Make sure you run the game as admin.

Yup already am. Not the problem.

I'm not seeing that with 64-bit Windows 7. What is your system configuration?

Same thing...so here's the weird thing...I switched to headphones one time and the sound was fine...I think the problem might lie with my speakers...apparently Deadlock just happens to hit all the notes that bring out the worst in them. So it's no longer really a problem...I'll just play with headphones from now on.

Seems to be an issue with Realtek HD Audio drivers. I've updated mine (they were about 5 years out of date as Realtek doesn't automatically update) which somewhat helped, but the stuttering is still there. I'll have to mess around with the sample rate and see if there is a solution. The good news is that the game is otherwise playable.

I have Windows 10 64 bit, and realtek audio, and a headset. Go into your headset audio properties and put the quality to
the setting that says "CD quality". I had the crackling, now it's fixed. Hopefully this works for you guys too.

I have the same problem, Windows 10 , realtek audio, stuttering with and without headset.

Cant solve it, can someone help please?

I found the .exe file, opened the properties, set compatibility to Windows 7 and the sound issue was fixed.

Unfortunately, this does not fix the problem of the sound that cracks, being myself under Windows 10 in 64 bits, even if I check "set compatibility to Windows 7" I always have this problem.

I even tried "IndirectSound", roughly a dll file that is supposed to make better function the problems of sounds on the old games windows (like for example Caesar 3), alas no result.

I have a 64 bit windows 10 laptop.

Installing the 64 bit version of the R281 audio drivers solved somewhat the same problem i am having
Make sure you don't pick the 32 bit version on the realtek driver page.

It's a bit better than before but still stutters.

Same for me; sound stuttery. Tried installing radtools, community codecs, lowering RealTek Audio to CD quality, using headphones, all compatability Windows versions, etc. No dice. Very frustrating.

Ditto. Running with SoundBlaster Audigy ZS 2 drivers on Windows 7, 64bit.
Sound is so awful I can barely make out what they are saying.

Windows 10 Entreprise 64 bits, headphones, solves the problem for me, thanks!

One way of fixing this is to remove/rename WAIL32.DLL in the game folder.