Audio lag on B650E-F motherboard

[Slime207]

So a while back I upgraded my pc and got a Ryzen 7 7700X and the B650E-F gaming wifi motherboard. Everything worked well, except for one issue. If there was no sound, and suddenly a sound started playing, it would play after about 0.5 seconds. I looked through some forums and found a workaround. Basically, I enabled "Stereo Mix" in sounds, made it listenable 24/7, then muted the volume. While this workaround did fix the issue, I still don't understand why it happens in the first place. I use a headset with the 3.5mm output at the back of the case, I never used an optical output. I already tried updating the drivers, uninstalling them and reinstalling them completely, but the problem would still remain. I already updated my BIOS, but I have yet to try the Audio ALC4080/ALC4082 FW update tool.

OS: Windows 10

Drivers: Realtek Audio Driver V6.3.9600.2333 For Windows 10/11 64-bit.

If anyone could help me that would be much appreciated.

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello @Slime207 

Based on your description, it seems that enabling settings like Stereo Mix resolved the audio delay issue.
However, you also mentioned that it still persists even after updating or reinstalling the drivers.
Could you verify if the issue can indeed be resolved through settings adjustments?
Is the audio delay occurring with system sounds, specific game sounds, video playback, or all audio outputs, and does it happen in specific scenarios or with all audio?
When you mention using the back of the case’s ports, are you referring to the audio ports on the motherboard’s rear panel?
Have you tried cross-testing with different headphones or speakers?

We recommend checking if the issue persists after a firmware update.
If possible, please provide a video recording of the problem and details of your system’s audio settings to help us understand the delay issue better.
Please refer to [Windows 11/10] Troubleshooting - Sound (Speakers/Microphones) problems if needed.

Thank you.

[Slime207]

Yes, the issue disappears after I apply the Stereo Mix workaround. Here's a link to it, under the 9th step:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ASUS/comments/sf4tau/fixes_for_realtek_alc4080_sound_problems_on_asus/

The audio delay occurs with general audio, so basically all system sounds, any music that starts playing, but also music programs such as Openmpt.

Yes, I was indeed referring to the audio ports at the back of the motherboard. Currently I do not have another pair of headphones to test with. It doesn't happen with HDMI audio, as the speakers on my monitor don't seem to recreate this issue, only my headphones do. Like I said though, the Stereo Mix workaround is usually used when SPDIF "goes to sleep", which causes the lag, but the thing is that I'm not using an optical output, I'm using a 3.5mm jack.

Before trying out the firmware update, is there anything else I should try first?

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello @Slime207 

Thank you for the prompt reply.
The audio output delay may be caused by the audio processing, including encoding, decoding, or format conversion.
After enabling Stereo Mix, the delay seems to be resolved, which could be due to a change in how the audio signal is processed, from multichannel audio output via S/PDIF to stereo output, thus reducing the delay.
Given your situation, you may continue to adjuested with Stereo Mix to minimize latency, or go to Control Panel > Sound > Playback Devices, select the S/PDIF output, click Properties, and under the "Advanced" tab, select the appropriate audio format.
Additionally, please consider updating the latest firmware and BIOS, checking if your current headphones have any audio delay compensation features, or cross-testing with other devices.

Thank you.

[Slime207]

Hello. I wanted to let you know that I successfully updated to the latest audio firmware. I already updated the BIOS to the latest version when I first got the new PC. The issue still persists however. I'll try to see if I can find another pair of headphones and test with those. For now, I'll have to use the Stereo Mix workaround. Weird how I need to do this in the first place to keep the audio from having latency, I didn't have an issue with my old motherboard (which didn't have a soundcard if I remember correctly but also had a different audio codec).