Popping and buzzing in pipewire

LogicalKarma · 2025-03-16 17:18:40

I have been experiencing load buzzing and pops for about 2-3 weeks. This is usually triggered by certain applications especially when multiple are running and producing sounds (Legcord, Soundux and wine games such as Uno and It Takes Two). I am using Pipewire.

I have tried changing:

default.clock.allowed-rates

default.clock.quantum
default.clock.min-quantum
default.clock.max-quantum

api.alsa.period-size
api.alsa.headroom

I have also tried changing the latency for some of these apps and games (PIPEWIRE_LATENCY=2048/48000) and I have session.suspend-timeout-seconds = 0 as I also had issues with suspended audio prior.

Only changing the quantum options to higher values helped, but they seem to big and I still get slight popping in some cases. Will these have consequences for my sistem's stability and responsiveness? Is there a better way of fixing this?

default.clock.quantum = 4096
default.clock.min-quantum = 512
default.clock.max-quantum = 32768

Update:
I still have the same issues. Quantum options did not help much.

Last edited by LogicalKarma (2025-03-16 18:47:57)

Halano · 2025-03-24 13:04:37

cd .config
rm -rf pipewire
cp -r /usr/share/pipewire/ .

systemctl --user restart pipewire

Last edited by Halano (2025-03-24 13:17:25)

LogicalKarma · 2025-03-27 14:58:51

I appreciate the reply, but could you care to explain the reasoning?

I did partially solve the issue in the meantime. It seems that either the echo cancellation or noise suppression(rnnoise) caused it. I had 2 config files for these which you can find bellow. I am now using noise suppression(still rnnoise) on easy effects and I think the buzzing is gone.

I still have popping when stopping or sometimes when starting playback, however I am beginning to suspect a hardware specific issue as it's either worse or only existent while listening though my usb microphone (AT2020USB-X) .

Legcord is another story, popping always occurs when starting a call or sometimes when ending it whatever I try.

 context.modules = [
 
     # Echo cancellation
     {   name = libpipewire-module-echo-cancel
         args = {
             # Monitor mode: Instead of creating a virtual sink into which all
             # applications must play, in PipeWire the echo cancellation module can read
             # the audio that should be cancelled directly from the current fallback
             # audio output
             monitor.mode = true
             # The audio source / microphone wherein the echo should be cancelled is not
             # specified explicitly; the module follows the fallback audio source setting
            
             source.props = {
                 # Name and description of the virtual source where you get the audio
                 # without echoed speaker output
                 node.name = "source_ec"
                 node.description = "Echo-cancelled source"
             }
             aec.args = {
                 # Settings for the WebRTC echo cancellation engine
                 webrtc.gain_control = true
                 webrtc.extended_filter = false
                 # Other WebRTC echo cancellation settings which may or may not exist
                 # Documentation for the WebRTC echo cancellation library is difficult
                 # to find
                 #webrtc.analog_gain_control = false
                 #webrtc.digital_gain_control = true
                 #webrtc.experimental_agc = true
                 #webrtc.noise_suppression = true
             }
         }
     }
 ]

context.modules = [
{   name = libpipewire-module-filter-chain
    args = {
        node.description =  "Noise Canceling source"
        media.name =  "Noise Canceling source"
        filter.graph = {
            nodes = [
                {
                    type = ladspa
                    name = rnnoise
                    plugin = /usr/lib/ladspa/librnnoise_ladspa.so
                    label = noise_suppressor_stereo
                    control = {
                        "VAD Threshold (%)" = 50.0
                        "VAD Grace Period (ms)" = 200
                        "Retroactive VAD Grace (ms)" = 0
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
        capture.props = {
            node.name =  "capture.rnnoise_source"
            node.passive = true
            audio.rate = 48000
            node.target = "source_ec"
        }
        playback.props = {
            node.name =  "rnnoise_source"
            media.class = Audio/Source
            audio.rate = 48000
        }

    }
}
]

Last edited by LogicalKarma (2025-03-27 15:06:56)

LogicalKarma · 2025-03-30 10:11:44

Another update:

I have found an easy way to reproduce the stutters:
Play audio on VLC and hold space. This will pause and unpause rapidly causing stutters. (other media players will also probably work)

After obsessing over this for quite some time and constantly tinkering with the settings I have previously mentioned like a madman, I cleared an SSD and installed Windows 11 to confirm this is not a hardware level issue. Windows had one small stutter the first time I played audio on it after installing and then it worked perfectly fine.

After this, I started Ubuntu to check if this is a configuration specific issue for my installation. Surely enough, it is not. Ubuntu also seems to share the same audio issues.

So is this a driver issue? I am using a MSI PRO-B650-S-WIFI motherboard with a ALC897 audio chip. Where do I go from here?

Last edited by LogicalKarma (2025-03-31 07:08:23)

LogicalKarma · 2025-03-31 07:07:21

Testing with a DAC yields the same results.

Can this topic be moved to Multimedia and Games?

