Troubleshooting Audio Interference on the Lenovo Legion 5: A Gamer’s Dilemma

If you’re an avid gamer or just someone who appreciates high-quality audio, you understand how frustrating it can be when you encounter audio issues with your equipment. Today, I want to share my experience with a perplexing sound problem I’ve encountered while using my new Lenovo Legion 5 gaming laptop. This post aims to shed light on my journey and call for advice from the community.

The Setup

I recently acquired a Lenovo Legion 5 equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, an RTX 3060 graphics card, and a 512 GB SSD. Initially thrilled to dive into gaming and multimedia entertainment on this powerful machine, I was greeted with an unexpected audio conundrum.

The Problem

After two weeks of excitement, I found myself facing a significant audio issue. Upon plugging in my headphones via the 3.5mm jack on the left side of the laptop, I began to hear a constant crackling and static noise when starting audio playback on applications like Spotify or YouTube. This annoying sound persisted for an additional 5 to 10 seconds after stopping the media, and it was noticeable at about one-third of my music volume—quite distracting, to say the least.

Moreover, the interference wasn’t just limited to media playback; it also occurred during startup when programs that utilize audio, like Discord, launched automatically. It felt like my laptop’s soundcard was picking up some unwanted interference.

Attempted Solutions

I left no stone unturned in my quest to resolve the issue. I tried:

• Disabling any audio enhancements,
• Experimenting with and without the charger connected,
• Updating the laptop’s BIOS,
• Seeking out various online fixes.

Interestingly, I discovered that using Bluetooth headphones worked seamlessly, but I prefer my Beyerdynamic DT770s for their superior sound quality as an audio technician.

Additionally, I tested a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, which worked without any static, indicating a problem specifically with the laptop’s 3.5mm port.

Replacement Struggles

After returning the initial unit in hopes of a resolution, I received a replacement from Currys, only to find that the static issue persisted. The only difference was that the interference only occurred when the laptop was plugged into power and the WiFi router was active.

When I turned off the router, the static noise vanished. Reconnecting the router brought back the