[SOLVED] speaker-test works, but issues with sound volume in KDE

ramonarch · 2024-09-29 13:57:34

I've googled the hell out of the internet and can't find the answer to my problem, can't count or remember all things I tried.
I freshly installed a Dell Venue 10 Pro 7140 and I got working audio with speaker-test at a decent volume, using pipewire.
However, in KDE the volume is so low, I can barely hear it, only when I put my ear right next to the speaker I can hear something. Also, I'm not seeing anything in the Sound - System Settings.
I did try a USB stick with EndeavourOS and Manjaro for testing and it has exactly the same issues.

I tested with speaker-test, which gives me "front left" and "front right" at a decent volume:

> speaker-test -Dsysdefault:CARD=broadwellrt286 -t wav -c 2

speaker-test 1.2.12

Playback device is sysdefault:CARD=broadwellrt286
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
WAV file(s)
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 2048 to 19200
Period size range from 1024 to 9600
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 9600
was set buffer_size = 19200
 0 - Front Left
 1 - Front Right

Here are the system details:

sudo fuser -v /dev/snd/*

                     USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0:  ramon       582 F.... wireplumber
/dev/snd/controlC1:  ramon       581 F.... pipewire
                     ramon       582 F.... wireplumber
/dev/snd/seq:        ramon       581 F.... pipewire

aplay -l

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: broadwellrt286 [broadwell-rt286], device 0: System Playback/Capture (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: broadwellrt286 [broadwell-rt286], device 1: Offload0 Playback (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: broadwellrt286 [broadwell-rt286], device 2: Offload1 Playback (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

pactl list cards

Card #50
        Name: alsa_card.pci-0000_00_03.0
        Driver: alsa
        Owner Module: n/a
        Properties:
                api.acp.auto-port = "false"
                api.alsa.card = "0"
                api.alsa.card.longname = "HDA Intel HDMI at 0xf7218000 irq 50"
                api.alsa.card.name = "HDA Intel HDMI"
                api.alsa.path = "hw:0"
                api.alsa.use-acp = "true"
                api.dbus.ReserveDevice1 = "Audio0"
                api.dbus.ReserveDevice1.Priority = "-20"
                device.api = "alsa"
                device.bus = "pci"
                device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:03.0"
                device.description = "Built-in Audio"
                device.enum.api = "udev"
                device.form_factor = "internal"
                device.icon_name = "audio-card-analog-pci"
                device.name = "alsa_card.pci-0000_00_03.0"
                device.nick = "HDA Intel HDMI"
                device.plugged.usec = "6203655"
                device.product.id = "0x160c"
                device.product.name = "Broadwell-U Audio Controller"
                device.subsystem = "sound"
                sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0"
                device.vendor.id = "0x8086"
                device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
                media.class = "Audio/Device"
                factory.id = "15"
                client.id = "46"
                object.id = "50"
                object.serial = "50"
                object.path = "alsa:acp:HDMI"
                alsa.card = "0"
                alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel HDMI"
                alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel HDMI at 0xf7218000 irq 50"
                alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
                alsa.mixer_name = "Intel Broadwell HDMI"
                alsa.components = "HDA:80862808,80860101,00100000"
                alsa.id = "HDMI"
                device.string = "0"
        Profiles:
                off: Off (sinks: 0, sources: 0, priority: 0, available: yes)
                output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 5900, available: no)
                output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 5700, available: no)
                output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 5700, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 800, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 800, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
                pro-audio: Pro Audio (sinks: 3, sources: 0, priority: 1, available: yes)
        Active Profile: off
        Ports:
                hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (type: HDMI, priority: 5900, latency offset: 0 usec, availability group: Legacy 1, not available)
                        Properties:
                                port.type = "hdmi"
                                port.availability-group = "Legacy 1"
                                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                                card.profile.port = "0"
                        Part of profile(s): output:hdmi-stereo, output:hdmi-surround, output:hdmi-surround71
                hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (type: HDMI, priority: 5800, latency offset: 0 usec, availability group: Legacy 2, not available)
                        Properties:
                                port.type = "hdmi"
                                port.availability-group = "Legacy 2"
                                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                                card.profile.port = "1"
                        Part of profile(s): output:hdmi-stereo-extra1, output:hdmi-surround-extra1, output:hdmi-surround71-extra1
                hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (type: HDMI, priority: 5700, latency offset: 0 usec, availability group: Legacy 3, not available)
                        Properties:
                                port.type = "hdmi"
                                port.availability-group = "Legacy 3"
                                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                                card.profile.port = "2"
                        Part of profile(s): output:hdmi-stereo-extra2, output:hdmi-surround-extra2, output:hdmi-surround71-extra2

