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Creative Soundblaster Z Series Crackle

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ekoh

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2009
Location
Kansas' OC Dungeon
So I'm starting to think these creative cards are the crappiest cards ever. From my xTreme audio, to an actual Xfi titanium now to this Z Series.

I didn't have this issue until I got the Z series card - It has started to crackle lately. Some say it's from interference with the card. I think i JUST started noticing it since I put my h100i in. It worked fine before that but now it crackles at any volume. Not crazy amount of crackle but enough to notice it. Drives me nuts, has anyone seen this before?
 
I've had strange audio issues and I also run a "Creative" card (Auzentech Prelude). In the options for the sound card, there is an option to "Disable Enchancements". I'd enable this option and restart to see if it helps. I have to do this on my system or the drivers crash the Windows sound subsystem. I still get "crashes" where it makes an incredibly loud static/buzzing noise over the speakers before it drops all sound.

Does the crackle happen when there is no audio? Does it only happen in certain programs?

Have you tested with headphones (or another output source) to make sure that isn't the issue? You mentioned you had issues with previous cards. If crackling was the issue, it likely isn't the card itself, but other equipment (devices you are outputting to or interference within the system).
 
I still run into it sometimes with my Prelude, sometimes you have to look at you're settings on a reboot and I have to adjust things sometimes whenever I run Daum.

I still love it enough I live with it myself.

A well tuned Prelude on a decent system will about take your hair off, but something seems a bit off lately.

Personally, I think some of the newer Windows drivers might be gimping it a bit.

:shrug:

I've a few things on the way to play a bit.
 
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