Surface 2 Speakers

[MDak280]

Hmm this isn't good. I really hope that this is just a software issue because I plan on getting the Surface 2 and I really want good speakers. My Toshiba laptop has harmon/kardon speakers and they sound amazing!

If it's a hardware issue... Hopefully by the time I pick mine up, the current batch will have the problem fixed.

 

[cygnus11]

I'm having the same problem when streaming through Amazon Instant Video. The sound crackles like crazy, like you said. Tried a few different videos in both versions of IE and they all crackled. Never had this problem with my Surface RT. No crackling when I play videos from Xbox Video, or anything else. It just seems to be with Amazon Instant Video. I hope this can be fixed with an update. And I wish Amazon would hurry up and make an Amazon Instant Video app for Windows.

Thanks for verifying this issue. I ended up re-signing up to Netflix just because of this problem. I've been streaming video through Netflix for the last couple weeks and there is absolutely no problems with the sound.

I still believe this is a driver issue. Amazon's flash website must be doing something different that is wreaking havoc with the current sound drivers.

 

[runamuck83]

Anyone else suddenly experiencing low volume?

Hi all --

I've noticed that all the sudden the volume on my Surface 2 has significantly reduced. When I first purchased the unit, I was happy to hear how much louder and crisper the sound from the Surface 2 was. Then, just a few days ago I installed an update from MS and now the volume is even lower than what my original Surface RT produced, and we all know those weren't the greatest speakers!

So, what is going on? Did MS push a faulty update? Hopefully it isn't just me!

 

[VV Cephei]

Re: Anyone else suddenly experiencing low volume?

I'm not sure if this will fix it, but did you try to disable the automatic volume adjustments?

• From the start screen, type "Adjust System Volume" and load
• Under "Applications, tap the computer icon [should be for "System Sounds"]
• Click on the "Communications" tab
• Check the "Do nothing" radio button
• Press OK

 

[EBynum]

Thanks for verifying this issue. I ended up re-signing up to Netflix just because of this problem. I've been streaming video through Netflix for the last couple weeks and there is absolutely no problems with the sound.

I still believe this is a driver issue. Amazon's flash website must be doing something different that is wreaking havoc with the current sound drivers.

I recently got a Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet which runs full Windows and has an Intel processor. Out of curiosity, I tried streaming Amazon Instant Video on it and I got the same crackling sound as on my Surface 2. Again tried both versions of I.E., and since the Dell runs full Windows, I even made sure Silverlight was installed, in case the problem had something to do with the Flash player. Made no difference. The sound still crackled. Interesting that the crackling sound on Amazon Instant Video is happening on two different devices. So it seems it's not a Surface 2 hardware problem. Perhaps there's something wrong with one of the latest Windows 8.1 updates and how it works with Amazon, or perhaps there could be something wrong on Amazon's end. I should mention that everything else sounds fine on my Dell tablet. Like with my Surface 2, I only get the crackling with Amazon Instant Video. However, when I stream Amazon Instant Video on my desktop PC (Dell running Windows 8.1), the sound is fine. No crackling. Next I'll have to try on my Surface RT. Streaming videos from Amazon worked perfectly before, but I haven't streamed anything from Amazon on my RT after updating to 8.1. It will be interesting to see if the latest updates on my RT cause the same crackling sound.

 

[cygnus11]

It is really interesting that the Amazon video streaming is causing problems on other non-Surface tablets. Do these tablets share the same sound drivers? I know the audio chipsets are probably different, but maybe they both use a generic driver.

I think that the sound issues that I originally posted about (in this thread and in the thread on the official MS forums here: Surface 2 Speaker/Sound Problems - Microsoft Community) consisted of primarily two things:

1. The overall sound of the Surface 2 speakers is too quiet and hollow (compared with Surface RT).
2. Crackling/popping sounds while streaming Amazon Instant Video through metro and desktop IE browsers.

I think many people have posted to that thread and muddied the original issues. I probably should have created two separate threads on the official forum, each very specific. Maybe I will go do that now.

 

[runamuck83]

Re: Anyone else suddenly experiencing low volume?

Thank you for the suggestion - but that doesn't seem to have made a difference. :-(

 

[TheCodifier]

Re: Anyone else suddenly experiencing low volume?

In my case, the volume has been low right from launch.

We have a thread here about this: http://forums.windowscentral.com/microsoft-surface-2/246827-surface-2-speakers.html
Also, there is a thread on the Microsoft Answers site: Surface 2 Speaker Sound Problems - Microsoft Community

 

[MDak280]

Microsoft has released an update for the Surface 2 today and I believe one of the improvements had to do with audio. Can anyone notice a difference?

