ROG Strix Scar 17 G733PY crackling audio over USB & USB-C only.

[Gidrah]

This laptop seems plagued with issues but today I want to focus on a specific issue with audio. 

The Problem:

When using an external dac and connecting it to the USB or USB-C port, I notice that I get a crackling sound primarily in the left audio channel.

How to reproduce:

This is most noticeable and repeatable when playing the Dead Space Remake on steam. Though random in severity and frequency it can also be replicated by changing the windows volume or doing the audio control panel audio test. However through normal use in other games and watching YouTube videos I will hear it randomly as well, and it is very, very annoying.

Current workaround (not ideal):

This issue is completely resolved by plugging my IEMs directly into the 3.5mm onboard audio jack. There is no crackling at all over prolonged testing. This is however not ideal as I very much enjoy the quality of my portable DAC.

Steps I've taken to fix the issue that did not work: 

1. Isolated the problem by testing my portable dac (Moondrop Dawn Pro) on 3 different PCs. None had the same issue.

2. Tried using both USB-C ports and USB ports. As well as switching my IEM cable, and the USB-C to USB-C cable. 

3. Tried turning off USB power saving features in device manager and windows power plan.

4. Tried disabling all audio devices in device manager except the one I was currently using. 

5. Reverted my undervolt and GPU OC in G Helper.

6. Tried on a system running Windows 11 23h2 where the issue wasn't present, and then updating to 24h2 on the same system to see if it's a windows version bug. The audio was fine on both on the test system.

7. Switched my IEM channels so that left is right and right was left. Interestingly the crackle moved from the left channel to the right so I can rule out my IEM going bad.

8. Tried using High Performance Power plan. 

9. Tried changing the sample rate. (Rates higher than 48k sounded particularly distorted) 

10. Looked around in forums, youtube, even used AI to try to troubleshoot. Did find a few people with similar crackle/popping/noise/static issues but not fix was posted. 

11. Joined windows insider program and updated to the latest Dev windows update of 24H2.

12. Made sure all drivers are up to date from the asus website. 

13. Did a clean install of the latest AMD chipset drivers and Nvidia drivers. 

Interesting Note: 

I did try my Topping DX3 Pro+ via USB on this laptop as well and didn't note the crackling sound. I may not have tested long enough or there may be something else preventing the issue there. 

Things I haven't tried but curious if it would fix the issue:

1. Downgrade from Bios 334 to 331 or earlier version. 

2. Downgrade Nvidia or AMD chipset drivers.

3. Purchasing a different usb-c to usb-c cable with better shielding of a higher end portable dac. (Would be funny if the fix was just spend more money....)

4. Reinstall Windows 11 23H2. (I'm thinking 24H2 may be bugged with this laptop? Obviously last resort.

I read that this could just be a Ryzen 7000 series issue but I'd like to hear from the community if anyone else has had a similar issue and was able to resolve it.

If not my goal with this thread is that Asus can look into it and hopefully release a bios or driver update to resolve it. 

[Gidrah]

Decided to go the Nuclear option and reinstalled windows using Asus Cloud Recovery. Was happy to find thr Win 11 23H2 still installed and reinstalled just Dead Space to test. 

Was disappointed to find out that the issue is still present but I think that the crackling issue is exclusive to that game. Testing windows volume and audio control panel test and did not experience static so I think it may have improved some. 

Will have to test when watching YouTube and playing other games to determine if this issue is solved or not.

[Gidrah]

Update, this issue primarily only seems to effect the Dead Space Remaster. Testing Marvel Rivals, Black Ops 6, discord, and youtube I will hear the occasional crackle static from time to time using my usb-c dac it's nowhere near as loud, frequent, or distracting as it is in dead space. Since that game also suffers from optimization and frame stutters I imagine there is something going on in the engine that magnifies this otherwise trival issue. 

My guess is some sort of static interference on the usb, maybe due to inadequate shielding or power delivery issues.

A driver/bios update may solve this. 

[Zalevskiy]

I noticed something similar, in my case on the G18 the cause was Dolby Access + a certain version of the ISST driver. Dolby Access, which is installed by default in the factory image, is patched, the equalizer switches smoothly within 2-3 seconds.

