Can ASUS Support Fix Realtek Audio Drivers with Bongiovi Support?

[achugh]

Dear Support,

CURRENT STATUS WITH ALL ISSUES IS IN

https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/gaming-motherboards/can-asus-support-fix-realtek-audio-drivers-with-bo...

I am owner of ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO motherboard. I have the latest v6.3.9600.2368 drivers installed. I have been having the following issues with this driver:

1. If I do not install Armoury Crate or if I uninstall Bongiovi Drivers after installing Armoury Crate due to issue (see below about the Bongiovi issues) then I am left with a broken driver. This is because "ExtRtXUsb_Asus_BJ_RTK.inf" driver file included in this version of the package has the RENDER APO FX for %PKEY_CompositeFX_StreamEffectClsid% set to Bongiovi APO ONLY.
   1. I am referring to line no. 63 in this file. It should have both the Realtek and Bongiovi SFX. Currently it only has Bongiovi SFX.
   2. Basically we need to change "HKR,InterfaceSetting\SysCustomizedFx\FX\0,%PKEY_CompositeFX_StreamEffectClsid%,%REG_MULTI_SZ%,%MB_RENDER_SFX_APO%" TO "HKR,InterfaceSetting\SysCustomizedFx\FX\0,%PKEY_CompositeFX_StreamEffectClsid%,%REG_MULTI_SZ%,%MB_RENDER_SFX_APO%,REALTEK_SFX_CLSID"
   3. This is because this is a composite key and can hold multiple value so making it similar to line no. 65 gives us the customers the option to use the installed APOs in the order listed on line no. 63
      
      
2. Does the Realtek Drivers do not support other Windows Modes like MEDIA, MOVIE, COMMUNICATION, SPEECH and NOTIFICATION?
   1. If they do support them, why are they not mentioned in the RENDER configuration for %PKEY_SFX_ProcessingModes_Supported_For_Streaming% or line no. 66 so that Windows can apply different EQ settings for each of the audio modes.
      
      
   2. I noticed that even Bongiovi drivers are not adding this support but some of your older motherboards with DTS APOs supported these modes properly and I would like to see them on my premium motherboard. Before buying the board I did not realize these audio limitations.
      
      
3. The driver is not specifying the configuration for OFFLOAD Mode Support as well. Can the following lines get added to the RENDER configuration? With high quality ES9218 and ALC4082 I am hoping the processing can be offloaded to hardware for better results.
   1. "HKR,InterfaceSetting\SysCustomizedFx\FX\0,%PKEY_CompositeFX_Offload_StreamEffectClsid%,%REG_MULTI_SZ%,%REALTEK_OSFX_CLSID%" where REALTEK_OSFX_CLSID needs to be defined and supported.
   2. "HKR,InterfaceSetting\SysCustomizedFx\FX\0,%PKEY_CompositeFX_Offload_ModeEffectClsid%,%REG_MULTI_SZ%,%REALTEK_OMFX_CLSID%" where REALTEK_OMFX_CLSID needs to be defined and supported.
   3. "HKR,InterfaceSetting\SysCustomizedFx\FX\0,%PKEY_SFX_Offload_ProcessingModes_Supported_For_Streaming%,%REG_MULTI_SZ%,%AUDIO_SIGNALPROCESSINGMODE_DEFAULT%"
   4. "HKR,InterfaceSetting\SysCustomizedFx\FX\0,%PKEY_MFX_Offload_ProcessingModes_Supported_For_Streaming%,%REG_MULTI_SZ%,%AUDIO_SIGNALPROCESSINGMODE_DEFAULT%,%AUDIO_SIGNALPROCESSINGMODE_MEDIA%,%AUDIO_SIGNALPROCESSINGMODE_MOVIE%,%AUDIO_SIGNALPROCESSINGMODE_NOTIFICATION%"
      
