Audio distorted on boot

MasterPotato · 2026-01-18 02:23:27

I've had this issue for as long as I remember. Whenever the system is booted while having the 3.5mm jack cable plugged in, audio listened from the headphones is heavily distorted: lows are non existent, mids are insanely distorted and highs are barely heard. However, the issue is instantly fixed by simply unplugging and plugging the cable back in. The issue doesn't present itself when booting without a cable already plugged in, laptop speakers sound as they should.

I've tried going through https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/PipeWi … leshooting with no success.

Linux: 6.18.5-arch1-1
Laptop: Aspire AG15-31P (V1.06)

Below are some outptuts. They were all taken with a fresh boot and while playing distorted audio while plugged in. Ask anything.

Thanks in advance.

$ pacman -Qs alsa
local/alsa-card-profiles 1:1.4.9-2
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - ALSA card profiles
local/alsa-firmware 1.2.4-4
    Firmware binaries for loader programs in alsa-tools and hotplug firmware loader
local/alsa-lib 1.2.15.2-1
    An alternative implementation of Linux sound support
local/alsa-plugins 1:1.2.12-5
    Additional ALSA plugins
local/alsa-topology-conf 1.2.5.1-4
    ALSA topology configuration files
local/alsa-ucm-conf 1.2.15.2-1
    ALSA Use Case Manager configuration (and topologies)
local/alsa-utils 1.2.15.2-1
    Advanced Linux Sound Architecture - Utilities
local/lib32-alsa-lib 1.2.15.2-1
    An alternative implementation of Linux sound support (32 bit)
local/lib32-alsa-plugins 1.2.12-1
    Additional ALSA plugins (32-bit)
local/pipewire-alsa 1:1.4.9-2
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - ALSA configuration
local/vlc-plugin-alsa 3.0.21-32
    Free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework - ALSA plugins

$ pacman -Qs pipewire
local/easyeffects 8.0.9-1
    Audio Effects for Pipewire applications
local/lib32-libpipewire 1:1.4.9-1
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - 32-bit - client library
local/lib32-pipewire 1:1.4.9-1
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - 32-bit
local/lib32-pipewire-jack 1:1.4.9-1
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - 32-bit - JACK support
local/libpipewire 1:1.4.9-2
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - client library
local/libwireplumber 0.5.13-1
    Session / policy manager implementation for PipeWire - client library
local/pipewire 1:1.4.9-2
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor
local/pipewire-alsa 1:1.4.9-2
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - ALSA configuration
local/pipewire-audio 1:1.4.9-2
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - Audio support
local/pipewire-docs 1:1.4.9-2
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - documentation
local/pipewire-jack 1:1.4.9-2
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - JACK replacement
local/pipewire-pulse 1:1.4.9-2
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - PulseAudio replacement
local/wireplumber 0.5.13-1
    Session / policy manager implementation for PipeWire

$ journalctl -b | grep -i pipewire
Jan 18 03:12:46 ehuniverse systemd[593]: Listening on PipeWire PulseAudio.
Jan 18 03:12:46 ehuniverse systemd[593]: Listening on PipeWire Multimedia System Sockets.
Jan 18 03:12:48 ehuniverse systemd[814]: Listening on PipeWire PulseAudio.
Jan 18 03:12:48 ehuniverse systemd[814]: Listening on PipeWire Multimedia System Sockets.
Jan 18 03:12:53 ehuniverse systemd[593]: Started PipeWire Multimedia Service.
Jan 18 03:12:53 ehuniverse systemd[593]: Started PipeWire PulseAudio.
Jan 18 03:12:54 ehuniverse wireplumber[1257]: s-monitors-libcamera: PipeWire's libcamera SPA plugin is missing or broken. Some camera types may not be supported.
Jan 18 03:13:02 ehuniverse systemd[814]: Closed PipeWire PulseAudio.
Jan 18 03:13:02 ehuniverse systemd[814]: Closed PipeWire Multimedia System Sockets.

