Robotic Static Sounds USB Headset

I'm running 10.7.5 now, and the problem still occured in skype after more than an hour and a half. Longer than the 'usual' 45 minutes or so, but still present in some form. But I'm happy if it just doubles the time between occurances...

Are you using the same USB headset on both computers?

Done all the disk utility magic I can think off, and it's still not working. I haven't done a MD5 and permissions check yet though, how did you do yours? I guess it's done in terminal but I'm not that used to working with it.

Done a lot of testing and trying back and forth, and can't quite safely say, that whatever they did in the lastest update, while working for some, does not fix it for all. This is kinda as it's always been, rather hard to pinpoint - works for some, but not for others. Like its been for me, with my old USB headset I had no problems, but with my new one, it's very much present, and not going away.

As a follow-up question, since this seems to depend a bit on your setup, maybe we should try to list whatever setups we are using.

I'm currently using a Steelseries Siberia USB soundcard - and it has problems.

I used to use a Logitech Arena USB headset - and it worked.

I wouldn't mind buying a different USB soundcard, as long as I knew it solved the problem. Like Creative Soundblaster X-Fi - is there anyone using it and having problems?

I've previously used a Logitech H330 USB headset, robotic sound was very much present. Running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 on a 2009 15" MacBook Pro. Sound turned almost instantly robotic.

Also tested same headset on 10.6.8 on a 2011 13" MacBook Pro, took about 20-30 minutes to turn robotic.

So, I've been testing a Logitech G330 on my 2009 MBP for a few days now, and so far it hasn't gone robotic!

Still using 10.6.8, haven't updated anything. The G330 has two 3,5mm jacks, but comes with an USB adapter.

Tested in Skype, longest conversation without robotic noise was about 3 hours.

Keeping my fingers crossed that it won't break on me.

I still have this problem with two different USB Audio Sticks in 10.8.2. I tried a Speedlink stick (Robotic sound after about two hours) and a new Mac certified ⚠ Terratec Aureon USB Stick (Robot voice after 30 minutes).

I called Apple Support today but they said, that it's a third party problem and the only thing I can do is contact the manufacturer. So I opened a ticket to Terratec...

I would really like to go on using my Sennheiser PC 151 =/

Btw, anyone tried the Griffin iMic2 in OS X Mountain Lion?

Well, I have a similar problem with MacOS 10.7.5 + Mac Pro + USB mike built in Apple Cinema Display + Quicktime X.

It worked. Then it became garbled. I have not found even a workaround yet (have not tried a reboot).

OMG, I just dont believe. Is this a problem from 2009? We are already at 2013! And we still have the same problem. I really dont believe that....

I have the same problem on my MacBook Pro 13"(mid 2010) and on my iMac 21"(mid 2012) to. No solutions were given to us by Apple yet.. I tried that substitution Kext solution, but the passed link does not work...

I am using Mac OSX 10.8.2 and like I said... problem still here... That happened to me while I am using Skype, Ventrillo or even World of Warcraft game.

I have a Sharkoon Xtatic True Digital 5.1 Headset connected by Optical cable and USB to the external sound card. I already tested on Mac mic built in, but the same problem is there... I really dont know what to do, but I guess there is nothing to do.

Apple, please, just fix this!!

I just bought a Logitech H390 to use with Dragon dictate after reading positive reviews on Amazon. I've found a way to get it to function with most applications. Opening Garage Band and leaving it open will usually fix it. One way to test whether its gone haywire is to click the volume up or down. If the feedback sound is normal its OK, if not try opening a new Garage B voice project. This combined with setting the Midi to 44100.0 Hz keeps most things running.

Dragon Dictate still fouls up as soon as you get to the volume training part of the setup. If you leave Garage Band on the mic doesn't register at all with Dragon. So I'm stumped there. Mac Dictation works OK but is very innaccurate so its not worth the hassel.

I had problems just as you all describe. Robotic voice after a while.

However, after switching my cheap 20 bucks USB soundcard for a Creative Labs SoundBlaster Recon3D all my problems are gone. I do believe the cheaper X-Fi will also work.

So while part of the problem might be Apples, I also think you need to turn to the manufacturer and get them to update their firmwire or find another sound card.

i've changed several macs and several headphones, and have the same problem. for a while it works fine and then my voice start becoming robotic, it brakes up and sounds metallic. I can hear fine, but others cannot understand me. The same is wehn recoding videos. After a while the quality is just bad. Unplug and replug the USB and every thing is again fine for the next 10-20 minutes. It started just after moving to Lion (now Moutain Lion).

So this thread that started in 2009 is still living. I have had problems with static using two different USB Plantronics headsets over the past couple of years, and it has been extremely aggravating.

One of the early responses from 2009 reported a fix using the Audio MIDI Setup app and changing the sampling rate from 48,000 Hz to 44,100 Hz. That method did not initially work for me, but changing from 1ch-8 bit to 1ch-16 bit input makes that static disappear and the mic is clear as a bell. I also made the same change yesterday on a 2006 MacBook Pro that was having the same problem with the USB headset, and voila, clear sound.

I am not sure why there are such continuing problems with this sound issue, but the Audio MIDI Setup adjustment was an easy fix to a very annoying and persistent problem.

MacBook Pro 15", Mid 2012, 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 OS X 10.8.3

MacBook Pro 15" Late 2006 2.16 GHz Intel 2 GB OS X 10.7

George Glaser1,

I don't know how you do it, but I can NOT change from 1ch-16 to 1ch-8 or back. All I can change is from 44.1MHz to 48MHz.

Where and how do you do it? Would you mind sharing some images?

OSX 10.8.3 here.

Morph21,

As a result of your post I did some further testing. The results from my report of the other day hold up. In testing with another headset this morning, I found that the settings in the Audio MIDI setup window are dependent on the headset type (duh). I have a second headset obtained from Nuance when I upgraded my DragonDictate. The only settings offered for that set are inputs of 48,000 Hz and 2 channel 16-bit integer. That set has always worked fine with no static.

My post from a couple of days ago was based on difficulties with a Plantronics DSP 500 gaming headset, with input options ranging from 48,000 to 6400.0 Hz, and three options on the channel and bit settings. I retested this morning and had the same "static" results when shifting back to 1 ch-8 bit input. With 16 bit input, all is well.

Hope this helps.