Sound / Audio

[#1]

I definitely hear what sounds to me like static when I activate the noise-cancelling feature on my headphones. There doesn't have to be sound, it's in the background. It's almost like it's to the tune of the hdd activity. This is only when the laptop is plugged though, I don't hear it if it's just running on the battery. Also, during playback of music or video, I sometimes hear a slurring of the audio that's reminiscent of white noise on a TV (with or without the noise-cancelling). So, is this because of voltage issues, is my soundcard defective, or is there something I can do besides updating my drivers? I don't have this issue on my other laptop, and it's a much cheaper Compaq, which is a terrible brand, so I'm curious as to why I'm having troubles with a Toshiba. Thanks.

[#2]

I found an answer to my question myself, and I'll post in case anyone comes across a similar problem. Yes, the Satellite L550-ST5702 does have a problem with sound stuttering that leads to video stuttering as well at the software level. I've read about others that have this issue. I fixed it by installing Vista 64 again and not using the Toshiba drivers. There's a conflict somewhere between the audio, wireless and possibly the touchpad drivers. Anyways, I don't trust the Toshiba drivers any more, and since Toshiba has terrible customer support in my opinion, I think the best bet for me and possibly others is to rely on other sources for drivers and software.