HP + IDT HD Audio = Selective Headphones

[illogik]

Hi all,

I've been a long-time visitor of these forums when looking for solutions, but this time around I have a problem that is truly perplexing.

So I previously had Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit installed on my HP dv5t, and everything was fine, the way it came from the manufacturer (except the crappy video drivers, but that's a different story).

I recently performed a format + clean install of Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, and installed all the appropriate drivers, with the exception of a modded suite of video drivers. With the exception of my sound, things are moving along swimmingly.

So here's my issue:
In certain contexts, Windows fails to recognize that my headphones are plugged in. I have my default playback device set to Speakers & Dual Headphones; desired behavior is that sound plays through speakers until headphones are plugged in to the front jack. The problem that I'm encountering is that when running Starcraft 2 or Left 4 Dead 2, Windows mysteriously plays sound through my speakers rather than my headphones, even though they are plugged in. Looking at the IDT control panel, it appears to recognize that my headphones are still plugged in, but nonetheless switches output to speakers. Even more bizarre is the fact that my sound behaves properly in Dead Space 2, as well as all other applications as far as I can tell.

I've attempted several different driver changes to resolve the issue, but they have been to no avail.

Can anyone offer some insight? Thanks.

 

[fireberd]

As this appears to be a problem ONLY in certain games, I would post this on the gaming section. Maybe one of the gamers has some suggestions.

If it were not specific to certain games then you would have to look at the audio drivers.

BTW, in most cases you need vendor provided drivers, due to custom implementations of the IDT (formerly SigmaTel) hardware. The IDT site even states this.

 

[illogik]

Forgot to mention that I have the latest and not-so-greatest IDT drivers from the HP site. I'll ask around on the gaming subforum.

 

[illogik]

Fixed.

So here was the problem: in playback devices, I had "Speakers and Dual Headphones" set to Default Device, and "Independent Dual Headphones" set to Default Communications Device.

This, for some reason, caused any game with voice chat, to output only voice to the headphones, while putting game sounds through the speakers.

Shuffling around the settings so that I no longer had a Default Communications Device fixed things. "Speakers and Dual Headphones" are still set to Default Device. Everything's peachy now.

For those who are interested:
Right-click on your speaker icon in the system tray, go to Playback Devices, and make sure Default Device is set to what you want, and make sure there is no Default Communications Device setting.

 

[KDUB50]

Thanks Illogik

I've been playing musical chairs with my Playback and Recording for a couple weeks now. Illogiks recommendation worked for me though mine is labeled a bit differently. "Speakers/HP" was Default Device and "Headphones (RTC)" was Default Communication Device. By right-clicking "Speakers/HP" and setting 'Set as Default Communication Device' the "Speaker/HP" still displays as Default Device and now "Headphones (RTC)" displays as Ready. All seems to be working well now.

 

[liunit92]

THANK YOU illogik

wow man i created an account just to say thanks. now i can play borderlands and red alert 3 with REAL sound not some wimpy laptop speakers

 

[Chanimal]

Fixed.

So here was the problem: in playback devices, I had "Speakers and Dual Headphones" set to Default Device, and "Independent Dual Headphones" set to Default Communications Device.

This, for some reason, caused any game with voice chat, to output only voice to the headphones, while putting game sounds through the speakers.

Shuffling around the settings so that I no longer had a Default Communications Device fixed things. "Speakers and Dual Headphones" are still set to Default Device. Everything's peachy now.

For those who are interested:
Right-click on your speaker icon in the system tray, go to Playback Devices, and make sure Default Device is set to what you want, and make sure there is no Default Communications Device setting.

Hi - I am having the exact same issue and still cannot figure out how to fix (I have an HP DV6 i7). Can you clarify exactly what you did to fix? I was playing around with the default device settings and still could not get it to work. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks in advance!!

 

[Caels]

Thanks maybe

I've only had this notebook about 2/3 months now, and I've been having the same problem since day one. 90% of my time on it is to do with listening/creating/editing/cataloguing music or watching movies etc... so this is probably the worst problem random selection could have chosen for me. It's also a very difficult one to get rid of (until now)[the internet tech guy from PC World tried to fix it a few weeks ago online, and failed]. Ive been following the steps posted on this thread, and it's working so far.

Heres some additional symptoms i've encountered;

When I'm doing anything to do with sound through headphones (not just games), the HD IDT audio control panel starts switching between various playback and recording settings as if the audio driver is have a seizure. The sound sort of cycles through the laptop speakers and the headphones, so not only can everyone here what im doing, it alters the sound im hearing through the headphones. Like im listening through a glitch filter... Annoying to say the least. This will happen once every hour or so, lasting between 2 and 10 minutes (depending on what settings i mess with).

I know for a fact its the IDT shit that's creating the problems, and I dont want to fix the problem anymore, i want to get rid of IDT for good. How do I go about doing that without screwing myself? Is it easy, and can I use something different instead such as Realtek?

Thanks brah