Behringer UMC204HD low volume output + worse audio than headphone jack

gary8588 · 2025-01-28 21:56:13

Hello,

I am pretty much disappointed about the audio on my Behringer UMC204HD audio interface. I have a pair of M-Audio BX5 D2 speakers and playing any kind of audio over the audio interface is fairly quiet and objectively worse than playing sound from the headphone jack.

I have to crank the volume up to max to have it on a reasonable level. The bass is pale and overall I feel like the audio is quite weak out of them. The speakers are connected via XLR -> TLS on the "Main Out" of the Interface.

If I plug the speakers in directly to the headphone jack on my laptops via a XLR -> 3.5 mm the volume is significantly louder even at lower levels, the bass is very powerful, the audio is overall more punchy.

So this makes me believe something is wrong with this audio interface. Any recommendations to start looking? Device is showing up in the journal, just what I have noticed are some complaints from wireplumber:

Jan 28 22:06:32 ibs wireplumber[1419]: spa.alsa: Unable to load mixer: No such file or directory
Jan 28 22:06:32 ibs wireplumber[1419]: spa.alsa: Failed to find a working mixer device (_ucm000C.default:U192k).
Jan 28 22:06:32 ibs wireplumber[1419]: spa.alsa: Unable to load mixer: No such file or directory
Jan 28 22:06:32 ibs wireplumber[1419]: spa.alsa: Failed to find a working mixer device (_ucm000C.default:U192k).
Jan 28 22:06:32 ibs wireplumber[1419]: spa.alsa: Unable to load mixer: No such file or directory
Jan 28 22:06:32 ibs wireplumber[1419]: spa.alsa: Failed to find a working mixer device (_ucm000C.default:U192k).
Jan 28 22:06:32 ibs wireplumber[1419]: spa.alsa: Unable to load mixer: No such file or directory
Jan 28 22:06:32 ibs wireplumber[1419]: spa.alsa: Failed to find a working mixer device (_ucm000C.default:U192k).

And in pavucontrol if I choose the "Pro Audio" Profile in the Configuration Tab of this device there is no sound. Got the feeling something is missing there.

Any thoughts?

fabertawe · 2025-01-29 10:30:37

I have the same UMC204HD. Since roughly a couple of months ago, the volume from the outputs at the back have dropped noticeably. I've been using Easyeffects for an EQ for my Sennheisers attached to the headphone at the front, so at least have been able to use the output gain from Easyeffects.

I have powered speakers attached to the back and have to crank them up much further to get decent volume now. I can't say I've noticed any difference apart from the drastically reduced output level though (I'm using pipewire). I also get the same "Unable to load mixer" error but have no problem using QasMixer.

Last edited by fabertawe (2025-01-29 10:37:01)

gary8588 · 2025-01-29 11:51:31

Thank you, so I do not seem to be the only one.

Would you mind testing out if you can hear an improvement over using the headphone jack of your PC? Buzzing or humming sounds coming from the headphone jack aside this is where I can actually hear a significant improvement.

I also use easyeffects and I've played around with filters, bass boosters extensively but I haven't been able to come even close to what the headphone jack provides unfortunately.

I have the feeling this audio interface is just too underpowered to drive my m-audio bx5 d2 and I probably should look at purchasing another audio interface

fabertawe · 2025-01-29 12:05:52

gary8588 wrote:

Would you mind testing out if you can hear an improvement over using the headphone jack of your PC? Buzzing or humming sounds coming from the headphone jack aside this is where I can actually hear a significant improvement.

I have onboard audio disabled on the MB, so can't test that. But like I said, sound quality hasn't changed for me, just the output level. Audio sounds good from the "phones" jack on the front.

Hopefully someone else with one of these can add more info.

fabertawe · 2025-05-03 12:37:35

gary8588 wrote:

Any thoughts?

Did you get anywhere with this?

I have some anecdotal info, if it's of any use. Whilst fiddling with Zoom (needed to talk with a relative abroad), I found I could not change the audio in and out, this was fixed. So I loaded up pavucontrol (which I never use) just out of curiosity. Suffice to say this made no difference - other than I found my volume output to be super low. I also lost "Headset Head Unit" (HSP/HFP, codec CVSD) option from my bluetooth headphones, which I was using the mic input from.

A reboot fixed everything.

Arch Linux

#1 2025-01-28 21:56:13

Behringer UMC204HD low volume output + worse audio than headphone jack

#2 2025-01-29 10:30:37

Re: Behringer UMC204HD low volume output + worse audio than headphone jack

#3 2025-01-29 11:51:31

Re: Behringer UMC204HD low volume output + worse audio than headphone jack

#4 2025-01-29 12:05:52

Re: Behringer UMC204HD low volume output + worse audio than headphone jack

#5 2025-05-03 12:37:35

Re: Behringer UMC204HD low volume output + worse audio than headphone jack

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