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Rog Maximus XIII Hero - Disappointed With Audio Issues
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02-28-2022
01:01 PM
- last edited on
03-06-2024
10:31 PM
by
ROGBot
EDIT: Finally managed to find a solution to most of the problems I listed here. Some issues do remain, but at least it sounds somewhat acceptable now.
So the issue for some of my problems was that the 3D Audio was not installed at all by default, but rather had to have its components installed through DTS Sound Unbound. That is why I was experiencing incredibly loud and sharp sounds and why the audio also sounded lifeless and noisy, because there was no audio dynamic range whatsoever so everything sounded equally distanced while effects sounded ear-piercingly louder.
1. - Installed the Realtek drivers offered on the Asus Support page
2. - Allowed Realtek to install all of the programs bundled with the drivers (Realtek Audio Manager, Sonic Studio and DTS Sound Unbound)
3. - Plugged my headphones into the front panel jack which is specified for headphones
4. - Turned off all of the Sonic Studio effects and uninstalled all 3 programs (Sonic Studio Suite, Sonic Studio 3 and Sonic Studio Radar)
5. - Went into DEVICE MANAGER - SOUND, VIDEO & GAME CONTROLLERS - Disabled SONIC STUDIO VIRTUAL MIXER
6. - Enabled DTS Sound Unbound for Generic Headphones (Balanced) and quit the program
7. - In Windows 10 sound on the system tray, as a Spatial Sound option I chose Headphone X and then chose Spatial Audio OFF
The reason why I enabled and then turned off all of the DTS Sound Unbouned effects:
1. - DTS Sound Unbound only seems to have all of its effects enabled if the program is open in the background
2. - The Headphone X makes everything sound badly filtered and ruins audio quality
So I enabled all of the DTS Sound Unbound options and then turned them all off. This made DTS Sound Unbound install its audio components, which gave me the default 3D Audio quality with proper audio dynamic range, without actually using any Spatial Audio options and losing audio quality.
The reason why these issues were so confusing were because my previous motherboard, the MSI z97-s02, didn't require 5 different softwares to achieve proper audio quality. It was a simple driver update that would install Realtek HD Audio Manager which by default had 3D Audio components.
The problem of audio crackling/popping is still there though, but that's a problem with the Realtek drivers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings,
I built my new PC a month ago with the following:
- ASUS TUF GAMING 3080TI GPU
- ROG MAXIMUS XIII HERO MOTHERBOARD
- INTEL I9-11900k CPU
- ROG THOR PSU
My expectations for this PC were simple. Silent, no coil whine and no issues. Unfortunately I got none of which I hoped for. From day one the motherboard had two issues even with default BIOS; constant electrical chirping around the CPU area and high pitched printer noise whenever I moved my mouse. So from the start I had to tweak some settings in BIOS. I got rid of the high pitched printer noise regarding the mouse (disabling C-States and using Accoustic Settings), however I wasn't able to fix the electrical noise. But that's not why I'm disappointed in this motherboard.
The real reason why this motherboard disappointed me is because of how disappointing the audio quality is compared to my previous board. For the record, my previous build that I've been using for 6 years now was an MSI Z97-S02 motherboard (Realtek ALC892) with an MSI GTX 980 and i7-4790k. To this day the PC runs flawlessly with fully updated drivers, never a problem. The audio quality is superb and uses Realtek HD Audio Manager. Beautiful, distinct and realistic audio that is so rich and clear that I was able to easily pinpoint where each sound was coming from in Overwatch while simultaneously listening to Twitch streams in the background. Music felt like there was a live concert going on inside my head, with each note dancing around. Simple plug'n'play, no tweaking required.
The ROG MAXIMUS XIII HERO however has been nothing but trouble regarding audio since the day I got it. For an entire month straight, every single day I've been trying to get the audio to sound like it should. Clear, distinct, rich, full of life... but it's impossible. The audio feels lifeless, filtered, overamplified, ear-piercingly sharp with certain sounds. Just loud noise without any clarity nor distinction, especially during intense moments in gaming. The more sound there is, the worse it sounds.
Imagine a highway with 6 lanes all going into one direction and then suddenly merging into one lane at the same speed. That's how it feels to me with this motherboard's audio, while on my previous one I was able to clearly and distinctively hear all 6 lanes.
Updating the Realtek drivers only makes matters worse. If I update my drivers, I get these issues:
- Consistent audio crackling/popping whenever a sound starts or ends - This is a pretty wide-spread issue that seems to affect plenty of boards. I've read countless of threads regarding this issue dating back to 2018 and not a single one ever offered a solution, just plenty of confused people. If I update my drivers, this issue is immediately present. Certain sounds won't play at all, while most will crackle and pop for the first half a second. Disappointing.
- Sonic Studio 3 - This program is such a headache. It is installed with Realtek drivers automatically and by default it has an effect on audio. Even if Studio Effects are OFF and never used, it still has some sort of effect on apps. So if I go into Realtek Audio Manager and use the option "Disable Audio Enhancements", the problem is I lose audio in certain games such as Nioh 2.
- No connector retasking for motherboard audio jack - My MSI Z97-S02 had this option to retask my audio jack on the motherboard to Headphone Mode. Unfortunately ROG MAXIMUS XIII HERO doesn't have this feature for some reason, so plugging in my Headphones into the motherboard creates so many issues, because my Headphones are treated as Speakers.
