Looking for updated Bang & Olufsen Audio Control for Windows 11 on Envy 17-aexxx

[taberconsulting]

I did the Win11 upgrade, and the old B&O audio app works only marginally.  Missing many features on the microphone/input page (specifically regarding noise cancellation, beam forming, etc.).

Is there an install package that includes a proper version of B&O?  The last upgrade for the audio drivers on this model is back in 2021, before Win11 was really out there.

[Pallipurath]

Hi @taberconsulting 

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query.

I understand that you have updated window 11 and the B&O audio works only marginally.I understand your concern regarding the missing Bang & Olufsen microphone features after upgrading the ENVY 17-ae series to Windows 11. However, the availability of features such as noise cancellation and beam forming depends on the audio driver and hardware-specific components, not solely on the B&O Audio Control application.

I checked HP'sdrivers page and HP provides drivers is based on the operating system supported for the specific product. For the ENVY 17-ae series, HP's driver page does not currently list Windows 11 for the model I checked, so there does not appear to be an officially supported Windows 11-specific B&O/audio package for this platform.

Check the installed audio hardware:

• Device Manager
• Sound, video and game controllers
• Note the exact audio device/driver, e.g. Realtek High Definition Audio.
• Also check Audio inputs and outputs for the microphone device.
• Check Apps → Installed apps for:
  • Bang & Olufsen Audio Control
  • HP Audio Switch
  • Realtek Audio Console
  • DTS/other audio-processing components

Run Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates → Driver updates. I specifically recommend Windows Update as another source of tested driver updates when an appropriate HP Windows 11 package isn't available.

Take care and have an amazing day!

[taberconsulting]

Thanks for your detailed reply!
The driver I'm currently running for the Realtek High Definition Audio is 6.0.8940.1

Looking at installed apps:

• B&O audio control is not shown (even though the app sort of runs, it was installed on Win10 before the upgrade)
• HP Audio Switch is version 1.0.179.0
• Realtek audio console is not there
• DTS stuff is not there

I don't see a download for either the B&O or the Realtek audio console -- were they all bundled with the audio driver package?  My current driver is newer than what's shown on this page https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/hp-envy-17-ae1000-laptop-pc-series/model/16895972?sku=2RX65AV&s... 

Should I uninstall what I've got and then download/install the latest driver from that page?  https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp95001-95500/sp95337.exe 

Thanks in advance for your response.

[Pallipurath]

Hi @taberconsulting 

Thank you for responding.

Since your system is currently running Realtek High Definition Audio driver version 6.0.8940.1, which is newer than the version listed on the HP driver page, I would not recommend uninstalling the existing driver or downgrading it solely to install the older SoftPaq.

I would recommend the following:

• Keep the current Realtek 6.0.8940.1 driver installed for now.
• Check the Microsoft Store for Bang & Olufsen Audio Control and see whether it can be installed or updated.
• Check Settings > Apps > Installed apps for any remaining HP/B&O audio components.
• If the B&O application is not available through the Microsoft Store and the audio enhancements are missing, we can investigate whether HP provides a compatible software package for this specific model.
• I would not recommend installing an older Realtek driver as a first step, particularly if the current audio driver is functioning correctly.

Have a good day.

[taberconsulting]

Following your steps:

• Keep the current Realtek 6.0.8940.1 driver installed for now.

Absolutely.  I know what hell audio drivers can be!

• Check the Microsoft Store for Bang & Olufsen Audio Control and see whether it can be installed or updated.

The Store's search engine is really bad, and it showed nothing useful.  But, by reading a bunch of Reddit posts, I found this:  https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nvbxd9b5ctj?hl=en-us&gl=us, which takes you to a page that points to the right place in the store for the updated app.  YAY. 
But when I click "get", the install fails because of a missing required driver:  Realtek-BOaudiocontrolHSA.inf
Is this inf & driver available somewhere?  
That file doesn't exist on my machine...from poking around in Google that inf file seems to be looking for version 11.0.6000.248 of BOAudioControlHSA.cat, part of the HP Audio Hardware Support Application (HSA).  I don't know if that cat file can be downloaded separately from the overall Realtek driver bundle.

• Check Settings > Apps > Installed apps for any remaining HP/B&O audio components.

