iTunes Pops & Crackles, Poor Playback on PC

Hi All,
"I have a fairly large MP3 collection on a decent machine that is no where near at full capacity, but whenever I play MP3 tracks via iTunes, the sounds crackles and pops. The same tracks played via Windows Media Player and WinAmp do not make the same noises." Sound familiar? Then try the following:

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http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93610

If audio doesn't sound right when you play a song in iTunes or QuickTime Player, the Sound Out setting in the QuickTime control panel may be set to the wrong option, or there may be a conflict between the audio enhancing effects of the sound card and iTunes' Sound Enhancer feature. Things you might notice include:
* A song or audiobook may play too fast or too slow.
* The audio playback may sound scratchy or muffled.
* There is no sound when playing.
* The playhead does not progress.

Try changing the QuickTime Sound Out Setting to improve the quality:

QuickTime 6
1. Click the Start button and point to Control Panel.
2. From the menu at the top of the QuickTime Settings window, choose Sound Out.
3. Select a different option in the "Choose a device for playback" menu.

QuickTime 7
1. Click the Start button and point to Control Panel.
2. Open the QuickTime control panel.
3. Click the "Safe mode (waveOut only)" checkbox.

Some PC audio hardware has audio-enhancing effects that can conflict with iTunes' Sound Enhancer feature.
To resolve these conflicts, do one of the following:
* Turn off the effects for your PC's audio hardware using the configuration software that came with your hardware.
* Disable the Sound Enhancer feature in iTunes:
1. Open iTunes.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
3. Click the Effects tab.
4. Deselect Sound Enhancer.