Low volume from sound card?

[mccoady]

I have a new computer and have been playing phone tag (the last couple of days) with the salesman where I bought it and the retail store is closed on the weekends but maybe someone can help. I'm getting low volume from my speakers when playing any music or voices but have normal sound like say when Windows theme (XP Pro) starts after rebooting and email notification sounds. I've clicked on the Windows volume control and all the sliders are full up and nothing is muted. I'm using powered speakers and I've also tried the new small speakers that came with the computer but with the same results. My sound card or chip seems to be a SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC or at least that what's Belarc Advisor program says. If I turn Windows Volume way up and the volume control on my powered speakers way up I can hear music but at at a very low volume. I'm still installing programs on my computer but I first noticed the volume issue when I tried to run Windows Narrator and I could barely hear it.

On the back of the computer there is a green jack (supposed to be speaker), a blue jack (line in), a pink jack (mic) plus an orange, black, and digital jack which I don't know what there for. I'm plugged into the green speaker jack, any ideas?

[Joe The Dude]

You might want to pick up a cheap PCI Soundcard at a local store, such as a SoundBlaster Live or SoundBlaster Audigy, and test it out to see if the issue lies with your onboard sound chip.

[redwudz]

Besides your audio levels, there should be another selector in 'Control Panel>Sounds and Audio Devices Properties. On my computer there is a another whole set of volume controls, one for each of the six sound channel outputs.

Mine are all set to max there, though the volume control of the sound card still has various settings. Besides this, and probably more applicable to your problem; Click on the 'Advanced' button you should see there. That will take you to the speaker selector. Make sure it is set on 'Desktop stereo speakers' or similar. If it's set on some type of surround sound output and you are using just the regular stereo speakers, that may be the problem. Mine has 13 different selections from no speakers to 7.1 wide configuration speakers.

And I don't have a clue on what all the settings mean.

If all this fails, and I'm assuming a on-motherboard sound 'card', you might think about a separate sound card if you have a free PCI slot.

Sound card outputs have gotten fairly complicated as of late. You apparently have a digital sound output also. Those are usually called 'coaxial' and hook to your home theater amplifier. Not sure about the orange and black. But your MB manual should tell you.

And the 'green' one should be speakers output.

[mccoady]

Redwudz I have already tried what you suggested and I was able to boost the volume a little but it doesn't solve the problem. After further experimenting I am finding that when playing cds with both iTunes and Windows Media player that the volume fluctuates from loud to low with some distortion so there must be more going on here.

I didn't realize I didn't have a sound card but it sounds like it is just an onboard chip so I guess I will have to wait until Monday to talk to my dealer about this.

[redwudz]

I think the majority of motherboards these days have on-board audio. Part of the reason is motherboards have less PCI slots available and putting it on-board saves a slot. The newer PCI-E MBs often have 3 or maybe 4 maximum because the rest of the MB is taken up by all the new 'features'. If it's a new computer, I would definitely have the dealer either show you how to make it work, or refund your money. If you have tried all the fixes, it's either defective or has some unusual default settings.

[mccoady]

Okay thanks!