Question Is it possible to use a 2.1 speaker setup in Windows 11?

[utahraptor]

I have the left and right speakers set to the speaker port on the motherboard. I have the subwoofer attached to the center/subwoofer port. No matter what setting I try I can't get any audio to do go to the subwoofer except during the speaker config test built into windows. During that test the subwoofer does produce audio.

Sadly I don't think its possible to get subwoofer output for a realtek onboard sound solution. If I set audio to mono I get shitty sound out of the sub, but its not usable.

 

[Paperdoc]

You do have to tell your sound system that you are using 2.1 sound speakers, not just stereo. You MAY have to tell it that the subwoofer is plugged into a specified (you specify the socket colour) socket.

 

[OlyAR15]

It sounds like you set your speakers to full range.

 

[fralexandr]

Does your sub have any inputs and outputs? If yes use those. Then windows should recognize it as stereo and you can set it to full range.

You could also go with a relatively cheap usb dac with sub output.

 

[utahraptor]

So apparently it actually was working. The issue is that Windows 11 does not have a built in cross over to push bass to the sub channel when playing stereo content as far as I know. When I loaded a game and set it to home cinema it activated the subwoofer channel and its working.

My settings:









My question to you now is regarding whether or not Windows 11 can enable a crossover in software to send bass to the sub channel for stereo content or is there a 3rd party app or utility that can enable function? Is there something really hidden in the Realtek Driver software I am just not finding?

Edit: This is so frustrating. Its not actually working right. Apparently if you select only some of the optional speakers the game still maps sound out to all 5 speakers for a 5.1 setup so I figured out I was missing almost all of the dialog because that was being sent to the center speaker which is not enabled. I think the only way to do this is with a proper receiver receiving a stereo signal and breaking it out into 2.1.

 

[mindless1]

Do you have the full Realtek driver & software packages downloaded from them, or just the basic driver Microsoft provides? I'd get the former if you don't have that and look around in the Realtek application.

 

[OlyAR15]

Like I already stated, it is because you set your speakers to full range. Of course Windows won’t use your subwoofer. Pure user error.

 

[utahraptor]

Like I already stated, it is because you set your speakers to full range. Of course Windows won’t use your subwoofer. Pure user error.

As I understand it the full range setting is for use on speakers that are capable of outputting all frequencies. It is not to be used on high range only or small speakers. Setting the left and right channel to full range does not restrict bass from being output to the lower channel speakers. It is an independent setting. For instance if you have large tower speakers next to your TV you would not restrict them from receiving the full range as it would effectively keep the woofers from getting their full use. The LFE or sub channel is "in addition" to your existing bass and not an on/off switch in which it is doing all or none of it.

 

[slpaulson]

I haven’t messed around with any of these Windows settings in ages, but I would think that setting your L/R speakers to full range is the culprit. If your subwoofer is connected to the separate subwoofer channel you need the software crossover to send low frequencies in the L/R channels to the subwoofer channel which is only going to happen if they aren’t set to full range.