked for these machines...

I have an ethernet adapter. I should try streaming from it (either from my NAS or the internet). Not sure why I haven't thought of that before now. It would bypass the wifi adapter.

[Technocrazy]

TedSteel
I get the crackling with a USB Ethernet adapter and the wifi turned off.