Card #51
        Name: alsa_card.platform-bdw_rt286
        Driver: alsa
        Owner Module: n/a
        Properties:
                api.acp.auto-port = "false"
                api.alsa.card = "1"
                api.alsa.card.longname = "DellInc.-Venue11Pro7140--0XMVMH"
                api.alsa.card.name = "broadwell-rt286"
                api.alsa.path = "hw:1"
                api.alsa.use-acp = "true"
                api.dbus.ReserveDevice1 = "Audio1"
                api.dbus.ReserveDevice1.Priority = "-20"
                device.api = "alsa"
                device.bus_path = "platform-bdw_rt286"
                device.description = "Built-in Audio"
                device.enum.api = "udev"
                device.form_factor = "internal"
                device.icon_name = "audio-card-analog"
                device.name = "alsa_card.platform-bdw_rt286"
                device.nick = "broadwell-rt286"
                device.plugged.usec = "6593757"
                device.subsystem = "sound"
                sysfs.path = "/devices/platform/bdw_rt286/sound/card1"
                media.class = "Audio/Device"
                factory.id = "15"
                client.id = "46"
                object.id = "51"
                object.serial = "51"
                object.path = "alsa:acp:broadwellrt286"
                alsa.card = "1"
                alsa.card_name = "broadwell-rt286"
                alsa.long_card_name = "DellInc.-Venue11Pro7140--0XMVMH"
                alsa.driver_name = "snd_soc_bdw_rt286"
                alsa.id = "broadwellrt286"
                device.string = "1"
        Profiles:
                off: Off (sinks: 0, sources: 0, priority: 0, available: yes)
                HiFi (Headphones, Headset): Play HiFi quality Music (Headphones, Headset) (sinks: 1, sources: 1, priority: 8400, available: no)
                HiFi (Headset, Speaker): Play HiFi quality Music (Headset, Speaker) (sinks: 1, sources: 1, priority: 8300, available: no)
                HiFi (Headphones, Mic): Play HiFi quality Music (Headphones, Mic) (sinks: 1, sources: 1, priority: 8300, available: no)
                HiFi (Mic, Speaker): Play HiFi quality Music (Mic, Speaker) (sinks: 1, sources: 1, priority: 8200, available: yes)
                pro-audio: Pro Audio (sinks: 3, sources: 2, priority: 1, available: yes)
        Active Profile: HiFi (Mic, Speaker)
        Ports:
                [Out] Headphones: Headphones (type: Headphones, priority: 200, latency offset: 0 usec, availability group: Headphone, not available)
                        Properties:
                                port.type = "headphones"
                                port.availability-group = "Headphone"
                                device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
                                card.profile.port = "0"
                        Part of profile(s): HiFi (Headphones, Headset), HiFi (Headphones, Mic)
                [In] Headset: Headset Microphone (type: Headset, priority: 200, latency offset: 0 usec, availability group: Mic, not available)
                        Properties:
                                port.type = "headset"
                                port.availability-group = "Mic"
                                device.icon_name = "audio-headset"
                                card.profile.port = "1"
                        Part of profile(s): HiFi (Headphones, Headset), HiFi (Headset, Speaker)
                [Out] Speaker: Speakers (type: Speaker, priority: 100, latency offset: 0 usec, availability unknown)
                        Properties:
                                port.type = "speaker"
                                device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
                                card.profile.port = "2"
                        Part of profile(s): HiFi (Headset, Speaker), HiFi (Mic, Speaker)
                [In] Mic: Internal Microphone (type: Mic, priority: 100, latency offset: 0 usec, availability unknown)
                        Properties:
                                port.type = "mic"
                                device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
                                card.profile.port = "3"
                        Part of profile(s): HiFi (Headphones, Mic), HiFi (Mic, Speaker)

