A Constant, High-Pitched, Popping Sound From a Computer Speaker

Listening to music on your computer is a good source of relaxation while you work or study, but one day you might suddenly find your listening experience marred by a persistent whine coming from the speakers. It might be just within the range of your hearing, just audible enough to notice. There are several things that can cause the speakers to emit a persistent high-pitched popping sound. Although it's possible that your speaker is faulty, it's best to troubleshoot other causes before replacing your speakers.

Troubleshooting

An audio component connected to your computer could be producing too much feedback and transferring it through the speakers. First, determine whether the problem is actually with the speakers. Plug a pair of headphones into the computer's line in port and listen through them. If the sound is normal, you can determine that the problem is with the speakers rather than the sound card or other computer components.

Electric Current

Electrical components in your computer are very sensitive, requiring a specific amount of current to power them. Varying this current by too much can cause side effects. If you hear a high-pitched sound coming from speakers, one cause is that the speaker port has somehow short-circuited, allowing too much power to flow to the speaker. The excess electricity produces the high-pitched hum. If you have external speakers that connect to a power supply, there could be wire damage.

Wireless Interference

If your sound card is integrated with the motherboard or is adjacent to other dedicated cards, it can easily pick up on nearby electronic noise. This also applies to devices located near the computer; wireless routers or modems, for instance, emit an electromagnetic signal that can go inside the computer and flow to the speakers. Keep all electronic devices that emit radio signals at least three feet from the computer to minimize interference.

Driver Problems

Software problems with your sound card drivers can cause speakers to emit distorted popping sounds. For example, if you install a new sound card without the proper drivers or if your original driver files get damaged, the operating system cannot effectively communicate with the speakers. You can check for driver issues in Device Manager, accessible from the Control Panel. To access your sound card, click "Start" and type "Device Manager" in the search bar, expand the list of sound devices, right-click on the speaker and select "Update Driver Software."