Problem with audio clipping

One some models, certain audio mixer settings may result in very "harsh" and distorted sound both on the internal speakers and on headphones plug. This is especially evident when the played audio has high volume (i.e., full dynamic range).

This is caused by a hardware flaw: excessive internal amplification saturates the audio channels, resulting in clipping.

Solution: reduce the volume on the responsible mixer channel(s).

Model-specific observations

• ThinkPad T43 (AD1981B audio controller): PCM channel volume higher than 70% may result in clipping, regardless of the Master channel.