So the problem with this is the Spatial Sound option in Windows is greyed out and I cannot enable Headphone Stereo Mode in certain games such as God Of War, because Realtek/Sonic Studio thinks I'm using Speakers. So it is forcing me to plug into the front panel... but then there is a problem with the front panel.
- Front panel audio is really loud and makes certain sounds incredibly sharp to the ear - Even with Amplify level set to the lowest (PERFORMANCE), I still have to reduce the overall volume on Windows to at least 50%, because some frequencies are still louder than the rest and can be sharply loud. This is something that has me constantly fiddling with the volume because of how annoying it is to the ears, when some random sound is so sharp it hurts.
- Lack of clarity, richness and space with audio - No matter what I do, whether I use Realtek or default Windows drivers, the sound simply has no life to it. It sounds somewhat better with Default Windows, but still not good. The more intense sound becomes, the more it just sounds like bad shrieking noise shoving itself into my ears without any distinction whatsoever. I've tested 4 different headphones with 4 different price ranges. From standard Panasonic headphones, to AKG to JBL 500 to Seinheiser. Every single one sounded like some cheap trash I bought for 2$ on the street. Which is incredibly disappointing considering my standard Panasonic headphones sounded perfectly on my previous system, like they were worth 5000$. I even tested the sound on my Android phone and the sound is so much better with music than it is on this motherboard.
So in the end, I'm terribly disappointed. I never expected a modern motherboard could give me such a bad experience with audio like this to the point where it physically bothers my ears and just overall doesn't sound pleasant to listen to. I do not know if it is simply just SupremeFX or I simply got a bad board or all brands of the z590 motherboards with the Realtek 4080 have this issue, but every issue I had to Google always led to countless other threads with same issues.
The board is only a month in use, so I've asked for an RMA from my local retailer and hopefully I'll get it replaced with another z590 board and hopefully not have to experience the same issues. But if it really is the Realtek chip, then I guess for the first time ever I'll have to actually get a dedicated sound card.
So the issue for some of my problems was that the 3D Audio was not installed at all by default, but rather had to have its components installed through DTS Sound Unbound. That is why I was experiencing incredibly loud and sharp sounds and why the audio also sounded lifeless and noisy, because there was no audio dynamic range whatsoever so everything sounded equally distanced while effects sounded ear-piercingly louder.
1. - Installed the Realtek drivers offered on the Asus Support page
2. - Allowed Realtek to install all of the programs bundled with the drivers (Realtek Audio Manager, Sonic Studio and DTS Sound Unbound)
3. - Plugged my headphones into the front panel jack which is specified for headphones
4. - Turned off all of the Sonic Studio effects and uninstalled all 3 programs (Sonic Studio Suite, Sonic Studio 3 and Sonic Studio Radar)
5. - Went into DEVICE MANAGER - SOUND, VIDEO & GAME CONTROLLERS - Disabled SONIC STUDIO VIRTUAL MIXER
6. - Enabled DTS Sound Unbound for Generic Headphones (Balanced) and quit the program
7. - In Windows 10 sound on the system tray, as a Spatial Sound option I chose Headphone X and then chose Spatial Audio OFF
The reason why I enabled and then turned off all of the DTS Sound Unbouned effects:
1. - DTS Sound Unbound only seems to have all of its effects enabled if the program is open in the background
2. - The Headphone X makes everything sound badly filtered and ruins audio quality
So I enabled all of the DTS Sound Unbound options and then turned them all off. This made DTS Sound Unbound install its audio components, which gave me the default 3D Audio quality with proper audio dynamic range, without actually using any Spatial Audio options and losing audio quality.
The reason why these issues were so confusing were because my previous motherboard, the MSI z97-s02, didn't require 5 different softwares to achieve proper audio quality. It was a simple driver update that would install Realtek HD Audio Manager which by default had 3D Audio components.
The problem of audio crackling/popping is still there though, but that's a problem with the Realtek drivers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings,
I built my new PC a month ago with the following:
- ASUS TUF GAMING 3080TI GPU
- ROG MAXIMUS XIII HERO MOTHERBOARD
- INTEL I9-11900k CPU
- ROG THOR PSU
My expectations for this PC were simple. Silent, no coil whine and no issues. Unfortunately I got none of which I hoped for. From day one the motherboard had two issues even with default BIOS; constant electrical chirping around the CPU area and high pitched printer noise whenever I moved my mouse. So from the start I had to tweak some settings in BIOS. I got rid of the high pitched printer noise regarding the mouse (disabling C-States and using Accoustic Settings), however I wasn't able to fix the electrical noise. But that's not why I'm disappointed in this motherboard.
The real reason why this motherboard disappointed me is because of how disappointing the audio quality is compared to my previous board. For the record, my previous build that I've been using for 6 years now was an MSI Z97-S02 motherboard (Realtek ALC892) with an MSI GTX 980 and i7-4790k. To this day the PC runs flawlessly with fully updated drivers, never a problem. The audio quality is superb and uses Realtek HD Audio Manager. Beautiful, distinct and realistic audio that is so rich and clear that I was able to easily pinpoint where each sound was coming from in Overwatch while simultaneously listening to Twitch streams in the background. Music felt like there was a live concert going on inside my head, with each note dancing around. Simple plug'n'play, no tweaking required.
