Several Windows 10 users have complained that they encounter an audio stuttering issue on their system. This can be extremely unpleasant and annoying while watching a movie, listening to music, and especially while attending a virtual meeting. In this guide, we are going to list down the possible causes and solutions to fix audio stuttering in Windows 10 computers. So, keep reading.
How to Fix Audio Distortion Problem in Windows 10
What causes the audio stuttering problem in Windows 10?
There are numerous reasons why you experience the sound stuttering issue in Windows 10. A few of these are:
How to Fix Audio Distortion Problem in Windows 10 What causes the audio stuttering problem in Windows 10? Method 1: Restart your computer Method 2: Disable Audio Enhancements Method 3: Update Audio Drivers Method 4: Reinstall Audio Drivers Method 5: Change Audio Format Settings Method 6: Uninstall Conflicting Network Driver Method 7: Disable Input and Output Devices Method 8: Run Audio Troubleshooter Method 9: Reset CPU power plan
- Outdated sound drivers: If the audio drivers on your system are outdated, there are chances that you will encounter an audio stuttering issue on your Windows 10 system.
- Audio enhancement: Windows 10 comes with an in-built audio enhancement feature to provide better audio quality. But, if malfunctioning can be the reason behind this issue.
- Misconfiguration of audio settings: If an improper configuration of audio settings was done on your computer, it would lead to audio stuttering issues. We have listed some solutions that you can try to fix audio stuttering in Windows 10 PCs.
Method 1: Restart your computer
Most of the time, simply restarting your device viz phone, laptop, computer, etc., gets rid of minor glitches & issues. Thus, a reboot might help you fix Windows 10 sound stuttering problem.
- Press the Windows key on the keyboard to open the Start menu.
- Click on Power, and select Restart, as shown.
Once PC restarts, check whether a sound distortion issue is occurring while using speakers or headphones. If it is, try the next solution.
Method 2: Disable Audio Enhancements
Audio enhancement is a built-in feature on Windows 10 that allows users to get a smooth and uninterrupted audio experience. However, often, audio enhancements have been known to cause the audio to distort or stutter. Therefore, disabling audio enhancements might help you fix the sound distortion problems in Windows 10. Follow these steps to disable this feature:
Type Run in the Windows search bar and launch it from the search results.
Alternatively, press Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box.
Once the Run dialog box pops up on your screen, type mmsys.cpl and hit Enter. Refer to pic below.
Now, right-click on your default playback device and click on Properties.
A new window will appear on the screen. Here, switch to the Enhancements tab on the top.
Next, check the box next to the option titled Disable all sound effects, as depicted below.
Click on OK to save the changes. Now, play a song or video to check whether the audio stuttering issue is resolved or not. If not, then implement the following methods to update and reinstall the audio drivers on your Windows 10 computer. Also Read: No Sound in Windows 10 PC [SOLVED]
Method 3: Update Audio Drivers
Evidently, audio drivers play an essential role in providing a perfect audio experience. If you are using an outdated version of audio drivers on your computer, you might encounter an audio stuttering as well as bluetooth stuttering issue. Updating your audio drivers to the latest version can help you fix the error. Follow these steps to do so:
In the Windows search bar, type device manager and hit Enter.
Open the Device Manager from the search results.
Scroll down to the Sound, video, and game controllers section and double-click on it to expand it.
Now, right-click on sound driver and select the Update driver option, as depicted below.
A new window will pop up. Here, click Search automatically for drivers, as shown.
Wait for your computer to automatically scan and update your audio drivers. Finally, after the audio drivers are updated, check whether you were able to resolve the Windows 10 audio stuttering issue.
Method 4: Reinstall Audio Drivers
The audio drivers can get corrupt and may cause multiple issues with the audio on your system, including sound stuttering or distortion problems. In such situations, you need to uninstall your malfunctioning audio drivers and reinstall fresh ones on your system to fix audio stuttering in Windows 10. Follow the given steps for the reinstallation of audio drivers on Windows 10:
Launch Device Manager as explained in the previous method. Refer to pic below for clarity.
Now, scroll down and double-click on Sound, video, and game controllers to expand the menu.
Right-click on your audio driver and click on Uninstall, as shown below.
