G751 Imbalanced Sound Problem (internal speakers only), FIX IS OUT!

[Jlieu]

http://support.asus.com/Download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=Audio&os=30

download the latest Version V6.0.1.7427

No new UI as promised. lol

Edit by cl-Albert: Hope it's okay to edit your post Jlieu, but anybody that wants to read more about the original problem and gory history of this issue may want to check this post below which is currently closed while we check out this new *.7432 G751 audio driver version at this post. Thanks.

G751 Imbalanced Sound Problem OFFICIAL SUPPORT THREAD
https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?54313-G751-Imbalanced-Sound-Problem-OFFICIAL-SUPPORT-THREA...

[fidelity101]

Why don't they list it in the correct location? Has anyone tried those drivers on the G751JY?

http://www.asus.com/us/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ASUS_ROG_G751JY/HelpDesk_Download/

[cip_bleah]

It is sad that until now the best drivers are still the windows drivers, the one with 2 separate sound cards. No cracking..and the sub can play without buzzing when set up correctly, even at maximum. Maxxaudio is not even working as it should, it is missing the speaker size selection.
Any setting (action,multimedia..etc) is just there to mess with the sound..not make it better.
Lowering the 250hz setting in eq is good because the sub is vibrating at that frequency, but that should be handled by the sub crossover, and all the buzzing would disappear.

[n0way]

Hello!

I could really, like REALLY appreciate some advice and feedback. Very long story as short as possible:

I did buy a G751-JY a couple of months ago, heard the thing play music and returned it. It would make a crackling (?) sound on low frequencies (I thought it to be around 200) on anything above like 30% of volume output. After I've returned it I checked the ROG forums and I realized that there was plenty of people reporting and describing issues similar to mine. Time passed, ASUS released a driver that apparently fixed everything and I have decided I will buy it again. Only, my girlfriend bought one first and it arrived today.

Exact same problem, exactly the same crackling noises on low freq. Know no fear though, drivers are here. Problem is, they do not solve anything. There is either little or no improvement at all, and I did everything in my power to make sure that it is not my fault.

I did re-check and reinstall drivers twice. I modified volume levels. I have checked is the sub playing high freq. sounds and no, it doesn't seem so. I did pin-point which frequency is causing most of the issue (500 range) and did my best to work around it. You name it. I even uninstalled Realtek's miracle and checked how the damn thing sounds when commanded by Windows drivers - didn't help much or I didn't know how to configure it properly. Agonizing pleas of torn paper still present.

Because I guess that some of you would appreciate if I was to be more specific, below I am linking 2 short recordings made with my phone (apologies for the quality and orientation, it's really late and I have work in the morning). It's the same song played on the G751-JY and on an old DELL Inspiron 17R SE. Same volume levels as well, both machines set to 80%.

track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v4kaE_XbR8
ASUS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgVNZwsvzd4&feature=youtu.be
DELL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_v-i5WyrwA&feature=youtu.be

Drivers and settings:
http://imgur.com/LkAcD0K
http://imgur.com/U1yJ3pe

(I have also tried many different combinations of volume levels and equalizer settings, including cutting out the 500 hertz range entirely but it made everything sound way too off to tolerate, MAXLEVELER on and off etc.).

.. and now, tell me, because I am starting to think that I might be actually crazy and this is how the "fixed" version is supposed to sound? Or maybe it is a unit with a hardware defect, slightly blown speaker? Honestly, no idea what to think anymore. Should we RMA again? :rolleyes:

Please advise!

Regards,
n

[hmscott]

n0way, congrats on the persistence 🙂

I think a little more tuning might get you there. G750 and G751 have the same basic components and same subwoofer overdriven distortion problems out of the box - the subwoofer level is set too high. The G750 also had bad Realtek drivers for 8 months after release, and even after Realtek started coming out with "fixed" drivers, there are sound anomalies.

First, you gave a lot of good details, but didn't mention which Realtek driver version you loaded. The first fixed version was V6.0.1.7427 and then .7432 showed up soon after. Now we are up to version .7459

Notebook Audio drivers - Realtek Version V6.0.1.7459 - current confirmed to work on G751/G750, if you find a newer release version that works, please post the version number, URL, and G750/G751 model it works on.
http://support.asus.com/Download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=Audio&os=30

The 500hz slider on the equalizer is a bit high and out of the range of the subwoofer, so you might try the 250 slider as that seems to greatly reduce the distortion in the subwoofer when overdriven to distortion. On some material reducing some of the lower sliders can help too, or reduce the dedicated Level for the Subwoofer

The other level to tune for the subwoofer is the dedicated slider for the subwoofer found in the Sound Control Panel => Playback => right click on Speakers select Properties => Select Levels tab in Sound Properties Dialog => Subwoofer => I start at 50% and go up from there depending on the material. Leaving it at 60-65% works on most material but I still get a growl once in a while 🙂

Some have gone so far s to open up the laptop to make sure the Sub is mounted well and have packed deadening material around it. I doubt you need to go that far, and if you think you do then return it or RMA it for repair.

