[SOLVED] Windows 10 Realtek 'Speaker Fill' not working

[FordGT90Concept]

Ever since upgrading to Windows 10, "Speaker Fill" on Realtek audio chips has not worked (8## and 11##) for me. The rear channels are dead silent, even with +15 dB boost from the amplifier and +12 dB boost from the Realtek software. The speakers do work because when you do the channel sound test, both rear speakers sound exactly as they should. It's specifically the "Speaker Fill" feature that isn't working. I tried the 5.1 option (what I have) and the 7.1 option and both are just as silent.

Has anyone else encountered this problem? Has anyone found a solution?

Edit: See this post for workaround!

 

[remixedcat]

all games do that?

 

[marmiteonpizza]

I haven't encountered this issue.
Maybe try updating/rolling back/reinstalling the Realtek driver?

 

[FordGT90Concept]

all games do that?

I was playing stereo music via Groove app.

I haven't encountered this issue.
Maybe try updating/rolling back/reinstalling the Realtek driver?

I'm running what MSI has on their website:
http://us.msi.com/support/mb/Z170A-GAMING-M7.html/#down-driver&Win10 64
On-Board Audio Drivers
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver
6.0.1.7592
2015-09-02

Rollback would put me back on Microsoft's generic HD Audio driver.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Maybe try these. A bit newer.

ftp://ftp3.realtek.com.tw/Realtek/GeneralRelease/7606_PG435_Win10_Win8.1_Win8_Win7_WHQL.zip

 

[Aquinus]

I would make sure the application isn't outputting 5.1 or isn't down-mixing to stereo because speaker fill will ignore all but the front left and right channels on multi-channel audio if the audio being played back isn't stereo.

I was playing stereo music via Groove app.

Only on the Groove app or with every app?

 

[Ferrum Master]

It could be that Groove app uses certain wasapi mode, thus it ignores realtek layer.

 

[Aquinus]

It could be that Groove app uses certain wasapi mode, thus it ignores realtek layer.

Speaker fill is a driver level setting in Windows. I've never seen an app override it.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Speaker fill is a driver level setting in Windows. I've never seen an app override it.

Those are custom sound enchancments, that poop up in windows? Nah those come from the driver. For each maker they are own. So they mess with the driver bitrate control and sample modes, that really differ from card to card. And thus are very fragile settings.

Yes wasapi exactly bypases that software stack also. Reading up... it could be actually new audio graph api, as it could be the first one to utulize it? Just my wild guess. Haven't used realtek myself, exept when putting up a fresh PC for someone. Realtek is so widespread, albeit I bet nobody uses the groove app really with such setup . I won't go from foobar no matter what.

 

[Aquinus]

Well, without knowing more about the audio being played, it may be hard to say. As I said before, when I've played 5.1 content with speaker fill on, it chops out 3.1 and leaves only two of the surround channels (front left and right) and it doesn't mix them. I find it unusual that Groove might have audio that's 5.1 but, it could be that Groove itself it matrix decoding it and speaker fill is chopping off the other channels.

Until Ford tells us if Groove is the only app doing it or not or what kind of audio he is playing, it might be hard to say. I've had a lot of Realtek audio devices and they all have acted similarly since Vista which is why I'm skeptical. This isn't exactly unknown territory for me which is why I say this.

I would suggest that Ford turn speaker fill off to see if Groove then starts playing on all the channels, which could indicate 5.1 output and not stereo output.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Maybe try these. A bit newer.

ftp://ftp3.realtek.com.tw/Realtek/GeneralRelease/7606_PG435_Win10_Win8.1_Win8_Win7_WHQL.zip

It wants me to login and I have no credentials to do so. I tried anonymous and it didn't work.

I downloaded Realtek HD Audio Codecs from Realtek. They're 3 months old but worth a shot...

I would make sure the application isn't outputting 5.1 or isn't down-mixing to stereo because speaker fill will ignore all but the front left and right channels on multi-channel audio if the audio being played back isn't stereo.

I don't think that is the case because I was flipping between speaker fill on and off and it had no impact.

Only on the Groove app or with every app?

It looks like Windows Media Player is installed too so I'll try that...no dice. The status of Speaker Fill and Virtual Surround does not matter. The rear channels are silent.


Edit: The three month old drivers do the same. Out of curiosity, I checked the center speaker too--it's as silent as the rears.


Edit: played 6 channel WAV...works as expected. Speaker Fill is definitely the source of the problem.

Edit: Checking and unchecking Speaker Fill while center and rears have sound does nothing.

Edit: 6 channel WAV verified as working the same in Windows Media Player and Groove Music.

 

[Batou1986]

Have had the same problem for years with my creative card only solution I found was to use firefox to stream.
The 5.1 works fine with software that supports it but the Upmix feature does not.

 

[Aquinus]

It wants me to login and I have no credentials to do so. I tried anonymous and it didn't work.

I downloaded Realtek HD Audio Codecs from Realtek. They're 3 months old but worth a shot...



I don't think that is the case because I was flipping between speaker fill on and off and it had no impact.


It looks like Windows Media Player is installed too so I'll try that...no dice. The status of Speaker Fill and Virtual Surround does not matter. The rear channels are silent.


Edit: The three month old drivers do the same. Out of curiosity, I checked the center speaker too--it's as silent as the rears.


