Why is the audio TERRIBLE on my HP Omen 15?

[bporter6]

About 6 months ago, a driver update destroyed the audio. Ever since then I have done dozens of driver updates, driver rollbacks, alternative audio managers, etc. It will be good quality but way too quiet. It will be loud but crackly as hell. Sometimes it is both crackly as hell AND barely audible. Generally the audio has just plain turned to trash. I can get it to work for a couple of days and it sounds great, so I know it's not a hardware issue, but it keeps going back to GARBAGE quality and I don't even understand why.  I have reset different settings approximately 150 times. I spent several days doing nothing but trying different fixes. All fixes are temporary and it goes back to sucking super hard within 1-5 days.

I have a 15-en0023dx with Bang and Olufsen audio (supposedly. There is no longer any actual sign of any B&O software or any quality audio at all). Windows 10.

Could it be because I have multiple drivers? I have drivers for AMD audio, Realtek audio, and NVIDIA High Def audio. Are they conflicting? Like what in the everloving name of god is going on and why does this keep happening?

[Lachs]

This looks like a driver conflict between Realtek Audio and the AMD Audio CoProcessor.

Which driver version (Driver) and hardware ID (Details) does the AMD Audio CoProcessor have? Can be found in the Device Manager > System devices > AMD Audio CoProcessor > (see above).

If hardware ID:

PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_15E2&SUBSYS_15E21022&REV_00

or

PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_15E2&SUBSYS_15E21022&REV_01

then the driver version should be 2.xx.x.xx, version 6.x.x.xx causes these problems.

The correct driver can be found in the Microsoft Update Catalog.

[bporter6]

Thank you so much for responding and helping me get some clues on this issue. I had to wait a couple of days because I got frustrated and deleted all my drivers again before you responded, and the audio was perfect for a couple of days. Just now while I was watching a Youtube video, the audio very suddenly flipped over to major suckage  so I went ahead and checked the drivers.

AMD CoProcessor:

Device PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_15E2&SUBSYS_8786103C&REV_01\4&12c9051d&0&0541 was configured.

Driver Name: oem38.inf
Class Guid: {4d36e97d-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}
Driver Date: 06/07/2024
Driver Version: 6.0.0.92
Driver Provider: AMD
Driver Section: ACP_3_1.NT
Driver Rank: 0xFF2000
Matching Device Id: PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_15E2&REV_01
Outranked Drivers: oem41.inf:PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_15E2&REV_01:00FF2000 oem168.inf:PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_15E2&REV_01:00FF2000
Device Updated: true
Parent Device: PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_1635&SUBSYS_16351022&REV_00\3&11583659&0&41

It looks like this may be the issue.

I'm kind of confused about the downloads here though that you linked. I am running Win10 Version 10.0.19045 Build 19045. Some of the drivers on this list say "Windows 10, version 1903 and later" and some say "Windows 10, Vibranium and later." I am unclear on Vibranium or how that fits into the timeline. Obviously unless Vibranium is Win10 v1903, one of those came out after the other one so how can they both be "and later"? Or maybe Win 10 1903 is in fact Vibranium, and it doesn't even matter which one I pick?

[Lachs]

These are just different names for older Windows 10 versions, but it also says "and later". SUBSYS_8786103C does not match, but since you can only search in the Windows Update Catalog without it, it should fit.

To unpack the cap archive, it is advisable to use unpacking software such as 7-zip.

A test for the problem: Right-click on the loudspeaker symbol in the systray at the bottom right > surround sound > click on deactivate (even if a check mark has already been set) should also temporarily eliminate the noise.

[bporter6]

OK, I gave it a shot but it did not work. The audio is still super crunchy even when listening to someone talking. I could not test out the thing you mentioned because I do not have an option for surround sound. I used to but the driver updates have stripped away most of my audio options. It's so frustrating that "updates" have resulted in my computer downgrading.

I got some errors when updating the cab file:

An error occurred trying to open - C:\Users\bporter6\Desktop\2cd774b4-41ee-4f0f-858b-dd823a75f341_2969cab45c48838c3068f132cc5fcbd385c297b3.cab Error: 0x80070002

Error: 2

The system cannot find the file specified.

The DISM log file can be found at C:\Windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log

Here's what I think is the significant part of the log. Any ideas?

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Info                  DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=15596 TID=20396 Attempting to route to appropriate command handler. - CPackageManagerCLIHandler::ExecuteCmdLine

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Info                  DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=15596 TID=20396 Routing the command... - CPackageManagerCLIHandler::ExecuteCmdLine

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Info                  DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=15596 TID=20396 Encountered the option "packagepath" with value "C:\Users\BPORTER6\Desktop\2cd774b4-41ee-4f0f-858b-dd823a75f341_2969cab45c48838c3068f132cc5fcbd385c297b3.cab" - CPackageManagerCLIHandler::Private_GetPackagesFromCommandLine

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Error                 DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=15596 TID=20396 Failed opening package. - CDISMPackageManager::Internal_CreatePackageByPath(hr:0x80070002)

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Error                 DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=15596 TID=20396 Failed to get the underlying CBS package. - CDISMPackageManager::OpenPackageByPath(hr:0x80070002)

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Error                 DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=15596 TID=20396 Failed to open the package at location: "C:\Users\BPORTER6\Desktop\2cd774b4-41ee-4f0f-858b-dd823a75f341_2969cab45c48838c3068f132cc5fcbd385c297b3.cab" - CPackageManagerCLIHandler::ProcessPackagePath(hr:0x80070002)

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Error                 DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=15596 TID=20396 Failed while processing command add-package. - CPackageManagerCLIHandler::ExecuteCmdLine(hr:0x80070002)

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Info                  DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=15596 TID=20396 Further logs for online package and feature related operations can be found at %WINDIR%\logs\CBS\cbs.log - CPackageManagerCLIHandler::ExecuteCmdLine

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Error                 DISM   DISM.EXE: DISM Package Manager processed the command line but failed. HRESULT=80070002

2024-08-25 01:23:06, Info                  DISM   DISM Provider Store: PID=15596 TID=20396 Found the OSServices.  Waiting to finalize it until all other providers are unloaded. - CDISMProviderStore::Final_OnDisconnect

[Lachs]

A driver installation with DISM is not appropriate here. Try this instead:

Download the driver > unpack it into a folder with an unpacker like 7-Zip > in the Device Manager > Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers > Browse button and select the folder with extracted files from the CAB file > OK > Next > Close
Sometimes a restart is necessary afterwards.

[bporter6]

Yes!!! OK, this did not work-- it help telling me "The best drivers for your device are already installed." Instead I selected Have Disk > the unzipped folder from the Update Catalog > picked the .inf file and it installed. My audio is now loud and clear again. 

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. I have been reduced to using a bluetooth speaker just to hear people in Zoom meetings.

I will never again touch this driver. But will Windows updates ever touch this now that it has been manually fixed? I generally don't ever allow them unless something goes wrong (however sometimes they cause things to go wrong.)