My audio is terrible please help

I just got my laptop from Dell outlet, refurbished model. Everything is flawless but the audio is terrible. All the drivers are updated. Its hard to explain, some parts of music or voices come out fine but when there's action it gets full of static. I can't tell if they are totally blown or not. Perfect example is I installed witcher 2. When the logos appear and make that hard hitting sound, it's static and at main menu the general music is fine but all the backround music that's constantly changing is almost grainy and with static.

I have the regular sound device and the realtek hd audio.

 

Does this only happen with the built-in laptop speakers? If it does then I think that you have faulty laptop speakers.

 

I heard the problem last night and have been at work all day. I am not sure if I even have any speakers laying around to try. Would headphone be viable as well?

*update* not home yet but playing with this at work. I turned all the volume settings from 100 to 0 except the front and the sound has improved. I still sware I hear some crackling at intense moments, but I haven't tried it out long enough. Still leaves me confuse though as "default" settings sound very bad. I'm getting a lot of views but no responces, any advise or is this just a dumb question?

 

Try right clicking on the speaker in task bar (for volume), and hitting playback devices. Right click on speakers and hit configure speakers. Are they on Stereo or 5.1? If its on Stereo, LEAVE IT. 5.1 can blow your speakers. If theyre on Stereo, sounds like you have faulty speakers/subwoofer

 

It is set on stero. I can still cearly hear the crackle at home loading up the withcher. In game is just unplayable

 

Try reinstall the audio driver, I use to get one of those crackling noise or sound once, so I call Dell Tech, and they told me to reinstall it and it work! So it might work for you too.

 

Ok I'll try that, sould I uninstall then install or is there a reinstall option? Sorry I'm slightly computer slow lol

 

No, it doesnt has the reinstall option though, if your problem still unable to fix, i'd suggest you call Dell, if it broke ask them to replace it (If your M14x still under the warranty)

 

I went to device manager and uninstalled intel(r) audio. It was detected almost instantly after deletion and reinstalled. Didn't change a thing. Should I also try to unistall the realtek audio?

 

I'm going to be home in an hour or so. I'll try up/down-grading realtek and what not to see if that helps. Why about playing with the options on my audio card? All the 16 or 24 variations? I'll also try headphones and report back

 

Oh so you're talking about he Intel Audio? Because I was talking about the Realtek one not Intel's. For the uninstall, sure it will auto-reinstall for the intel Driver, but if Realtek, you'll have to click the audio icon at the bottom right of the taskbar.

 

Just hooked up some headphones. Cyrstal clear. So that means my laptop speakers are shot?

 

Possibly, I wish there's any program that can test the external noise that produce by a speaker, so then you'll know what happen.

 

install latest Realtek package 2.64 |MG| Realtek High Definition Audio for VistaWin 7 2.64 Download

It will uninstall and after reboot automatically reinstall the latest drivers

Let me know but for me it solved this issue

 

It's the subwoofer I have the same problem... already had it replaced and the problem persists and let me mention that this is my second m14x with the same issue quite frankly I'm tired of having my laptop serviced so I just keep the volume low and choose to ignore it >.>

 

Thanks L I'll try that as soon as I can!

J I have tried it with the sub at 0% and I still get the static and crackle. It's very odd because they don't sound totally blown but there is most def something wrong.

You know what's strange, they sound better today still, for sure, f'ed up but it's the strangest thing. It's driving me crazy at this point.

 

Call Dell and have them replace it? Because that what I do when I found out that my subwoofer's gone.

 

Those drivers didn't seem to work. If anything, made it worse :-/ this is all so ridiculous!

 

Sometime never driver doesnt mean it will fix a problem if that problem is physical, for a crackling sound it can be physical and non-physical, in this case I think it is a type of physical which can only fix by replacement.

 

CG you are lighting our way, thank you