Soundcard not displaying 5.1 and audio is making popping sounds

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 3:07 pm

Just finished building a mini PC for my living room and the audio is popping when for instance switching web pages and the sound configuration utility is only showing a two speaker system. I'm running my audio and video through my video cards HDMI port into my TV which from there runs a fiber optic cable into a Harmon Kardon AVR 240. Any suggestions? Should I cut the onboard sound off in the BIOS? Since the nVidia HD audio is being used. Thanks in advance

Post by **Philip** » Sun Sep 20, 2015 11:25 am

Is the sound popping on both the TV speakers and the receiver speakers ? When you say "when switching web pages" do you mean without even playing audio/video ?

It could be one of the few things:
1. A driver issues on the PC (try reinstalling/updating sound card drivers). I wouldn't turn off the onboard sound, unless you have a separate sound card. You may also try reinstalling codecs (google CCCP), but that only applies to playing specific formats.
2. A cable issue - low quality HDMI cables can cause problems, especially with long runs. Try running optical or some other type of audio cable out of the HTPC and see if that helps. Also, if your receiver supports HDMI, you can try running the HDMI cable directly to the receiver to see if that fixes it (TV output via HDMI from receiver). You can also hook up PC speakers to see if you get the same popping sound locally. All those tests can help you narrow down the problem.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Sun Sep 20, 2015 12:19 pm

Philip wrote:Is the sound popping on both the TV speakers and the receiver speakers ? When you say "when switching web pages" do you mean without even playing audio/video ?

It could be one of the few things:
1. A driver issues on the PC (try reinstalling/updating sound card drivers). I wouldn't turn off the onboard sound, unless you have a separate sound card. You may also try reinstalling codecs (google CCCP), but that only applies to playing specific formats.
2. A cable issue - low quality HDMI cables can cause problems, especially with long runs. Try running optical or some other type of audio cable out of the HTPC and see if that helps. Also, if your receiver supports HDMI, you can try running the HDMI cable directly to the receiver to see if that fixes it (TV output via HDMI from receiver). You can also hook up PC speakers to see if you get the same popping sound locally. All those tests can help you narrow down the problem.

Correct. Just going from one webpage to the next is causing the popping sound. Almost identical to the pop heard when switching from analog to digital. All my drivers are updated to newest version. The HDMI cables are only 3 foot long. I wish I could run straight from the mini PC to the AVR but my motherboard has only HDMI and the mini jacks. I was thinking of turning off the onboard sound since I'm using my video cards HDMI to my TV and the TV optical out to my AVR for sound. My AVR in my living room doesn't have any HDMI ports. I looked online and it says my TV allows "pass through" but don't see a setting to enable it. Very frustrating.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Sun Sep 20, 2015 12:30 pm

It has to be the pass through. Went into properties and it's saying max channels supported is two.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Sun Sep 20, 2015 1:03 pm

If just get a 3.5 mini jack to optical cable will that provide digital? I know I may sound like a noob here but I never new a 3.5 mini would pass digital

Post by **Philip** » Sun Sep 20, 2015 5:04 pm

The normal 3.5mm headphone jacks are analog, they will not work.
There is a newer type 3.5mm toshlink/optical plug that can be converted to regular optical toshlink... But the older headphone 3.5mm wont work.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Sun Sep 20, 2015 5:40 pm

Philip wrote:The normal 3.5mm headphone jacks are analog, they will not work.
There is a newer type 3.5mm toshlink/optical plug that can be converted to regular optical toshlink... But the older headphone 3.5mm wont work.

What about this?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T8H ... 2GQRWA2Y0Y

Post by **Philip** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:21 am

It just converts from "Toslink" (normal optical plug) to "Mini Toslink" (the 3.5mm looking plug, still optical/toslink, not a standard headphone jack - note the hole in the middle for the red 650nm light/laser). Both of those are optical fiber connectors. Some equipment (even some Macbooks) has this mini Toslink optical jack, but it is not very common.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:48 am

How do they produce digital 5.1 from the onboard audio 3.5 mini jacks? With these?

RaisinCain · Post by **RaisinCain** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 10:35 am

Disable the on-board audio. Uninstall and re-install your video card driver. Try a different HDMI cable. I hope that helps.

RaisinCain · Post by **RaisinCain** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 10:39 am

Cameron203 wrote:How do they produce digital 5.1 from the onboard audio 3.5 mini jacks? With these?

I have this set up on my on-board Realtek sound card. Basically you go into the control panel of the audio device and assign the different jacks to support whatever it is that you have plugged in (green- stereo, black- sub/center, etc).

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 4:52 pm

I have the HDMI out on the video card into the HDMI in on the TV. Then the fiber optic out on the TV into the fiber optic in of the AVR. All I get is 2 channel audio. I went to audio configuration and tried to set it to 5.1 and the option isn't there, only 2 channel stereo.

I was asking about the TOSlink cable to hook up but my onboard audio won't support that. I thought it was just a 3.5 mini jack to fiber (rookie mistake) but it's obviously not.