Done -- nothing to uninstall from the "installed programs" list.  As I mentioned before, the B&O app was installed & running properly on Win10, and the app sort-of made it through the Win11 upgrade...but it's not officially "installed" on my system any more.  I suspect that the Win11 upgrade corrupted things...as the HP update system had updated my audio drivers 6 times since I first bought the machine.
NOTE:  it is clear https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn3P6eN1oE0 that the app has indeed been updated and shipped with HP laptops on Win11.

• If the B&O application is not available through the Microsoft Store and the audio enhancements are missing, we can investigate whether HP provides a compatible software package for this specific model.

Please do! 
HOWEVER, we may have an alternate path.  All I really need is a way to turn off or control the "noise reduction" feature for the laptop's microphone array--the rest of what's on my machine is fine and I'd like to minimize disruption. If it's just a registry hack, let me know the key name/value. As it is now, the settings make it so the built-in mics essentially don't work -- my voice is nearly cancelled as "noise"...which may be what humans think, too...but that's beside the point 😉
Let me know what you find...thanks!

• I would not recommend installing an older Realtek driver as a first step, particularly if the current audio driver is functioning correctly.

Got it.

[Hawks_Eye · Accepted solution]

Hi @taberconsulting 

Pallipurath is away for now; however, I'm Hawks_Eye, and I'll be happy to help you out!

Thank you for the detailed update and for sharing the results of your testing. I understand that after upgrading to Windows 11, the Bang & Olufsen Audio Control application is no longer fully functional, and your primary concern is regaining control of the microphone noise reduction features that are affecting microphone performance.

Based on the information provided, I would not recommend uninstalling the current Realtek driver (6.0.8940.1) or installing the older SoftPaq package from the support page, as this could remove newer Windows 11 audio components without guaranteeing that the missing B&O functionality will be restored.

The key detail is that the Microsoft Store version of Bang & Olufsen Audio Control is reporting a missing dependency (Realtek-BOAudioControlHSA.inf). This indicates that the required HP audio component associated with the original HP audio driver package is not currently registered in Windows. Unfortunately, HP does not provide the B&O Audio Control HSA component as a standalone download for the ENVY 17-ae series.

To minimize disruption while focusing on the microphone behavior, please check:

1. Settings > System > Sound > Input > Microphone Properties > Audio Enhancements.
2. If available, test with Audio Enhancements set to Off.
3. Open Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers, right-click the Realtek audio device, select Properties, and review the Enhancements or Advanced tabs for any microphone processing options.
4. Run Windows Update > Advanced Options > Optional Updates and install any available audio component updates.

If the Audio Enhancements option is not available, please share a screenshot of:

• Device Manager > Realtek audio device Properties (General and Driver tabs)
• Settings > System > Sound > Input > Microphone Properties

This will help determine whether Windows 11 is currently using HP-specific microphone processing components or only the generic Microsoft audio configuration.

I appreciate the troubleshooting you've already completed, and based on your findings, the focus should remain on identifying the active microphone enhancement layer rather than replacing the current audio driver.

Regards,

Hawks_Eye

[taberconsulting]

Thank you for your quick and thorough response!

• Settings > System > Sound > Input > Microphone Properties > Audio Enhancements.

Slightly different path on my system:  System > Sound > Properties > Microphone Array > Input Settings
I think that's gets me to exactly what you  were trying to get me to.  It shows, among other things, a microphone test button, a test mode, and (after a test is done), a Play button for the recorded test sample.  All those work and confirm that the mic is working but the signal is severely attenuated during processing (Audio Enhancements are currently set to Device Default Effects). 
I put the Input Volume slider all the way up, the input volume meter shows good signal, but that meter is showing the signal early in the audio chain, not the actual signal recorded during the test.
I then turned Audio Enhancements from Default to Voice Clarity, which then reveals a Voice Focus control that is set to Default.  A slight improvement for the test recording. Turning the voice clarity off improves things quite a bit.  But turning Audio Enhancements totally off improves things even more.  Yes, there is some hum, but the voice is so much clearer, it's actually usable for Zoom calls. 
YAY!

• Open Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers, right-click the Realtek audio device, select Properties, and review the Enhancements or Advanced tabs for any microphone processing options.

No such tab is presented there.  But that's OK.

• Run Windows Update > Advanced Options > Optional Updates and install any available audio component updates.

No such updates are available there.  But that's OK.

THANK YOU!!!