Audio popping/crackling with Windows 10 & 11 when using wireless headphones

imtoooldforthis

imtoooldforthis

imtoooldforthis

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I have been having a problem with small audio artifacts (really minor audio glitches) whenever I use wireless headphones on my PC. They come and go but every minute at least I hear a couple of small glitches in the audio. At first, I thought it might be a problem with my wireless Steel Series Artcis headphones so I picked up some wireless Razer Barracuda X headphones but the same problem exists on them.

Then I thought it might be Bluetooth interference, however, neither set of headphones is Bluetooth compatible (both use USB dongles and 2.4ghz frequency). Regardless I turned off Bluetooth in Windows and unsurprisingly it made no difference.

I have tried putting the dongles in different USB ports as well as removing every other USB device from the computer apart from dongle, mouse and keyboard, it did not fix anything. I even tried plugging the dongles into a powered USB hub but again... no joy.

Everything was working fine, then one day this started happening. There are no new wireless devices in the house, no microwaves, and the only other wireless devices in the house are the Virgin Media Superhub 5 downstairs and a couple of mobiles and computers (in different rooms) that connect to the router.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about diagnosing what is causing this and what steps I can take to find a solution?

edit: as soon as I plug the headphones in with a jack cable the audio is fine, so it must be related to the wireless.
 
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Sounds like something is interfering with the wireless signal. Do your headphones use Bluetooth or something else? What frequency? If it's the same as your wifi have you tried changing the wifi channel?
 
Quartz said:
Sounds like something is interfering with the wireless signal. Do your headphones use Bluetooth or something else? What frequency? If it's the same as your wifi have you tried changing the wifi channel?
Click to expand...

Yeh, i've just been testing with some wired headphones i borrowed from my neighbour and it doens't seem to occur with them so must be some wireless related issue. Thing is i swear this started happening after I did a windows 10 update a couple months back, probably just a coincidence i guess.

With regard to bluetooth, the only bluetooth devices are mobiles which have been in the house for years. I'll try fiddling with wifi channels as well when i get a chance.
 
Try updating the chipset drivers, could be a usb issue, have a wired usb headset every few weeks the audio goes crackly if I unplug replug it it goes away.
 
Maybe try usb ports on the monitor? Or a usb cable extender, the idea being that the receiver dongle is in a different location. Another possibility is perhaps a neighbour has got some new wireless gear.
 
It'll be your Bluetooth mate.

Either try putting your head right next to your motherboard and see if you still get them, or spend £10 on a Bluetooth USB dongle.

Motherboard Bluetooth broadcast/range can be notoriously ****.

Is it an MSI motherboard?
 
Still haven't fixed this. It's driving me insane.

To answer some of the questions

1. Neither set of wireless headphones have Bluetooth, both have USB dongles that work on the wireless 2.4 frequency
2. Motherboard is an MSI Pro Z690-A Wifi
3. The dongles are right next to me, I can put them on my lap or next to the keyboard or dangle them on my head next to the headphones and the audio glitching still occurs.

Is there some kind of idiot-proof software that can tell me if there is wireless interference occuring? not that I can do much with the info as presumably it's not possible to force the headphones to work on a different frequency?
 
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