Volume Swings During Songs with Beats Audio Enabled?

[ismakoch]

I have a Pavilion dv6 7014nr and the workaround "solved" the problem.

Volume don't swing anymore and its much more louder and powerful than any other notebook. The enhancements that audio beats should provide don't work with the workaround.

Hope it helps to answer your questions.

[chryslerE]

Disabling Beats make your speakers sound bass-less, which is unacceptable for me, because quality speakers were one of HP's sell points when advertising this product. Speakers sound worse than average notebook speakers, but do still reproduce sound without distortions or modifications.

[HelPme2299]

Thanks chrysler. So how are you dealing with the beats audio? Did you install the 6.10.6418.0 driver from HP that was supposed to fix the problem? If so, did it fix it for you?

[HelPme2299]

Thanks ismakoch. I'm sure you tried the 6.10.6418.0 driver. What was your experience with it. HP claims that if fixes the problem. Did it stop the leveling at all?

[dcha]

My laptop will die before the Beats speaker will function properly!

Please sign the petition here to make HP fix this horrible issue:

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/hewlett-packard-fix-volume-swings-on-envy-and-pavillon-comput...

[KGB999]

I fixed the issue very quickly.  I'm using an ENVY M6 with Windows 8, but this should work on older DV models.  This is not my ideal solution, but works well.  Also, a warning: this solution unlocks the sound card, which is VERY LOUD once the limiter, compressor, and all the other junk effects are removed.  You also lose the EQ controls, but don't really need them, since disabling Beats Audio makes the sound very clear.  

Follow these steps:

1) Press [Windows] + [X] on your keyboard and go to Device Manager

2) Go to Sound, video and game controllers

3) Click on IDT High Definition Audio CODEC

4) Click on the Driver tab

5) Click on Update Driver

6) Select Browse my computer for driver software

7) Select Let me pick from a list of device driver on my computer

😎 Select High Definition Audio Device

9) Read the warning and click Yes if you understand the risk

10) Restart computer

When your computer restarts:

1) Click on the Volume Control (little speaker) on the bottom right of the task bar.

2) Click on Speakers

3) Click on Enhancements tab

4) If you don't know much about audio, and to help prevent speaker, headphone, ear damage, click on the Loudness Equalization and click Settings, then move the slider to 3/5 or 4/5 towards Long, then click on OK and Apply

5) Enjoy AWESOME sound.

BE CAREFUL, the unlocked IDT sound chip is VERY LOUD, and based on my audio engineering experience, I would not recommend listening to it at more than at 45% volume without the Loudness Equalization activated.  I'm listening to a modern CD, and without the limiter and compressor, at 50% volume, the level borders on EAR DAMAGING LEVEL on my headphones.  Also, without the pre-installed limiter, higher volume MAY DAMAGE YOUR SPEAKERS.

A little about my solution:

This solution basically replaces the IDT driver with a Microsoft driver.  If you damage your laptop by using it, your warranty may not cover the repairs, so please, please, please use the limiter or be careful.  On the same note, don't damage yourself either; hearing loss is very hard to self-diagnose, as you lose hearing progressively by losing sensitivity to some higher frequencies.  It doesn't "feel" any particular way, you just notice that you stopped hearing the birds chirping and the leaves rustling one day, so don't blast your music.  

Lastly, I'll likely revisit this solution again sometime, as I'd prefer to use the IDT driver and have my EQ work.  This is possible by going through the IDT folder in Program Files, and essentially hacking the settings files in a text editor, but it's rather time consuming and difficult.

[KGB999]

I forgot to add: having no EQ doesn't help your speaker sound much, but you can boost the bass through the Enhancements settings, by adding 9 or 12dB at 75Hz.

[dcha]

Thanks KGB999! Works for me! The Microsoft driver is a great intermediate fix for my tunes! Now we need a HP solution to the sofware problem with BEATS...

Please sign the petition here to make HP fix this horrible issue:

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/hewlett-packard-fix-volume-swings-on-envy-and-pavillon-comput...

[clartin]

Brilliant. Thanks so much KGB999, that has provided a workable fix for me. 

[HTrain13]

Hello and thank you for the fix, I am going to test it right now

Update:

It's alive. It works.

Thank you so much.

Kudos for you.