      
4. I am using Front Panel connector to connect my Headset (SONY MDR-XB950), it is not the one in DTS Sound Unbound app as the ones in it are MDR-XB950N1 or MDR-XB950B1 and I don't have those variant versions, but it is close enough.
   1. The microphone volume from the HD Audio Combo Front Panel (My case is ASUS ProArt PA602) is extremely low.
   2. I also get loud pops whenever the microphone is enabled. See https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/gaming-motherboards/re-rog-maximus-z790-dark-hero-low-microphone-volum... with pictures of these loud pops in the capture.
   3. I have even enabled the max 30db Mic Boost and even that is not helping.
   4. I had installed the Two-Way Noise Cancelling but has uninstalled it as can be seen in this thread and I am still not able to figure out where the volume of my microphone is getting lost.
   5. This headset is reported with low impedance. The value is shown between 22 and 60 Ohms and the headset is rated at 32 Ohms; from my recollection. This means that it is an efficient headset which requires less current to work at its peak and optimum quality and I am having worst issues with it.
   6. Can someone on your team look into what is causing the volume to be dropped? Gaming is not possible as no one can hear me and that is a big disappointment with this premium gaming board.
      
      
5. I am also noticing that if I change my headphone output format from 48Khz 24Bits to anything else, I lose about 50% of the volume.
   1. I believe the Volume Curves for other formats are not defined and Windows defaults to some volume curve that does not match the hardware which then affects the perceived volume loss of 50% or more.
   2. I believe these volume curves are defined in RtDUsbAD_asus.inf file.
   3. Maybe things are not working because in this version the "Realtek Universal Audio Service" even though is set to Start Automatically does not start upon reboot due to service defining having quotes. See RealtekService.inf file at line no 61. This issue I see is fixed in the v6.3.9600.2379 that is release for some other motherboard but not yet for my motherboard.
   4. Maybe, having this service running will fix my issue with volume drop if any other format is selected.
      
      
6. Similarly, for Microphone Format, if I chose anything other than 48KHz 24 Bits all I get is either static noise or no sound from the microphone.
   1. I see values up to 192KHz at 24 Bits but I cannot use any of the higher quality values.
   2. Can this issue be fixed? Maybe it is also related to the previous issue of service not running and will get fixed when you release updated versions for my motherboard as well.
      
      
7. The officially published driver on the ASUS Support downloads has couple of mistakes or issues.
   1. In the UWP folder, the INSTALL.BAT file has a mistake where it installs the DTS app and the immediately tries to uninstall it.
   2. Basically line no. 8 needs to be moved to line no. 18 and the another line to wait for 12 seconds need to be added so the installation of the DTS app completes in the background and the process is not killed. After this fix, the file looks like below
      
      

      @Echo Install Realtek Audio Driver Please Wait ...
      @Echo on
      @Echo dism online install DTS Sound Unbound appx files

      %~d0
      cd %~dp0

      REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.PowerShell" /f /v "ExecutionPolicy" /d "RemoteSigned" /t REG_SZ

      powershell -executionpolicy bypass -File .\remove_and_install_DTSSUWP.ps1

      REG DELETE "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.PowerShell" /v "ExecutionPolicy" /f

      
      @Ping 127.0.0.1 -n 12 -w 1000 > nul

      dism.exe /online /Add-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackagePath:"77ebcb3cc75d4261bade64b63bb84bf9.appxbundle" /LicensePath:"77ebcb3cc75d4261bade64b63bb84bf9_License1.xml" /DependencyPackagePath:"Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.2.2_2.2.29512.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx" /DependencyPackagePath:"Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.2.2_2.2.28604.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx" /DependencyPackagePath:"Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00_14.0.30704.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx"

      @Ping 127.0.0.1 -n 12 -w 1000 > nul

      cd ..
      @Echo Done

      exit /b
      
      

   3. Next under UWP\CONFIG\PIN\run folder the AsusSetup.exe file is missing. This file can be copied from any folder as there are multiple copies of this file.
      1. Because of this missing file "Realtek Audio Console" is not getting pinned to the START menu.
      2. This missing file is needed because the INSTALL.BAT file in UWP\CONFIG\PIN folder is trying call AsusSetup.exe in Silent mode and that file is missing from the RUN folder.
      3. Hopefully, this easy fix can be included when you release the v6.3.9600.2379 for my motherboard.

BONGIOVI DRIVER ISSUES

I am sure by now you would have seen numerous people complaining about loud pops with these APOs which is why I have tried to uninstall them. They are not easy to uninstall also.

