Asus k55n with low volume

[ZippyDan]

I have a new(ly acquired but slightly used) Asus k55n series notebook.

I feel like the sound is too low ... not unhearable but maybe 50% of what it should be. Running Windows 8 and I have double checked and Windows settings are at maximum. I also have double checked with the Fn+F12 key (which raises the volume).

I have also double-checked with the different applications and they are maxed out as well. If I use VLC and set the Volume to max (which is 125%), then the sound feels "normal" if I'm sitting in front of the laptop, but still not enough to play music in a room at a decent volume (my old Dell Studio worked fine for this).

Some youtube videos I can barely hear at all, but since there is a wide variety of volume levels there, I tried grooveshark and it is really hard to hear songs at their average play volume.

Any ideas on what else I could check here?

 

[sheh]

How is it with headphones?

Is it possible your pervious laptop was just louder?

 

[ZippyDan]

yes, my old laptop was probably just louder... but this is no "small" laptop. it is 15.6" and it is from Asus. I've used a tiny 10" netbook from Acer also that understandably had tiny sound, mostly because it only had one speaker and that speaker was UNDERNEATH the case.

there is also an "Altec" brand logo at the top right of my keyboard. now, I know Altec may not be the best speaker manufacturer in the business, but I have found that any time a laptop-maker goes out of their way to put the brand of speaker on the casing, you should expect some "decent" quality sound (my old Dell had "JBL" markings in the same area).

the other thing is that, when I pump VLC's output to 125%, it doesn't sound at all like the speakers are "straining". in fact, it sounds comfortably loud with some room to go up even higher. I know on my tiny Acer or my larger Dell, if I pump up the sound to 125%, sometimes it just sounds like it is "too loud" for the speakers.

I don't have a handy pair of headphones to try just yet (I have some USB headphones, but since those have their own "soundcard", it wouldn't really be testing anything...)

 

[ZippyDan]

Well I just installed the latest version of the Realtek HD Audio drivers and it seems maybe 20% louder. Still not as loud as I'd like but I guess I'll take it.

 

[sheh]

I decided to skip the Realtek drivers package. With them, at least without tweaking, Windows lost the ability to treat headphones volume seprately. On the other hand, they probably provide a mixdown channel which lets you record everything together. On the other other hand they include a bunch of junk of unknown purpose.