The ROG MAXIMUS XIII HERO however has been nothing but trouble regarding audio since the day I got it. For an entire month straight, every single day I've been trying to get the audio to sound like it should. Clear, distinct, rich, full of life... but it's impossible. The audio feels lifeless, filtered, overamplified, ear-piercingly sharp with certain sounds. Just loud noise without any clarity nor distinction, especially during intense moments in gaming. The more sound there is, the worse it sounds.
Imagine a highway with 6 lanes all going into one direction and then suddenly merging into one lane at the same speed. That's how it feels to me with this motherboard's audio, while on my previous one I was able to clearly and distinctively hear all 6 lanes.
Updating the Realtek drivers only makes matters worse. If I update my drivers, I get these issues:
- Consistent audio crackling/popping whenever a sound starts or ends - This is a pretty wide-spread issue that seems to affect plenty of boards. I've read countless of threads regarding this issue dating back to 2018 and not a single one ever offered a solution, just plenty of confused people. If I update my drivers, this issue is immediately present. Certain sounds won't play at all, while most will crackle and pop for the first half a second. Disappointing.
- Sonic Studio 3 - This program is such a headache. It is installed with Realtek drivers automatically and by default it has an effect on audio. Even if Studio Effects are OFF and never used, it still has some sort of effect on apps. So if I go into Realtek Audio Manager and use the option "Disable Audio Enhancements", the problem is I lose audio in certain games such as Nioh 2.
- No connector retasking for motherboard audio jack - My MSI Z97-S02 had this option to retask my audio jack on the motherboard to Headphone Mode. Unfortunately ROG MAXIMUS XIII HERO doesn't have this feature for some reason, so plugging in my Headphones into the motherboard creates so many issues, because my Headphones are treated as Speakers.
So the problem with this is the Spatial Sound option in Windows is greyed out and I cannot enable Headphone Stereo Mode in certain games such as God Of War, because Realtek/Sonic Studio thinks I'm using Speakers. So it is forcing me to plug into the front panel... but then there is a problem with the front panel.
- Front panel audio is really loud and makes certain sounds incredibly sharp to the ear - Even with Amplify level set to the lowest (PERFORMANCE), I still have to reduce the overall volume on Windows to at least 50%, because some frequencies are still louder than the rest and can be sharply loud. This is something that has me constantly fiddling with the volume because of how annoying it is to the ears, when some random sound is so sharp it hurts.
- Lack of clarity, richness and space with audio - No matter what I do, whether I use Realtek or default Windows drivers, the sound simply has no life to it. It sounds somewhat better with Default Windows, but still not good. The more intense sound becomes, the more it just sounds like bad shrieking noise shoving itself into my ears without any distinction whatsoever. I've tested 4 different headphones with 4 different price ranges. From standard Panasonic headphones, to AKG to JBL 500 to Seinheiser. Every single one sounded like some cheap trash I bought for 2$ on the street. Which is incredibly disappointing considering my standard Panasonic headphones sounded perfectly on my previous system, like they were worth 5000$. I even tested the sound on my Android phone and the sound is so much better with music than it is on this motherboard.
So in the end, I'm terribly disappointed. I never expected a modern motherboard could give me such a bad experience with audio like this to the point where it physically bothers my ears and just overall doesn't sound pleasant to listen to. I do not know if it is simply just SupremeFX or I simply got a bad board or all brands of the z590 motherboards with the Realtek 4080 have this issue, but every issue I had to Google always led to countless other threads with same issues.
The board is only a month in use, so I've asked for an RMA from my local retailer and hopefully I'll get it replaced with another z590 board and hopefully not have to experience the same issues. But if it really is the Realtek chip, then I guess for the first time ever I'll have to actually get a dedicated sound card.
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03-01-2022 02:43 AM
Wow, quite a few problems. First, let me say I have not seen any problems with my board. I was accused of not being able to hear by one user who was convinced all the boards behaved the same. You can see from the attachment some of my settings and driver versions. Perhaps compare those and look for such things as the impedance of your headset. I am running DTX Headphones:X with my games, which is set in Windows.
Your problems may be related to a specific configuration. My system is close to yours so I will ask if you are running any older software like something you were running on your MSI board. Have you checked your connector on your headset to see if any corrosion might be involved. We are just talking a about headset and not speakers?
Many folks have problems with headsets being recognized as Voice and not headphone, which does produce a poor sound. Are you using streaming audio or does it make any difference? Could Twitch be involved by adding its own drivers?
I have always believed the Coil whine could be related to a NVMe drive but of course no proof of that.
Your multiple problems may go back to just one cause but we may need to take smaller bites to discuss so we could concentrate on just one thing at a time. I don't have an answer for the coil whine situation. I did hear such a thing on a Dell laptop, which was terrible but it only happened twice.
Your problems may be related to a specific configuration. My system is close to yours so I will ask if you are running any older software like something you were running on your MSI board. Have you checked your connector on your headset to see if any corrosion might be involved. We are just talking a about headset and not speakers?
Many folks have problems with headsets being recognized as Voice and not headphone, which does produce a poor sound. Are you using streaming audio or does it make any difference? Could Twitch be involved by adding its own drivers?
I have always believed the Coil whine could be related to a NVMe drive but of course no proof of that.
Your multiple problems may go back to just one cause but we may need to take smaller bites to discuss so we could concentrate on just one thing at a time. I don't have an answer for the coil whine situation. I did hear such a thing on a Dell laptop, which was terrible but it only happened twice.