1. Can the installation and uninstallation of them be supported with a windows installer or something in Armoury Crate to make this task easier as a short-term workaround?
2. Also, can the Motherboard SDK be split so that it does not install this driver automatically and you make it a customer choice?
3. With my limited knowledge, I believe all APOs work on the concept of buffering the audio data and I don't think Bongiovi Drivers are any different. I suspect these loud pops for BOTH Rendering and Capture are happening because these drivers DO NOT clear or ZERO out the buffer and there is a buffer overflow or dirty buffer that gets flushed when the audio starts and these APOs get triggered by Windows Audio Chain. Since these buffers have junk data that gets flushed, that's what comes across as this pop when either the speaker or the microphone is turned on for audio streaming or capture via the software. I believe create a buffer with 0x00 (ZEROS) at the beginning of the stream (Render or Capture) should solve the pop issues. This way the buffer does not have any junk or dirty data when it gets flushed.

-Amit

Tagging #ROG, #Motherboard, #Z790, #Z790 Dark Hero

[Silent_Scone]

Just to clarify, I do not have your issue. Only Windows sound test results in low output. I use Mod Mic, and have no issues with volume on my system.

[achugh]

@Silent_Scone Which exact Mod Mic are you using? I see there are 3 different products on https://antlionaudio.com/collections/microphones page. Are you using the Wireless, USB or the Analog version?

[Silent_Scone]

Mod Mic USB

[achugh]

@Silent_Scone Thank you for sharing this information that you are using the USB version of Mod Mic. Can I ask you how does this Mic show up in Windows Sound Settings under the Recording TAB? Also in the Windows 11 Sound Settings, which driver is shown to be used for this MIC?

I am going to guess that you might be using either the Windows Default USB Audio drivers or something Mod Mic may have provided. In either case, your setup is going to not use the Realtek Driver which are problematic. When I used my Apple Airpod Max and it connects via Bluetooth, I end up using Windows Default drivers and my Microphone volume is much better. The Windows Sound Test then reports volume level of around 20% instead of 0% with Realtek.

Lastly, you mentioned that while Windows Settings report the volume as low you are not having any volume problems. Can you do a test recording using the Windows Sound Recorder and show a waveform of the picture like I have show here couple of times?

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello, @achugh 

Thank you for your update, and we have consolidated it, consulted the relevant departments, and conducted further verification.
Regarding issue 4, we followed your suggested steps and used the 2-in-1 audio jack on the front panel but could not replicate the noise as video.
For issue 5, it has been confirmed that the lower output volume at 384 kHz is a deliberate adjustment to prevent crackling noise, which is considered normal.

As you described in issue 5, Bluetooth headphones and wired headphones differ in connection methods and audio transmission, making direct comparison invalid.
Additionally, headphones and headsets are distinct audio devices.
Headphones are typically used for listening to music or other audio and consist of two earcups without an embedded microphone.
In contrast, headsets are designed for both listening and communication, featuring two earcups and an embedded microphone.
Therefore, headsets are more suitable for scenarios requiring communication, such as phone calls, video conferences, or multiplayer gaming.

In conclusion, after our second consultation and verification, we still recommend using a chassis without a 2-in-1 audio jack and ensuring to install the audio driver on a clean system following the installation guide (rather than using command prompts).
If you still encounter issues after following the suggestions above, kindly share a complete video recording of the problem. Avoid using any splitters or extension cables.

Thank you.

[achugh]

Continuing to my 2nd part of this split message here....

Regarding Problem # 5 (Losing 50% volume at other formats besides 48000Hz 24Bits) - In your PROBLEM 5 recording, at time marker 00:01:04 the tester shows that RtkAudUService64.exe is running with username SYSTEM as well as with username Q with a description "Realtek HD Audio Universal Service".

As I have mentioned here, the SYSTEM version of this service DOES NOT run on its own unless someone updates the registry settings or manually starts this service from the Windows Service Control panel (see point 6 above in the previous message where I mentioned that it is best to keep this service running as it fixes few things). Because this service is running, these format problems are partially fixed. As a reference, the details of PROBLEM 5 at the moment are in https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/gaming-motherboards/can-asus-support-fix-realtek-audio-drivers-with-bo.... Please read my message from the point where you see AFTER THIS SERVICE FIX I HAVE NOW ENCOUNTERED A NEW ISSUE SO THIS ISSUE NO 5 IS STILL OPEN bolded text once again.

