Quest 2 Audio Crackling and Buzzing

[Chim-Cham]

For the longest while i have been using Quest 2 with the oculus link and then run my VR games through steam no problem. But when i run it directly through Steam Link the only Audio that comes through is crackling and buzzing.

I've tried everything but reinstalling steam but im not sure that would help. So any idea what could cause this would be appreciated.

Everything runs on recommended specs and everything is connected through 5 GHz wifi. As said no audio issues have ever come up when i use the headset through oculus link.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit 2023/12/25:

Gonna post this here just incase anyone still have this issue. But the way i have fixed this is to follow the following steps:

Uninstall current drivers for "Steam Streaming Device":

- Go to "More Sound settings" in System -> Sound settings menu
- Find "Steam Streaming Speaker" under playback tab and "Stream Streaming Microphone" under recording tab (if doesnt show up right click any device and select "show disabled devices"
- Right click and go to properties
- click properties again in the general tab
- click the "change settings"button (windows will ask for permission, just hit yes)
-go to driver tab and click "uninstal drivers"

After this step is done you need to manually reinstal the drivers:

- go to device manager
- make sure no device is selected and then click Action -> Add legacy hardware
- just click next till you get to a window with a list called "common hardware types"
- scroll down and select "Sound, video and game controllers" and click next
- in the next window scroll down in the manufacturer menu till you find "valve corporation audio ddk", select that
- in the model menu select Steam "Streaming Speakers" and install the drivers
- repeat the steps above for the microphone aswell

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wanna note this worked on my machine and a few friends machine but not guaranteed to work for everyone.

Hope it helps!

[cheri]

same issue

[phobos2077]

Same issue

[JamHandy]

Likewise here - Everything had always worked well w/ quest link wireless, but when I try using the steam link app I just get distorted crackling for audio. Video quality is perfect and performance is great otherwise so it doesn't seem like a bandwidth/network issue.

[JamHandy]

I may have found a fix... I started playing with the system sound settings in Windows and found that after going to the properties for 'Steam Streaming Speakers' and setting the Format to '24bit, 48000 Hz (Studio Quality)" sound went back to working perfectly.
Unfortunately, I didn't make note of the original setting, but before changing it the 'Test' button just gave me the crackles. Almost every other value wouldn't play sound at all.

[Fox(GER)]

quest 3 auch kein sound

[Kodfod]

I was able to fix mine by taking the following steps:

Open your sound control panel:
- press win+r and type/paste `mmsys.cpl` and press ENTER or click OK.
- Click the `Playback` tab. (see image linked below)
- Right click Speakers Steam Streaming Speakers and click Properties
- Click Advanced and Change the Default format to 32 bit, 48000 HZ (Studio Quality)
- Click apply.
- Repeat the same steps with Speakers Steam Streaming Microphone (if you have it, mine required it as well.
- Restart Steam/Steam VR

This should fix no audio/crackling audio issues. Additionally, make sure the speakers are default device, and microphone is default communication device if you still are having issues.


https://i.imgur.com/JMPsTvQ.png

[Yotie]

default values are 32 bit, 48khz
and custom ones: 24 and 32 bit 48khz and 41khz

none worked : still popping/crackling/distorting sound
video is impeccable
works impeccable with the official wirless oculus link and ALVR


this issue is so hard to serach on google because google kleeps showing up "oculus link" stuff

[Betrax]

Originally posted by Kodfod:

I was able to fix mine by taking the following steps:

Open your sound control panel:
- press win+r and type/paste `mmsys.cpl` and press ENTER or click OK.
- Click the `Playback` tab. (see image linked below)
- Right click Speakers Steam Streaming Speakers and click Properties
- Click Advanced and Change the Default format to 32 bit, 48000 HZ (Studio Quality)
- Click apply.
- Repeat the same steps with Speakers Steam Streaming Microphone (if you have it, mine required it as well.
- Restart Steam/Steam VR

This should fix no audio/crackling audio issues. Additionally, make sure the speakers are default device, and microphone is default communication device if you still are having issues.


https://i.imgur.com/JMPsTvQ.png

This worked for me!! Thanks a lot!!

[stellvertreter]

The fix (32 Bit etc.) doesn't help here.

Still have crackling sound etc. Everything else is perfect.

Pls fix Valve.

[GroZeiLLe]

Same issue, changing for format didn't worked for me.
I'm using Steam Link on this PC with the Steam Link device on my TV and I don't have issues.
So not sure to understand what's different here, except the Meta Quest app...

[4teLL]

Same issue, Win 11, sound is distorted no matter what settings I change

[DUCK]

Same issue. On quest pro.. Verified it is the steam quest app problem since I have tried all settings, change rates. Factory reset, swap to desktop audio which has no problem. Used steam link android app on phone with no problem. reinstall steam. It worked fine yesterday for a few hours but soon it stopped working.

[retroviridae7]

Also something that fixed my crackling audio issues was making sure "Steam Streaming Speakers" was set to Stereo not 7.1 like mine was for some reason in Windows.

[DUCK]

Mine is in stereo all the time. It worked with the android app remote play but not the quest remote play

[Landen]

I have no Speakers Steam Streaming Speakers and Microphone! Why???