XPS 13 - 2015 (9343), sound card issues

Opening a new thread since the other is marked as resolved.

Hello Adam. I have removed the "verified" from my answer to Zof (he is the person who marked it as the answer, probably because I answered his audio driver question). 

Both you and Zof mentioned the BIOS. You could try updating to the latest revision, which was released yesterday. The revision before that was released just a week ago, so it looks like there are a lot of bugs in that model that are being caught. However, under the "Fixes and Enhancements" notes, I don't see any mention of fixing audio in any of the revisions. However it could be fixed but not noted.

Other than that, I repeat my advice to Zof:

"...you should perform a system recovery and return the laptop to the exact state it was in when you took it out the box. Then test the audio immediately before you allow any updates (turn off Microsoft automatic updates before you go online).

If the audio does not work at that point, consider returning the laptop, because the problem is caused either by faulty hardware or a problem created at the factory."

The reason for performing a system recovery is because Dell no longer provides a self contained audio test. The tests available piggy-back on Windows and its drivers, so since they are not removed from the equation the tests are inadequate. A system recovery is the next best test because it fixes Windows and the audio driver, so any problems leftover are due to hardware failure, except in your case where the audio failed almost immediately, which suggests that the model left the factory with the issue already created. (I have listed the good tests in this article, but your model does not have the most useful, the Dell 32-bit Diagnostics.)

The advice to return the laptop if you are still within the return period is because under the terms of the warranty Dell may use used parts if you let tech support repair the laptop.

PS I saw your question about if anyone from Dell is following. I read all of the posts on the Laptop Audio Board but I don't know if anyone from Dell does. However you can contact someone directly by sending him or her a private message. Look through the forum until you find a named with the word DELL_ in it, in blue letters, then click on it to go to that person's profile page, where there will be a link to send a pm.

Wow, thanks for your help Jimco, you have been a great help!

I've updated the BIOS, situation was the same - then uninstalled audio drivers, rebooted, reinstalled audio drivers and then rebooted once more, and audio is working now. However, I'm not convinced that it will continue to do so.

I'll see how I get on over the next couple of days and if the situation persists I'll consider a return.

I'm now starting to think that this is a driver issue, however nothing shows up in the Windows event logs.

Quite baffled with this one, I've resolved a lot of IT issues in my time but this problem has got me stumped!

Thanks again, I'll let you know how I get on

Hello all,

I just started having the same issue on my XPS 13 (9343), it's very annoying; disabling / enabling the audio in bios fixes the problem for a little while (sometimes does not even work) but seriously ... 

"System Restore" - is this a joke? Brand new laptop started having issues 2 weeks in and you are suggesting system restore? How about making a driver / product that works and then selling it and not the other way around - very disappointed in Dell.

No wonder people buy Apple products ... 

Morning Pavel,

Sorry to hear you're having the same issue, however in a way this indicates it's more likely to be a driver issue I reckon; can you try something for me please and report back?

Essentially when I am having this issue, I find that if i put the laptop into standby, and then resume from standby, audio seems to start working again! I almost feel that this is some kind of driver / power state / resume issue.

I think the BIOS / driver re-installation is a bit of a red herring, doesn't always seem to fix the problem. Good thing is though that this is starting to seem like a driver issue, and I'm with you that a System Restore is NOT the answer! It didn't work properly from the day I received mine, so I'm not sure how taking it back to that state is going to do any good...

in a way this indicates it's more likely to be a driver issue

When there is a driver issue with audio, usually the driver having the issue would be the audio driver. the way to test for audio driver issues is to switch between the vendor's driver and the Windows native driver. If the same problem manifests no matter which driver is installed, then it is not an audio driver issue. Usually that means that it is either a Windows issue or a hardware issue. There was a line of Alienware models that had symptoms <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed / replaced from this post by Dell> similar to yours. Their motherboards had to be replaced with a revised motherboard. I'm not saying that it is necessarily hardware, just that it might be.

I'm with you that a System Restore is NOT the answer! It didn't work properly from the day I received mine, so I'm not sure how taking it back to that state is going to do any good...

If you guys are talking about performing a system recovery, I don't know who said it was "the answer". I very clearly said it was a test, and that failing the test means that the problem was created at the factory (hardware or software), in which case the laptop should be returned as defective if still in the return period. If not in the return period, a system recovery that does not fix an issue (before any updates are allowed -- "updates" can be the cause of problems) means that Dell has to fix it. 

Dell support because they want me to do that as a first point of call.

They are right, not because it is "the answer", but because the warranty does not cover software failure so they have to narrow it down to hardware or software. Even if the issue is being caused by defective software that was installed at the factory, if performing a system recovery does not fix the issue Dell will think it is defective hardware and take responsibility.

it seems that neither Intel nor Realtek have their own drivers available for the sound card within the XPS 13,

If there is no audio codec listed in Device Manager, either Realtek High Definition Audio Device (vendor) or "High Definition Audio Device" (the native driver), that was one of the symptoms of the Alienware models.

Interesting, Adam, thank you for your insight :)

Having this same issue as well. Oddly enough, it only started happening a month or so ago. I have a feeling it might have been a bug in the A03 BIOS but I have absolutely nothing to substantiate those facts on.

Anyways, not sure this is hardware related or not, but I definitely would like to fix this problem without having to have the laptop sent in for repair. 

I know what you mean, seems crazy for it to be a hardware issue - that said, since I received the replacement laptop from Dell I haven't had a single audio issue. So strange!

would like to fix this problem without having to have the laptop sent in for repair.

Hello. If it is a software issue you may fix it by performing a system recovery and return the laptop to the exact state it was in when you took it out the box. Then test the audio immediately before you allow any updates (turn off Microsoft automatic updates before you go online).

If the audio does not work at that point then it is a hardware failure, not software. 

We are seeing a lot of posts about audio issues on this model. Here is another thread that might interest you.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3517/p/19630850/20769987

I've got this exact same issue

please fix this, dell

i'd rather not get a replacement :(

Even after BIOS update A04, Windows audio driver update, Realtek Audio Driver, Intel display updtate (as sugested in another post) for My xps 13 9343, the song´s not remains the same...
And, as if it´s not all, disabling and enabling audio in the BIOS setup did not work.

I had a surprise after running Kali Linux distro in a live USB: In the imediate windows boot after leaving Kali,l the soud worked again. but than failed in the next recurrent windows boot...

Hope still live's!

Recently bought an HP Envy 14-u213d notebook (WIN 8.1), since I got it having similar sound problem with Beats audio (on Device Manager, I have Realtek High Definition under both audio & sound).

Can most of the time (regardless of site) barely hear sound. Definitely no sound wolfer it's supposed to have either.

Also just bought much cheaper Dell (have different problem which brought me to this forum) and sound is so much louder when comparing same live stream (yea, go figure!)

After exhausting all the component tests, updates, uninstalls/reinstalls, etc... have done a factory reset (reformat) as a last resort and still no change.

Was told to buy some cheap blue tooth speakers BUT what if notebook speakers quit completely later??? Don't think that is a sound solution for a 2 week old computer... (pun intended!!)

Anyway - sharing in case it is helpful to someone having same problem, even if it's not a Dell...

I am having this same problem.  I don't event want to hear of system restore after spending more than 1200 euros on this. It is really really annoying. This started happening from Day 1.