When I go through the SETUP video for PROBLEM 5 that you shared, at time marker 00:00:17 the tester OPENS up the DEFAULT FORMAT menu to select the format options. Since your team is using the REAR SPEAKER OUT (GREEN) connector, your team is LIMITED to ALC4082 capabilities and the team DOES NOT even see 384000HZ sampling rate for any bitrate (16Bits, 24Bits or 32Bits). See my 4th post here later (this is post 2 due to my response being too big). In my post with details, I mentioned that once you can make the Realtek Audio Universal Service run, then the problem with all formats is fixed EXCEPT the highest format of 384000Hz which is ONLY made available via the front panel connector or to the device type of HEADPHONE. See my screenshot below.

Notice that my PLAYBACK DEVICE on the left hand side HIGHLIGHTED in RED is called HEADPHONE and NOT SPEAKER as is the case on your testing setup. It is my understanding that Z790 DARK HERO is wired to TOPOLOGY of REAR Connector as SPEAKERS and Front Panel as HEADPHONE. See my 4th post with technical details later.

ONLY for HEADPHONE device as you can see here the 384000Hz sampling frequency is UNLOCKED. Your team is not seeing this highest frequency as they are using the REAR CONNECTORS which are limited to 192000Hz max.

Once you select this highest frequency that is when your team will experience the issues I mentioned in my PROBLEM 5, details at https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/gaming-motherboards/can-asus-support-fix-realtek-audio-drivers-with-bo... Your team needs to read the section below AFTER THIS SERVICE FIX I HAVE NOW ENCOUNTERED A NEW ISSUE SO THIS ISSUE NO 5 IS STILL OPEN  in this link with problem 5 details.

I hope your team is able to switch to ANY FRONT PANEL based connector. If they are testing the issue using an OPEN BENCH setup WITHOUT a case then they will need to use the FRONT PANEL Connector somehow to get either COMBO 3-PIN Audio Connector or the Separate connector as you have sent me a picture about above to properly reproduce the issues.

I hope to hear back from your team on their progress soon.

[achugh]

Continuing to my 3rd part of the message here ...

NOW SHOWING YOU THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH REALTEK

Finally, I do want to show your team that if I connect my Apple AirPod MAX using BLUETOOTH (instead of using any wired connection), this is how my setup shows up in Windows 11. This is why anyone using BLUETOOTH Gaming Headsets is not seeing issues because they are NOT using Realtek Drivers at all.

In Windows 11 Settings I see

Under SOUND SETTINGS, NOTICE that the HEADPHONES are shown as 2 - AIRPODS MAX

When I scroll down in this window you see REALTEK HEADPHONE are disabled as NOTHING is connected to them. Even the SPEAKERS are disconnected.

NEXT let me show you the RECORDING TAB. See my microphone in the AirPod MAX is listed as HEADSET device and it is NOT running via Realtek. The Realtek USB Audio Microphone is disabled.

Back in Windows 11 Settings, you see that the DRIVERS are default Microsoft drivers above the BLUE text color in the TOP RIGHT corner for this Microphone running as HEADSET device (NOT MICROPHONE Device)

Next when I go into Realtek Audio Control App, I see nothing connected. Because nothing is connected to the motherboard since I am using BLUETOOTH device.

And my DEVICE ADVANCED SETTINGS look like below showing everything is greyed out and no connector is used because I have UNPLUGGED everything. This is the screen I have requested your testers to record in STEP 9 above in my 1st message when they send the next recording.

[achugh]

Continuing to my 3rd part of the message AGAIN due to size limitation here ...

AT THIS TIME WHEN I GO INTO SOUND RECORDER AND RECORD MY TEST VOICE, I see MUCH BETTER WAVEFORMS and SOUND VOLUME. See below.

In this above screenshot look at the BOTTOM LEFT of the RED RECORD button. Notice it say HEADSET (NOT Microphone like it used to when REALTEK Microphone device is used). See this waveform is fatty. So much better than the waveforms your team showed in PROBLEM 4 recording. As a reference, you can see how Realtek Microphone waveform looks like (see the device name to the left of RED RECORD button below as it now reads Microphone instead of HEADSET).

Notice how skinny the waveform is as it has lost all the volume.