On some material, even on my G750JH - I notice predominant Right side speaker overpowering the left - and if I use the Balance button in the same Levels tab for the Main Sound level and slide the Right Balance level all the way to 0 it now sounds correct level right to left - but if I plug in headphones on the same material I need to put the Right Level all the way back up otherwise the Right earpiece is dead.

If you want better sound, get wireless headphones, wired headphones, external speakers, or take the TOSLINK output from the headphone jack and feed a receiver..

Just like most TV's, you will not get the best sound from a laptop - the space just isn't conducive to wonderful sound production 🙂

[n0way]

Hi hmscott, thanks for appreciating my efforts.

I did provide info regarding loaded drivers, its in the attached screenshots. I also did everything you're suggesting but the horrible crackling as in the video footage doesn't want to go away.
I guess what I am really looking forward to is for someone who owns the G751jy and who did notice an improvement with the new drivers to spare a minute, look at provided footage and song I've used for testing purposes and tell me - is something wrong with my girlfriend's unit or does it sound bad for them as well due to a low quality sub and I'm trying to move a mountain here.

Also, if someone with a G751jy manages to play the beginning of linked song without any noticable distortion sharing audio settings would be much, much appreciated. Please? Anybody?

PS. And yeah, I know its a laptop but my old Dell 17R SE which costed half the money plays the exact same track on the exact same volume without any issues (again, as shown in the linked video). A 5 year old ROG has no problems as well.

[egs42]

n0way wrote:
Hi hmscott, thanks for appreciating my efforts.

I did provide info regarding loaded drivers, its in the attached screenshots. I also did everything you're suggesting but the horrible crackling as in the video footage doesn't want to go away.
I guess what I am really looking forward to is for someone who owns the G751jy and who did notice an improvement with the new drivers to spare a minute, look at provided footage and song I've used for testing purposes and tell me - is something wrong with my girlfriend's unit or does it sound bad for them as well due to a low quality sub and I'm trying to move a mountain here.

Also, if someone with a G751jy manages to play the beginning of linked song without any noticable distortion sharing audio settings would be much, much appreciated. Please? Anybody?

PS. And yeah, I know its a laptop but my old Dell 17R SE which costed half the money plays the exact same track on the exact same volume without any issues (again, as shown in the linked video). A 5 year old ROG has no problems as well.

Hi n0way. I used your same youtube link with my settings and cranked up all volume levels (youtube and main mixer panel) and did get some crackling on my G751JY. I'm currently running version 7432 of the drivers. As an experiment, I kept replaying that intro of the video at full volume playing with the equalizer but crackling was still heard for the settings I tried. I also have attached a screenshot with my current Realtek audio settings.

What I *DID* see if I raise my laptop and press firmly on the the bottom of the laptop where the subwoofer speaker is and on the top left the of trackpad, I can make the crackling go away sometimes. That seems to imply to me that it is somewhat related to how the speaker is mounted inside. Does anyone have any pictures of the speaker is mounted? Maybe we just need some rubber gasket type material so the speaker doesn't vibrate against the plastic?

[joshindaphils]

egs42 wrote:
Does anyone have any pictures of the speaker is mounted? Maybe we just need some rubber gasket type material so the speaker doesn't vibrate against the plastic?

Here is a pic of the sub, the sub didn't get taken apart from the chassis so that is as good as I got. I suspect what is happening is that the ribbon cable above the sub (for the card reader) is vibrating against the keyboard on some of the units. I am fortunate enough not to have this issue, though I would guess taping the ribbon cable down would clean up the sound if this is indeed the case. You might be able to test this theory by pushing down on the palm rest just above the sub and see if it temporarily remediates the issue.



More disassembly pics over here: https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?59354-G751JY-Disassembly-Pics

[joshindaphils]

egs42,

Wow okay I just noticed your EQ... you can't expect a ~+22dB bump on your low end frequencies and not have any distortion... You will be basically sending a square wave for anything in that range has a high volume on the source material... You may introduce clipping with the smallest positive EQ (digital).

[cip_bleah]

n0way, you should stop trying realtek drivers. This is not for everyone.
Try the windows drivers together with virtual audio cable http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm , but it is a paid app.
I will not get into much details because it is a little harder than just installing drivers and nobody wants to try this. You have 2 sound cards with the windows drivers, and need to play audio at the same time through both, this is why you need virtual audio cable.
You only need to set up the subwoofer output to play mostly bass.
Make sure in playback devices witch one is the sub and rename it, then in properties, enhancements select bass boost, 100Hz, 24dB.
You will lose some things from drivers (like headphone out) but if sound quality is what you need try it. It works in games and all but VAC needs to be started every time windows starts. Set Line 1(VAC) as default audio device and use audio repeater (MME) from vac in 2 instances to send audio to speakers and sub, set total buffer to 50ms to avoid desync.
I hope somebody will at least try this to see the difference.

[n0way]

I would be willing to try this but I dont think I'm ready to sacrifice such a basic feature as headphones functionality, I'd rather have such things working. Especially that I'm still not sure how a ,,fixed,, G751jy is supposed to sound like and that's what I am trying to find out.