After uninstalling the sound driver, right-click on the screen and select Scan for hardware changes. Refer to the given pic.
Wait for your computer to automatically scan and install the default audio drivers on your system. Finally, restart your computer and check whether you were able to fix the audio stuttering issue on Windows 10.
Method 5: Change Audio Format Settings
Sometimes, your audio driver may not support the audio format set on your system. Moreover, if you have enabled high-quality audio format, you might encounter audio stuttering issues. In this scenario, you need to change audio format settings to a low quality to fix this issue, as explained below:
Press Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box. Here, type mmsys.cpl and hit Enter.
Right-click on your default playback device and click on Properties, as shown.
Switch to the Advanced tab from the top, and click on the drop-down menu to choose the default audio format of lower quality. Note: We recommend selecting the default audio format as 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD quality).
Finally, click on Apply and then OK to implement these changes. Refer to pic below.
Also Read: 8 Ways To Fix No Sound on Windows 10
Method 6: Uninstall Conflicting Network Driver
Occasionally, your network driver, such as, Realtek PCIe Family Ethernet Controller, can interfere with the audio adapter on your system, which may cause audio distortion issues on Windows 10. Hence, to fix Windows 10 sound stuttering problem, you will have to uninstall the conflicting network driver.
Click on Type here to search bar or the search icon. Type device manager, and hit Enter, as shown.
Click on Device Manager from the search result to launch it.
In the Device Manager window, and scroll down to Network adapters. Double click on Network adapters to expand the menu.
Locate Realtek PCIe Family Ethernet controller. Right-click on it and select Uninstall from the menu. Refer to pic below.
A confirmation window will pop up on your screen. Here, select Delete the driver software for this device. If the audio stuttering issue persists, try the next fix.
Method 7: Disable Input and Output Devices
If you have too many input and output audio devices connected to your Windows 10 computer, they might interfere with each other, leading to audio distortion issues. In this method, a. Firstly, to fix audio stuttering in Windows 10, we will disable all the input and output devices. b. Then, we will enable the audio devices one-by-one to determine which audio device is causing audio problems. Follow the steps listed below to do the same:
Launch Device Manager as explained in Method 3.
Scroll down and double-click on Audio inputs and outputs to expand the menu.
Right-click on all the audio devices listed here, one-by-one, and select Disable device. Refer pic.
Once you have disabled all the audio devices, Restart your computer.
Next, follow steps 1-3 again, and this time, choose Enable device to enable any one of the audio devices. Check whether the audio is clear and undistorted.
Method 8: Run Audio Troubleshooter
If you are experiencing an audio stuttering issue on your Windows 10 system, you can run the in-built audio Troubleshooter to fix the problem. Simply follow these steps:
Press Windows + I keys together to open the Settings app on your Windows 10 PC.
Go to the Update and Security section, as shown.
Click on Troubleshoot from the panel on the left.
Click on Additional troubleshooters, as shown below.
Select Playing Audio under the Getup and running section. Then, click on Run the troubleshooter. Refer to the given pic.
The troubleshooter will run on your Windows 10 system and will automatically fix the problem. Also Read: How to Fix Audio Services Not Responding in Windows 10
Method 9: Reset CPU power plan
Sometimes, resetting the CPU power plan also helps fix audio stuttering in Windows 10. Thus, if you are experiencing audio distortion or stuttering while using speakers or headphones on your system, then follow the steps given below to reset the CPU power plan.
Open the Settings app on your PC as explained in the previous method. Click on System, as shown.
Click on Power and sleep from the left panel.
Click Additional power settings under Related Settings on the right-hand side of the screen, as depicted.
Your current power plan will be shown on top of the list. Click on the Change plan settings option visible next to it. Refer to pic below.
Here, click on Change advanced power settings. A new window will pop up on your screen.
Double click on Processor power management to expand it.
Double-click on Minimum processor state and Maximum processor state and change the values in the On battery (%) and Plugged in (%) fields to 100. Check the screenshot for reference.
After you reset the CPU power plan, Restart your computer. Recommended:
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We hope our guide was helpful, and you were able to fix audio stuttering or distorting in Windows 10 issue. Let us know which method worked for you the best. If you have any suggestions/queries, let us know in the comment section below.