But as soon as I update the DA app through the store or install the same version from another source (.appx), I get this intermittent crackling and abrupt switching of EQ presets, this (as far as I understand) is caused by a Dolby DAX Service API failure. Communication error with RAM. But the Dolby Access application from the factory windows 22H2 is patched and the sound is played back stably, without wheezing.

Maybe this is some kind of protection against Internet piracy, I don’t know, Asus software is an alien development. Let’s say the license was only for 1-2 years, and then the Chinese gopniks create financial problems for you.

original Dolby Access

[Gidrah]

Interesting. I had a huntch Dobly may have had something to do with it. Since I don't use it I tried disabling the APO in device manager but no luck. Would removing everything related to dolby off the system resolve it you think? Or what steps did you take to resolve it?

Edit: Digging on Nvidia forums and found this may be related to PCIE 4.0, but to my knowledge there is no option to use 3.0 in bios.

Also mini update. I am going crazy. I used DDU to uninstall my Realtek, AMD, and Nvidia drivers and only reinstalled the AMD Chipset drivers with no luck. Finally I had to idea of trying using the Internal GPU just to isolate the issue and to my surprise NO CRACKLING AUDIO! 

This isint a solution since I don't want to use the cpu graphics but I have isolated this to being an nvidia issue. I've tried several drivers, most recently 566.14 and 561.09 but the issue persists.

I did read on the official Nvidia reddit thread for the latest driver that later users experiencing stuttering may need to disable ReBar in Nvidia profile inspector, but after downloading it and having no idea what I was looking at I did see that ReBar seemed to already be disabled. (I'm also hesitant to touch anything in Inspector because I read it can get you banned in some games.

Since my previous AMD/Nvidia laptop from HP didn't have this issue, and the GPU Only mode in bios having a brightness issue I think this is more of an Asus problem but for now I'll keep troubleshooting and searching Nvidia forums. I'm also going to test my DX3 Pro+ more extensively since it didn't have the issue. Maybe something with my Moondrop Dawn Pro doesn't play well with Nvidia.

Edit: DX3 Pro+ does introduce static as well but only at high volumes I would never normally use. I also observed that the USB-C port introduces much more static than the USB port. Sadly I use both ports.

I have decided I'm tired of troubleshooting and am throwing money at the problem. Just ordered an Akliam PD6 dac that hopefully has better noise isolation and cable for plan A, a Data only USB-C to USB-C cable with a separate usb-c plug-in for external power as plan B. A usb isolator for plan C, and as a last resort 3.5mm splitter to use the onboard audio and my mic until the RTX 5000 series comes out and I can sell this headache.  

[Zalevskiy]

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@Gidrah wrote:

Interesting. I had a huntch Dobly may have had something to do with it. Since I don't use it I tried disabling the APO in device manager but no luck. Would removing everything related to dolby off the system resolve it you think? Or what steps did you take to resolve it?

---

I don’t know, it’s like this for me - if I go to BIOS > HD Audio > Lock and boot into Windows 22H2 OEM and connect an external Arturia sound card, I hear background noise and a dry, unpleasant sound in the headphones. If I enable HD Audio > Unlock I get a BSOD (reason is the BIOS is too new for the audio driver)
https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/rog-strix-series/blue-screen-error-during-factory-reset-of-rog-strix-g...
and the only way to not get a BSOD is to go back to BIOS 313, which is locked for downgrade (yes, low budget Asus marketing ploy)
or fix the BSOD by installing ISST 2023+, but then I will have to update the interdependent chain of Dolby, Cirrus and Realtek because the Dolby 2022 version does not sound right with ISST 2023, but once you update all the drivers and bios, I will hear a crackling sound after a certain period of time xD xD xD (remember, I paid ~$1699 for this laptop)

First try the oldest BIOS + drivers close in date to this BIOS. unless, of course, downgrade is blocked on your laptop. If blocked, it was only through a spi programmer, which requires the skills to clear me_region + a suitable dump from the same board and an expired warranty. For example, on my G814, ​​even the boot splash screen before starting the ROG BIOS mutes the sound if an external ssd usb device is connected before booting, and when installing an allegedly “outdated” BIOS, the sound splash screen did not freeze, I perceive this as errors of the developers, they did not configure the BIOS for that audio chip. It is even possible that deliberate software obsolescence has occurred. The BIOS was blocked exactly 2 years from the motherboard production date. (coincidence?)

