Yeah, this is a regression since macOS Tahoe.
Amazing that it still exists after several patch releases, is audio working not a basic test case for Apple?
I’ve found it to be worst when using Xcode / simulator and having headphones on for music.
sudo killall coreaudiod seems to fix it for a while.
It's ludicrous. I remember when Apple took pride in the audio never stopping. Once a very long time ago my entire Mac froze, even the Force Touch trackpad was unresponsive, but the music kept playing. Now, press Volume Up and the audio stutters. Or AirPods randomly get choppy and then stop playing until you reconnect them. The heck?
To add insult to injury, I recently connected my headphones to my Windows gaming PC.
Sounded absolutely amazing, no skipping or crackling no matter what I was doing on the PC, nor how heavy I was cranking it. Quality was better than on macOS as well.,
My M1 sounded like an AM radio when driving the same headphones using the same software (Spotify lossless).
I’ve found it to be worst when using Xcode / simulator and having headphones on for music.
sudo killall coreaudiod seems to fix it for a while.