[Solved] Audio Issues - Dell XPS 13

[ArcticSalad]

Hi, I hope I put this in the right section.

I've been having problems with audio on my dell XPS 13 Kaby Lake model. I'm mainly using a Sennheiser Game Zero headset, and on my desktop I have the settings tweaked to my liking using the Realtek HD Audio Manager.

 

When I plug these headphones, or even ANY other pair of headphones into my XPS 13, the quality just becomes absolutely brutal, it makes any pair of headphones sound just awful, worse then even a pair of $10 headphones. It sounds totally flat, non-existent bass, loud and almost ear piercing. I can't even describe how bad it is. I tried to find a way to modify my audio settings - and there is none.

 

It has some thing called "Waves AudioMaxx Pro" which has next to no settings, and whatever it has makes no difference to how the audio sounds. It appears it does in fact have the Realtek HD Audio drivers, but it simply won't let me access the manager program, forcing me to be stuck with this. I'm really not sure what to do.

 

Thanks.

[ArcticSalad]

Alright, I managed to remove "Waves AudioMaxx Pro" and already my audio sounds 10x better, but still not perfect. It appears I have the realtek HD audio drivers and software installed but I can't seem to open the Realtek HD Audio manager. Any ideas?

[Enderman]

I clean installed windows and didn't install any audio drivers, so only the default windows ones were installed. Works great.

If you don't want to clean install you can try uninstalling that waves crap and see how it sounds.

[ArcticSalad]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

I clean installed windows and didn't install any audio drivers, so only the default windows ones were installed. Works great.

If you don't want to clean install you can try uninstalling that waves crap and see how it sounds.

Yeah, I managed to uninstall Waves after some digging. I don't have time to reinstall windows as I've got a flight to catch within hours. It's a brand new laptop, and I didn't imagine I would have audio problems. The audio sounds way better now but I still can't seem to open the Realtek HD Audio manager to tweak settings. Any ideas?

[Enderman]

4 minutes ago, Shadow6767 said:

Yeah, I managed to uninstall Waves after some digging. I don't have time to reinstall windows as I've got a flight to catch within hours. It's a brand new laptop, and I didn't imagine I would have audio problems. The audio sounds way better now but I still can't seem to open the Realtek HD Audio manager to tweak settings. Any ideas?

Buy an external dac?

[ArcticSalad]

10 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Buy an external dac?

I just want to be able to modify my audio settings like I can with my desktop, like for example the bass and such. Not buy more stuff.

[Enderman]

1 minute ago, Shadow6767 said:

I just want to be able to modify my audio settings like I can with my desktop, like for example the bass and such. Not buy more stuff.

Why would you want to do that...

That changes the sound signature so it's no longer neutral.

[ArcticSalad]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Why would you want to do that...

That changes the sound signature so it's no longer neutral.

Because something isn't right and my $325+ headphones sounds terrible on my laptop.

[Enderman]

1 minute ago, Shadow6767 said:

Because something isn't right and my $325+ headphones sounds terrible on my laptop.

Then it's either the audio drivers being crap and you need to remove all of them with a clean install, of the audio circuitry inside the laptop isn't powerful enough to drive high impedance headphones and you need to use a DAC.

[ArcticSalad]

Alright, after playing around with stuff, in fact I barely understand what I did (which probably isn't a good thing, I don't know a lot about audio), I managed to get my headphones to sound decent, not quite like they are on my desktop, but good enough for now. I'll try a clean install of windows when I can, or purchase a dac. Thanks for the help!

 

EDIT: Somebody suggested that I installed and tweaked something called "APO Equalizer" and it totally made my audio sound like it should. Yay!

[KaminKevCrew]

10 hours ago, Enderman said:

Why would you want to do that...

That changes the sound signature so it's no longer neutral.

Because OP likes the sound with a little EQ? There's nothing wrong with having a preference.

[spwath]

18 hours ago, Enderman said:

Then it's either the audio drivers being crap and you need to remove all of them with a clean install, of the audio circuitry inside the laptop isn't powerful enough to drive high impedance headphones and you need to use a DAC.

a dac would not help there...

you would need an amp.

 

and impedance doesn't have a large effect.

[Enderman]

2 minutes ago, spwath said:

a dac would not help there...

you would need an amp.

 

and impedance doesn't have a large effect.

DAC+AMP I mean, like the efio.

[spwath]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

DAC+AMP I mean, like the efio.

well that's not very clear. Just a Dac would be terrible.

 

and fiio is generally not too good

[Enderman]

5 minutes ago, spwath said:

well that's not very clear. Just a Dac would be terrible.

 

and fiio is generally not too good

It's one of the most popular ones for people who want better sound from a portable device.

[spwath]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

It's one of the most popular ones for people who want better sound from a portable device.

one of the most popular ≠ one that should be purchased

[Enderman]

4 minutes ago, spwath said:

one of the most popular ≠ one that should be purchased

It was an example. If you want to recommend something different then go ahead, nobody is stopping you.

[spwath]

3 minutes ago, Enderman said:

It was an example. If you want to recommend something different then go ahead, nobody is stopping you.

nothing, fix the onboard issues.

good would be schiit fulla 2.

[Enderman]

2 hours ago, spwath said:

nothing, fix the onboard issues.

good would be schiit fulla 2.

Other than redesigning the laptop and building a completely new circuit, I don't think that's possible.

Also, that thing is a piece of schiit.

[KaminKevCrew]

1 hour ago, Enderman said:

Other than redesigning the laptop and building a completely new circuit, I don't think that's possible.

Also, that thing is a piece of schiit.

The onboard of the current XPS line is really not that bad. It's pretty clearly a software issue, as OP has fixed it already. Additionally, had it been a hardware issue, that would mean that something was broken, which would be a pretty clear cut warranty case, and seeing as it's a kaby lake laptop, it's definitely still within warranty.

[Enderman]

7 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

The onboard of the current XPS line is really not that bad. It's pretty clearly a software issue, as OP has fixed it already. Additionally, had it been a hardware issue, that would mean that something was broken, which would be a pretty clear cut warranty case, and seeing as it's a kaby lake laptop, it's definitely still within warranty.

No, it doesn't need to mean it is broken.

There are many laptops and other mobile devices that have cheap audio circuits inside that don't sound great especially on high impedance headphones.

[KaminKevCrew]

5 minutes ago, Enderman said:

No, it doesn't need to mean it is broken.

There are many laptops and other mobile devices that have cheap audio circuits inside that don't sound great especially on high impedance headphones.

I am very well aware of that. That's why my entire statement was originally qualified with:

 

13 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

The onboard of the current XPS line is really not that bad.

Please read the whole comment instead of just scanning, especially if it's a short one

[Enderman]

3 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

I am very well aware of that. That's why my entire statement was originally qualified with:

So?

I just said it was a possibility.

I did read your whole comment, don't assume I didn't.

Your opinion of how good or bad something is does not actually define whether something is good or bad, fyi.

[KaminKevCrew]

1 hour ago, Enderman said:

Your opinion of how good or bad something is does not actually define whether something is good or bad, fyi.

Of course it doesn't. However, there is a pretty much universally accepted minimum for what would be accepted as "not bad" (which, if you look, is what my original wording was - I didn't say that it was particularly good.) 

 

That minimum being: 

Inaudible interference/distortion

Adequate volume for high efficiency headphones

 

I also assume (perhaps incorrectly) that I've listened to more audio gear than you have, and, indeed, I've used both the XPS 15 and 13, and both have perfectly adequate audio circuitry for general listening. 

[Enderman]

3 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

I also assume (perhaps incorrectly) 

lol