Audio suddenly having fuzzy effect for no reason, getting annoying and is there a remedy?

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1

Hello, I am having problems with pipewire or whatever audio driver that suddenly creates this weird buzz/fuzzy noise. It happened 3x today while I was listening to music via bluetooth from my phone and wired headphones connected to the computer. It just happens out of nowhere. Here is the journalctl.

 journalctl -xe
Hint: You are currently not seeing messages from other users and the system.
      Users in the 'systemd-journal' group can see all messages. Pass -q to
      turn off this notice.
Oct 14 15:23:55 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.bluetooth/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml:75:13: QML Toolbar: Bind>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
Oct 14 15:25:06 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.bluetooth/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml:75:13: QML Toolbar: Bind>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
Oct 14 15:31:43 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: org.kde.plasma.notificationmanager: Trying to replace notification with id 1514 which doesn't exist, creating a new one>
Oct 14 15:32:29 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: org.kde.plasma.notificationmanager: Trying to replace notification with id 1515 which doesn't exist, creating a new one>
Oct 14 15:32:37 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.bluetooth/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml:75:13: QML Toolbar: Bind>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
Oct 14 15:36:56 THONKYMECH.lan pipewire[2615]: pw.node: (alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Headphones__sink-53) graph xrun not-triggered (2>
Oct 14 15:36:56 THONKYMECH.lan pipewire[2615]: pw.node: (alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Headphones__sink-53) xrun state:0x7fc826c7c008 p>
Oct 14 15:36:56 THONKYMECH.lan pipewire[2615]: pw.node: (bluez_input.BC_10_7B_25_70_09.2-99) xrun state:0x7fc82680b008 pending:0/1 s:8386300439704 a:8386289948328 f:8386>
Oct 14 15:37:58 THONKYMECH.lan pipewire[2615]: pw.node: (alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Headphones__sink-53) graph xrun not-triggered (1>
Oct 14 15:37:58 THONKYMECH.lan pipewire[2615]: pw.node: (alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Headphones__sink-53) xrun state:0x7fc826c7c008 p>
Oct 14 15:37:58 THONKYMECH.lan pipewire[2615]: pw.node: (bluez_input.BC_10_7B_25_70_09.2-99) xrun state:0x7fc82680b008 pending:0/1 s:8447740885066 a:8447730102993 f:8447>
Oct 14 15:40:01 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: org.kde.plasma.notificationmanager: Trying to replace notification with id 1516 which doesn't exist, creating a new one>
Oct 14 15:40:18 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.bluetooth/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml:75:13: QML Toolbar: Bind>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
Oct 14 15:40:29 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.volume/contents/ui/main.qml:528:17: QML PlasmoidHeading: Binding loop>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
Oct 14 15:40:29 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.volume/contents/ui/main.qml:260:17: QML PlasmoidHeading: Binding loop>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
Oct 14 15:40:42 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.bluetooth/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml:75:13: QML Toolbar: Bind>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
Oct 14 15:40:50 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: org.kde.plasma.notificationmanager: Trying to replace notification with id 1517 which doesn't exist, creating a new one>
Oct 14 15:40:57 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.bluetooth/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml:75:13: QML Toolbar: Bind>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
Oct 14 15:43:48 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.bluetooth/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml:75:13: QML Toolbar: Bind>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
Oct 14 17:00:04 THONKYMECH.lan systemd[2380]: Started Konsole - Terminal.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit UNIT has finished successfully
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit UNIT has finished successfully.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 1093.
Oct 14 17:00:04 THONKYMECH.lan konsole[24320]: Failed to create wl_display (No such file or directory)
Oct 14 17:00:04 THONKYMECH.lan konsole[24320]: qt.qpa.plugin: Could not load the Qt platform plugin "wayland" in "" even though it was found.
Oct 14 17:00:05 THONKYMECH.lan plasmashell[2698]: file:///usr/share/plasma/plasmoids/org.kde.plasma.bluetooth/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml:75:13: QML Toolbar: Bind>
                                                  qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/extras/PlasmoidHeading.qml:33:5
2

Like it stops after i stop playing audio for a couple of seconds. I just don’t know what causes this for no reason. It’s like I’m suddenly bombarded with this weird loud obtrusive fuzzy noise along with my audio.

3

Bluetooth is radio. Radio can experience interference.

4

Does it happen only with Bluetooth sources? What you describe seems a typical behaviour of bad BT connection (too distant? Too low power? Microwave oven nearby?)

5

No it also happens on Discord call as well. Anything audio related it happens.

6

It’s system-wide.

7

Launch pw-top in a terminal and see if there is something clogging the audio pipe?

8

Happening when running SuperTux.

image
image1726×393 69.4 KB

9

how can i tell?

10

HiFi_Speaker_Sink shows ERR=1 so there is an error in the sound pipeline processing (see man pw_top)
Does it happen only with supertux or…?

11

I’m assuming that it happens with other applications too as it happened whenever I play audio whether it be a YouTube video, Bluetooth A2DP music, etc.

12

How do I fix this error? Do I do man pw_top next time? Does EasyEffects (installed) have an effect on this?

13

“man pw-top” displays the manual page for pw-top, which I linked.
Leave pw-top running and see if and where an error shows even if a game is not running. Is some other application loading the cpu? Sounds weird with modern systems.
Posting inxi -ASCxxzmight help us understand.

