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arawde

Member

Registered: 2018-08-29

Posts: 3

Audio hardware detection, but no sound

Hi,

I'm going to start by saying that I once attempted to do a repair on this laptop that may have caused the issue I'm about to describe. At this point, I'm willing to accept the hardware is broken, but I wanted to see if there was any way I could debug this further and get a definitive answer.

I use ALSA and PulseAudio, with Pavucontrol. Sound comes out of my speakers on my laptop just fine. When I plug my headphones in, pavucontrol shows that the headphones are now the primary output, but no sound is played.

I'm just wondering how I would start to determine whether there was an issue that could be fixed to enable sound, or if I've actually broken the sound hardware completely. I'm perplexed by the fact that these tools detect the changes in output, but that output does not work.

Any help is appreciated, and I hope you have a great day!

sonoran

Member

From: sonoran desert

Registered: 2009-01-12

Posts: 192

Re: Audio hardware detection, but no sound

Have you checked that the headphon volume control in alsamixer is un-muted?

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,435

Re: Audio hardware detection, but no sound

Post

amixer -c$cardindex
pacmd list-cards
pacmd list-sink-inputs
pacmd list-sinks #During playback

arawde

Member

Registered: 2018-08-29

Posts: 3

Re: Audio hardware detection, but no sound

Have you checked that the headphon volume control in alsamixer is un-muted?

When I plug in the headphones, alsamixer shows the headphones as becoming unmuted, and mutes the speakers accordingly

Post

amixer -c$cardindex
pacmd list-cards
pacmd list-sink-inputs
pacmd list-sinks #During playback

avr@renaissance:~: amixer -c0
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono: Playback 52 [60%] [-26.25dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 4 [5%] [-62.25dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-65.25dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 87 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 87 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]

--- I'm omitting about 8 other mixer controls like Mic boost and Internal Mic Boost ---

Should note that I did not have the headphones plugged in when I ran this command, so heres that:

avr@renaissance:~: amixer -c0
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono: Playback 85 [98%] [-1.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 87 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 87 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-65.25dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-65.25dB] [off]

avr@renaissance:~: pacmd list-cards
1 card(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
	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 0xd3610000 irq 30"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1b.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "1e20"
		device.product.name = "7 Series/C216 Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller"
		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 65, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6500, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6565, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output (priority 5500, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5565, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5900, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5965, available: unknown)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo>
	sinks:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#0: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	sources:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo.monitor/#0: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
		alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#1: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	ports:
		analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (priority 8900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-mic: 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"
		iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
		hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
				device.product.name = "LCD1770VX"

avr@renaissance:~: pacmd list-sink-inputs
1 sink input(s) available.
    index: 2
	driver: <protocol-native.c>
	flags: START_CORKED 
	state: RUNNING
	sink: 0 <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
	volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	        balance 0.00
	muted: no
	current latency: 37.01 ms
	requested latency: 23.22 ms
	sample spec: float32le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	resample method: copy
	module: 9
	client: 6 <Chrome>
	properties:
		application.icon_name = "google-chrome"
		media.name = "Playback"
		application.name = "Chrome"
		native-protocol.peer = "UNIX socket client"
		native-protocol.version = "32"
		application.process.id = "1198"
		application.process.user = "avr"
		application.process.host = "renaissance"
		application.process.binary = "chrome"
		application.language = "en_US.UTF-8"
		window.x11.display = ":0"
		application.process.machine_id = "4f8fc7276f224d3a86c08bb61d9d2543"
		application.process.session_id = "2"
		module-stream-restore.id = "sink-input-by-application-name:Chrome"

avr@renaissance:~: pacmd list-sinks
1 sink(s) available.
  * index: 0
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: RUNNING
	suspend cause: (none)
	priority: 9039
	volume: front-left: 61151 /  93% / -1.80 dB,   front-right: 61151 /  93% / -1.80 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 23.59 ms
	max request: 4 KiB
	max rewind: 4 KiB
	monitor source: 0
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 1
	linked by: 1
	configured latency: 23.22 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
	card: 0 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
	module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC269VC Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC269VC 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 0xd3610000 irq 30"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1b.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "1e20"
		device.product.name = "7 Series/C216 Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "352800"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "176400"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		alsa.mixer_name = "Realtek ALC269VC"
		alsa.components = "HDA:10ec0269,17aac022,00100203 HDA:80862806,80860101,00100000"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
	active port: <analog-output-headphones>

I did notice while doing this that when I open alsamixer, it is defaulting to Pulseaudio as the card. Switching from that to the listed HDA Intel PCH card causes no perceived change.

Last edited by arawde (2018-08-30 20:43:10)

arawde

Member

Registered: 2018-08-29

Posts: 3

Re: Audio hardware detection, but no sound

I was digging around in my tech supplies box and discovered that I still have a USB soundcard from an old headset, so this problem is effectively solved.

I tried plugging this soundcard into the USB port which is on the same chip as the audio ports, and it did not work, so I've come to the conclusion that the entire chip is broken in some way.

Thanks for the help!