V1del · 2025-04-01 09:49:35

Popping explicitly when starting and stopping sounds like power saving kicking in, though rapidly paus-unpausing shouldn't trigger the few seconds delay that should have by default, a simple way to test that is creating /etc/modprobe.d/disableHDApowersave.conf

options snd_hda_intel power_save=0

and rebooting

note that if you're using TLP or similar they might have their own config application for applying power save in which case you'll have to disable it there.

However that it's only for "two weeks" could also point at a regression with your HW and the pipewire update, but I'd assume Ubuntu to not have that yet.

Moving to Multimedia.

LogicalKarma · 2025-04-01 12:55:13

Thinking back this might have been happening for a while longer (possibly, but not probably, during a hardware change). The buzzing is recent however. Fortunately this seems to be gone. I really do not want to confirm definitively as I could not reproduce the exact same environment I had before.

The popping is now better. It happens just as the audio starts or stops, before it had a delay which made it horribly obvious.

Unfortunately, power_save does not seem to fix the issue. I did see a post of yours before and tried it. I also tried it now and I cannot see any difference.

I did also spot an error from Wireplumber related to my webcam, however I have used my PC without it many times so I did not think it was worth mentioning. I have dumped the logs bellow just in case:

apr 01 15:29:46 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: wp-internal-comp-loader: Loading profile 'main'
apr 01 15:29:47 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: spa.alsa: The decibel volume range for element 'PCM' (-4000 dB - -1200 dB) has negative maximum. Disabling the decibel range.
apr 01 15:29:47 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: spa.alsa: The decibel volume range for element 'PCM' (-4000 dB - -1200 dB) has negative maximum. Disabling the decibel range.
apr 01 15:29:47 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: spa.alsa: The decibel volume range for element 'PCM' (-4000 dB - -1200 dB) has negative maximum. Disabling the decibel range.
apr 01 15:29:47 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: spa.alsa: The decibel volume range for element 'PCM' (-4000 dB - -1200 dB) has negative maximum. Disabling the decibel range.
apr 01 15:29:47 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: spa.alsa: The decibel volume range for element 'PCM' (-4000 dB - -1200 dB) has negative maximum. Disabling the decibel range.
apr 01 15:29:47 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: wp-device: SPA handle 'api.libcamera.enum.manager' could not be loaded; is it installed?
apr 01 15:29:47 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: s-monitors-libcamera: PipeWire's libcamera SPA plugin is missing or broken. Some camera types may not be supported.
apr 01 15:30:36 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: wp-event-dispatcher: <WpAsyncEventHook:0x5ec48b592af0> failed: <WpSiStandardLink:0x5ec48b789ba0> link failed: some node was destroyed before the link was created
apr 01 15:39:14 karmastation wireplumber[1619]: wp-event-dispatcher: <WpAsyncEventHook:0x5ec48b59e5d0> failed: failed to activate item: Object activation aborted: proxy destroyed

Related to the regression idea, I did rollback my kernel at least 2 times. Even back to 2024.

Sorry for the vagueness of the details, it's quite hard to keep track of audio over a larger period of time.

Last edited by LogicalKarma (2025-04-01 12:56:56)

afrostmage · 2025-05-06 22:33:56

I also have this issue. I have tried:

- changing quantum values
- downgrading pipewire to 1.27
- switching wireplumber for pipewire-media-session

but nothing seems to make a difference. Neither pipewire nor wireplumber show any errors in their status. pw-top doesn't show any errors either. The poppings sound like xruns but there isn't any indication that they are. I attached the output of alsa-info.sh below.

https://0x0.st/8J1A.txt

Update:
I was beginning to suspect hardware issue.
I tried the zen kernel and the issue seems to be gone so far.

update2:
nvm was a fluke had a 2 hour session with no popping but now its back. sigh.

Last edited by afrostmage (2025-05-07 14:24:49)

thearchuser · 2025-06-15 10:05:10

I have this same loud annoying clicking sound mostly whenever stopping and starting audio. Especially annoying when stopping YouTube videos. I have tried every fix under the sun but nothing works. I do not hear any such clicking noises when pausing videos on Windows.

Tried this:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Advanc … g_playback

Tried this:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/PipeWi … g_playback

Power saving on my sound module is totally disabled
cat /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save
cat /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save_controller
0
N

What is causing this terrible sound?

Arch Linux

#1 2025-03-16 17:18:40

Popping and buzzing in pipewire

#2 2025-03-24 13:04:37

Re: Popping and buzzing in pipewire

#3 2025-03-27 14:58:51

Re: Popping and buzzing in pipewire

#4 2025-03-30 10:11:44

Re: Popping and buzzing in pipewire

#5 2025-03-31 07:07:21

Re: Popping and buzzing in pipewire

#6 2025-04-01 09:49:35

Re: Popping and buzzing in pipewire

#7 2025-04-01 12:55:13

Re: Popping and buzzing in pipewire

#8 2025-05-06 22:33:56

Re: Popping and buzzing in pipewire

#9 2025-06-15 10:05:10

Re: Popping and buzzing in pipewire

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