Audio popping issue

[GrimmStronghammer]

Adding to this, I seem to have finally fixed it!

Go to control panel, hardware and sound, power options, and set your power plan to "Balanced" if it's set on "save power"

No audio issues at all afterwards! I'm playing on DX9, so I don't know if it'll work for DX11, but please try and see if it works.

My power setting was already at performance, so this may not be the fix you think it is. Heres hoping im wrong and you can solder on

[Elliah-Seraheart]

CPU: AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core Processor
GPU: AMD Radeon R9 270x
Motherboard: MSI 990FXA-GD65

I thought it was just my room, but yeah no heat in the winter, room temp will go from 76 degrees F to 83-86 degrees if I don't throttle the CPU.

Which is how I found this issue is drastically affected by CPU throttling. You can change "Maximum processor state" in power options, and 70-80% usually doesn't slow anything down too noticeably but stops the fans from roaring and literally shaking my desk as the thing heats the room.

More details on that setting in my bug report: https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...=1#post5737641

(Also, no Asus or Nvidia, and still having the issue.)

Afaik the only throttling going on (if you don't underclock your CPU) is when your CPU gets too hot. But that wouldnt JUST affect audio. It would also result in low fps - and obvious delay with input etc.
My CPU doesnt get hot when playing FF14 - and the audio stuttering is absolutely not related to downthrottling of CPU when too hot. I also know that it's not related to the CPU not being able to draw enough Volts.

I overclocked my CPU some 2 years ago, and made sure to have really good cooling - because i knew how much heat it would produce. I specifically bought a new power supply that is able to supply the overclock sufficiently, and then some.

[KnottySloth]

So since its over 20 Pages full of Ideas and Feedback around the Sound Poppoing Error i thinks it's time for an overview about tries and errors and possible fixes, who are overall, still not finally able to solve this error.

Here is the Error and how its comes to light

Here is a list, which more or less many user tried, with more or less, mostly less, sucess:

• Deactivate DirextX 11 and go back to DX9
• switch graphical adjustmenst (down, up etc.)
• Reinstall audio and gpu drivers
• install third party audio
• reinstall FFXIV
• check about CPU usage and adjust
• changing priority in CPU settings
• change from Logitech Wireless to cablespeaker
• changing equalizer mode in FFXIV to standard (and back)
• change sound mixer game output into dxmode
• change listening position in FFXIV to 100
• closing realtek audio manager
• enabling audio add-on as trial
• turn spatial on or off
• it returns after restart.
• switching GPU ^_° gives an "improvement"
• LINK config settings which adjusted into better
• borderless Window etc didnt help
• LINK Official Statement about the Soundbug
• some weird ticket with reinstall IE etc. whcih didnt helped at all
• changing the fps to 165 did make it better for 1 evening, and after restart it got worse again
• Go to control panel, hardware and sound, power options, and set your power plan to "Balanced" if it's set on "save power" (nope)

Well, i hope some of these will help you for a short time. As Elliah-Serahart pointed out here there might be a problem when FFXIV is starting /loading, so that resolves the restart - error back feature.

best of luck to all of you. Stay healthy

[Fyxation]

Thanks for compiling all the stuff from various threads. I've even seen more than what you listed! I gave up trying to "fix" things on my end a few days ago, and I'm now waiting for SE to revert whatever is causing this as it's definitely something born from EW's new sound features--regardless of if you are using them or not. For me, it's been a real downer since it's so terribly distracting in brand new battles which contain audio ques and dialog. It gets the worst during FATES and 8 man trials. I want to progress, but the first new trial was such a bad experience that I'm not sure I can deal with that again. This is incredibly frustrating.

[KnottySloth]

So since its over 20 Pages full of Ideas and Feedback around the Sound Poppoing Error i thinks it's time for an overview about tries and errors and possible fixes, who are overall, still not finally able to solve this error.

Here is the Error and how its comes to light

Here is a list, which more or less many user tried, with more or less, mostly less, sucess:

• Deactivate DirextX 11 and go back to DX9
• switch graphical adjustmenst (down, up etc.)
• Reinstall audio and gpu drivers
• install third party audio
• reinstall FFXIV
• check about CPU usage and adjust
• changing priority in CPU settings
• change from Logitech Wireless to cablespeaker
• changing equalizer mode in FFXIV to standard (and back)
• change sound mixer game output into dxmode
• change listening position in FFXIV to 100
• closing realtek audio manager
• enabling audio add-on as trial
• turn spatial on or off
• it returns after restart.
• switching GPU ^_° gives an "improvement"
• LINK config settings which adjusted into better
• borderless Window etc didnt help
• LINK Official Statement about the Soundbug
• some weird ticket with reinstall IE etc. whcih didnt helped at all
• changing the fps to 165 did make it better for 1 evening, and after restart it got worse again
• Go to control panel, hardware and sound, power options, and set your power plan to "Balanced" if it's set on "save power" (nope)

