Sound card defective?

[KuJaX]

What is the proper way to troubleshoot/diagnose spotty sound coming from a speakers that are plugged into the computer? It doesn't matter if it is from foobar or Windows startup sounds, it is spotty. Speaker or headphones doesn't matter either.

What is the next step? Reinstall drivers? Is it common for sound adapters to become defective over time but still produce sound?

 

[obobski]

check speakers/headphones on another device, to ensure they aren't damaged
check driver settings, re-install as you like
ensure your PC isn't full of gunk and overheating
ensure everything is plugged in firmly

generally computer hardware doesn't "sort of die", however mechanical devices can easily "sort of die"; it could just be the jacks, depending on their use/misuse