I hope all this information is useful for your team to figure out what is misconfigured with the MICROPHONE as a device in the windows driver. It DOES NOT matter if the microphone is connected at the back like your team is testing with or using the front panel like I am testing because once Windows recognizes that we are working with a Microphone device, then we have issues.

[achugh]

My 4th and final part of the message goes here...

I have not been able to find technical details of ALC4082 chip which is used for my Z790 DARK HERO board but I have been able to find some technical details about ALC4080 chip which is very close to the ALC4082. I am assuming ALC4082 as the 2nd generation or bug fix chip using the same design, architecture and core concepts of ALC4080.

This information is for your development team and NOT for your QA testers as it will be way above their skillsets.

I am going to reference https://www.igorslab.de/en/the-old-alc4080-on-the-new-intel-boards-demystified-and-the-differences-f... because technical details of Realtek Chips are not publicly available to a consumer like me or I have yet to discover and study them.

This article talk about how ALC4080 (and for that matter ALC4082 must also be) supports DUAL Audio stream outputs as per the quote below from this page.

It offers ten DAC channels supporting simultaneous 7.1-channel playback, as well as two channels of independent stereo output (multiple streaming) via the front-panel stereo output

---

This DUAL or TWO CHANNELs OF INDEPENDENT STEREO OUTPUT VIA FRONT-PANEL is exceptionally important because only this front panel output is going to give 384000Hz output as well as high fidelity 32Bits. My understanding of this design is because the REAR OUTPUTS are connected to the S/PDIF OUT which is limited to 192000HZ. Instead of Realtek building a separate multi-channel (5.1, 7.1 etc) pipeline, the pipeline or signal paths are shared and hence when your team uses the GREEN output connector at the back, for PROBLEM 5 they are limited to 192000Hz and do not experience my issues.

Next this article talks about

A total of three stereo ADCs are integrated and can support multiple analog audio inputs, including a 110dB SNR stereo line-level input and a microphone array with Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC), Beam Forming (BF), Noise Suppression (NS) and Far Field Voice Pick up (FFP) software features.

---

I believe these software features of Noise Suppression (NS) are enabled in the current state which is why the microphone volume is extremely low. Even before installing the drivers, windows default drivers are not working because the binary strings given by BIOS are enabling these NS features causing loss of volume in the microphone.

Next this article talks about

Three headphone amplifiers are integrated at the analog output ports (Port-D/Port-E/Port-F). The headphone amplifier at port-D (FRONT) is a cap-free type, which can save an external coupling capacitor and offers less distortion and pops. This headphone amplifier on Port-D has an output level of 2 Vrms and can drive high impedance headphones (up to 600Ω); it also has an impedance detection function to automatically adjust the output volume with the excellent sound response preferred by musicians and players.

---

and here CLOSE and SPECIAL attention to the fact that ONLY the FRONT PANEL output from PORT-D mapped to HEADPHONE topology as headphone amplifier. See my post https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/gaming-motherboards/can-asus-support-fix-realtek-audio-drivers-with-bo... where the post starts with me mentioning that the volume output level from REAR SPEAKER OUT is significantly different from the FRONT PANEL. I now understand why that is happening due to this headphone amplifier on the FRONT PANEL which is MISSING from the rear speaker out. As I mention in my post, I already like the fact that the front panel out put is working as expected because I do not expect as a consumer I should be buying headphone amplifiers for proper sound. I do expect that if I use REAR OUTs that they will be going into some type of POWERED speakers which will have some type amplifiers so I understand why the REAR OUT volume is low or different. This is no longer an issue now that I understand the design.

As you scroll a little, you can see the complete CHIP picture with PIN information showing how FRONT PANEL connectors are completely different but most IMPORTANTLY INDEPENDENT when you compare the labels to the BLOCK DIAGRAM above.

Towards the end as a summary a affirmative conclusion on why FRONT PANEL is the best connector for wired headphones.

And concerning the capacitor-free port D Now you know why I always tell you to connect the headset to the front panel.

By default, port D is always connected via HD Audio and thus via the front panel.

One output actually always works with the 2 volts and the automatic impedance detection.

with Port-D always being the one with the most bang.

