Audio problem plaguing dell laptops.. Dell, Please come up with some solution, FAST...

I disagree that its Dell Laptops that exclusively have the "issue".  The Issue is Digital vs Analog audio decoding.

Strange sounds come from bandwidth problems and audio codecs that use the cpu to process the data.

The ALC889 from realtek meets WLP3.10 and WLP audio requirements but has issues when data is not fed fast enough there is hissing and popping and other strange sounds.

1.    Run the built-in audio playback troubleshooter.

2.    Set the internal Audio Controller as the default audio device.

3.    Disconnect any USB audio devices and use the internal HD Audio device only to check the issue.

4.    Disable the hardware-acceleration and the specially effects for your HD Audio Controller and Test the issue in Clean Boot.

I disagree that its Dell Laptops that exclusively have the "issue".

I don't see where jamy said that it is an exclusive Dell issue.

There are a number of active threads that have been reporting these problems in the current lineup of XPS laptops. Many folks have reported their attempts at reducing the problems, but so far no one has permanently eliminated it and so far Dell has not come up with a solution. This is really bothersome because the last time I saw anything like this was with the Studio models. Despite many promises to fix the problem Dell was never able to resolve the audio noises with most of those models and many of them wound up on ebay. I hope that the same scenario is not developing again. I am advising folks that if they receive one of these laptops with the audio problems that they cannot live with, to return it until Dell resolves these issues, for the simple reason that Dell might never be able to fix these problems as in the case of the Studio models.

Here are some of the threads and there are probably others.

Annoyoing cracks and noises when listening Audio XPS L501X  This thread started in January so the problems have been known at least since then.

Audio/Video stutter xps15

l502x audio stutters  A very long thread that started in March. DELL-Terry B is a participant in it.

XPS 15Z Audio issue  A long one started in June and Terry B participates in it too.

Weird sound issue XPS 17(L702x)

There sparking sound(cracking sound) from both speakers and head set while playing audio

The solution posted by Rick Slide above worked very well for me after checking before and after results using dpclat.exe

This work perfectly for me.   Thanks for the post.

Peter

This didn't work for me. I have an XPS 15" L502X. :(

Your solution seems to have worked.  lived with issue for several weeks dreading to contact dell solution station.  nothing personal, but tonight's chat/phone session went like all my others did: 1 hr and 30 minutes; no solution; suggestion to reinstall OS and offer to buy $239 "best of the best" warranty/support contract.  this inspiron laptop is 18 months old and i have sunk more money into it than i planned on or wanted to.  most on support/warranty agreements.  gotta say, the technicians are very cordial and they do try... my next computer is an APPLE for sure.  thanks again.  I genuinely appreciate your post.

Yeah, no dice with Dell; last week, a customer service rep solved my problem by uninstalling/reinstalling my sound drivers, only for the sound glitching to come back 3 days later.  Luckily, I am still within the returnable range of time for my laptop, so I'm sending it in for a full refund.

I was ready to go back to Apple, too, but my desire to game is overpowering!  I just bought a Sager as a replacement.  Fingers crossed it won't give me hell like this Dell did.

Have had this same problem for almost as long as have had laptop, August 2011 (Inspiron N 7110). Took a few hours today to see what was causing it, used task manger to monitor CPU usage and about 20 secs after I started Google Chrome got a 100% spike and the weird sound, don't know why but maybe someone else can figure it out...Just so you know I installed new audio and video drivers, disabled sound enhancements, updated bios, installed Intel Rapid Storage Technology .. nothing got rid of it but now i think if I want uninterrupted music I'll stay off the web.

Worked also for me on my Inspiron 1545 - thanks!

Guys,

Try going to Device Manager, IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, Inter(R) ICH9M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller.  And then Hit Driver Roll back.

Restart and that could be you problem fixed.  

If Disk Go back didn't work it could have been because it didn't go back far enough to restore this driver.  I think it is just a dodgy driver update because my laptop never stuttered out of the box.

Good luck.

Henry

Hello,

I clicked on the link you posted, but it no longer exists on the Intel website. I also have a Dell Inspiron 1545 and my audio skipping is driving me insane! Is there anything I can do? I went to Intel website but do not know what exactly to look for.

I clicked on the link you posted, but it no longer exists on the Intel website.

Go to http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/highlights/sftwr-prod/imsm

Go to that page and click on the link named "Intel Rapid Storage Technology RAID driver -- Fri,22 Mar 2013". On  the next page, download the file named: "SetupRST.exe", vversion 12.5.0.1066 , dated 03/22/2013. 

Is there anything I can do?

For more solutions from other Dell laptop owners, see the Choppy/Skipping Workarounds FAQ

This thread is locked, due to age.

If you need assistance, please create a new thread in the proper Dell Support Forum

Thank you