[Solved] Volume is much lower in Linux than Windows

Disco Dave · 2016-12-21 20:34:20

Hello I have my laptop dual booted with Windows 10 and a fresh install of Arch Linux. I've recently noticed that my sound is a lot quieter than windows. Linux's sound is about 30% of WIndow's. I've been googling about this for a couple of days and all the posts come basically said their volume was up high enough in alsamixer. I have all my sliders set to max on alsamixer and it doesn't help. I am using pulseaudio and alsa.

Here is some info related to my sound:

disco:~/ $ sudo fuser -v /dev/snd/*                                                      [15:33:14]
pacmd list-cards
pacmd list-sinks
pacmd list-sink-inputs
[sudo] password for disco: 
                     USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0:  disco       572 F.... pulseaudio
                     disco       604 F.... panel-11-mixer
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p:   disco       572 F...m pulseaudio
1 card(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xdf428000 irq 323"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "a170"
		device.product.name = "Sunrise Point-H HD Audio"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "0"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	profiles:
		input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 60, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6000, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6060, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-21: Analog Surround 2.1 Output (priority 800, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-21+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 2.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 860, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-40: Analog Surround 4.0 Output (priority 700, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-40+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 4.0 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 760, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5400, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5460, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 300, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 360, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 300, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround71+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 360, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5200, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5260, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 100, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 100, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (priority 5200, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5260, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 100, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 100, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-surround-21>
	sinks:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-surround-21/#14: Built-in Audio Analog Surround 2.1
	sources:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-surround-21.monitor/#17: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Surround 2.1
	ports:
		analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (priority 8900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-headphone-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-headset-mic: Headset Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
		hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
1 sink(s) available.
  * index: 14
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-surround-21>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: IDLE
	suspend cause: 
	priority: 9959
	volume: front-left: 27636 /  42% / -22.50 dB,   front-right: 27636 /  42% / -22.50 dB,   lfe: 27636 /  42% / -22.50 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 39.47 ms
	max request: 11 KiB
	max rewind: 516 KiB
	monitor source: 17
	sample spec: s16le 3ch 48000Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right,lfe
	used by: 0
	linked by: 1
	configured latency: 40.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 1837.50 ms
	card: 0 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
	module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC3246 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC3246 Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xdf428000 irq 323"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "a170"
		device.product.name = "Sunrise Point-H HD Audio"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "surround21:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "529200"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "264600"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-surround-21"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Surround 2.1"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Surround 2.1"
		alsa.mixer_name = "Realtek ALC3246"
		alsa.components = "HDA:10ec0256,10280706,00100002 HDA:80862809,80860101,00100000"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
	active port: <analog-output-speaker>
0 sink input(s) available.

Has anyone else noticed this problem?

Last edited by Disco Dave (2016-12-22 17:44:07)

V1del · 2016-12-22 01:36:38

Your volume in pulseaudio is at 40% up that in a pulse tool like pavucontrol or

pactl set-sink-volume alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-surround-21 80%

, alsamixer volume doesn't really map to what pulse sets the audio sink to (thats one of the reasons why you should always use pulse utilities to set a sink volume, as they will adjust whatever is set in e.g. alsamixer as well).

Last edited by V1del (2016-12-22 01:37:02)

Disco Dave · 2016-12-22 17:43:45

Thanks a lot, I was using a the volume mixer that came with xfce that wasn't using pulse before. Using only pulse volume controls helps a lot.

Last edited by Disco Dave (2016-12-22 17:43:53)

Arch Linux

#1 2016-12-21 20:34:20

[Solved] Volume is much lower in Linux than Windows

#2 2016-12-22 01:36:38

Re: [Solved] Volume is much lower in Linux than Windows

#3 2016-12-22 17:43:45

Re: [Solved] Volume is much lower in Linux than Windows

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