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I upgraded to the last version of VLC and suddenly there is sonic hiccup every 5 seconds or so, no matter what file I play back.
By swithcing to default this is solved, but the sound becomes fuzzy and unclear.
With the win32 setting the sound is crystal clear but jittery.
What is the solution?
Thank you!

Issue happens with all files or only with certain ones?

With all files.

Does Tools -> Messages (set Verbosity to 2) complain something when hiccup occurs?

No...

Can you try the latest nightly build ? Where VLC 2.0.0 is in fact 2.0.2:
http://nightlies.videolan.org/build/win32/?C=M;O=D

If it still doesn't help then you can also try to:

- Disable time stretching in the audio preferences
Menu Tools -> Preferences -> Audio

- Force the number of FFmpeg threads to 4 or 2 or even 1
Menu Tools -> Preferences (Show Settings = ALL) -> Input/Codecs -> Video Codecs -> FFmpeg

- Use a faster resampler by setting the Sample Rate Converter type to Zero Holder Hold
Menu Tools -> Preferences (Show Settings = ALL) -> Audio -> SRC Resampler


After the changes save the preferences then exit and restart VLC.
And please be kind enough to report us what worked and what had no effect for you.

The problem persists, unfortunately.
By the way, other players are working OK, so it's not a problem of my computer.
Should I try to downgrade?

Can you try a nightly build (vlc-2.0.0-xxxxxxxx-xxxx is v2.0.2) ?

Persists.
Should I choose to delete preferences and cache on install?

I'm running into exactly the same problem - quad core and it's running only 10% full, so not a cpu swamp. Sound is garbled for about 3 seconds, then gone except for occasional burbling sound about every 10-15 seconds for just a moment.

Also files work with MS Media player AOK. Running V2.0.2

sinkdiver:
Have you overclocked you CPU?
Have you tried to increase file caching option from VLC? (Tools -> Preferences (set Show Settings to All) and Input / Codecs and increase File caching (ms) value, Remember to press Save to save VLC settings and restart VLC after that to make sure changes are enabled. )

After some time I re-tried the solutions proposed but the problem persists. Maybe after the last advice the hiccups are less frequent but they still are there. (Also downloaded the latest build). Other suggestions?

I think I can help.

I had same problem, and uninstalling-re-installing even with the delete cache preferences options choosed and jittery sound still.

I manually deleted the folder on C:\Users\**YOURNAMEACCOUNT**\AppData\Roaming\vlc and re-installed and all went fine.

The **YOURNAMEACCOUNT** must be your windows account name.

Im using windows 7 64 bits for infos.

Hope it helps.

So am I, but I can't find the path you are referring to...

I think I have the same sort of problem.. My speakers crackle when playing audio files with VLC 2.0.1.

I have got some notifications in the message log that I am worried about:

main debug: audio output is starving (-186713), playing silence
main warning: audio output out of sync, adjusting dates (-42311 us)
main warning: not synchronized (-42309 us), resampling
main warning: buffer too early (-42309), down-sampling
main warning: resampling stopped after 9734173 usec (drift: -253)
mpeg_audio debug: emulated startcode (no startcode on following frame)

main debug: Decoder buffering done in 17 ms
main warning: PTS is out of range (-9979), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (-36074), dropping buffer
mpgatofixed32 debug: libmad error: bad main_data_begin pointer
main debug: TIMER input launching for 'Hello ' : 569.120 ms - Total 569.120 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 569.120 ms)
qt4 debug: IM: Setting an input
main warning: audio output out of sync, adjusting dates (63567 us)
main warning: not synchronized (63570 us), resampling
main warning: buffer too late (63116), up-sampling
main warning: resampling stopped after 12146872 usec (drift: 739)

What does it mean with audio output out of sync?

Please note that all audio files play fine with WMP..

Marcoevich: does that happen with audio files, or only with video+audio files?

It happens only with audio files

Ideas anyone?

Read my post in this topic, I solved the problem this way...