Repetitive sound distortions when voicechatting on Skype

[Clive Nicholas]

I am experiencing serious repetitive sound distortions when voicechatting live on Skype (also on Google Hangouts). Once the distortions start, they don't stop.

The distortions manifest themselves as a series of choppy, repititive sounds which pick up on small segments of audio from the conversation I am having which change every 10 seconds or so. The person on the other end often hears nothing when it starts. It happens regardless of whether it is a Skype-to-Skype chat or if I am calling a phone number. It doesn't happen every time. Sometimes, it goes away on system restart.

clive@clivubu:~$ sudo lspci -v
[sudo] password for clive:
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Root Complex
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0

00:01.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Temash [Radeon HD 8250/8280G] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 80
        Memory at e0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
        Memory at f0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=8M]
        I/O ports at 3000 [size=256]
        Memory at f0c00000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]
        Expansion ROM at f0c60000 [disabled] [size=128K]
        Capabilities: [48] Vendor Specific Information: Len=08 <?>
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [58] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [a0] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [100] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=010 <?>
        Capabilities: [270] #19
        Kernel driver in use: radeon

00:01.1 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Kabini HDMI/DP Audio
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 81
        Memory at f0c40000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [48] Vendor Specific Information: Len=08 <?>
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [58] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [a0] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [100] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=010 <?>
        Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel

00:02.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Function 0
        Flags: fast devsel

00:02.3 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Functions 5:1 (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
        I/O behind bridge: 00002000-00002fff
        Memory behind bridge: f0b00000-f0bfffff
        Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 00000000f0800000-00000000f08fffff
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [58] Express Root Port (Slot+), MSI 00
        Capabilities: [a0] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [b0] Subsystem: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 1234
        Capabilities: [b8] HyperTransport: MSI Mapping Enable+ Fixed+
        Capabilities: [100] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=010 <?>
        Kernel driver in use: pcieport

00:02.4 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Functions 5:1 (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=02, sec-latency=0
        Memory behind bridge: f0a00000-f0afffff
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [58] Express Root Port (Slot+), MSI 00
        Capabilities: [a0] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [b0] Subsystem: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 1234
        Capabilities: [b8] HyperTransport: MSI Mapping Enable+ Fixed+
        Capabilities: [100] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=010 <?>
        Kernel driver in use: pcieport

00:02.5 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Functions 5:1 (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=03, subordinate=03, sec-latency=0
        Memory behind bridge: f0900000-f09fffff
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [58] Express Root Port (Slot+), MSI 00
        Capabilities: [a0] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [b0] Subsystem: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 1234
        Capabilities: [b8] HyperTransport: MSI Mapping Enable+ Fixed+
        Capabilities: [100] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=010 <?>
        Kernel driver in use: pcieport

00:10.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB XHCI Controller (rev 01) (prog-if 30 [XHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
        Memory at f0c48000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [70] MSI: Enable- Count=1/8 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [90] MSI-X: Enable+ Count=8 Masked-
        Capabilities: [a0] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [100] Latency Tolerance Reporting
        Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd

00:11.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (prog-if 01 [AHCI 1.0])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 79
        I/O ports at 3118 [size=8]
        I/O ports at 3124 [size=4]
        I/O ports at 3110 [size=8]
        I/O ports at 3120 [size=4]
        I/O ports at 3100 [size=16]
        Memory at f0c4f000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1K]
        Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [70] SATA HBA v1.0
        Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/8 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [d0] PCI Advanced Features
        Kernel driver in use: ahci

00:12.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB OHCI Controller (rev 39) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 18
        Memory at f0c4e000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci

00:12.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB EHCI Controller (rev 39) (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 17
        Memory at f0c4d000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
        Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [e4] Debug port: BAR=1 offset=00e0
        Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci

00:13.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB OHCI Controller (rev 39) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 18
        Memory at f0c4c000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci

00:13.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB EHCI Controller (rev 39) (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 17
        Memory at f0c4b000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
        Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [e4] Debug port: BAR=1 offset=00e0
        Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci

00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller (rev 3a)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: 66MHz, medium devsel

00:14.2 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH Azalia Controller (rev 02)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, slow devsel, latency 32, IRQ 82
        Memory at f0c44000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [60] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel

00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge (rev 11)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 0

00:14.7 SD Host controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SD Flash Controller (rev 01) (prog-if 01)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 39, IRQ 16
        Memory at f0c4a000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
        Kernel driver in use: sdhci-pci

00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Function 0
        Flags: fast devsel

00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Function 1
        Flags: fast devsel

00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Function 2
        Flags: fast devsel

00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Function 3
        Flags: fast devsel
        Capabilities: [f0] Secure device <?>
        Kernel driver in use: k10temp

00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Function 4
        Flags: fast devsel
        Kernel driver in use: fam15h_power

00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 16h Processor Function 5
        Flags: fast devsel

01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller (rev 07)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 78
        I/O ports at 2000 [size=256]
        Memory at f0b00000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Memory at f0800000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 01
        Capabilities: [b0] MSI-X: Enable- Count=4 Masked-
        Capabilities: [d0] Vital Product Data
        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
        Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel
        Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 01-00-00-00-36-4c-e0-00
        Capabilities: [170] Latency Tolerance Reporting
        Kernel driver in use: r8169

02:00.0 Network controller: Ralink corp. RT3290 Wireless 802.11n 1T/1R PCIe
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Ralink RT3290LE 802.11bgn 1x1 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 Combo Adapter
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 36
        Memory at f0a10000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/32 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
        Capabilities: [140] Device Serial Number 00-00-8f-0a-6f-f2-56-80
        Kernel driver in use: rt2800pci

02:00.1 Bluetooth: Ralink corp. RT3290 Bluetooth
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Ralink RT3290LE 802.11bgn 1x1 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 Combo Adapter
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Memory at f0a00000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/32 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
        Capabilities: [140] Device Serial Number 00-00-90-0a-6f-f2-56-80

03:00.0 Unassigned class [ff00]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTS5229 PCI Express Card Reader (rev 01)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2178
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 77
        Memory at f0900000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
        Capabilities: [140] Device Serial Number 00-00-00-01-00-4c-e0-00
        Kernel driver in use: rtsx_pci

clive@clivubu:~$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 14.10
Release: 14.10

clive@clivubu:~$ sudo apt-cache policy skype
skype:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 4.3.0.37-0ubuntu0.12.04.1
  Version table:
     4.3.0.37-0ubuntu0.12.04.1 0
        500 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ utopic/partner amd64 Packages

I always use Skype's Echo Testing Service to check for any sound difficulties. At the moment, it is producing exactly the sound issues as reported above. If it doesn't, I proceed to try to voicechat.

Clearly, I expect to hear audio without any such distortions after launching Skype.

Thanks very much in anticipation of any help you can provide to fix this irritating issue!

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: ubuntu-release-upgrader-core 1:14.10.9
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-24.32-generic 3.16.4
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-24-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
CrashDB: ubuntu
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Sun Nov 16 15:50:14 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-11-10 (5 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 14.10 "Utopic Unicorn" - Release amd64 (20141022.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: ubuntu-release-upgrader
Symptom: dist-upgrade
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Clive Nicholas (clivenicholas)]

But I'm using Kubuntu 14.10.

[Clive Nicholas (clivenicholas)]

I've just reinstalled Kubuntu 14.10 and wiped the hard disk with it because I lost my ALSA sound drivers completely and couldn't retrieve them (fixed), but I *still* have this issue! What is going on here? I'd appreciate any thoughts.

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to review all reported bugs in a timely manner.

Ubuntu 14.10 (utopic) reached end-of-life on July 23, 2015.

The skype package is no longer included in any currently supported releases of Ubuntu, see bug 1701746, so as this bug report is now irrelevant I'm closing it as being 'Invalid'.

Please continue to report any other bugs you may find.