Music flickers/crackles in Windows Media Player when browsing the Internet

Hi,

 Since when are you facing this issue?

Is this happening only when you browse IE?

The first thing we can suggest here is to update the sound card drivers manually from the manufacturer’s website.

However follow the method below and see if it can fix the issue.

1. Click Start, type Sound.
2. Click Sound. The Sound Window appears.
3. Click Speakers/Headphones and then Properties.

The properties window appears.

4. Click the Enhancements Tab.
5. Click to check the Disable all enhancements checkbox.
6. Click Apply and then OK.

The properties window closes.

1. Click Apply and then OK. The sound window closes.

Another thing you can try is to Turn Off the SRS WOW effects settings in Windows Media Player.

Follow the steps below to do the same. Another user seems to have resolved a similar issue by turning off the SRS WOW effects.

1. Click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Media Player.
2. In Now Playing mode, right-click an open space in the Player

Tips: If the Player is currently open and you are in Library mode, click the View, then choose

Now playing to switch it to the Now playing mode.

3. Point to Enhancements, and then click SRS WOW Effects.
4. "SRS Wow Effects" panel will appear at the top. From here you can Turn off the feature.

Also I would suggest you to optimize Internet Explorer and check if it helps, here is the link:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936213

Please respond back with the status of the issue and let us know if you have any issues.

Azam – Microsoft Support.

Does the interference directly correlate to the activity LED on your NIC

Please list the hardware.

MOBO make/model

Power supply make model and age

sound and nic

are they addin cards or built on the MOBO.

Usually only see crosstalk of this type with older hardware or a when a power supply is on its way out..

Tried everything you suggested and music in Windows Media Player still crackles when I'm browsing in IE8.

I've been having this issue ever since we set up the PC a few weeks ago.  With my old PC it didn't occur.  I've only noticed it happening when browsing in IE8.  Let me know if there's something else I can try to see if it could be happening when other applications are used. 

I also updated the sound driver from Realtek - most current version from 2/8/10 - but to no avail.

Any more suggestions???

I've got the same problem. I've tried all the suggestions from Azam K with no luck. The problem is not specific to Windows Media Player - it happens in any media player.

I've installed all the latest drivers for all devices in the system. I've tried using 3 different external sound cards including USB AND PCI based units, installed Codec packs, disabled speaker effects (enhancements), reset the BIOS to the factory default settings, flashed the BIOS, turned off Aero to use a basic theme, uninstalled and disabled any energy saving software, disabled unnecessary devices in the BIOS, tried countless registry tweaks, and so on. This problem is bullet-proof, it seems.

I tested using the DPC Latency checker and I see huge spikes after a few hours use that coincide with the audio problems. If I disable the network adapter (NIC), latency immediately drops to green levels and sound is good. However, if I then re-enable the network adapter, DPC latency  immediately spikes perpetually into the red and I hear the crackles and stutters.  I've tried 5 different NICS and clearly some are worse than others, but they all eventually show DPC latency spikes and therefore affect the audio.

The net result is I can't listen to music, unless I reboot first, and then after a few hours the latency spikes return and the audio starts going awry.

I'm using the latest drivers. What else could the commonality be that causes this other than the operating system? I've never had this problem in any other OS. Is it a problem in Windows 7? It seems that way. I've been on the Mp3 bandwagon since the late 90's with dozens of computers and every Microsoft operating system under the sun and I've never run into such a major audio issue as this.

Darryl Gittins