Here are some of the most commonly experienced sound issues. If you are experiencing a problem that is not listed below, or the steps listed do not resolve the problem, please contact Technical Support.
1. Some sounds are playing much louder than others: This is often the result of inappropriate audio settings. Delete the Config.wtf file. This file can be found in the World of Warcraft WTF folder (C:/../World of Warcraft/WTF/Config.wtf).
2. Sound starts to decay until no sound can be heard: Try reinstalling DirectX and reinstalling the latest drivers for your sound card. It is possible that some program has modified the DirectSound or driver settings.
3. Cannot hear any sound at all: Check the file "SESound.log" for errors initializing. This log can be found in the World of Warcraft root directory. If errors exist, send the log and a description of the problem to Technical Support.
Example of an error-free log:
SESound Engine Init 7/25 13:17:55.213 - FMOD Memory Init
7/25 13:17:55.213 - FMOD System Create
7/25 13:17:55.354 - FMOD version 00040907 detected
7/25 13:17:55.354 - Hardware is DISABLED
7/25 13:17:55.354 - Reverb is DISABLED
7/25 13:17:55.354 - 2 Output drivers detected
7/25 13:17:55.354 --- [0] System Default
7/25 13:17:55.354 --- [1] Realtek HD Audio output
7/25 13:17:55.369 - Using [0] System Default for Game Output
7/25 13:17:55.369 - Using 32 channels.
7/25 13:17:55.369 - DSPBufferSize = AUTO DETECT
7/25 13:17:55.369 - Detected Control Panel Speaker Mode = STEREO
7/25 13:17:55.369 - Setting WoW Speaker Mode to STEREO
7/25 13:17:55.385 - FMOD System Init OK!
4. Popping or cracking sounds while playing the game: Uninstall any programs that may have placed audio codecs on your system (e.g., video/audio players). Disable other audio software during gameplay. MP3 players, for example, drain system resources used by World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, and often bring about sound corruption.
5. Audigy 2 crashes: If you are using an Audigy 2, and you are experiencing game crashes or system reboots, you may need to reconfigure the audio output. Look in your \SBAudigy2\Program\WDM\COMMON\ directory for a file called "CtPanel.exe". With this tool you will be able to modify your device settings. Under "Speaker Settings", change CMSS 3D Selection to "Off".
6. Audio-related performance: If you are experiencing performance problems on your Windows machine, you may want to temporarily disable your sound card as a test. If your performance improves, you should contact Technical Support about improving your system performance with sound.