Speaker audio is crackling and saturating

Question

Speaker audio is crackling and saturating

Theo Ponsar 5

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a Surface Laptop Copilot+ and after using it for a day, I noticed something rather strange about the sound coming from the computer's speakers. There is a kind of crackling or distortion at certain moments when playing videos (Google Chrome, VLC, etc.). This is a problem I never had with my old Surface Laptop Go 2.

I noticed that disabling the sound enhancement option in the sound settings helped slightly, but this resulted in a loss of sound quality from the speakers. I find this rather unfortunate. I don't want to have to compromise just to enjoy the sound from my computer.

I have already checked various settings, such as whether my speaker drivers are up to date (which they are). I reinstalled VLC to test whether the problem was due to compatibility between applications (which it isn't). I didn't want to make any further changes without outside help. I didn't want to make the problem worse because the computer is only a few days old.

Do you have a solution?

Thank you in advance for your help!

1 answer

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Answer 1

Ian-Ng 6,125 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Theo Ponsar,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you for reaching out and providing details regarding the audio crackling issue.

Based on your information, audio distortion is often caused by driver conflicts, specific sample rate settings, or enhancement features. To identify the root cause, I've outlined the troubleshooting steps below. Could you please try with the 3 first steps below and keep me informed the outcome?

1. Update Windows and Surface Firmware

Navigate to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
Please install all available updates, including Optional updates, as these often contain critical driver patches.
Additionally, open the Surface App installed on your device to verify that all firmware is up to date.

2. Adjust Audio Format and Exclusive Mode

Press the Windows Key + R, type mmsys.cpl, and press Enter.
Right-click Speakers (Surface) and select Properties.
Navigate to the Advanced tab.
Set the Default Format to 24-bit (or 16-bit), 48000 Hz (Studio Quality).
Uncheck the boxes for "Allow applications to take exclusive control" and "Give exclusive mode applications priority."
Click Apply and OK.

3. Temporarily Disable Spatial Audio

Go to Settings > System > Sound > Speakers.
Locate the Spatial sound dropdown menu and set it to Off.

Kindly test your audio playback after completing these steps. If the crackling persists, please let us know, and we will move forward with advanced driver troubleshooting or explore your warranty options.

Note: Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I'm looking forward to your reply.

Theo Ponsar 5 Reputation points

2025-11-18T15:40:53.1166667+00:00

Hello,

First of all, thank you for your reply!

I followed the instructions above, but the problem persists. It is a distortion that I notice mainly in the high frequencies at certain points in videos. I see that adding the "Sound Enhancement" feature in the speaker settings boosts the sound overall and therefore accentuates the high frequencies of the audio elements.

My Windows is up to date, including optional updates. I also tried downloading external audio mixing software that allows me to adjust specific frequencies (which helps slightly), but I would like to try to find a solution without adding external software first.

Can you tell me what to do now?
Ian-Ng 6,125 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-18T20:50:03.58+00:00
Hi @Theo Ponsar,

Thank you for your detailed response and feedback on the high-frequency distortion. Your observations help me find out a conflict with the specialized Surface audio driver package. To definitively isolate this issue before initiating a warranty claim, please complete these two critical steps:

1. We can try with driver isolation

We need to rule out the current specialized driver. Please switch to the generic Microsoft driver:

Open Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers.

Right-click your audio device, select Update driver > Browse > Let me pick.

Select the "High Definition Audio Device" (the generic driver) and restart.

Test playback and note the result.

2. Hardware Validation (Diagnostic Toolkit)

Use the official utility to confirm if the issue is physical:

Search for and open the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit.

Run the full set of diagnostics, noting if the distortion occurs during the Audio Playback Test.

If the crackling persists after switching to the generic driver and is confirmed by the Diagnostic Toolkit, this indicates a likely hardware defect.

For a potential warranty exchange or advanced system troubleshooting on your new Copilot+ device, we strongly recommend opening a support request regarding this case directly to Microsoft Surface Support. They have the necessary authority and tools to resolve confirmed hardware issues.

To receive expert technical assistance for your Surface device, you have two convenient options. First, visit the Surface help & learning and sign in with your Microsoft account (use your work or school account for business devices or a personal account for consumer devices) to create a service request or connect with a support specialist. Second, open the Surface app on your Surface Laptop, sign in, and access features such as warranty details, diagnostics, and direct support. Please note that an active warranty or service plan is required for repair or replacement services.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I'm looking forward to your reply.
Ian-Ng 6,125 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-20T23:05:14+00:00

Hi @Theo Ponsar,

Have you had a chance to review my response? I would greatly appreciate any updates.
Theo Ponsar 5 Reputation points

2025-11-21T11:11:02.83+00:00

Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

I tried to follow the solution suggested above. However, I encountered the following problem. The speakers on my Surface are Qualcomm (R) Aqstic (TM) and not Realtek Audio. Once I got to the Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers menu, I couldn't find the "High Definition Audio Device" driver to try your solution. How can I get this type of driver for my Qualcomm speakers? (See screenshot)

(My PC is in french)

This is the only driver I have available to try this step.

Thanks in advance!!
Theo Ponsar 5 Reputation points

2025-11-24T12:27:08.5233333+00:00

Hi @Ian-Ng

Do u have any update on my response ?
Ian-Ng 6,125 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-24T21:51:22.1166667+00:00

Hi @Theo Ponsar,

Thank you for providing the detailed information, and I apologize for any confusion caused by the differences in hardware names across laptop models. Based on the picture you shared, please follow the steps I provided and disregard the name variations. Specifically, apply the steps to the component labeled Qualcomm (R) Aqstic (TM) and let me know the outcome.

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Speaker audio is crackling and saturating

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