Poly Sync 20 Speaker Static and Garbled audio as well as Remote feedback complaints,

[Jmanis2]

What you were doing & experienced

I've been very happy with the Poly Sync 20 for a while now but starting around when I upgraded to Win11 I've experienced many issues with call quality both on my end of the connection and remotely.  On my end sound will become clipped, garbled or staticy and I can only describe it as sounding like some sort of USB bandwidth or interference issue.  Remote participants report excessive background noise despite my location being in a quiet office, as well as reports of echos/feedback that is resolved when they mute me mute myself.

Steps to recreate

Most all of my Teams calls experience some form of this issue

Firmware is 0.0.1905.4704

Any error messages & details

No teams or system error messages

No warnings or errors on any drivers and devices in Device Manager 

Recent software or driver changes:

Believe issues began with Win10 to Win11 upgrade

Your internet connection:  VPN wireless

Fiber connection to the house, wireless to the laptop, corporate VPN.  Speedtest via VPN to office reports Ping: 20ms, 220Mbps Up and Down, and jitter at 6.53ms all reasonable for quality audio calls.

No issues when using other audio devices 

Troubleshooting steps:

I've tried connecting to my Dell Latitude via the USB-C port on my Dell Thunderbolt Dock, via USB-C and USB on the laptop directly and the issue remains.  Connecting via Bluetooth does not have the audio issues but the lack of the button functionality makes this pretty useless.

Old posts on reddit (circa 2022) pointed towards issues with Intel Smart Sound Technology  (source) but given the age I don't know if this is still relevant, perhaps reintroduced in Win11?  In the same thread others report reinstallation/updating the RealTek Audio drivers resolved the issue.

Looking for anyone to confirm similar issues and potential remedies.

Jeff

[M_Salman]

Hi @Jmanis2 Welcome to Poly HP Support Community.  

Sorry to hear about the issues you're facing with your Poly Sync 20. I understand how important it is to have clear call quality, and I’m confident that we can resolve this together. Let’s take the necessary steps to get things back to normal.

1. Check USB Port and Connection

• Ensure that the Poly Sync 20 is connected directly to a USB port on your computer, preferably a USB 3.0 port. Avoid using USB hubs, as they can cause bandwidth limitations or interference that affect audio quality.
• If possible, test the device on another computer to determine if the issue is specific to your PC.

2. Update Drivers and Firmware

• Update Poly Sync 20 Firmware: Ensure the firmware for the Poly Sync 20 is up to date. You can update it using the Poly Lens app (available from Poly's website).
• Update Windows Drivers: Make sure all your audio drivers, USB drivers, and chipset drivers are up to date. You can do this by going to Device Manager on Windows 11, right clicking the drivers, and selecting "Update driver."

3. Adjust Windows 11 Audio Settings

• Go to Settings > System > Sound and ensure the Poly Sync 20 is set as both the Input and Output device.
• Under Advanced Sound Options, ensure that the Poly Sync 20 has the highest audio quality selected.

4. Disable Audio Enhancements

• Sometimes, audio enhancements in Windows can cause issues with call quality. To disable them:
  1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Sounds.
  2. Go to the Playback tab, select your Poly Sync 20, and click Properties.
  3. Go to the Enhancements tab and check Disable all enhancements.
  4. Click Apply and OK.

5. Test Audio in a Quiet Environment

• Since remote participants are reporting excessive background noise, double-check if any other devices or programs on your PC may be causing interference.
• Test the device with a different microphone or headset to rule out issues with your computer's audio settings.

If the issue still persists, I would request you contact our HP Support and our Support Engineers should be able to sort this out. HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/poly

I hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance. If you find the information provided useful or solves your problems, help other users find the solution more easily by giving Kudos/Thumbs Up and marking my post as an Accepted Solution.

Regards,

Salman