14

Happening right now with bluetooth audio with headphones:

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image842×376 83 KB

And yes, happens on both X.Org and Wayland.

15

I ran pw-cli info 50 and it doesn’t show any error.

pw-cli info 50
        id: 50
        permissions: rwxm-
        type: PipeWire:Interface:Node/3
*       input ports: 2/65
*       output ports: 2/0
*       state: "running"
*       properties:
*               alsa.card = "0"
*               alsa.card_name = "sof-hda-dsp"
*               alsa.class = "generic"
*               alsa.components = "HDA:8086281d,80860101,00100000 HDA:10ec0257,17aa2328,00100001 cfg-dmics:2 iec61937-pcm:5,4,3"
*               alsa.device = "0"
*               alsa.driver_name = "snd_soc_skl_hda_dsp"
*               alsa.id = "sofhdadsp"
*               alsa.long_card_name = "LENOVO-21MN005RUS-ThinkPadT16Gen3"
*               alsa.mixer_device = "_ucm0001.hw:sofhdadsp"
*               alsa.mixer_name = "Realtek ALC257"
*               alsa.name = ""
*               alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
*               alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
*               alsa.subdevice = "0"
*               alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
*               alsa.sync.id = "00000000:00000000:00000000:00000000"
*               api.alsa.card.longname = "LENOVO-21MN005RUS-ThinkPadT16Gen3"
*               api.alsa.card.name = "sof-hda-dsp"
*               api.alsa.open.ucm = "true"
*               api.alsa.path = "hw:sofhdadsp"
*               api.alsa.pcm.card = "0"
*               api.alsa.pcm.stream = "playback"
*               audio.channels = "2"
*               audio.position = "FL,FR"
*               card.profile.device = "6"
*               device.api = "alsa"
*               device.class = "sound"
*               device.id = "42"
*               device.profile.description = "Headphones"
*               device.profile.name = "HiFi: Headphones: sink"
*               device.routes = "1"
*               factory.name = "api.alsa.pcm.sink"
*               media.class = "Audio/Sink"
*               node.description = "Meteor Lake-P HD Audio Controller Headphones"
*               node.name = "alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Headphones__sink"
*               node.nick = "Headphones"
*               node.pause-on-idle = "false"
*               object.path = "alsa:acp:sofhdadsp:6:playback"
*               port.group = "playback"
*               priority.driver = "1000"
*               priority.session = "1000"
*               factory.id = "19"
*               clock.quantum-limit = "8192"
*               client.id = "41"
*               node.driver = "true"
*               node.loop.name = "data-loop.0"
*               library.name = "audioconvert/libspa-audioconvert"
*               object.id = "50"
*               object.serial = "120"
*               node.max-latency = "16384/48000"
*               api.alsa.period-size = "1024"
*               api.alsa.period-num = "32"
*               api.alsa.headroom = "0"
*       params: (9)
*         3 (Spa:Enum:ParamId:EnumFormat) r-
*         1 (Spa:Enum:ParamId:PropInfo) r-
*         2 (Spa:Enum:ParamId:Props) rw
*         4 (Spa:Enum:ParamId:Format) rw
*         10 (Spa:Enum:ParamId:EnumPortConfig) r-
*         11 (Spa:Enum:ParamId:PortConfig) rw
*         15 (Spa:Enum:ParamId:Latency) rw
*         16 (Spa:Enum:ParamId:ProcessLatency) rw
*         17 (Spa:Enum:ParamId:Tag) rw
16

Happening and it’s worse now.

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Basically if it happens and i pause audio until everything becomes ---. It’s fine again.

By the way, it happens with EasyEffects uninstalled so it’s not the root of the issue.

17

Apparently there is something wrong in the pipewire sound pipeline or something is (temporarily?) blocking or slowing down processing.
With such new hardware I would rule out lack of processing power; more likely some wrong or missing configuration or drivers not yet capable of dealing with some unusual feature.
Are you dual booting Windows, by the way? Maybe Win* leaves behind some config that conflicts with Linux drivers?
There are several reports of audio issues with Meteor Lake processors over the net, but I cannot say if yours might be related.
Maybe a new thread in the “Hardware” subforum with a title like “Sound crackling on Meteor Lake…” and possibly pointing to this thread might catch the attention of HW gurus hanging about there.

18

I am dual booting. Idk about config that conflicts.

The reason why I didn’t contribute much to that thread is because I was under the assumption their audio quality became bad. My issue is that it doesn’t become bad, it’s like all of a sudden extra noise and fuzzy sound has been added on top of it.

19

Your problem are the xrun errors in the pipewire processing, that is some buffer is exhausted or overfilled for whatever reason, a sound app not filling it fast enough or the pipewire node not being processed fast enough.
Now I see that in your reports the “QUANT” field is at 512 for both 44100 Hz and 48000 Hz sources. That looks a bit low to me, on my default pipewire install I see 1024 for 44100 Hz nodes and 2048 for 48000 nodes.
Did you apply (or did some custom audio app apply) any special config to lower the buffer size on pipewire? Possibly to lower latency with games, real time audio or the like?

20

No I didn’t use it to lower latency with games or real time audio. I only used EasyEffects. I uninstalled it and reinstalled and there’s nothing in there.