pactl list sinks

Sink #62
        State: SUSPENDED
        Name: alsa_output.platform-bdw_rt286.HiFi__Speaker__sink
        Description: Built-in Audio Speakers
        Driver: PipeWire
        Sample Specification: s24-32le 2ch 48000Hz
        Channel Map: front-left,front-right
        Owner Module: 4294967295
        Mute: no
        Volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
                balance 0.00
        Base Volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
        Monitor Source: alsa_output.platform-bdw_rt286.HiFi__Speaker__sink.monitor
        Latency: 0 usec, configured 0 usec
        Flags: HARDWARE HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY
        Properties:
                alsa.card = "1"
                alsa.card_name = "broadwell-rt286"
                alsa.class = "generic"
                alsa.device = "0"
                alsa.driver_name = "snd_soc_bdw_rt286"
                alsa.id = "broadwellrt286"
                alsa.long_card_name = "DellInc.-Venue11Pro7140--0XMVMH"
                alsa.mixer_device = "_ucm0003.hw:broadwellrt286"
                alsa.name = ""
                alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
                alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
                alsa.subdevice = "0"
                alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
                alsa.sync.id = "00000000:00000000:00000000:00000000"
                api.alsa.card.longname = "DellInc.-Venue11Pro7140--0XMVMH"
                api.alsa.card.name = "broadwell-rt286"
                api.alsa.open.ucm = "true"
                api.alsa.path = "hw:broadwellrt286"
                api.alsa.pcm.card = "1"
                api.alsa.pcm.stream = "playback"
                audio.channels = "2"
                audio.position = "FL,FR"
                card.profile.device = "2"
                device.api = "alsa"
                device.class = "sound"
                device.id = "51"
                device.profile.description = "Speakers"
                device.profile.name = "HiFi: Speaker: sink"
                device.routes = "1"
                factory.name = "api.alsa.pcm.sink"
                media.class = "Audio/Sink"
                device.description = "Built-in Audio"
                node.name = "alsa_output.platform-bdw_rt286.HiFi__Speaker__sink"
                node.nick = "Speakers"
                node.pause-on-idle = "false"
                object.path = "alsa:acp:broadwellrt286:2:playback"
                port.group = "playback"
                priority.driver = "1000"
                priority.session = "1000"
                factory.id = "19"
                clock.quantum-limit = "8192"
                client.id = "46"
                node.driver = "true"
                node.loop.name = "data-loop.0"
                library.name = "audioconvert/libspa-audioconvert"
                object.id = "62"
                object.serial = "62"
                api.acp.auto-port = "false"
                api.alsa.card = "1"
                api.alsa.use-acp = "true"
                api.dbus.ReserveDevice1 = "Audio1"
                api.dbus.ReserveDevice1.Priority = "-20"
                device.bus_path = "platform-bdw_rt286"
                device.enum.api = "udev"
                device.form_factor = "internal"
                device.icon_name = "audio-card-analog"
                device.name = "alsa_card.platform-bdw_rt286"
                device.nick = "broadwell-rt286"
                device.plugged.usec = "6593757"
                device.subsystem = "sound"
                sysfs.path = "/devices/platform/bdw_rt286/sound/card1"
                device.string = "1"
        Ports:
                [Out] Speaker: Speakers (type: Speaker, priority: 100, availability unknown)
        Active Port: [Out] Speaker
        Formats:
                pcm

pactl list sink-inputs gives me nothing.

While playing a YouTube video in Chrome, I get the following with

pactl list sink-inputs  | grep -e Sink: -e media.name -e application.name -e Volume:

        Sink: 62
        Volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
                application.name = "Google Chrome"
                media.name = "Playback"
                module-stream-restore.id = "sink-input-by-application-name:Google Chrome"

amixer

[Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65536
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 65536 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 65536 [100%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch cswitch-joined
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 65536
  Front Left: Capture 65536 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 65536 [100%] [on]

Also installed pavucontrol and raised the volume to 150% which does increase the volume, so I can barely hear it, but now, without my ear next to the speaker.

EDIT: This one is SOLVED, quoting my solving answer here:

ramonarch wrote:

I solved this by replacing pipewire with pulseaudio, this is what I did (I think, I did a bunch of stuff, looked in my history):
sudo pacman -S pulseaudio pulseaudio-alsa pulseaudio-jack pulseaudio-bluetooth libpulse lib32-pulse
sudo systemctl --global disable wireplumber.service
sudo systemctl --global disable pipewire.service
sudo pacman -R wireplumber pipewire-session-manager
And I removed /etc/asound.conf, instead, I created a ~/.asoundrc with the following:
pcm.HDMI { type hw; card HDMI; }
ctl.HDMI { type hw; card HDMI; }
pcm.broadwellrt286 { type hw; card broadwellrt286; }
ctl.broadwellrt286 { type hw; card broadwellrt286; }
pcm.!default pcm.broadwellrt286
ctl.!default ctl.broadwellrt286
Used a Simple script to create an .asoundrc file.
But yet again, noting in "Sound - System Settings", however, I installed pavucontrol, so I'm able to control everything with that.
Anyhow, this one is SOLVED