Maximus Z790 Hero,
Intel i9-13900k
Intel BE200
Intel i9-13900k
Intel BE200
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03-01-2022 11:59 AM
Thank you for the reply,
these tests were done with clean Windows 10 Pro installations and fully updated drivers directly from the official support site. I also reconnected my old PC just to test all of my 3.5mm headphones and there is not a single problem with them on that PC, which is just using Realtek HD Audio drivers.
Unfortunately as soon as I install Realtek USB Audio drivers, I get the following issues:
- Audio will crack/pop whenever it starts/ends while some sounds (such as Windows alerts) will not play at all
- Disabling "Audio Enhancements" in Realtek Audio Manager makes certain games lose audio while Sonic Studio 3 is installed
- If Headphones are connected directly to the motherboard while Sonic Studio 3 is installed, I completely lose the ability to use Headphone Stereo Mode in games such as God Of War
- If Headphones are connected to the Front Panel jack then Headphone Stereo works properly, but the audio crackling/popping is even worse because it gets amplified as well
So now I've done the following to get the audio to be somewhat acceptable:
- Uninstalled absolutely every single trace of Realtek, A-Volute, Sonic Studio and DTS
- Also uninstalled the Realtek USB Audio in Device Manager
- Restarted my PC and let Windows reinstall its default drivers for Realtek USB Audio
- Plugged in my Headphones into the front panel jack since it's the only jack that supports headphone audio properly
The problem with using Windows drivers is:
- The amp is automatically set to EXTREME by default
- Realtek Audio Manager cannot be used without latest Realtek drivers so I cannot lower the amp
Unfortunately this is the only way to make the audio somewhat acceptable on this board. I do have to lower the overall volume down to 40% and I do lose all of the features the SupremeFX is supposed to offer, but at least the audio no longer crackles/pops and doesn't bother me with sharp sounds.
I'm sure this board performs perfectly for some people, but unfortunately I wasn't so lucky.
these tests were done with clean Windows 10 Pro installations and fully updated drivers directly from the official support site. I also reconnected my old PC just to test all of my 3.5mm headphones and there is not a single problem with them on that PC, which is just using Realtek HD Audio drivers.
Unfortunately as soon as I install Realtek USB Audio drivers, I get the following issues:
- Audio will crack/pop whenever it starts/ends while some sounds (such as Windows alerts) will not play at all
- Disabling "Audio Enhancements" in Realtek Audio Manager makes certain games lose audio while Sonic Studio 3 is installed
- If Headphones are connected directly to the motherboard while Sonic Studio 3 is installed, I completely lose the ability to use Headphone Stereo Mode in games such as God Of War
- If Headphones are connected to the Front Panel jack then Headphone Stereo works properly, but the audio crackling/popping is even worse because it gets amplified as well
So now I've done the following to get the audio to be somewhat acceptable:
- Uninstalled absolutely every single trace of Realtek, A-Volute, Sonic Studio and DTS
- Also uninstalled the Realtek USB Audio in Device Manager
- Restarted my PC and let Windows reinstall its default drivers for Realtek USB Audio
- Plugged in my Headphones into the front panel jack since it's the only jack that supports headphone audio properly
The problem with using Windows drivers is:
- The amp is automatically set to EXTREME by default
- Realtek Audio Manager cannot be used without latest Realtek drivers so I cannot lower the amp
Unfortunately this is the only way to make the audio somewhat acceptable on this board. I do have to lower the overall volume down to 40% and I do lose all of the features the SupremeFX is supposed to offer, but at least the audio no longer crackles/pops and doesn't bother me with sharp sounds.
I'm sure this board performs perfectly for some people, but unfortunately I wasn't so lucky.
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03-02-2022 06:14 AM
I was reminded that the Z590 board uses the Realtek USB audio where the Z490 board uses just the Realtek Audio. I do not know how this effects the USB system but since you stated moving your mouse would cause strange noises, it came to mind the mouse might be involved or some other USB device. If it isn't related to USB, possibly a Video driver might be involved.
I rarely raise my volume above 20 to 30 percent but that would depend on the volume set in the originator of the audio. And I assume you have the NahimicService running on your system? I can't plug my Headphone into the back connector since I have a 5.1 system there.
I don't appear to have any options for SupremeFX on either my Z490 or Z590 boards. I do seem to remember it from previous configurations so maybe it should not still be on your system.
Do you have your system set to playback different audio streams from front and back connectors?
Of course, as you state, there may be a problem with the board. Are you going to RMA the board?
Edit: Just an observation, the headset plug on my case requires quite a bit of force to get it completely seated.
I rarely raise my volume above 20 to 30 percent but that would depend on the volume set in the originator of the audio. And I assume you have the NahimicService running on your system? I can't plug my Headphone into the back connector since I have a 5.1 system there.
I don't appear to have any options for SupremeFX on either my Z490 or Z590 boards. I do seem to remember it from previous configurations so maybe it should not still be on your system.
Do you have your system set to playback different audio streams from front and back connectors?
Of course, as you state, there may be a problem with the board. Are you going to RMA the board?
Edit: Just an observation, the headset plug on my case requires quite a bit of force to get it completely seated.
