Random audio popping / clicking and loss of sound

[joakimaker]

Hi,

I've had this issue for while now, I think for a couple of months at least. At first i thought the problem was with my headphones or my external DAC but I have since figured the problem lies elsewhere. And the problem started a while after i bought my new headphones and external DAC anyway.

The problem

• 
  ■ A popping sound very similar to when you plug in you headphones happens at random (see list below)
  ■ Normally 1 or 2 pops and then it's fine.
  ■ Sometimes there is like a raindrop effect of pops where they start quick and fades out over 4-5 seconds.
  ■ The pops are always (I think) in either left or right speaker/ear.
  ■ Sometimes sound cuts out for 2-3 seconds and then activates. (this seems to happens far less often compared to the popping. )

When it occurs

• 
  ■ Randomly when no sound is playing
  ■ Randomly when sound is playing (like in a song in spotify, if i rewind to that spot there is not pop)
  ■ Sometimes when i change from one source to another (like from youtube to spotify)
  ■ When i start the computer and just before i log into windows there is always one pop

What I've tested

• 
  ■ 3 different headphones and 1 pair of speakers
  ■ 2 differens USB cables for my external DAC
  ■ All USB ports for my external DAC
  ■ Removed all other USB devices except my external DAC
  ■ Removed my external DAC and tested all headphones directly into computer (front and back)
  ■ Every option for my audio device like sound quality, exclusive mode, disable enhancements, etc
  ■ Uninstalled all audio drivers
  ■ Reinstalled new audio drivers
  ■ Removed HDMI-cables
  ■ Ran 2 differens program to check for DPC latency. Both seemed fine but if i ran one of the programs for like 10-15 minutes it said it could be a problem with some device
  ■ Inactivated lots of differens devices from device manager
  ■ I haven't listed everything. Pretty much I've gone through multiple posts about this problem and tried everything suggested like setting power options, drivers, etc

Specs
External DAC: Objective2 + ODAC (external power. Connected via USB)
Motherboard: ASUS Z-87K
CPU: Intel Core i7-4770k
GPU: EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti
RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 32GB (4x8GB) / 1600MHz / DDR3 / CL11 / KVR16N11K2/16
PSU: SFC sf-750p14he(s)
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 250Gb (OS)
SSD: Samsung 850 1Tb
HDD: ST2000DM001-1CH164
OS: Windows 10 Home

 

[smorizio]

could be a bad grounded mb. if not your mb chipset for sound may be failing. if you can see if a freind has a sound card you can use or pick one up on sale.

 

[joakimaker]

Thanks for the tip. I might be wrong here but doesn't my external DAC act as a soundcard?

I have this problem when I plug headphones into motherboard (built in soundcard?) and when I plug in headphones into my USB DAC (external soundcard?)

Can a badly grounded motherboard still be the problem here?

 

[smorizio]

make sure the mb bios is updated. on the mb are you using the intel or asmedia usb ports. as there updated drivers for the asmedia ports. also make sure you installed the newest intel chipset driver. if you have wifi or a lot of usb cables you may be getting cross talk.

 

[joakimaker]

I updated BIOS and for a day or so I thought that might have solved it, just had som minor pops but now I know for sure the problem is still here.

Seems like it works fine for some period of time and then it enters a period where it's really glitchy. Like now, I hear random pops once a minute and when i activate sound (like a twitch-stream, spotify, youtube, etc) there is a 2-3 second period before the sound starts.

I have tried every USB-port before but I can try again. How do i know which port is asmedia?

Also I feel kinda lost as to how I install latest intel chipset drivers (I have Intel Core i7-4770k ).

I don't have wifi and only 2 other usb-devices (mouse and keyboard) but I have tried removing them and i still have this problem.

 

[smorizio]

https/downloadcenter.intel.com/download/20775/Intel-Chipset-Device-Software-INF-Update-Utility-
look on your mb user guild it tell you what ports are intel and if there any third party ports. in the bios check the usb setting make sure everything on like handoff.