Strange audio in latest couple of virtualbox audio

[netskink]

Hello

I am currently using version VirtualBox Graphical User Interface Version 5.1.21 r114683 (Qt5.6.2) on a windows 7 host and an archlinux guest.

At this moment I only have alsa components and config files installed. I am not using pulse or jack.

If I use the alsa utils to play one of the alsa sammple wav files, it sounds clipped. Sometimes when I play the file it will not make any sound at all. If I use audacious or audacity to play a file it has the same problems.

Some files play with a odd sound, ie. they seem to be played to fast or the leading and trailing sounds are not there. Sometimes they don't even make a sound. No error is reported, just sound is off.

I have installed the guest additions. I have added my user to the audio /etc/group. The current stable release of virtualbox does not work at all. The previous version had similar issues but more severe.

[pal1000]

It's not just Linux guests, I was able to replicate with Windows XP Embedded PosReady 2009 guest on Windows 10 Creators Update host.

[pal1000]

v5.1.21 r114652 is unaffected on my system.

[pal1000]

Windows 10 guest is unaffected on latest test build 115029 and previous ones when keeping default adapter. So this rules out that regression is on Intel AC'97 Audio only. netskink, can you confirm? Is that the adapter you are using? Per my knowledge this is the default on almost all Linux guests.

[Frank Mehnert]

Please wait with further comments to this ticket. It's about a 5.1.21 test build and we are aware of sound issues. The whole mess started with Windows 10 AU guests which required many changes in the audio code. At the moment, the audio code changed and the HDA code was adapted, the AC97 code was not yet adapted. And the HDA code still has problems (e.g. these audio gaps every few seconds).

[Frank Mehnert]

The new test builds >= 115071 should restore the sound quality of 5.1.20 (sans the ALSA problem of course).

[Frank Mehnert]

Fix is part of 5.1.24.