Slightley Distorted Sound

Hello Mark.

I'm trying to make sense of those symptoms, and I believe there must be something wrong with the files. I don't know what but I don't think the computers are the problem, because:

> most of your files play all right so the audio hardware is functioning, and

> the problem still occurs even when you change the hardware. As you say the D630's have Sigmatel audio, but when you use a usb sound card you totally eliminate the internal Sigmatel audio system from the equation.

The only thing the 2 different hardware systems (the Sigmatel and the usb) have in common are the files that are distorting, so in my opinion they are the source of the problem.

I have compared the same files on my 520 & they are fine.

But one way to look at it is they are not the same files, they are copies, and because they have distortion they are not exact copies.

I admit I might be wrong about this. I just can't think of another explanation of why you would get the same results with 2 distinct audio hardware systems.

i cant beleive the dell would send out laptops with this problem

Do you mean you got them from Dell? Were they used or refurbished?

What is the operating system?

Hi Jimco

Thanks for a speedy reply.

The files are the same on separate USB drive I already thought of the files being damaged & I know that a few are a little dodgy. But the sound is not quite right on the 630 on all the files really; (As I said ok ish but not great) it’s just a lot worse on the slightly dodgy ones. But if you compare the same files on the D520 they sound so much better. Even the slightly dodgy ones. On certain files it’s a lot worse on the 630, If you under stand what I mean. All in all I played the files on the D520 & Never really noticed there were any dodgy ones it’s only when I used the 630 I really noticed a difference.

For Instance I played Black eyed peas Boom Pow tonight on the system when it got to the 2nd boom I had turn it off it was so bad, where as last week I played the same file on my 520 & never noticed anything was wrong.

They are 2nd user machines they didn’t come from Dell, Op is XP Pro.

Any more thoughts on this would be much appreciated

Regards Mark...

The files are the same on separate USB drive

Mark, I am trying to get the picture but it is a bit murky. When you test the audio using the usb sound card, are you playing the files from the usb drive, or at that point have they been copied over to the laptop's hard drive?

They are 2nd user machines

They could have some hardware problem, like perforated speakers that would cause slight distortion plus more distortion on bass notes and louder passages. Do you hear the distortion when using headphones also? Of course when you use the usb sound card you are using either headphones or external speakers.

Having ruled out the files or the audio hardware as the source of the distortion, I'm stumped. I suppose there could be a problem with the usb ports, but I have never heard of them causing audio distortion. Take a look at Section 2 of the Choppy/Skipping Audio FAQ, the part about checking for Ultra DMA mode. But that does not apply to SATA hard drives, which is the kind that I believe were used on the D630's.

Hi Jim

Im using external speakers i have tried playing the files both ways copied over to hard drive & direct from USB Drive with no diffrence. I tried also to compare the 2 laptops sound with Headphones with same result. The compareson between the D630 & D520 is quite noticeable. I have also tried these files though my desk top pc as well they also are better the only time i get a noticable diffrence is when i play them on the D630. Im scratching my head like you as i have checked everything Hardware wise that is connected & there are No Isuses with any of it. i even use the same software to play them  Its deff a problem some where with the D630 I called dell tech support & got put through to some Indian women who i could barely understand from what i could tell there is some way of checking the sound card opperation through hitting F12 when system is booting up but thats really as far as i could understand maybe you could shed some light on that proceeder.

But if you say the USB sound card would take the on board sound card out of the eqashion you would think that would solve the problem.

Thanks for your on going help on this matter.

Regards Mark....

there is some way of checking the sound card opperation through hitting F12 when system is booting up but thats really as far as i could understand maybe you could shed some light on that proceeder.

Click on the link below my name to Dell Diagnostics Audio Tests for the instructions and explanation. If you have the original hard drive that was put in the computer at the factory and if the hidden diagnostic partition has never been wiped, then you can run the audio tests from the hard drive. If not, you can run the tests from the Utilities or Resource cd that would have been included with the computer when it was new, if you have it. The only way these tests will help you is this:

> the tests will play some music that you should listen to carefully. If the audio sounds the same during the tests as it does when you are boot back to Windows, then that is the sound that is being produced by the hardware, uncolored by the audio driver.

> If the audio sounds clearer during the tests than it does when you are in Windows, then some software in Windows (most likely the audio driver) is affecting the sound.

Other than that the tests should pass because your audio is working.

But if you say the USB sound card would take the on board sound card out of the eqashion you would think that would solve the problem.

Yes, that is what I meant. If you go to the Sounds properties and the usb sound card is selected as the default audio device, then both the Sigmatel driver and hardware are out of it. The computer will only allow one device and driver to be the default. If the usb sound card does not have this problem when used on other computers then something else is going on. But if you use the usb sound card and external speakers, there is not much of the D630 left in the audio. If the speakers are plugged into a/c power it is possible that they are picking up some electrical interference. To test for that, run the laptop on its battery and listen for the distortion. However if is electrical interference you should not hear it while using headphones connected to the computer's headphone jack while nothing else is connected to the computer and a/c power at the same time.

Hi jim

sorry been a while thanks for the help i have since tried everything & given up & sold it . & bought another model Ha! with a different problem with the sound wondered if you had any i dears on this Its a Dell studio 1535  2.4 duo core with 4gb ram ATI 512 graphics card, sound is fine from 3.5 jack socket but when you plug external USB sound card in the sound comes though but its very distorted. i have d/l all new drivers off Dell Running vista home 32 bit  updated that with no joy.

Regards Mark......

Hi Mark. Back with another mystery problem I see.

If it is the same usb sound card that gave you distorted sound on the D630's, I would say it is time for a new usb sound card. What model card is it?

As far as drivers, I don't know of any that Dell offers that has anything to do with the usb card. Those drivers should be supplied by Windows, I believe. I suppose there could be a problem with the usb ports but I am not aware that that would cause audio distortion.

HI Jim

Many Thanks for the reply i have sorted this problem now thanks. It was a completly different distrotion problem to last one (lol) But i found that one of the leads into my mixing desk had been taken out by one of the lads who was using it & put back in a phono channel instead of a line input channel hense the distortion. All is now working fine (At Last)

Many Thanks for your speedy Replys & Help

All The Best

Mark..........