Realtek sound issues

[sandeep108]

Hi. I have a EX58-Extreme. Everything is stable with my i7 on stock cooling @3.0 (done by the system builder - I am a bit of a noob when it comes to this, especially the i7 architecture). I have only a problem with the sound.

I have a 5.1 speaker system which on test playback plays fine. But:

1. How can I enable 5.1 sound from stereo mp3 or other sources? I cannot find the equivalent cmss3d anywhere in the realtek sound manager.

2. Using a media player, I did enable through its mixer 5.1 sound, but the rear (side labeled by realtek) tend to crackle. On doing a bit of browsing, someone suggested it is the DES that causes this crackling.

3. Why do I not get the universal realtek sound manager screens when I have installed the realtek latest driver from realtek's site? It still shows Gigabyte on the windows. On one of the screenshots of the universal realtek sound manager there is a check box 'speaker fill'. Why is this not there on the gigabyte sound manager?

Can anybody help? TIA.

[profJim]

Re: Realtek sound issues

A quick google search using:
realtek "speaker fill"
looks like there are some answers to your questions.

Which operating system are you running?
What is the brand and model # of your 5.1 speaker system?

Disable DES to see if this helps.
Have you tried switching the "rear" speaker connector with the front speaker connector to see if the crackle changes?

Download the freeware DPC Latency Checker to see if this might be part of the problem.

[sandeep108]

Re: Realtek sound issues

Thanks for your reply. But unfortunately, the google search is not throwing up any solutions, either for the speaker fill or the distortion. Most of the posts are for Vista/W7, but I am running xp pro sp3. I should have that option, but I do not.

If I change the jack assignments - switch front / rear, then the crackle goes to the front.

I have my speaker system set up as 6ch but with that realtek will not accept the rear speakers as 'rear' speakers, but only as 'side' speakers. Maybe I should set it as 8ch and then use the jack assignments to set the rear as rear, leave the side speakers empty and see what happens.

I will keep updated this thread after trying out various options perhaps tomorrow (not had time yet to get into this).

[profJim]

Re: Realtek sound issues

My suggestion was to physically switch the front and rear speaker plugs to see if the crackle changes, which would indicate a physical problem with the speaker wires or connector plug. Your approach indicates that the problem is with the mobo's rear panel jack, and not with the speaker plug or cable.

Your 8-channel setting with with your rear speakers plugged into the lower gray connector should work fine. As I recall, you'll need to set the speaker assignment to SIDE speakers with this setup for your rear speakers to work.

My Logitech Z5500 setup let's me chose different playback modes including digital (optical or coax), stereo, stereo x2, music, PLII movie or music, or 6 channel direct. If you'll post your music hardware setup, someone might be able to help you with setup options.

When you installed your Realtek drivers to replace the Gigabyte drivers, did you first uninstall the older drivers from your system?

[sandeep108]

Re: Realtek sound issues

My suggestion was to physically switch the front and rear speaker plugs to see if the crackle changes, which would indicate a physical problem with the speaker wires or connector plug. Your approach indicates that the problem is with the mobo's rear panel jack, and not with the speaker plug or cable.

I did not think there was a physical problem at all, since the test play in the speaker settings is perfect.

Your 8-channel setting with with your rear speakers plugged into the lower gray connector should work fine. As I recall, you'll need to set the speaker assignment to SIDE speakers with this setup for your rear speakers to work.

But with 6ch setup selected, I can ONLY set the 'rear' speakers as 'side' speakers. Unless I select 8ch, the realtek speaker panel will not allow me to select that jack as 'rear'.

My Logitech Z5500 setup let's me chose different playback modes including digital (optical or coax), stereo, stereox2, music, PLII movie or music, or 6 channel direct. If you'll post your music hardware setup, someone might be able to help you with setup options.

