XPS 9500 low volume in zoom meeting

I ran into the same problem on my XPS laptop. Here's a solution that seems to have worked for me--although I've done limited testing of it.

I went to the Windows Control Panel and then to the Sound settings. There I found a "Communications" tab with the description, "Windows can automatically adjust the volume of different sounds when you are using your PC to place or receive telephone calls." It was set so that when Windows detects "communication activity," it would "reduce the volume of other sounds by 80%".

I changed this setting to "Do nothing" and applied it. My Zoom volume problem was solved.

I surmise that Windows was interpreting the Zoom meeting as a telephone call and automatically lowering the volume level.

Let me know if this solution works for you!

Regards,

Jeremy

You have to uninstall realtek audio drivers from programs and that resolves the issue. Took hours to figure out!

I have same issue on new dell xps laptop.

I have the same problem. Contacted DELL support but was useless. Told them to feedback this to their higher technical team to find a permanent fix for it.

I found a temporary hack though.
Go to Sound Control Panel > Click on Speakers > Advanced tab > change to 16bit > toggle off Enable audio enhancement. Open Zoom test call while you are doing this. Once the sound increase, stop. Because i realised if i keep toggling the button on the panel, it stopped working.

However, when you restart laptop again, the issue came back. You would need to toggle on the Signal Enhancement (if it was previously off). Let me know if it works.

Thank you. I tried to change settings, reinstall drivers and called Dell several times but no fix so far. No voice calling apps are working zoom Skype Viber, etc. The volume automatically adjusts lower. This is basic functionality for any device these days so not sure why there is no fix from dell for it.

Huge, huge thanks to you Amuri11. Yours is the first workable solution to this problem that I've found, after hours spent trying to sort it out. A slight variation is my case is this: I keep the 24 bit choice, because when I switch to the 16 bit the sound simply doesn't work. However, the critical things is that I uncheck "Enable audio enhancements."

Clearly something is not right in the Dell audio settings. Like some other respondents, I called Dell Tech Support (twice). The agents were actually kind and helpful - and solved some other, possibly related issues - BUT they did not fix THIS one. And my XPS is barely one month old!

I can't believe that a company as big, and excellent, as Dell, is shipping laptops with some weird audio quirk which affects users of Zoom, which must be an uncountable number these days. But no more ranting right now. Thank you again Amuri11!

Scott

Does this actually work? If I uninstall and restart, it SOMETIMES fixes the problem, but then within a few minutesto a few hours, it comes back. Disabling Wavesmaxx permanently fixes this problem but I cant plug in headphones anymore

Hi, Yes for me this has absolutely worked, but you're right that the setting is NOT permanent. After a restart, or after switching between headphones and speakers, I always click on Speakers and Properties and the Advanced tab, to see whether the box has been checked again. Sometimes it has, sometimes it hasn't. If it has been checked, I simply uncheck it, click Apply and OK.

How I wish this setting were not set up as it is! But for me, at least, the workaround is successful.

Like many others, I have this same problem. Opening Zoom on my xps 9500 causes the audio volume to become much quieter. I have tried to adjust several speaker properties including unchecking "Enable audio enhancements" and selecting "Do nothing" when windows detects communication activity. Nothing has worked so far.

So i was having exactly the same issue on my new Dell Latitude

The toggling off "Enable audio enhancement" solution worked for me to.

Does anybody know why is that fixing the issue? What's the source of the issue?

¡Great! It worked for me (XPS 13 9300). Thank you so much.

Sorry, it was just a temporary solution. Every time I restart the laptop, the problem comes again

Same problem! Have spent countless hours online with Dell and they have checked everything and continue to maintain it is not the device. My screen also turns completely fuzzy while in Zoom calls and I have to restart my computer and join my own meeting again! I teach 10year olds sothis is not ideal. I love everything else about this device but I would to return it! 

Same problem  here on an XPS 13. The issue appears to be software-based which is what makes it so difficult to troubleshoot.

I didn't have this problem before. This happened after the laptop was serviced and windows reset. I have a feeling some change in drivers caused this.

Update: The issue appears to be with the MaxxAudio software which isn't exactly shocking: https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/Dell-XPS-15-9500-low-playback-output-volume-on-Zoom-Skype-etc/td-p/7678696

From what I read and talking to other hardware manufacturers (Bluetooth speaker companies) zoom uses very different audio settings then other webinar / virtual desktop programs. They basically tap into the hardware for their sound and offer noise cancelling / enhancements and so do the newer Dell XPS computers - so they cancel each other out. This is a known issue on Zoom's side and supposedly they are working on an update.