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Dell xps 13 2015, flat and dull audio quality from headphones
Hi!
Anyone else experiencing that the sound quality through headphones is very flat and bad? I get no bass response at all. The MAXX 3 programe does nothing that improves the actual audio frequency output. Support told me nothing is wrong with my system only that it is how it is. Electronic Music is unbearable. There is nothing wrong hardware wise with my headphone jack it is just the missing frequencies that drive me mad.
ArtemCC
1 Message
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May 19th, 2015 13:00
Hi Martin.
Just brought 9343 laptop and faced same issue on fresh installed Windows 10 Insider Preview. Sound in headphones is poor in comparison to my other devices (HP laptop, Google Nexus 7 tablet). Bass is VERY thin... Sounds like a cheap headphones.
Can't say about sound in Windows 8.1 (out of the box), because I didn't listen sound on preinstalled system.
I spent about 5 hours to solve this problem and found a possible workaround. Try it, may be, it will work for you too.
1. Download official audio driver: URL
2. Extract this file to some folder. Install drivers, reboot system. After installing don't delete extracted folder.
3. Find "Intel(r) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(r) SST)" device in system device manager.
4. Click "Update Driver" on Driver tab.
5. Click "Browse my computer for driver software"
6. On the next screen click "Let me pick from a list of devices on my computer"
7. Click "Have disk" button, and browse to folder extracted on Step 2.
9343_Audio_Driver_X22K2_WN32_7422.118.0_A01\RealtekAudio\RealtekI2SAudio\Fre\Isst
8. Select "IntcADSPDELL.ini" file. Click Open, OK.
9. Uncheck "Show compatible hardware", select 2nd device and install it (click "YES" on warning).
10. After installation, open Realtek HD Manager from tray and TURN OFF MaxxAudio3.
That's all.
After this step I have same sound as on my other devices. Without *** MaxxAudio enhancements.
Good luck!
Jim Coates
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May 3rd, 2015 06:00
Hello. Sometimes you can get a better headphone sound if you go into the speaker properties and check "Disable all enhancements" and Apply.
If that doesn't help, try switching from the Realtek audio driver to the Windows audio driver. If doing that helps then there is something in the Realtek driver causing the poor sound quality.
1. Open the Device Manager (Control Panel>Device Manager).
2. Expand the "Sound, video & game controllers" and right click on "Realtek High Definition Audio".
3. Select to "Update Driver Software".
4. Click on "Browse my computer for driver software".
5. Click "Let me pick from a list of drivers on my computer".
6. Put a check in the box "Show compatible hardware" if not already checked.
7. In the list of devices, click "High Definition Audio Device" (the native driver).
8. Click "Next".
9. On the Update Driver Warning box, click "Yes" (install the driver).
10. Restart the laptop if prompted. If not prompted, then no need to restart.
[To get back to the Realtek driver, do it again but reverse the names in steps 2 and 7.]
Martinr92
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May 3rd, 2015 11:00
Thanks for your reply! Unfortunetly I do not have any "enhancements" tab nor does the driver update window show anything else than the realtek driver :/
Jim Coates
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May 3rd, 2015 16:00
I'm sorry. There may have been some recent changes of which I have not yet become aware. When you open the Speaker properties, are the other tabs there -- General, Levels and Advanced?
Martinr92
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May 4th, 2015 03:00
Yes, those are the only tabs. No form of costumization. The dell realtek options are not doing anything usefull either (dell audio application)
Jim Coates
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May 4th, 2015 06:00
Here is another method of installing the Windows native audio driver.
1. Open the Device Manager (Control Panel>Device Manager) and expand the "Sound, video and game controllers" category.
2. Right click on "Realtek High Definition Audio" to open the context menu.
3. Select to uninstall.
4. Put a check in the box "delete the driver software for this device". Don't skip this step.
5. Restart the laptop. Windows will remove the current Realtek driver and its files and install the native audio driver (named "High Definition Audio Device").
Note: But If you had any older Realtek driver files on the hard drive Windows will install the older Realtek driver instead of the native driver. So go back to the Device Manager and see if there is another instance of Realtek High Definition Audio. If so, repeat the removal process and repeat as many times as necessary until there is no longer Realtek High Definition Audio in Device Manager.
After all Realtek driver files have been removed, you will see "High Definition Audio Device" in Device Manager. [To get back to the Realtek driver after using this method, you have to download a fresh copy of it from the XPS 13 9343 support page.]
If you can get the native driver installed, check for the Speaker properties Enhancements tab.
Martinr92
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May 4th, 2015 07:00
Thank you for your help! Unfortunately I can't seem to get windows native drivers to kick in. When I follow your steps the device is shown with the triangle and it can't identify the Component. I can't seem to get any audio at all then. Several restarts did not help.
Jim Coates
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May 9th, 2015 05:00
Sorry but I am out of ideas. The XPS 9343 model seems to not have the same audio implementation as all of the other Dell models. Other 9343 owners also cannot use the steps that work with the other models.
Martinr92
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May 22nd, 2015 14:00
Thanks! It definitely improved the audio experience a bit :) but it is still not on par with my other devices.
torinm123
1 Message
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October 11th, 2015 08:00
The answer for me was much more simple than any of these options. If you look in the RealTek Audio icon (on your toolbar), right click it and go to "sound manager" and from there click on the speaker/headphone tab at the top, then on the "speaker set up" tab on the left. My "Speaker size" option was set to small. Adjust it to large and it might sort out your issues; it certainly helped all of mine!