Maximus Z790 Hero,
Intel i9-13900k
Intel BE200
Intel i9-13900k
Intel BE200
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03-02-2022 05:22 PM
I was reminded that the Z590 board uses the Realtek USB audio where the Z490 board uses just the Realtek Audio. I do not know how this effects the USB system but since you stated moving your mouse would cause strange noises, it came to mind the mouse might be involved or some other USB device. If it isn't related to USB, possibly a Video driver might be involved.
No no, the mouse thingy is not related to audio issues nor Windows. The motherboard itself would physically make highly pitched electrical noises around the CPU area whenever I moved my mouse, so I had to go into BIOS to disable C-States and enable Accoustic Settings in order to stop the noise. This was suggested by other people with the exact same issue on these very forums.
Do you have your system set to playback different audio streams from front and back connectors?
Of course, as you state, there may be a problem with the board. Are you going to RMA the board?
Nope, just simple headphones plugged into my PC. Nothing else. Unfortunately the board doesn't give me a lot of choice when it comes to audio, because the official drivers are having issues, but not using them is also not optimal. So it's just a no-win scenario at this point.
I hopefully will get it returned since I'm not really happy with the issues it is giving me, but of course it depends on the retailer's definition of "issues". My brother's PC uses an RTX 3090 & z390 and his PC is completely silent even when under heavy load with 300+ FPS. Mine however is electrically chirping around the CPU area even at IDLE, while during gaming the electrical noise only gets worse. It is what it is.
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03-07-2022 06:21 PM
Wow, quite shocking.
[Maximus XIII Hero btw (11600kf) as per my PC Specs]
[Just above this post there is a TIPS note which may offer you something:
Do not know if it's of any help, but thought to share it with you...
I am still trying to fathom out which of the posters drivers I should be looking at for the MAXIMUS XIII Hero...]
RoG audio support is pretty bad for such a premium product and I'm still wondering why there is no specific guidance to on board audio with a supposed DAC/Headphone amp?
Discovered my issues were related to Win 10 & Bluetooth implementations which made a Decent Shure BT headphone sound like a CHEAP call centre headset when attempting to use the inbuilt Shure microphone).
Then [for my ongoing MAXIMUS XIII microphone issues] I tried using a USB mic (recognised, not recording), then tried patching an old but trusty analogue stereo microphone from Sony (recognised, not recording). [Small help page here: https://rog.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1015713]
What is it Asus?
The only guidance I've found in the RoG forum here: https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?117596-DRIVERS-Realtek-Audio-(MB-Intel-2xx-3xx-4xx-5xx-6xx...
[Maximus XIII Hero btw (11600kf) as per my PC Specs]
[Just above this post there is a TIPS note which may offer you something:
TIPS :
If you want better interrupts delivery latency
Enable MSI (Message Signaled-based Interrupts) mode on all your supported devices (see the column "supported modes") with
MSI Mode Utility (Right click on "MSI_util_v3.exe" > Run as administrator).
If you experience crackling, popping, audio stutter
Disable Fast Startup or totally disable hibernation (Fast Startup included).
Do not know if it's of any help, but thought to share it with you...
I am still trying to fathom out which of the posters drivers I should be looking at for the MAXIMUS XIII Hero...]
RoG audio support is pretty bad for such a premium product and I'm still wondering why there is no specific guidance to on board audio with a supposed DAC/Headphone amp?
Discovered my issues were related to Win 10 & Bluetooth implementations which made a Decent Shure BT headphone sound like a CHEAP call centre headset when attempting to use the inbuilt Shure microphone).
Then [for my ongoing MAXIMUS XIII microphone issues] I tried using a USB mic (recognised, not recording), then tried patching an old but trusty analogue stereo microphone from Sony (recognised, not recording). [Small help page here: https://rog.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1015713]
What is it Asus?
The only guidance I've found in the RoG forum here: https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?117596-DRIVERS-Realtek-Audio-(MB-Intel-2xx-3xx-4xx-5xx-6xx...
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03-08-2022 08:12 AM
Just wanted to make an update that I managed to find out why I was having some of the issues I listed above. Primarily the lifeless, noisy audio quality and ear-piercingly loud sounds. Updated the original post.
The only problem I have left regarding audio is the popping/crackling which is tied to Realtek drivers. I already had Fast Boot options disabled (in both Windows and BIOS), but it's not that. Because if I uninstall Realtek, the popping goes away.
The only problem I have left regarding audio is the popping/crackling which is tied to Realtek drivers. I already had Fast Boot options disabled (in both Windows and BIOS), but it's not that. Because if I uninstall Realtek, the popping goes away.
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03-08-2022 09:18 AM
G\'David wrote:
Wow, quite shocking.
[Maximus XIII Hero btw (11600kf) as per my PC Specs]
[Just above this post there is a TIPS note which may offer you something:
Do not know if it's of any help, but thought to share it with you...
Hi,
These TIPS are visible at the bottom of all my threads concerning audio drivers (including the one dedicated to your motherboard).
G\'David wrote:
I am still trying to fathom out which of the posters drivers I should be looking at for the MAXIMUS XIII Hero...]
RoG audio support is pretty bad for such a premium product and I'm still wondering why there is no specific guidance to on board audio with a supposed DAC/Headphone amp?
Discovered my issues were related to Win 10 & Bluetooth implementations which made a Decent Shure BT headphone sound like a CHEAP call centre headset when attempting to use the inbuilt Shure microphone).
