There has been an extremely annoying, persistent issue with crackling/popping sounds on certain ThinkPads and other brand laptops with certain Realtek sound chips. More info is contained in this thread:
Re:THINKPAD X1 EXTREME G1 // HEADPHONE JACK CRACKLING NOISE HORROR // DEAR LENOVO!!!
This issue was fixed with the Linux driver but has persisted with the Windows one unfortunately.
It turns out that the original, generic Microsoft driver in Windows 11 for the chip did not have this problem. There’s a way to revert to the generic Microsoft driver and block installation of newer drivers, but in classic Microsoft fashion this blocking mechanism is shitty, fucked up, and basically doesn’t work. In fact it causes hard crashes. So it’s not a workable solution.
The ultimate solution, since it appears Realtek will never fix this fuckup, is to bypass this shitty sound chip and get a USB-to-3.5mm headphone adapter.
Initially I didn’t know what to look for and bought an adapter that said ‘hi fi’ in the listing but it only supported a very low bitrate so I returned it. I then asked AI to help:
The highest bitrate for a USB (Type-C/A) to 3.5mm TRRS 4-pole headphone adapter generally tops out at 32-bit/384kHz. These high-resolution adapters, such as those featuring the CX31993 or CS43131 DAC chips, support superior audio decoding for in-ear monitors and high-fidelity wired headphones, including microphone support.
Following this advice I got a Xumee USB C to 3.5mm Audio Adapter, DAC Dongle with Dual Chip (CX31993 + MAX9722) from Ebay. I wish I had known about these a long time ago. The sound quality is astounding.
As you can see, it supports the insane frequency of 384 kHz at 32 bits. The adapter has a USB-C male adapter and includes a C-to-A adapter. It appears extremely well made, including braided cable and gold-plated connectors.
I plugged in my headphones and it started working instantly. Even if you’re not having audio problems you might want to consider getting one if you want super high quality for a wired headphone connection.
Its kind of sad that laptop manufacturers are too cheap to put a decent sound chip in their models. This high-quality adapter cost around $25. The chips that power it probably only cost a few dollars to manufacturers.
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