How To Fix The Most Common Audio Problems On Xbox Series X

If you’ve never experienced it, crackling is best described as audio that is hard to understand due to static or other interference. While you can encounter this through any audio output method, headphones and party chats are the most common scenarios. Luckily, you can usually troubleshoot these problems at home without the help of a professional.

For crackling audio within your party chat, one thing you can try is adjusting the Chat mixer settings (via Xbox). Depending on your preferences, the mixer might be focused on your game audio rather than your conversation. 

1. Open the guide by pressing the Xbox button on your console.
2. Navigate to Profile & system > Settings > General > Volume & audio output.
3. Choose Advanced > Additional options > Chat mixer.
4. Select the option to reduce other sounds by either 50% or 80%

If that doesn’t work, the problem might be related to your hardware rather than your software. Crackling can also be a common symptom of an audio cord on its last leg. For those who commonly game with headphones, troubleshooting the cable and its connection to your controller might solve your problem.

1. Disconnect the audio cord from your controller and look for any obstructions.
2. Try blowing out the controller jack with compressed air to remove unseen debris.
3. If you’re still experiencing audio crackling, replacing the audio cord that connects your controller to your headphones might help.

Unfortunately, many wired headsets don’t have a removable cable, which means that a short somewhere in the line will either have to be repaired or the headset will need to be replaced. If the headset is relatively new, however, it may be covered by a manufacturer warranty against defects.