TrainableMan,
Tried Sound>communication settings, no impact.
Tried Sound>Playback Speakers, Configuration. Was set to stereo.
Did notice that when testing speakers individually, left channel sound had no artificts, while right channel had the closing artifact (wounds like the door closing on the original Star Trek). Really strange it would be in one channel but not the other.
John S.,
I did try the R2.71 drivers, with no change in the sound quality.