Arch Linux

seeweed

Member

Registered: 2025-08-28

Posts: 1

Laptop speakers sound muffled when lowering volume

While using my laptop speakers, lowering the 'Master' volume makes the audio sound more and more muffled without actually making it sound softer (sounds fine on 100% volume).
But if I lower the 'PCM' volume with alsamixer, the audio sounds clear and softer.
Other audio devices connected to the laptop sound fine when lowering volume (e.g. bluetooth earphones).
Audio works properly on Windows 11.

Laptop: ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 (2022) GX650 - GX650RX-LB011X
Card: HD-Audio Generic
Chip: Realtek ALC285
(Using pipewire and wireplumber on Hyprland)

aplay -l output:

$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: Generic_1 [HD-Audio Generic], device 0: ALC285 Analog [ALC285 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

aplay - L output:

$ aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
pipewire
    PipeWire Sound Server
default
    Default ALSA Output (currently PipeWire Media Server)
hdmi:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
sysdefault:CARD=Generic_1
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC285 Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC285 Analog
    Front output / input
surround21:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC285 Analog
    2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC285 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC285 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC285 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC285 Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC285 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers

wpctl status output:

$ wpctl status
PipeWire 'pipewire-0' [1.4.7, seaweed@DuoArch, cookie:1726201750]
 └─ Clients:
        32. WirePlumber                         [1.4.7, seaweed@DuoArch, pid:937]
        33. pipewire                            [1.4.7, seaweed@DuoArch, pid:938]
        46. WirePlumber [export]                [1.4.7, seaweed@DuoArch, pid:937]
        66. xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland         [1.4.7, seaweed@DuoArch, pid:1244]
        67. wpctl                               [1.4.7, seaweed@DuoArch, pid:9063]

Audio
 ├─ Devices:
 │      47. Radeon High Definition Audio Controller [Rembrandt/Strix] [alsa]
 │      48. Family 17h/19h/1ah HD Audio Controller [alsa]
 │  
 ├─ Sinks:
 │  *   59. Family 17h/19h/1ah HD Audio Controller Analog Stereo [vol: 1.00]
 │  
 ├─ Sources:
 │  *   60. Family 17h/19h/1ah HD Audio Controller Analog Stereo [vol: 1.00]
 │  
 ├─ Filters:
 │  
 └─ Streams:

Video
 ├─ Devices:
 │      52. USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam                [v4l2]
 │      53. USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam                [v4l2]
 │      54. USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam                [v4l2]
 │      55. USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam                [v4l2]
 │  
 ├─ Sinks:
 │  
 ├─ Sources:
 │  *   62. USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam (V4L2)        
 │      64. USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam (V4L2)        
 │  
 ├─ Filters:
 │  
 └─ Streams:

Settings
 └─ Default Configured Devices:

Last edited by seeweed (2025-08-28 19:51:51)