This issue began after doing updates through the software center. The audio output stutters and skips similarly to how a skipping record sounds. I believe the issue is in ALSA but I can't tell for sure.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: pulseaudio 1:4.0-0ubuntu6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-13.20-generic 3.11.6
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-13-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC1: nik 12616 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC0: nik 12616 F.... pulseaudio
Date: Sat Nov 9 10:58:18 2013
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-02-17 (264 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AlsaPlaybackTest: ALSA playback test through plughw:SB successful
Symptom_Card: Built-in Audio - HDA ATI SB
Symptom_Jack: Speaker, Internal
Symptom_PulsePlaybackTest: PulseAudio playback test failed
Symptom_SpeakerTestPulseStderr: W r i t e e r r o r : - 3 2 , B r o k e n p i p e
Symptom_Type: Underruns, dropouts, or "crackling" sound
Title: [Satellite A665D, Realtek ALC269VB, Speaker, Internal] Underruns, dropouts or crackling sound
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to saucy on 2013-10-18 (22 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 08/02/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.bios.version: 1.50
dmi.board.asset.tag: NULL
dmi.board.name: NWQAE
dmi.board.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.board.version: 1.00
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: *
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnTOSHIBA:bvr1.50:bd08/02/2011:svnTOSHIBA:pnSatelliteA665D:pvrPSAX0U-02Y01P:rvnTOSHIBA:rnNWQAE:rvr1.00:cvnTOSHIBA:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: Satellite A665D
dmi.product.version: PSAX0U-02Y01P
dmi.sys.vendor: TOSHIBA
modified.conffile..etc.pulse.default.pa: [modified]
mtime.conffile..etc.pulse.default.pa: 2013-11-08T22:54:34.114466
it is strange that underrun was reported but no action taken at 10:59:32
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.527| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] sink.c: Processing rewind...
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.527| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] sink.c: latency = 1188
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.527| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] sink-input.c: Have to rewind 13788 bytes on render memblockq.
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.527| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] sink-input.c: Have to rewind 13788 bytes on implementor.
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.527| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] source.c: Processing rewind...
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.527| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] sink.c: Found underrun 13884 bytes ago (196 bytes ahead in playback buffer)
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.528| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] sink.c: Found underrun 13900 bytes ago (180 bytes ahead in playback buffer)
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.528| 0.000) [pulseaudio] module-
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.528| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] sink.c: Found underrun 13996 bytes ago (84 bytes ahead in playback buffer)
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.528| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] sink.c: Found underrun 14020 bytes ago (60 bytes ahead in playback buffer)
Nov 9 10:59:32 nik-Satellite-A665D pulseaudio[12616]: ( 41.528| 0.000) [alsa-sink-ALC269VB Analog] sink.c: Found underrun 14072 bytes ago (8 bytes ahead in playback buffer)