Netbook sound is choppy when I connect to a sound syst.

[marcos81]

Hi!

I connect my netbook to a sound system (like this http://minus.com/lW1TdA0TdFnJy) and the sounds gets choppy.

I use a plug 3,5 to rca cable (like this http://minus.com/leftpkQRP3CCW).

My netbook is a cx edu 100nzc.

$ lspci | grep Audio
Audio Device Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Familiy High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)

What can I do?

[dXTC]

There are several potential points of failure to check out.

One: Where is your music stored? Is it stored locally (on the netbook's hard drive), or are you attempting to stream it from an online source? Local storage is the best scenario, as it doesn't depend on network connectivity. If you're streaming via Spotify or Pandora or other online service, make sure you have consistently good network/WiFi connection as applicable. Before connecting the cables, try playing music through the netbook's speakers at the place where your sound system is. If the sound is choppy at that location AND you're playing online music and not local, then your netbook's WiFi connection is probably not good at that specific spot.

Two: Check the cable using another set of sound sources. Cables don't last forever; most eventually fail near the plugs. With the cables plugged in and music playing, attempt to wiggle the cable a little bit near each plug. If you hear a LOT of crackling/choppy noises, or the sound suddenly goes silent, then you'll need to replace the cable.

Three: If the cable checks out OK on another sound source, try plugging a set of headphones (that you know are in good shape) into the netbook's output jack, and do the same kind of testing. If the good headphones suddenly start giving crackly or choppy sound when they shouldn't, the culprit is most likely the netbook's audio output jack. If this is the case, you'll have to play your music through something else, unless you can find a USB audio interface to use as an alternate audio output.

[Hoser Rob]

I'm thinking the same. If it sounds OK with headphones ... though I'm not 100% sure what 'choppy' means ... it's probably the headphone adapter cable. Those cables aren't usually all that great quality.

[dXTC]

... it's probably the headphone adapter cable. Those cables aren't usually all that great quality.

Marcos81, if you do find that the cable is the problem, I strongly recommend going to a music instrument store where professional audio recording equipment and instruments (mixers, amplifiers, guitars) are sold. Most cables sold there are built thick and durable, so that they work even under the stress and strain of concert tours. Avoid cheap department and "dollar" stores; those cables tend to be flimsy, as Hoser Rob has pointed out in the quote above.

[marcos81]

Hi! thanks both of you

dXTC, I loved your response

In fact, I'm seeing the problem persists even without any cable. I mean, when I listen music from speakers netbook.

I use different cables because I work in different gyms.

The music is in the hard drive.

Could be codecs problem?

Clementine sounds choppy (sorry for my english, I mean it plays and it stops very very fast a lot of times)

Vlc sounds ok. This one could get choppy just 1 time maybe in hours.

[SandsOfArrakis]

If you have Wine installed you could try Foobar2000. It's a Windows program but it runs great in Linux. And is quite easy on system resources. Another lightweight player is Audacious which you can find in the Mint repo's.

[marcos81]

Thanks!

In fact, i just need a player with crossfade, and of course it must be lightweight because I have a Netbook.

I'm going to try that one

But, anyway, I would like to know why this problem happens ¬¬

[SandsOfArrakis]

That's a good question. Intel hardware is generally very well supported in Linux.

I have a 00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 05) according to lscpi in my little i3 laptop, and it runs flawlessly here. Same with the rest of the hardware, which is all Intel.

Does the choppy sound also occur when listening to a webstream? Or just while playing music of your netbook's hard disk?

[Hoser Rob]

Run foobar in Wine in linux? That's hilarious ... linux has audio players 100 times better than foobar. Including audacious and clementine. I use both.

You do not particularly need a lightweight program to play music on a netbook. I use audacious sometimes to open an individual track or folder with a CD in it. It's speed is handy for that. But otherwise I use clementine on both my netbook and laptop.

For some reason no ones's asked you to verify your sound card is configured right ... which does not mean 'codecs'.

This ain't windows. You can't fix many problems even in windows by dl'ing a bunch of codecs ... in fact many windows users who don't know any better make things worse by doing that ... and it doesn't really work all that well in linux. You may have to install codecs in some linux distros but not mint. And if you install software later it'll take care of that if you use the repos.

ANyway, open a terminal and paste:

Code: Select all

sudo aplay -l

and enter your password. Post results here in

Code: Select all

 tags.

[Flemur]

Run foobar in Wine in linux? That's hilarious ... linux has audio players 100 times better than foobar.

Foobar is far better than any linux player. I've tried all that sorry lot, and there's no comparison.
(Foobar + wine) also uses less resources than any similar linux player.

But - for the OP, perhaps not worth installing wine just to run foobar.

Clementine sounds choppy
Vlc sounds ok.

Try removing "pulseaudio". You don't need it, but it's easily reinstalled if you want it...for something.

[SandsOfArrakis]

Run foobar in Wine in linux? That's hilarious ... linux has audio players 100 times better than foobar. Including audacious and clementine. I use both.

My experience is completely opposite. Programs like Banshee and Rhythmbox require truckloads of RAM to run. And especially Banshee I've discovered acts very slow when you have quite a database of music. Foobar on the other hand uses around 50 mb. Remains lightning fast. And runs rock solid through Wine, while Rhythmbox and especially Banshee have a tendency to crash here. Next to being big bloated resource hogs. Only Linux player that comes close to the speed of Foobar is Audacious.

I prefer to use Linux software where possible. But when it comes to playing music, in my opinion, Foobar > Linux music players.

[Hoser Rob]

I didn't realize there were so many foobar fans running linux.

Personally I think foobar is a kludgy, poorly updated piece of crap with a terrible interface.

In windows I used vlc for audio.

Guess there's a basic disagreement here.