Then [for my ongoing MAXIMUS XIII microphone issues] I tried using a USB mic (recognised, not recording), then tried patching an old but trusty analogue stereo microphone from Sony (recognised, not recording). [Small help page here: https://rog.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1015713]
What is it Asus?
The only guidance I've found in the RoG forum here: https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?117596-DRIVERS-Realtek-Audio-(MB-Intel-2xx-3xx-4xx-5xx-6xx...
This thread is not dedicated to your motherboard (you need Realtek USB Audio Drivers, not Realtek Audio Drivers).
@G\'David, @Crimsomrider, @Saltgrass & all others ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard owners :
To begin with (if it is not done yet) :
- Updates your BIOS to the last : https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/ROG-MAXIMUS-Z690-HERO-ASUS-1003.ZIP
- Updates your Realtek USB Audio Firmware to the last (to run as admin) : https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/01AUDIO/USB_Audio_FW_Update_Tool_VID0B05_2021-11-25_ASUS.zip
- Updates your Realtek USB Audio Firmware to the last (to run as admin) : https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/01AUDIO/USB_Audio_FW_Update_Tool_VID0B05_2021-11-25_ASUS.zip
In a second time :
You have an ASUS ROG SS3|DTS Sound Unbound motherboard with ALC408x codec, so :
You need Realtek USB Audio Drivers (UAD - ASUS ROG SS3-DTS MB) from the first post of this thread : [DRIVERS] Realtek USB Audio (MB | Intel 5xx/6xx & AMD 5xx/6xx/TRX40).
Follow scrupulously your CLEANUP process then your INSTALL process, for the next drivers packages that I would release, you will can directly follow your UPDATE process.
Once it's done, if you are still experiencing crackling/popping issue, follow these 2 TIPS (also visible at the bottom of the first post, as indicated previously) :
If that was not enough to fix your crackling/popping issue, try by disabling PCI Express Link State Power Management in your power plan to avoid L0s/L1 state of PCI Express power management mechanism (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings of your current power plan > Change advanced power settings > PCI Express > Link State Power Management : Disabled) or by switching directly to the High performance power plan (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > High performance).
You need Realtek USB Audio Drivers (UAD - ASUS ROG SS3-DTS MB) from the first post of this thread : [DRIVERS] Realtek USB Audio (MB | Intel 5xx/6xx & AMD 5xx/6xx/TRX40).
Follow scrupulously your CLEANUP process then your INSTALL process, for the next drivers packages that I would release, you will can directly follow your UPDATE process.
Once it's done, if you are still experiencing crackling/popping issue, follow these 2 TIPS (also visible at the bottom of the first post, as indicated previously) :
1) Disable hibernation :
2) Enable MSI (Message Signaled-based Interrupts) mode on all your supported devices (see the column "supported modes") with MSI Mode Utility (Right click on "MSI_util_v3.exe" > Run as administrator), then Apply, then close MSI Mode Utility & restart your PC.
- Right-click Windows Start button then click Search.
- Search for cmd. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt and then click Run as administrator.
- If/When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
- At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off and then press Enter then close the Command Prompt.
- Search for cmd. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt and then click Run as administrator.
- If/When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
- At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off and then press Enter then close the Command Prompt.
2) Enable MSI (Message Signaled-based Interrupts) mode on all your supported devices (see the column "supported modes") with MSI Mode Utility (Right click on "MSI_util_v3.exe" > Run as administrator), then Apply, then close MSI Mode Utility & restart your PC.
If that was not enough to fix your crackling/popping issue, try by disabling PCI Express Link State Power Management in your power plan to avoid L0s/L1 state of PCI Express power management mechanism (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings of your current power plan > Change advanced power settings > PCI Express > Link State Power Management : Disabled) or by switching directly to the High performance power plan (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > High performance).
In a third time :
You need these other firmware/drivers for your ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard :
[FIRMWARE] Intel ME (H610/B660/H670/Z690)
[DRIVERS] Intel Chipset/MEI/SATA/VMD (1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel GNA (5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel Serial IO/Thunderbolt (3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel Ethernet/WiFi/Bluetooth
[DRIVERS] Intel Chipset/MEI/SATA/VMD (1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
- Intel Chipset Drivers
- Intel MEI Drivers (Drivers Only)
- Intel VMD Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 6xx
[DRIVERS] Intel GNA (5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel Serial IO/Thunderbolt (3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
- Intel Serial IO Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 6xx
- Intel Thunderbolt Drivers (Drivers Only)
[DRIVERS] Intel Ethernet/WiFi/Bluetooth
- Intel Ethernet Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - I22x-V (2.5GbE)
- Intel WiFi Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 9xxx/AXxxx
- Intel Bluetooth Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 8xxx/9xxx/AXxxx
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03-08-2022 09:21 AM
G\'David wrote:
Wow, quite shocking.
[Maximus XIII Hero btw (11600kf) as per my PC Specs]
[Just above this post there is a TIPS note which may offer you something:
Do not know if it's of any help, but thought to share it with you...
Hi,
These TIPS are visible at the bottom of all my audio drivers threads (including the one dedicated to your motherboard).
G\'David wrote:
I am still trying to fathom out which of the posters drivers I should be looking at for the MAXIMUS XIII Hero...]
RoG audio support is pretty bad for such a premium product and I'm still wondering why there is no specific guidance to on board audio with a supposed DAC/Headphone amp?