There are no other ideas, at least if you have never had this problem before and it was caused by software. Moreover, you have AMD and judging by this instruction https://www.asus.com/us/support/faq/1044766/ the order of installing drivers is different, video first, and only after audio. But as a rule, all this does not make sense, because the most correct setting is only in the factory image of Windows OEM, which is configured from the factory by the manufacturer for a specific BIOS version and a specific year. Even if you set up all the drivers yourself, Windows updates will break the house of cards at any time. Long live proprietary drivers! We will throw away laptops every 2 years for the sake of overproduction.

and read this topic, you can try to study your firmware file and try to compare what could affect the sound deterioration
https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/rog-strix-series/low-volume-speaker-after-updating-driver-and-many-mor...

[Zalevskiy]

BIOS 321 and subsequent terrible sound quality (22H2/23H2 dual boot and BIOS downgrade a year ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdnkcQncdZw

I can’t demonstrate the crackling sound after 5-10 minutes, but take my word for it, it’s also there, and specifically in my case it’s connected with BIOS version + Dolby Access version (maybe this information will help you find the reason for your configuration)

[Gidrah]

Thanks for the replies. I tried more troubleshooting by deleting everything related to dobly in windows files I could down to system32, as well as disabling all dolby drivers in device manager. Also ended DAX API in task manager but no luck. Pretty sure I'll have to reinstall Windows if I ever want to use Dolby again with how much I removed. 

Tried downgrading my bios again to 316 since it's the earliest and I get an error all the way to bios 329 which made no difference so safe to say earlier bios versions are blocked. Bios decided to update itself back to 334 after a few reboots anyways.

Since I don't use Dolby and this only happens with I'm still convinced this is an Nvidia or PCIE 4.0 power issue causing EMI.

I can't believe the quality control is this bad on a $3000 product. I've had $1200 asus tuf laptops with special skus from microcenter that had less issues. 

But yeah I think I give up for now, seems there is nothing end users can do to fix this and I can only hope the USB noise isolator I purchased solved it when it gets here. Since it's from aliexpress that will be a few weeks and by that time I'm sure this thread will be locked. 

[Gidrah]

Update. I am absolutely devastated.

My new Dac came in, and my external power cable as well. I was sure EMI was the cause of the audio crackling but even using a different power source from the laptop all together the crackling still persists. This means that its not a power issue, and since it only happens on this laptop it is either a hardware issue or a bios/driver issue. Maybe poor QC for this unit or more widespread. Regardless I bought this laptop second hand and the warranty has expired so I am done trying to fix the issue.

I am still baffled why this only happens when using the Nvidia GPU and not the CPU onboard graphics, it could also be something related to nvidia, the bios, or dolby, but there are simply too many things this could be. The issue seems to be the most pronounced on the Dead Space Remake, and Delta Force, and is thankfully only a mild annoyance in general use and most of the games I regularly play like Dead by Dalight, Call of Duty Bo6, and Marvel Rivals, but since I play a lot of single player games it will be ruin my immersion if I find it happens in a story driven game I pick up in the future.

Regardless this is unacceptable for a product at this price point. I've had Asus laptops 1/3 the price that didn't have this issue. This combined with the white brightness being maxed out acting like HDR is enabled when selecting GPU Only in Bios/using Optimus Ultimate mode, and the awful factory liquid metal job that I had to fix myself, as well as the egregious overheating issues and Asus software being so bad using G Helper has become the default I can safely say if Asus does not address some of these issues in some way I will never be buying an Asus product again and will encourage others to do the same. A premium product shouldn't require months of troubleshooting only to find there is nothing the end user can do, god forbid someone who isint as tech savvy with a background in IT. After being loyal to Asus for years and paying a premium for their products it is really a ****** shame.

I will definitely be trying to sell this laptop asap and and look forward towards the 5000 series with another brand.

[Gidrah]

OMG I finally figured it out! Turns out it actually was EMI (electrical magnetic interference) after all! 

I had ruled out EMI after using the Akliam EC02 external power cable and still getting the static/crackling, but I had also ordered a cheap USB isolator from aliexpress that arrived later and sure enough the static is completely gone when using it between the dac and laptop. 

I'll have to get a better one since this one is cheaply made and disconnects but I did my usual testing and had no crackling for 20 minutes. I will mark this as solved if this is a permanent solution but it seems to be the working great so far!