Poor sound quality and headphones not working

10.10 sound hda-intel

7,052

Solution 1

Run alsamixer -c 0 in your console and use the arrow keys to play around with the volumes.

For me: Setting Master to a value where the sound quality was good enough made it very very low. Setting Master to maximum, decreasing PCM to 81 and setting everything else to 0 fixed the problem.

UPDATE: (for Ubuntu 10.10) Click on the volume icon in the upper-right corner, then click on Sound Preferences, and make sure that the Output volume doesn't go above "Unamplified." Then, click on the volume icon again and see where the volume meter is positioned. That is the maximum volume you should set in order to hear a clear sound.

OR: (for Ubuntu 10.10) Click on the volume icon in the upper-right corner, then click on Sound Preferences, set the main volume to 100% and set the volume for each application to a more appropriate level. Each time you open an application that needs to use sound for the first time, you have to do this (because applications that don't currently use sound don't appear in that list).

You currently have to choose between annoying and complicated :(

Solution 2

I had exactly the same problem and this is how i made it work

http://ubuntu-ky.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=10050353&postcount=16 and here is the general link as given in the above link https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HdaIntelSoundHowto

Solution 3

i suggest you to use pulseaudio system wide equalizer.

Ubuntu Lucid User

PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:psyke83/ppa

Then install by typing

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install pulseaudio-equalizer

Ubuntu Maverick User

You have to install it manually by downloading .deb file below,

Pulse Audio Wide Equalizer ==> for both 32bit and 64bit

7,052

alex

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

alex over 1 year

I'm running ubuntu 10.10 and my soundcard is a realtek alc880, with intel HDA controller. I have a very low sound, and, when I raise the volume over 50%, it sounds "cracked". When I plug the headphones in, it keeps on playing through the speakers (and the headphones don't play any sound). In windows, it sounds fine, and the headphones work well. Please help!
- Olivia over 13 years
  
  As mentioned in my comment below, first please test a daily build of the sound driver. If you're still experiencing the problem, please use ubuntu-bug alsa-base.
- wifi over 13 years
  
  @Stefano Palazzo I know, it's mine, but since i'm on a different user i can't edit it and i wanted to ask it clearer.
NightwishFan over 13 years

Try running alsamixer in the terminal, you might just have to mute the front channel manually when you plug headphones in. Play with those a bit.
NightwishFan over 13 years

This means your card is not supported then. Try updating alsa by adding this ppa. launchpad.net/~ubuntu-audio-dev/+archive/ppa
alex over 13 years

if i do that, the sound gets too low to be heard
alex over 13 years

adding this and updating will upgrade tha alsa drivers?
alex over 13 years

alright, i've just installed it. what now?
alex over 13 years

what the? when i enable the EQ, the sound stops working...
alex over 13 years

but, how come this does work if my computer isn't a thinkpad?
alex over 13 years

and the headphones still don't work...
wifi over 13 years

yes, but that makes the sound volume too low.
Admin over 13 years

I've been through that road before, too. I think it's just bugs in your alsa drivers. It's just finding the perfect balance between actual volumes and the PCM volumes.