Hi, I'm flummoxed...
I'm trying to rip some audio CDs via my fairly vintage internal CD/DVD drive, but I'm getting very audible crackling on the tracks with every CD tried.
There is crackling:
Playing the CD direct via the PC speakers
Playing a WAV file pulled onto the desktop via the PC speakers
Playing a ripped MP3 or m4a via the pc speakers
Playing a ripped MP3 or m4a via android phone
Given the top 3 I originally thought it might be an audio driver issue - such as some of the pulseaudio issues that can be found - and I did change the power save and sample rate settings - to no avail.
The last on my list has me flummoxed though - clearly the actual MP3 & M4a files have the crackling on - i.e. it's not a PC sound output issue.
So, I thought, clutching at straws, perhaps the CD/DVD drive or SATA cable has had it and the raw WAVs are (subtly) corrupted as they're read. However I've just written and read back a data CD-R which sounds and checksums fine.
So... what arcane bit of the data chain from CD/DVD drive to fre:ac transcoding have I not understood. Any ideas?!
PC spec via link below, if needed.