I received a Dell XPS 13 (9350, i7, QHD+ touchscreen) yesterday. It is working perfectly except for the speakers, which start producing a considerable amount of static noise (different from the wide known coil whining, which is also present).
I was thinking that there could be something wrong with the speakers (wrong insulation?) since this happens even if I set the volume to mute on Windows. However, I have installed Ubuntu (from where I'm writing this) and there are no issues whatsoever with static noise.
I have tried to disable MaxxAudio and to update the Dell Audio driver on Windows, but the issue is still present. Turning the volume up and down does not help. I have also tried to remove the Dell drivers and use Realtek's as well as updating the Intel Iris graphics to the latest beta, but it did not work
It might be useful to know that I have enabled the Fn+F7 shortcut on the BIOS, which "disables all sound and light producing devices" (it turns off the screen, audio and even the power LED). If I use this Fn+F7 the static noise goes away on Windows (and comes back as soon as I disable this mode). So my guess is that insulation is not an issue, since it would also happen in Ubuntu, and the Fn+F7 shortcut would not help.
Any suggestions are very appreciated
Best Answer
Having the same issue. At first I thought it was coil whine, but then noticed the noise was coming from speakers.
It only happens after a reboot. If I boot from cold, or if put the laptop to sleep and wake it then the static noise has gone and sound is great. It also goes if I disable the Realtech Audio in device manager and comes back again when I enable it.
Tries updating Realtech drivers, updating bios etc. Considering returning the laptop. Let me know if you get anywhere.
Edit: think I might have fixed it. I downloaded the HD Audio Codecs from http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/ I then let the installer run which changed the audio drivers and went through about three reboots. Now I get some static noise during the start of boot up, but then the static stops (when I assume the drive initializes). Hope this helps.