 

[berty6294]

Microsoft has released an update for the Surface 2 today and I believe one of the improvements had to do with audio. Can anyone notice a difference?

No difference whatsoever.

 

[KibosJ]

Just like to add here.

I got a new surface 2 a couple of weeks ago and I had a strange "popping" sound from the speakers. I restarted and then everything sounded terrible. I took it back and had it swapped for a new one.

This new one is 100 times better. The sound is great from the speakers in Internet Explorer for instance.

Turning audio enhancements off, made the sound worse and quieter for me too

 

[diego15nets]

Typing my first post on my new Surface 2. Unfortunately, I'm also plagued by the speaker issue...this is terrible. Just got it, don't want to be sending it back. I'm listening to xbox music streamed radio at full volume, the sound crackles and just doesn't sound rich. Going to search for updates, but based on others' responses not expecting an improvement. :/

Update: just finished installing all 24 updates and speakers still crackle, maybe slightly less. I'm going to play music at full volume for a couple of hours and see if they just need to be burned in.

 

[sinic999]

Typing my first post on my new Surface 2. Unfortunately, I'm also plagued by the speaker issue...this is terrible. Just got it, don't want to be sending it back. I'm listening to xbox music streamed radio at full volume, the sound crackles and just doesn't sound rich. Going to search for updates, but based on others' responses not expecting an improvement. :/

Update: just finished installing all 24 updates and speakers still crackle, maybe slightly less. I'm going to play music at full volume for a couple of hours and see if they just need to be burned in.

Ok post here if burn in does make a difference .

 

[Madattheworld]

I am on my 2nd Surface2 and still have the crackling and popping noises. I compared extensively side by side with my Surface RT and don't notice much of a volume difference, but definitely not as 'good' sounding. Obviously that's subjective, but the RT does not have the crackling and popping which grates on the nerves. It reminds me of speakers that are 'blown' and you cant turn up the volume very loud or they distort. I cant imagine software fixing this issue. Possibly a bad run of speakers used in the initial Surface2 build?

 

[Madattheworld]

I exchanged my Surface2 for a new one and still have the crackling and popping. I hear it in any app where there is singing. Like watching the voice in Hulu, playing a video on YouTube, XBOX music, etc. I have a hard time believing software could correct scratchy sounding speakers. It sounds to me like speakers that cant handle the volume and so they distort (crackling, popping sound). I also have a Surface RT and in comparison the volume doesn't seem to different to me just the quality. The RT has no distortion and voices have more punch the 2 just seems a little muddy. Maybe it's a run of bad speakers in the first build?

 

[drg]

i'm onto my second Surface 2 and speakers are still quiet and crackle when on 100%. it's been 3 months now and MS still haven't done anything about this or acknowledged it is a problem. there hasn't been a reply in this post where heaps of people have the problem Surface 2 Speaker/Sound Problems - Microsoft Community.

the Surface RT had a similar problem when it came out and they fixed it with an Update, I'm hoping they do this for the Surface 2 too but it would be nice to know what's going on. i'm making noise on twitter about this so if you can to hopefully we can a response. the surface 2 is awesome, just a shame about this volume thing cause it affects watching videos and skyping.

 

[Tiwo]

Something to check, I went into the advanced settings in the control panel for audio devices and disabled the Enhancements under the properties for the tetra speakers. That seems to have cured some of the tinny sound and crackling. I then checked the what was selected under configure and noticed the built in speakers are not set up as full range speakers. Set as full range and audio appears to be best it can be, though not loud. Should do until we get the update.

Just logged in to say you are a god damn hero! Speakers are a lot better now!

 

[joe_easton]

Changing the above settings does fix it but at the expense of volume. I would say 30% softer. Any word on an update to fix this?

 

[kcaneiro]

I had a similar problem and just went back to the Microsoft Store and traded for another one. The speakers are now great. I was following the board here - trying to check and uncheck the speakers. The problem was not the software - it was the speakers.

My original RT had a speaker issue which was fixed with a firmware update - clearly this is a different animal....

 

[bangoban]

can you provide us with specifics? my speakers start to crackle when I play music from a web app at volume 80 and above. Its not very bad and otherwise I find the speakers quite nice. So you suffer from no popping or distortion whatsoever even at max volume with enhancements on? It seems this speaker problem presents itself in a bunch of similar albeit different ways so its very hard to categorize the problem as hardware or software related. For example my speakers out of the box were terrible, I did a full reset and reinstalled all Microsoft updates and now they are much better.

I fell in love with the surface and I really don't want to have to go through the arduous task of dealing with Australian Microsoft support. So the question I want to know, if my speakers crack and pop even to a small degree at volume above 80, they are dodgy? In the 33 page Microsoft thread it kind of just fizzled out and didn't leave any definitive answers.