Please PROPERLY address audio stuttering issue

[minopoki]

Through this message, I politely ask SquareEnix to take some solid action on the audio stuttering/lagging/crackling problem that has been reported so many times, but has been almost completely ignored -- except for a moderator that replied one day to all topics with a pre-written reply, asking for patience, only to go back ignoring everyone right after.

SE has mentioned, superficially, there being audio issues in the game, stating that they would be fixed on Patch 6.01, making us wait over 2 weeks, even though these issues, that have been happening since 6.0 release, were making the game unplayable for a lot of players.
After 2 weeks of waiting, however, we logged in the game only to discover that the update didn't change ANYTHING in regards to the audio stuttering/lagging/crackling issue.
(It is possible that the update did really fix this for some players, but I haven't seen any report of that up until now -- I have only seen reports on the contrary tbh)
Edit: Truly, what we have been seen is a lot of reports of this problem getting worse after 6.01, and, in fact, even some players reporting that this problem only started today before the patch for them. Only few reports of improvement, and I, particularly, haven't seen any reports of if been fixed.

To illustrate the magnitude of this matter, I will list below some of the many reports I have found of this issue on Lodestone and Reddit, some of them from the Japanese and German forums, one of them with almost 300 replies, of players suffering from this issue without a proper solution.

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...popping-issue/ (292 replies)
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...ects-Distorted (66 replies)
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...ing-in-battles (42 replies)
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...ues-after-6.01
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...ttering-Thread
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-Sound-Crackle
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...und-stutter%29
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...g-flat-off-key
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...uttering-issue
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...und-stuttering
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...y-in-this-game
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...istorted-Sound
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...VERY-distorted
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...21-%28Video%29

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...ambient-sounds
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...und-stuttering
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...ing-or-Lagging
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-System-Broken
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...BGM-and-system
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...or-and-Stutter

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme..._voices_since/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...dio_issue_fix/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...pingcrackling/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme..._audio_issues/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme.../sound_issues/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...s_audio_issue/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...lag_forced_to/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/r7v75f/sound/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...nd_distortion/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...issues_ingame/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...ound_problems/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...r_audio_issue/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...iencing_audio/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...tant_que_talk/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...ere_her_audio/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...nce_endwalker/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...bo3/audio_bug/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...nsion_release/

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...81%84%E3%81%A6
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...85%A5%E3%82%8B
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...85%B7%E3%81%84
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...81%99%E3%82%8B
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...81%99%E3%82%8B
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...85%A5%E3%82%8B
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/449138

https://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...4/blog/4910584

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...bleme-im-Kampf
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...Musik-Audio%29
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...laggt-im-Spiel

I would like to mention, also, that I avoided linking posts that only discussed issues of having no audio, for I am trying to focus on the audio stuttering/lagging/crackling issue, because I can't tell if they are the same or separate issues.

I also post this YouTube video that shows exactly what this audio stuttering issue sounds like (although many players may experience in different ways):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVDG5YSDA9o
There are other videos on this subject that SE could turn to if wanting more information.

Having stated all the above, I, then, use this message to humbly ask SquareEnix to give us more accurate information about this matter and about possible fixes, and to take in account that this is a problem that's on SE's account -- for everything was fine just before 6.0 release -- and that it have been ruining the experience for many players.

I know that all the threads regarding to this subject in the English language Bug Reports forum have been moved to Confirmed/Planning to Address, but this not at all comforting to us in respect to having a proper fix soon.

So I'd be very pleased, and I think this would be the same for all the players suffering from this issue, if we could have objective and informative answer to the following questions:
1 - Is SE development team aware of there being an audio stuttering/lagging/crackling issue since the release of Endwalker, and is SE working on fixing it?
2 - Why SE attempt to fix audio issues with the release of 6.01 didn't fix this issue?
3 - Can't this problem be fixed through a Hotfix instead of us having to wait until the next Patch?
4 - If a change to the audio driver was the cause to this issue, couldn't it be easily solved if it was only given to us an option to switch back to 5.5 audio driver?

Finally, and most important, I reinforcedly ask SquareEnix to, please, fix this issue as soon as possible.

As SE Support Center doesn't give personal replies to the tickets, I decided to use this public space in attempt to get some attention, and I really hope the moderators or someone else from SE staff can give us some expectations on the solving of this problem.

You will have my most sincerely gratitude if the proper attention is given to this matter.

[Elveny]

Thank you for this!
I've had the issue since Endwalker as well, and while it feels like the patch fixed it somewhat (ergo no longer constant but only intermittent stuttering during instances), it's not gone. Cutscenes are sometimes fine, sometimes horrible.
Neither the new sound thing helped, nor switching to dx9, not lowering the hz, not changing the headset etc. pp. I tried everything that was put somewhere as a possible fix and nothing helped. I am beyond frustrated that the 6.01 didn't help as I hoped and I would very much appreciate if this would be addressed SOON.

[Jizu]

I write this as a bump and support, since this is a very well phrased and properly researched list regarding the issue.

I wholeheartily agree and wish to inform Square Enix that I have also tried their added solution of turning my bit and Hz down to help fix the issue if the patch didnt help.
Since the community found many ways to lessen the impact of this audio issue, I have been playing with my Hz at the lowest possible setting for about 2 weeks now. Next to all the other non-permanent things I've tried, I cannot do anything more from my side of things.

The servers have been getting increasingly better and that's very heartening to see. So we wish to see the same positive change soon since, as minopoki said, I for one do not feel heard or noticed by Square Enix for the most part.

[Beelhi]

I logged in today not having any of the annoying audio issues I've been having since launch, so unless it just randomly fixed itself it seems they did something right. That being said it's clear that there are more issues and I hope they are getting fixed.

[Breezelyn]

As someone with sensory problems, the stuttering, cracking, and audio lag DOES NOT HELP AT ALL. I have been dealing with this off and on for WEEKS as have many others. This makes the game hard to play without getting me very antsy. This is the ONLY game I have the stuttering audio issue. Restarting the client multiple times later on the day is NOT a reliable "fix", because of login queues to get into the game at prime time.

FIX. IT.

[Dassiri]

Echoing the fact that these sound issues are persisting through the 6.01 fix - specifically this game(no issues elsewhere). It happens no matter what I use, be it speakers or my headphones, and it has been an ongoing issues since day 1 of EW.

I've resorted to just muting all sound due to the issue triggering my sensory problems. The fix offered in the patch notes doesn't seem viable simply because the issue comes from all sound channels and if it's just this game and BOTH my speakers AND my headphones well... (also I have tried it and it absolutely does nothing to resolve the issue)

[Nyarlat]

It was there but tolerable for me since Endwalker. Today I logged on and got into a dungeon to test out the fix and literally from start to finish was constant literally nonstop lagged/stuttering audio to the point I had to completely mute the game for the first time ever.

Needless to say if this keeps going on it's unplayable for me and i'll have no choice but to unsub and move on.

[Freya_Whiskerson]

Jumping in to add that I'm also still having exactly the same stuttering/popping issue. I have tried the suggested fix in the patch notes and it had exactly zero effect.

This audio issue has had a very detrimental effect on the Endwalker experience for me, as I had to completely turn the music off for most of it since the noises are so bad.

[RoseBlack]

Same the update didnt do much for me

[TaleraRistain]

Yeah that didn't fix jack. In fact, I think I'm stuttering MORE now since it had been more random the past few days and now it seems to be back to constant.