Discovered my issues were related to Win 10 & Bluetooth implementations which made a Decent Shure BT headphone sound like a CHEAP call centre headset when attempting to use the inbuilt Shure microphone).
Then [for my ongoing MAXIMUS XIII microphone issues] I tried using a USB mic (recognised, not recording), then tried patching an old but trusty analogue stereo microphone from Sony (recognised, not recording). [Small help page here: https://rog.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1015713]
What is it Asus?
The only guidance I've found in the RoG forum here: https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?117596-DRIVERS-Realtek-Audio-(MB-Intel-2xx-3xx-4xx-5xx-6xx...
This thread is not dedicated to your motherboard (you need Realtek USB Audio Drivers, not Realtek Audio Drivers).
@G\'David, @Crimsomrider, @Saltgrass & all others ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard owners :
To begin with (if it is not done yet) :
- Updates your BIOS to the last : https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/ROG-MAXIMUS-Z690-HERO-ASUS-1003.ZIP
- Updates your Realtek USB Audio Firmware to the last (to run as admin) : https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/01AUDIO/USB_Audio_FW_Update_Tool_VID0B05_2021-11-25_ASUS.zip
- Updates your Realtek USB Audio Firmware to the last (to run as admin) : https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/01AUDIO/USB_Audio_FW_Update_Tool_VID0B05_2021-11-25_ASUS.zip
In a second time :
You have an ASUS ROG SS3|DTS Sound Unbound motherboard with ALC408x codec, so :
You need Realtek USB Audio Drivers (UAD - ASUS ROG SS3-DTS MB) from the first post of this thread : [DRIVERS] Realtek USB Audio (MB | Intel 5xx/6xx & AMD 5xx/6xx/TRX40).
Follow scrupulously your CLEANUP process then your INSTALL process, for the next drivers packages that I would release, you will can directly follow your UPDATE process.
Once it's done, if you are still experiencing crackling/popping issue, follow these 2 TIPS (also visible at the bottom of the first post, as indicated previously) :
If that was not enough to fix your crackling/popping issue, try by disabling PCI Express Link State Power Management in your power plan to avoid L0s/L1 state of PCI Express power management mechanism (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings of your current power plan > Change advanced power settings > PCI Express > Link State Power Management : Disabled) or by switching directly to the High performance power plan (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > High performance).
You need Realtek USB Audio Drivers (UAD - ASUS ROG SS3-DTS MB) from the first post of this thread : [DRIVERS] Realtek USB Audio (MB | Intel 5xx/6xx & AMD 5xx/6xx/TRX40).
Follow scrupulously your CLEANUP process then your INSTALL process, for the next drivers packages that I would release, you will can directly follow your UPDATE process.
Once it's done, if you are still experiencing crackling/popping issue, follow these 2 TIPS (also visible at the bottom of the first post, as indicated previously) :
1) Disable hibernation :
2) Enable MSI (Message Signaled-based Interrupts) mode on all your supported devices (see the column "supported modes") with MSI Mode Utility (Right click on "MSI_util_v3.exe" > Run as administrator), then Apply, then close MSI Mode Utility & restart your PC.
- Right-click Windows Start button then click Search.
- Search for cmd. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt and then click Run as administrator.
- If/When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
- At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off and then press Enter then close the Command Prompt.
- Restart your PC.
- Search for cmd. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt and then click Run as administrator.
- If/When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
- At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off and then press Enter then close the Command Prompt.
- Restart your PC.
2) Enable MSI (Message Signaled-based Interrupts) mode on all your supported devices (see the column "supported modes") with MSI Mode Utility (Right click on "MSI_util_v3.exe" > Run as administrator), then Apply, then close MSI Mode Utility & restart your PC.
If that was not enough to fix your crackling/popping issue, try by disabling PCI Express Link State Power Management in your power plan to avoid L0s/L1 state of PCI Express power management mechanism (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings of your current power plan > Change advanced power settings > PCI Express > Link State Power Management : Disabled) or by switching directly to the High performance power plan (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > High performance).
In a third time :
You need these other firmware/drivers for your ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard :
[FIRMWARE] Intel ME (H610/B660/H670/Z690)
[DRIVERS] Intel Chipset/MEI/SATA/VMD (1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel GNA (5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel Serial IO/Thunderbolt (3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel Ethernet/WiFi/Bluetooth
[DRIVERS] Intel Chipset/MEI/SATA/VMD (1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
- Intel Chipset Drivers
- Intel MEI Drivers (Drivers Only)
- Intel VMD Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 6xx
[DRIVERS] Intel GNA (5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel Serial IO/Thunderbolt (3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
- Intel Serial IO Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 6xx
- Intel Thunderbolt Drivers (Drivers Only)
[DRIVERS] Intel Ethernet/WiFi/Bluetooth
- Intel Ethernet Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - I225
- Intel WiFi Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 9xxx/AXxxx
- Intel Bluetooth Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 8xxx/9xxx/AXxxx
Options
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
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03-08-2022 09:25 AM
G\'David wrote:
Wow, quite shocking.
[Maximus XIII Hero btw (11600kf) as per my PC Specs]
[Just above this post there is a TIPS note which may offer you something:
Do not know if it's of any help, but thought to share it with you...
Hi,
These TIPS are visible at the bottom of all my audio drivers threads (including the one dedicated to your motherboard).
