Audio "Popping" and "Stuttering" on 200A5

[Supratik]

Hi guys -

Recently I noticed that on my otherwise flawless 200A5 Mp3s and stuff have been stuttering/popping. I know this isn't a speaker issue because I hooked up some high quality headphones and it's there too.

I'm pretty sure reformatting will fix this (unless it's a hardware issue), but I really don't want to reformat at this time. I tried reinstalling the audio drivers from VPR Matrix website, but it still does it.

Any clues?

[flecrone]

I get stuttering sometimes when my WIFI connection is having trouble connecting. Try disabling any LAN connections and see if it helps.

[Supratik]

:(

Just tried that, no go :(

[flecrone]

Sorry to hear that it didn't work for you. The only other things I can suggest are opening Task Manager and seeing if there is anything that is hogging up CPU resources, and, uninstalling and then reinstalling the sound drivers. If this is a recent problem, you might also try rolling back the system to an earlier restore point (from a time when things were working properly). If you try that, though, anything you've installed since that time will need to be reinstalled, and, make sure you backup any important data first.

[ECA]

Be-aware.
Those nice little ports on the back can be broken/breaking also.
Any little yank on the cord can break the contacts to the board.

trick... turn up the volume see if it gets any better.
Also change the TONE slider from Low end to high end, see if theres a change. If not, and nothing else works. you may have bad connection inside.

Used to see this all the time on walkmans... Those Straight Plugs would get bumped and break the connection. They came out with the 90 drgree plug and solved most of it.

[Supratik]

TONE slider?

But my sound used to be great - this only happened recently. And my laptop hasn't really been moving or anything.

This is also the speakers AND the headphone port.

[ECA]

Windows media player has a equalizer... tone slider.
Raise 1 side, lower the other then switch it.

What player are you useing?

[Supratik]

WinAMP. That didn't do anything. :(

[ECA]

Winamp can SUCK.
If you used media player and reset the eqaulizer, and nothing changes.

Place 2 fingers around the jack while playing.
Apply alittle pressure and rotate the pressure slowly, in a circle.
"IF" You can hear changes and scratching(as its moved), the port has been damaged.
Sence you have tried the headphones and it was still there, this is equal to trying a different set of wires and speakers.
What type of headphones? DONT say labtec.

ALSO, ??
What Jack are you useing...there are 2 sizes now(really 3-4) 2.5mm and 3.5mm Jack on comp is 3.5mm

[Supratik]

Er, well - it does it on both the 200A5 speakers and the headphone port. My headphones are top-end KOSS headphones.

Sometimes the music "slows down" for even a split second, so I want to say its software oriented.

The headphone port isn't damaged.

I'm confused what you mean by "jack," unless you're referring to the headphone port, in which case it's just a standard headphone port common to CD players, etc.

The 200A5 is a laptop, so it has built in speakers...

[ECA]

You just said, What I needed to know...
"It slows down." odds are, its the software.
Or you have to much loaded that comes up at startup.
How much ram you got, and can you tell us how much is left after start up?

[Supratik]

Well like - that's the weird thing. I have 512 megs of RAM, and over half that is left after startup. I manage my run registry setting quite vigorously, and make sure nothing unnecessary runs at startup.

Upon bootup, I closed everything except my media player, explorer, and a few necessary system processes, and it still does it.

I think I'm looking at some kind of file corruption, maybe? I tried uninstalling and then reinstalling but perhaps I'm not doing it correctly.

[ECA]

Thats the fun part. The drivers are designed to work with most players, so they generally dont get dumped.
I would hit the net, got to windows site, and DL media player, and reinstall it from there. It should ask to overwiter the drivers, and that will kill the old one.

What Bit rate of MP3 are you playing? It shouldnt slow down at all unless you have it HIGH Quality.

[Supratik]

The slowdown is barely noticeable - it alternates with the pops and crackles. My Mp3s run at 192 to 320.

[ECA]

??
Where are you getting your MP3's?
I aint gonna say anything, its just that its hard to Make an MP3 with bad audio, unless theres something bad with the Hardware(connections, static in power), or the Codec(changed) has been altered or Windows is getting weird(virus, overclocking,ram problems)

We've cover hardware(mostly), you said you reinstalled the software but that dont kill the codec(always), Im hoping you have checked for virus and trojans and spyware, overclocking isnt an option(i dont think), and you say you have enough ram.
Only options left is to go to Device manager, under video, sound files and kill the audio codec, and reload them from windows and the sound card maker.