Problem with external speakers in Windows 11
Problem with external speakers in Windows 11
I just got a new MSI laptop (Stealth 16) with Win 11, and have since day 1 experienced frequent popping in my external speakers. My previous mac had no such popping, using the same speakers.
The popping seems to occur only when no or low audio is playing. For example if I have no audio playing, and sometimes I switch between tabs or open a new browser or program window, there is a brief pop in the external speakers. If I have my headset on, the popping will still occur in the external speakers, interestingly. I also experience popping when I listen on high frequency music (like meditation music etc). I don't experience any popping when listening on more beaty, loud music.
I've tried a lot of things but to no avail, spending many 5-6 hours on this, including:
Updated audio drivers, including BIOS
Adjusted the audio device properties and the audio bitrate values, from lowest to highest values
Adjusted the minimum processor and PCI Express state in power options
Turned off Fast Boot in windows
Disabling and separately uninstalling ALL audio device drivers, which include Realteak, intelliGo, A-Volute Nh4, Nahimic, NVIDIA, Intel Smart Sound. Uninstalling will mean they are automatically reinstalled upon restart. Disabling will mean they're not used.
Reinstall Win 11 entirely, just keeping personal files
Changing in RegEdit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class, "PerformanceIdleTime" to "00 00 00 00"
(suggested here,
Windows 10 popping sound in speakers Solved - Page 5 - Windows 10 Forums (tenforums.com)
)
Install process lasso and set audiodg.exe to always "above normal" priority.
Turn off Bluetooth
Making sure that speaker wires are not touching something else
Installing a 3P equaliser
Turning off exclusive control of audio device
The few things I haven't done is to buy new speaker wires. But again, the speakers work perfect on my Mac.
If I cannot find a solution shortly, most likely I will return this new laptop, which would be a shame since it's a good laptop otherwise.
I'd greatly appreciate any help or advice!
Did you visit the support page and rely solely on their drivers for each category, even for the audio files?
I'll include the items I recently attempted but couldn't complete.
13. Fully separating the wires and power cords to prevent contact. Also, setting the power at another outlet to avoid interference.
14. Taking out the USB hub with Bluetooth functionality.
After further troubleshooting, I might have fixed the popping issue. I adjusted the volume knob on my external speaker, which was initially at around 50%. I lowered it to about 30% and then increased the volume on the computer to roughly 90% to balance things out. As I reduced the speaker's volume (which has its own amplifier), the popping became less noticeable. If I went even lower, the sound disappeared completely.
Still, the popping remains whenever I pause or unpause loud audio. It’s a fairly strong pop, though it bothers me. This is good news.
What bothers me more, however, is the overall audio quality. The speakers I own are top-notch, but with this new laptop it sounds quite average. Most people probably wouldn’t notice, but I’m very sensitive to sound. Comparing it to my old Mac, the difference is noticeable—about 30% better. Windows audio feels more artificial and washed out; the highs don’t reach their full potential. I’ve tried using equalizer software to improve it, but it doesn’t match the quality of my old setup. This seems like another problem I need to look into, especially since mediocre sound is already a concern.