No you're not wrong, the hot end is definitely clogged right now but thats a separate issue I was meaning to deal with after this one, and yes I'm positive it's coming from either the extruder or the extruders stepper motor, because when I put my ear directly up to it that's where it's the loudest and it gets stronger halfway through a "step"(1mm movement)

Now whether or not this is a mechanical thing or an electrical thing remains to be seen, someone suggested I do a full calibration which I'm currently working through, I've never done one which tbh might be the source of a lot of my problems