---

This means for your QA team to help consumers like me, they will HAVE TO USE the front panel outputs or inputs to properly reproduce the issues. It DOES NOT matter if they use COMBO connector or SEPARATE because what matters is the use of FRONT PANEL connectors which will ALWAYS show up as HEADPHONE in the PLAYBACK DEVICES in the Realtek Audio Control APP.

[achugh]

Hi @Jiaszzz_ROG ,

I was really hoping for your team to be able reproduce the Microphone Loud Pops issue with the details I shared. In pursuit of finding the difference between my setup and yours here's another attempt as it seems your team has something different which if we can together find out then these loud pops will go away for me.

The fact that I do not see the loud pops on the first attempt always makes me believe that it is a software and or configuration issue and not a hardware issue. Since I see these loud pops on the REAR MIC-IN exactly the same way i.e. first time no pop but subsequently always poping, I don't believe splitting the front panel is going to solve the problem for me. Also, I do not have a different case. As I mentioned earlier I bought everything ASUS as much as I could so that when issues like these arise ASUS support team can easily find the parts to reproduce it. As a reminder I am using ASUS PROART PA-602 case.

I am sharing my BIOS details via https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M49lyTtlnsz91FAIedw5px2Z8ZTTYgPU/view?usp=sharing . This link has the BIOS 1302 export of my current setup plus images of various screens using the UEFI BIOS screenshot feature of using the F12 key and using a FAT32 formatted USB Disk to save the screenshots. I learned about this feature of ASUS UEFI BIOS from Juan J Guerrero, Senior Technical Marketing Manager at ASUS North America when he interviewed in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzVZgTP2204 video. At time marker 01:24:30 (1 Hour, 24 minutes and 30 seconds) is where this TIP is shared.

Anyway, I have also included a FULL EXPORT of my BIOS settings in the ZIP file.

Can I get a FULL EXPORT of your testing team to LOAD on my system and see if that helps me out?

Is your team using the latest BIOS 1302 or some other engineering version?

Next, what version of Windows 11 is your team using? I downloaded my Windows 11 from https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11 which is the consumer download site from Microsoft. Here I selected ISO download image option with ENGLISH (United States) as the option. 

Next I downloaded RUFUS to load this ISO file to a USB Drive and I choose the following options.

As you can see this download is from today. Then I installed this version on a completely different Hard Disk. Previously, I was using the M2_2 (the NVMe from CPU). This time I installed it on SATA 2 drive. This resulted in my system having DUAL BOOT setup so that I can easily keep on formatting Windows 11 as needed to do a full fresh test as needed to make progress here.

On this fresh Windows install (SATA Drive); I disconnected NETWORK CABLE so Windows does not install anything over the internet plus I have my SONY MDR-XB950 connected to the FrontPanel Combo connector so Windows detects the Audio device and installs/enable Windows Default Audio drivers and services; I have the exact same loud pops on BOTH the Front Panel Combo Microphone Jack as well as REAR MIC-IN Jack without any drivers or anything installed. Not even the Chipset Drivers were installed.

This makes me believe that maybe your team is using some different Windows Installation media. Can I get details of how your Windows Image is created or how Windows is installed on your test machine? 

I would have done a Windows 10 test but the audio drivers are for Windows 11 and above. Maybe I can try if the default Windows 10 drivers work better, if your team would like me to test that.

I also would like to say that I have installed executed the PD Update Firmware Tool V104 via https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1700/ROG_MAXIMUS_Z790_DARK_HERO/PD_FW_Update_Tool_V104.zip?... sometime ago.

On your test machine, was it executed? Since this Power Delivery firmware is for USB device, I am not sure if it makes a difference to the USB Audio device in any shape or form. I don't even know how to check this firmware version in BIOS.

In short, can I get the following details as a summary from your team?

1. What version of BIOS is your team running?
2. Did they execute PD Firmware Update Tool V104 on the test machine?
3. Can they EXPORT their BIOS settings and share with me? I have shared mine in case that helps to isolate the issue.
4. What version of Windows 11 is your team using? I am on 23H2 downloaded using English (United States) configuration from Microsoft and installed Windows 11 PRO edition from this ISO. In the videos shared so far, it seems the Windows is running in NON-ENGLISH language. Maybe Microsoft has something different based on the language selected so can your team use the official Microsoft Media for US to run the test?

Looking forward to your response.