Last edited by ramonarch (2024-10-05 10:44:45)

ramonarch · 2024-09-29 21:29:27

Additionally, I was thinking that I didn't hear anything with the default speaker-test, but after checking, I'm hearing the front-left and front-right very softly:

> speaker-test -t wav -c 2

speaker-test 1.2.12

Playback device is default
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
WAV file(s)
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 64 to 1048576
Period size range from 32 to 524288
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 12000
was set buffer_size = 48000
 0 - Front Left
 1 - Front Right

But like I said in my first post, using the following gives me a decent volume and I can clearly hear the test:

speaker-test -Dsysdefault:CARD=broadwellrt286 -t wav -c 2

ramonarch · 2024-09-30 11:50:57

Little update: Creating /etc/asound.conf with the following:

pcm.!default {
	type hw
	card 1
}

ctl.!default {
	type hw           
	card 1
}

Makes speaker-test almost work out of the box, except that it gives me an error regarding 1 channel when I don't specify that it should use 2 channels. (I don’t have the device with me, so I can’t reproduce the error for now).
However, it works now with decent volume when I perform the test like this:

speaker-test -t wav -c 2

However, I’m still getting a barely noticeable sound in KDE.

ramonarch · 2024-10-04 19:44:56

Digging a bit more and I found out that restarting pipewire and pipewire-pulse makes me see the "Playback Devices" and " Recording Devices" again in "Sound - System Settings":

systemctl --user restart pipewire.service
systemctl --user restart pipewire-pulse.service

The pipewire service had an issue, that is there all the time after boot and restarting the above services solves this:

systemctl --user status pipewire
● pipewire.service - PipeWire Multimedia Service
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Fri 2024-10-04 21:34:17 CEST; 31s ago
 Invocation: f36f14c35de4478995de311b7200a01c
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire.socket
   Main PID: 655 (pipewire)
      Tasks: 2 (limit: 9363)
     Memory: 8.7M (peak: 11.6M)
        CPU: 196ms
     CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/pipewire.service
             └─655 /usr/bin/pipewire

Oct 04 21:34:17 dell-venue-11-pro systemd[638]: Started PipeWire Multimedia Service.
Oct 04 21:34:31 dell-venue-11-pro pipewire[655]: pw.node: (alsa_output.platform-bdw_rt286.HiFi__Speaker__sink-62) graph xrun not-triggered (0 suppressed
)
Oct 04 21:34:31 dell-venue-11-pro pipewire[655]: pw.node: (alsa_output.platform-bdw_rt286.HiFi__Speaker__sink-62) xrun state:0x75cfeb61b008 pending:2/2 
s:0 a:0 f:0 waiting:0 process:0 status:triggered

So now I'm able to test the left and right speaker via "Sound - System Settings", but still, at very low volume.

ramonarch · 2024-10-04 22:18:29

I solved this by replacing pipewire with pulseaudio, this is what I did (I think, I did a bunch of stuff, looked in my history):

sudo pacman -S pulseaudio pulseaudio-alsa pulseaudio-jack pulseaudio-bluetooth libpulse lib32-pulse
sudo systemctl --global disable wireplumber.service
sudo systemctl --global disable pipewire.service
sudo pacman -R wireplumber pipewire-session-manager

And I removed /etc/asound.conf, instead, I created a ~/.asoundrc with the following:

pcm.HDMI { type hw; card HDMI; }
ctl.HDMI { type hw; card HDMI; }
pcm.broadwellrt286 { type hw; card broadwellrt286; }
ctl.broadwellrt286 { type hw; card broadwellrt286; }
pcm.!default pcm.broadwellrt286
ctl.!default ctl.broadwellrt286

Used a Simple script to create an .asoundrc file.

But yet again, noting in "Sound - System Settings", however, I installed pavucontrol, so I'm able to control everything with that.

Anyhow, this one is SOLVED

Last edited by ramonarch (2024-10-05 10:44:33)

Arch Linux

#1 2024-09-29 13:57:34

[SOLVED] speaker-test works, but issues with sound volume in KDE

#2 2024-09-29 21:29:27

Re: [SOLVED] speaker-test works, but issues with sound volume in KDE

#3 2024-09-30 11:50:57

Re: [SOLVED] speaker-test works, but issues with sound volume in KDE

#4 2024-10-04 19:44:56

Re: [SOLVED] speaker-test works, but issues with sound volume in KDE

#5 2024-10-04 22:18:29

Re: [SOLVED] speaker-test works, but issues with sound volume in KDE

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