My USB sound card (HyperX Amp) crackles while adjusting volume level. It also has occasional connectivity issues where it disappears from the system entirely and needs a replug in order to work again. Is there a way to fix this?
Disabling timer-based audio scheduling in PulseAudio (tsched=0 in /etc/pulse/default.pa) does not affect the USB output.
My feeling about those latest machines are freshly made wine. I'd rather wait for some years for its maturation
From my experience, it is easier to install Linux on 5 years old machines than the latest machines.
Using kernel 5.8 didn't do anything, sadly. Still testing if the connectivity issues are gone. It also seems impossible to adjust volume on this thing system-wide, alsamixer does nothing while GNOME settings has a tiny (5% at best) ramp up with the rest of the volume bar being full volume.
I did manage to solve the issue at least in Audacious by choosing ALSA output and enabling software volume control in settings.
As long as people don't look at Zorin OS 16 and say, "where did you dig up this old fossil?" Personally, I think Zorin OS is pretty modern, but some users are having issues with the latest kernels.
I can say that when I was having a fight with sound on Z15.3 (before I found a consistent, abeit illogical, fix) I could sometimes get sound to work by frantically moving the volume control 0 to 100% in rapid succession. That does make a crackling sort of noise, once sound is working of course. Bit like crackling on a old radio when you adjust the volume potentiometer.
I am afraid I do not know a instant solution to volume control crackling of this nature.