Help with playback of songs in Windows Media Player?

[Roy C]

For some time now I have been having trouble playing back recordings from Window Media Player. I can rip CD's into the player and then to MP3 player and the sound is perfect, but if you try to listen to the same music back through the computer the sound is really badly distorted, sound as if the record is being slowed, it is so poor that you can't use it. I get the same distortion if I just put a CD in and try to play it straight back. It seems to me that something is corrupting the sound as it come out of the computer. As I already said the sound is fine if I put it on MP3 player or burn onto CD. Could any one suggest any solution to this problem, could it be the sound card ? Simple solution please as I am no Computer wizard, but your help will be appreciated, I need my music. P>S I have tried other media players with no luck