I have a standard AV receiver set to 6ch direct. With my earlier system/sound card - Creative Audigy 2ZS, everything was absolutely perfect. I only had a bit of initial problems with the center / LFE, (was plugging into the line-in at first) and then when plugged into the correct jack a bit of a loose connection in the adapter from stereo mini to RCA. I would simply select bass management (could select the sub cross over frequency as well), and enable cmss 3d and I would get surround on my mp3s through any media player.

When you installed your Realtek drivers to replace the Gigabyte drivers, did you first uninstall the older drivers from your system?

This time around when installing the latest 2.29 from realtek's site I did. Maybe last time (upgrading from 2.23 to 2.26), I did not - cannot remember really.

[profJim]

Re: Realtek sound issues

But with 6ch setup selected, I can ONLY set the 'rear' speakers as 'side' speakers. Unless I select 8ch, the realtek speaker panel will not allow me to select that jack as 'rear'.

This appears to be a quirk with the Realtek drivers. I prefer to think of it as UDF, Unintentioned Design Feature.

AC3Filter let's me play true 5.1 AC3/DTS surround sound music files using WinAmp.

[sandeep108]

Re: Realtek sound issues

I think the problem I have resolved in the following manner:

1. Set the speaker system to 8ch and now you can actually select rear for the rear. The sound certainly fills out a lot more than setting the rears as sides.

2. Use foobar2000 with channel/matrix mixer (allows superb control over each channel) or maybe winamp with the correct plugin. Other media players like iTunes - I have no clue, but certainly Windows Media Player cannot. Possibly the SRS/DFX plugins (you have to pay for them)

3. The crackling seemed to disappear with disabling and re-enabling DES with the latest Realtek drivers. Possibly disabling the CPU throttling also helped. Since I cannot now notice it, I am not sure whether the latest drivers fixed it or the DES. Most likely the DES, since when I disabled it, there was a brief crackle. Maybe I would need to do this on each boot if it recurs.

But still no native speaker fill option in the realtek sound manager, even in 8ch mode.

Thanks a ton profJim for the help and hope the above helps others.

[sandeep108]

Re: Realtek sound issues

But in any event, an audio CD played through the same system with a medium end CD player sounds far better in normal stereo mode than mp3s (even though I am paranoid about the encoding) through realtek anyway. It is just that the music on a PC is easier accessed / played / organised.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Realtek sound issues

Nice workaround!!

So did you test in Xp and Vista for the feature you are looking for? The Fill option? I just ask because I know the drivers and interface are very different for each

[sandeep108]

Re: Realtek sound issues

I only have xp and the interface has the gigabyte logos on all dialogs/windows. I cannot find the speaker fill option anywhere, though it is supposed to be there for xp.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Realtek sound issues

What did you see this option shown in xp on, the manual or somewhere else? Can you show me an image of this option on the interface if it is not in your manual?

Just wondering so I can look further into this for you as I can test on any OS here.

I do not see this option on Vista anywhere, so I need to know what image you are looking at so I can know what to look for. If it is just some random image, or even one in a manual, it could be older interface and not an actual setting available anymore.

Gigabyte logo will be there, even if you download direct from Realtek so that is nothing to worry about.

*EDIT*

I found an image of what you mean, looks to me like they removed that option or integrated it into something else possibly?

See here is mine in Vista (R2.29 Drivers) and the option is not there >>

RealTek Downloaded Drivers



Looks to be a 2007 post, so like I said you may also have been looking at a older interface >>



5.1 Sound Problem in Vista :( - Neowin Forums


So I am not sure what to suggest or say other then maybe please email RealTek and ask them if this setting should be visible for you. Here is their contact page >>
Realtek

Let us know what they have to say

[sandeep108]

Re: Realtek sound issues

I have attached the images from my Sound Manager - see how different they are in xp. Lots of posts moaning about why realtek removed that option from the drivers in Vista, but most say they should be there in xp.

[sandeep108]

Re: Realtek sound issues

Second image

[sandeep108]

Re: Realtek sound issues

third image

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Realtek sound issues

Ya I knew they were very different in XP, that's why I wanted to see an image of what you had seen showing this option in XP.

Can you please show me? But Like I said It may just have been an older removed feature?