G\'David wrote:
I am still trying to fathom out which of the posters drivers I should be looking at for the MAXIMUS XIII Hero...]
RoG audio support is pretty bad for such a premium product and I'm still wondering why there is no specific guidance to on board audio with a supposed DAC/Headphone amp?
Discovered my issues were related to Win 10 & Bluetooth implementations which made a Decent Shure BT headphone sound like a CHEAP call centre headset when attempting to use the inbuilt Shure microphone).
Then [for my ongoing MAXIMUS XIII microphone issues] I tried using a USB mic (recognised, not recording), then tried patching an old but trusty analogue stereo microphone from Sony (recognised, not recording). [Small help page here: https://rog.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1015713]
What is it Asus?
The only guidance I've found in the RoG forum here: https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?117596-DRIVERS-Realtek-Audio-(MB-Intel-2xx-3xx-4xx-5xx-6xx...
This thread is not dedicated to your motherboard (you need Realtek USB Audio Drivers, not Realtek Audio Drivers).
@G\'David, @Crimsomrider, @Saltgrass & all others ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard owners :
To begin with (if it is not done yet) :
- Updates your BIOS to the last : https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/ROG-MAXIMUS-Z690-HERO-ASUS-1003.ZIP
- Updates your Realtek USB Audio Firmware to the last (to run as admin) : https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/01AUDIO/USB_Audio_FW_Update_Tool_VID0B05_2021-11-25_ASUS.zip
- Updates your Realtek USB Audio Firmware to the last (to run as admin) : https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/01AUDIO/USB_Audio_FW_Update_Tool_VID0B05_2021-11-25_ASUS.zip
In a second time :
You have an ASUS ROG SS3|DTS Sound Unbound motherboard with ALC408x codec, so :
You need Realtek USB Audio Drivers (UAD - ASUS ROG SS3-DTS MB) from the first post of this thread : [DRIVERS] Realtek USB Audio (MB | Intel 5xx/6xx & AMD 5xx/6xx/TRX40).
Follow scrupulously your CLEANUP process then your INSTALL process, for the next drivers packages that I would release, you will can directly follow your UPDATE process.
Once it's done, if you are still experiencing crackling/popping issue, follow these 2 TIPS (also visible at the bottom of the first post, as indicated previously) :
If that was not enough to fix your crackling/popping issue, try by disabling PCI Express Link State Power Management in your power plan to avoid L0s/L1 state of PCI Express power management mechanism (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings of your current power plan > Change advanced power settings > PCI Express > Link State Power Management : Disabled) or by switching directly to the High performance power plan (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > High performance).
You need Realtek USB Audio Drivers (UAD - ASUS ROG SS3-DTS MB) from the first post of this thread : [DRIVERS] Realtek USB Audio (MB | Intel 5xx/6xx & AMD 5xx/6xx/TRX40).
Follow scrupulously your CLEANUP process then your INSTALL process, for the next drivers packages that I would release, you will can directly follow your UPDATE process.
Once it's done, if you are still experiencing crackling/popping issue, follow these 2 TIPS (also visible at the bottom of the first post, as indicated previously) :
1) Disable hibernation :
2) Enable MSI (Message Signaled-based Interrupts) mode on all your supported devices (see the column "supported modes") with MSI Mode Utility (Right click on "MSI_util_v3.exe" > Run as administrator), then Apply, then close MSI Mode Utility & restart your PC.
- Right-click Windows Start button then click Search.
- Search for cmd. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt and then click Run as administrator.
- If/When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
- At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off and then press Enter then close the Command Prompt.
- Restart your PC.
- Search for cmd. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt and then click Run as administrator.
- If/When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
- At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off and then press Enter then close the Command Prompt.
- Restart your PC.
2) Enable MSI (Message Signaled-based Interrupts) mode on all your supported devices (see the column "supported modes") with MSI Mode Utility (Right click on "MSI_util_v3.exe" > Run as administrator), then Apply, then close MSI Mode Utility & restart your PC.
If that was not enough to fix your crackling/popping issue, try by disabling PCI Express Link State Power Management in your power plan to avoid L0s/L1 state of PCI Express power management mechanism (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings of your current power plan > Change advanced power settings > PCI Express > Link State Power Management : Disabled) or by switching directly to the High performance power plan (Windows Control Panel > Power Options > High performance).
In a third time :
You need these other firmware/drivers for your ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard :
[FIRMWARE] Intel ME (H610/B660/H670/Z690)
[DRIVERS] Intel Chipset/MEI/SATA/VMD (1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel GNA (5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel Serial IO/Thunderbolt (3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel Ethernet/WiFi/Bluetooth
[DRIVERS] Intel Chipset/MEI/SATA/VMD (1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
- Intel Chipset Drivers
- Intel MEI Drivers (Drivers Only)
- Intel VMD Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 6xx
[DRIVERS] Intel GNA (5xx/6xx)
[DRIVERS] Intel Serial IO/Thunderbolt (3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)
- Intel Serial IO Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 6xx
- Intel Thunderbolt Drivers (Drivers Only)
[DRIVERS] Intel Ethernet/WiFi/Bluetooth
- Intel Ethernet Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - I225
- Intel WiFi Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 9xxx/AXxxx
- Intel Bluetooth Drivers (Drivers Only) :
Drivers - 8xxx/9xxx/AXxxx
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