Hi all,

My machine is running an Audigy2 sound card, and a set of "Creative Inspire 5.1 Digital 5500" speakers.

Up until now I've been using the standard Creative drivers that were supplied on the disk when I bought the system (about 5 or 6 years ago), but I've just downloaded and tried the following driver file:

SBAX_WBUP2_LB_2_09_0016.exe

To try and fix the problem. It hasn't had any luck fixing it.
Here is my basic system summery, as reported by SiSoft Sandra (2004 ed):
arbital24.com/OtherStuff/ClickingAudio/Specs.txt - (Small text file).

Recently, when I play audio (system sounds, music, games - anything really) my audio clicks a lot. I've tried dusting out the PC, changing the PCI slot that the card it in, dusting out and fiddling with connectors and audio cables, fiddling with BIOS settings, running diagnostics, defragging / spyware checking / error checking the hard disk, and finally a system format and re-install - all with no success.

I have had this problem before, and I fixed it by formatting the PC, but obviously this time it didn't work - the audio is still clicking. I also just tried a new set of drivers (as mentioned above), with no luck. I do run the creative center in the system tray but have also tried closing it and even uninstalling the program and using the standard Windows drivers (no luck with either).

Here is some of the sounds that I have been hearing:

arbital24.com/OtherStuff/ClickingAudio/Clicking.mp3 - MP3 file, 366kb
arbital24.com/OtherStuff/ClickingAudio/Clicking.wav - wav file, slightly higher quality, 1.1mb

The clicking sounds a lot louder in that recording though - it's a lot more "clicky" and tinny in real life, resembling the sound of fiddling with a loose headphone plug in an MP3 player (my microphone is a crappy cheap one and can't quite pick up the exact sound).

In any rate, do any of you have any idea what this might be?

I'm trying to narrow down a few things:

1. Is it a Hardware or Software problem
2. If Hardware, is it my Sound card or Speakers, or just my computer/motherboard?
3. If software, is it an issue with programs, windows updates, or drivers?
4. Has anyone else had this problem ,and how did they fix it

Sorry for not URLing the links. The forum seems to keep parsing it to just www.arbital24.com

Thanks a lot
Arby.

I would guess it's a hardware issue. Software rarely causes this type of problem and new drivers should have fixed it, if that was the problem. Does your motherboard have any onboard audio that you can test? Can you borrow another soundcard to see if it has the same problem? What happens if you use different speakers?

There could be a short on the audio card or one of the motherboard buses. Try different hardware (like above) and see what happens. That will help you identify if it really is hardware or not, and if it is, whether it's the Audigy card or the motherboard.

The motherboard does have onboard audio, but my speakers go through a "base station" and along a digital line, so I don't think it would work on the regular audio port. I can test it, though. Likewise I don't know anyone else with a dedicated soundcard, and I don't have any speakers.

But thank you for clearing up the software/hardware debate. I'll have to see if I can dig up an old computer to put the Audigy in, and test.

Thanks!

You could always hook a pair of headphones to the onboard audio and test it that way, if you have a set around the house.

Ah yes, that's what I forgot to mention.

I have a pair of headphones on my PC too. They hook into the "regular" output of my Audigy2, and they also crackle. I haven't tested them on the onboard sound card, though..