# journalctl -b | grep -i sound
Jan 18 03:12:46 ehuniverse kernel: input: sof-hda-dsp Headset Mic as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/skl_hda_dsp_generic/sound/card0/input15
Jan 18 03:12:46 ehuniverse kernel: input: sof-hda-dsp Front Headphone as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/skl_hda_dsp_generic/sound/card0/input16
Jan 18 03:12:46 ehuniverse kernel: input: sof-hda-dsp HDMI/DP,pcm=3 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/skl_hda_dsp_generic/sound/card0/input17
Jan 18 03:12:46 ehuniverse kernel: input: sof-hda-dsp HDMI/DP,pcm=4 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/skl_hda_dsp_generic/sound/card0/input18
Jan 18 03:12:46 ehuniverse kernel: input: sof-hda-dsp HDMI/DP,pcm=5 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/skl_hda_dsp_generic/sound/card0/input19
Jan 18 03:12:47 ehuniverse systemd[593]: Reached target Sound Card.
Jan 18 03:12:47 ehuniverse systemd[1]: Starting Save/Restore Sound Card State...
Jan 18 03:12:47 ehuniverse systemd[1]: Manage Sound Card State (restore and store) was skipped because of an unmet condition check (ConditionPathExists=/etc/alsa/state-daemon.conf).
Jan 18 03:12:47 ehuniverse systemd[1]: Finished Save/Restore Sound Card State.
Jan 18 03:12:47 ehuniverse systemd[1]: Reached target Sound Card.
Jan 18 03:12:52 ehuniverse systemd[814]: Reached target Sound Card.
Jan 18 03:13:02 ehuniverse systemd[814]: Stopped target Sound Card.

$ pactl list short sinks
58	alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__HDMI3__sink	PipeWire	s24-32le 2ch 48000Hz	SUSPENDED
59	alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__HDMI2__sink	PipeWire	s24-32le 2ch 48000Hz	SUSPENDED
60	alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__HDMI1__sink	PipeWire	s24-32le 2ch 48000Hz	SUSPENDED
61	alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Headphones__sink	PipeWire	s32le 2ch 48000Hz	RUNNING

$ pactl list short sources
58	alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__HDMI3__sink.monitor	PipeWire	s24-32le 2ch 48000Hz	SUSPENDED
59	alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__HDMI2__sink.monitor	PipeWire	s24-32le 2ch 48000Hz	SUSPENDED
60	alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__HDMI1__sink.monitor	PipeWire	s24-32le 2ch 48000Hz	SUSPENDED
61	alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Headphones__sink.monitor	PipeWire	s32le 2ch 48000Hz	RUNNING
62	alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Mic2__source	PipeWire	s24-32le 2ch 48000Hz	SUSPENDED
63	alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Mic1__source	PipeWire	s32le 2ch 48000Hz	SUSPENDED

$ lspci -k | grep audio
00:1f.3 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake-N PCH High Definition Audio Controller
	Kernel driver in use: sof-audio-pci-intel-tgl

$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: sofhdadsp [sof-hda-dsp], device 0: HDA Analog (*) []
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: sofhdadsp [sof-hda-dsp], device 3: HDMI1 (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: sofhdadsp [sof-hda-dsp], device 4: HDMI2 (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: sofhdadsp [sof-hda-dsp], device 5: HDMI3 (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: sofhdadsp [sof-hda-dsp], device 31: HDA Analog Deep Buffer (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

$ aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
lavrate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Libav/FFmpeg Library
samplerate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Samplerate Library
speexrate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Speex Resampler
jack
    JACK Audio Connection Kit
oss
    Open Sound System
pipewire
    PipeWire Sound Server
pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server
speex
    Plugin using Speex DSP (resample, agc, denoise, echo, dereverb)
upmix
    Plugin for channel upmix (4,6,8)
vdownmix
    Plugin for channel downmix (stereo) with a simple spacialization
default
    Default ALSA Output (currently PipeWire Media Server)
sysdefault:CARD=sofhdadsp
    sof-hda-dsp,
    Default Audio Device
usbstream:CARD=sofhdadsp
    sof-hda-dsp
    USB Stream Output

Arch Linux

#1 2026-01-18 02:23:27

Audio distorted on boot

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