Well, i hope some of these will help you for a short time. As Elliah-Serahart pointed out here there might be a problem when FFXIV is starting /loading, so that resolves the restart - error back feature.

best of luck to all of you. Stay healthy

Bump for first page

[AeroXaia]

Afaik the only throttling going on (if you don't underclock your CPU) is when your CPU gets too hot. But that wouldnt JUST affect audio. It would also result in low fps - and obvious delay with input etc.
My CPU doesnt get hot when playing FF14 - and the audio stuttering is absolutely not related to downthrottling of CPU when too hot. I also know that it's not related to the CPU not being able to draw enough Volts.

I overclocked my CPU some 2 years ago, and made sure to have really good cooling - because i knew how much heat it would produce. I specifically bought a new power supply that is able to supply the overclock sufficiently, and then some.

Anyway - I love not having to wear clothes at home in winter... But i'm 99% sure it's not related to the audio issues,

Well, I can show you a video if you want. There's is an absolute 100% 1:1 correlation with zero delay whatsoever when I change that setting. You can IMMEDIATELY see it cause the sound issues or resolve it (as long as it's not a big battle), in real time, without hurting the FPS much until you go too low. It disproportionately affects the audio.

Again, I can record a video and show it, it's not a guess or theory. It affects it instantaneously and I've been switching back and forth as I play to have less broken sound in dungeons and trials, and going back while waiting in queues, so I don't have excess heat and fan noise. The moment I click it, the sound instantly changes, and the FPS remains good either way.

Edit: Also, just to add more detail, the CPU usage doesn't seem to ever go too far past 50% in any case anyways, according to windows task manager.

[OmniusOmnium]

Well, I can show you a video if you want. There's is an absolute 100% 1:1 correlation with zero delay whatsoever when I change that setting. You can IMMEDIATELY see it cause the sound issues or resolve it (as long as it's not a big battle), in real time, without hurting the FPS much until you go too low. It disproportionately affects the audio.

Again, I can record a video and show it, it's not a guess or theory. It affects it instantaneously and I've been switching back and forth as I play to have less broken sound in dungeons and trials, and going back while waiting in queues, so I don't have excess heat and fan noise. The moment I click it, the sound instantly changes, and the FPS remains good either way.

Edit: Also, just to add more detail, the CPU usage doesn't seem to ever go too far past 50% in any case anyways, according to windows task manager.

So what is it you are suggesting? Go into power options and down throttle the cpu manually? I will try and see if it works for me.

EDIT: Throttling the CPU down made no appreciable difference for me, in fact the lower I throttled it the worse my issue got.

[Elliah-Seraheart]

Well, I can show you a video if you want. There's is an absolute 100% 1:1 correlation with zero delay whatsoever when I change that setting. You can IMMEDIATELY see it cause the sound issues or resolve it (as long as it's not a big battle), in real time, without hurting the FPS much until you go too low. It disproportionately affects the audio.

Again, I can record a video and show it, it's not a guess or theory. It affects it instantaneously and I've been switching back and forth as I play to have less broken sound in dungeons and trials, and going back while waiting in queues, so I don't have excess heat and fan noise. The moment I click it, the sound instantly changes, and the FPS remains good either way.

Edit: Also, just to add more detail, the CPU usage doesn't seem to ever go too far past 50% in any case anyways, according to windows task manager.

Sadly - I can claim the exact opposite. There are people who CAN see a clear correlation and there are people who absolutely cannot claim the same. But this is precisely why I'm led to believe that CPU spikes are generally not the cause of this. It's always hard to differentiate causation, correlation and synchronicities. There may even be multiple different causes for the same issue. It's not that straight forward. Ask any doctor, or technician. I'd still encourage you to share any footage you got - because it may help devs diagnose issues, may help you and everyone suffering from the same causes.

On another note - I didn't play for a few days, and it randomly got MUCH better. I really only get it in Inns and some parts of towns now. In combat I'm almost free of issues. I may get half a second of it every 5 minutes or so. It's been like this for 2 days now. I didn't change a thing. On the contrary - I've been taxing my CPU more, with Adobe Programs in the background while playing. I also turned my miner back on.

I hope your issues get better as well - one way or another.

[ray_lunaria]

Changing to Directx 9.0 and locking the framerate to 37 improved quite a bit for me. I'm getting way less audio stuterrings except for some moments during battles. Not happening on cutscenes anymore.

But now the game runs like crap lol 37 fps locked but when i enter in crowded towns it goes down to 20fps. But hey, atleast i can play the story lol

Oh and my game crashed once with directx 9.0

[ClarkCiccero]

I have the same issue here, Directx12, did everything and the sound is cracking a lot. Thank god is the game, and not in my end.