Edit: played 6 channel WAV...works as expected. Speaker Fill is definitely the source of the problem.

Edit: Checking and unchecking Speaker Fill while center and rears have sound does nothing.

Huh. I figured i would setup surround and see if I had the same issue only to find that I don't have speaker fill as an option. I downloaded the drivers right from ASUS.

I'm using version 6.0.1.7525 according to Realtek's control panel. I'm not sure if it's newer or not.

Edit: It's not. I'm updating now.

Edit 2: Huh, new version still doesn't give me access to Speaker Fill. Intriguing.

Edit 3: Are you using analog, (S/PDIF: optical, or coax)?

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I have 6.0.1.7541 installed right now. ALC1150

The speaker fill option only appears for me when it is set to Quadraphonic, 5.1, or 7.1.

Analog: Green FR/FL, Black RR/RL, Orange CS/SW

I've noticed in the past that Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 completely ignores the SW input. It derives the subwoofer signal from the front speakers in the BASH amplifier.


Edit: I have opened a support ticket with MSI.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Dear Customer, We will look into this issue and get back to you shortly. Also please do make sure that the OS is up to date as well.

So no real answer yet...

 

[Ferrum Master]

The speaker fill option only appears for me when it is set to Quadraphonic, 5.1, or 7.1.

It has to be like that... on stereo those outputs that are not used should be terminated to ground... muted... btw did you check that?

Could you really try foobar2000. Then download this plugin, and put the dll in foobar components directory. Then enable it in DSP manager and put up your channels as you desire. if it will work there... screw the apps, not the sound driver.

http://www.foobar2000.org/download
http://skipyrich.com/wiki/Foobar2000:Matrix_Mixer

Another driver. No change log, the reason I hate Realtek.

Realtek HD Audio Driver 6.0.1.7612 Beta

ftp://ftp3.realtek.com.tw/RealtekHDAudio-Beta-Drivers/Vista-Beta/7612_PG435_VISTA.zip

Win 7,8,8.1,10 x32/64
PackageVersion = PG435
DriverVer= 09/14/2015, 6.0.1.7612

username : spcust
password : hwwk758z

 

[FordGT90Concept]

MSI replied:

Dear Customer, The Nahimic Virtual Surround is the function to enhance the quality of sound. Even if you set the surround sound to enabled, you cannot have. Output Sound in all the channel using 5.1 speaker (in short, playing normal sound or movie cannot have 6 speaker to output same sound at the same time). If you would like to avail of the 5.1 channel speaker then you need to play movie that support this kind of feature, Playing you-tube or normal movies or music can only have 2 channel sound. Thank you,

I replied:

Turning off Nahimic entirely, or not even having it installed, Speaker Fill doesn't work. Speaker Fill is supposed to take stereo (2 channel) sound and up mix it for 4, 6, or 8 channels. I may have misunderstood the Nahimic's Virtual Surround but I think that is a peripheral issue to the Speaker Fill feature not working.

@Ferrum Master: I'll try that stuff and edit later...

Edit: I have 7592 so those are a little bit newer but I have to get a FTP client to download it...

Edit: Downloading the newest on there: 7615

...it's downloading at 22 KiB/s so 2+ hours to download. Realtek really needs to invest in more bandwidth...

Edit:

Could you really try foobar2000. Then download this plugin, and put the dll in foobar components directory. Then enable it in DSP manager and put up your channels as you desire. if it will work there... screw the apps, not the sound driver.

http://www.foobar2000.org/download
http://skipyrich.com/wiki/Foobar2000:Matrix_Mixer

Yes, that works but that's software doing what the Realtek chip should be doing.

Also, I never liked Foobar2000. It's really no solution, unfortunately.


Still 2+ hours on the download...


I hate Realtek too but the alternative is buying a sound card and they're generally not very good either.

 

[OneMoar]

whats your sample rate set to
I know most of the in-build effects simply do not work above 48/24
personally I avoid any audio app that some some social-buzzword non-sense tacked onto it
I switched to aimp after winamp dried up and haven't looked back

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I'd normally crank it up but right now it is sitting at the default: "24Bits, 48000 Hz (Studio Quality)"

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Speaker Fill still has no impact using 7615 beta drivers.

 

[Aquinus]

You know, your problem is driving me insane because whatever I do I can't find the speaker fill option on my own when I know I've seen it, at least on older machines, in the past. Some other thread suggests that speaker fill may have actually been replaced with "DTS Connect" which seemingly does the same thing. I'm wondering if the newer audio codec simply is showing features that don't exist anymore. Either way, DTS Connect sounds like it does what you want it to (if it's available, it is on mine.)

DTS Connect is designed to bring cinema audio experience into PC. With DTS Interactive, a real time DTS encoder, and DTS Neo: PC, an up mix matrix which turns 2-channel audio into 7.1 surround sound, DTS Connect brings cinema to home.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

There are no "Enhancements" tab.

I also took the picture on the Levels tab deliberately because "Rear Back In" appears FOUR TIMES. I saw this on the original driver from MSI too. There is nothing plugged into it.

Edit: I muted everything that isn't used for playback and Speaker Fill still doesn't work.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Dear Customer, Sorry but yes you are kind of not quite understanding how the feature works. But when the virtual surround is set and of course you have only a two channel set of speakers connected or ideally headphones which is its main purpose of use, the speaker fill will not adjust since the actual headphones or speakers that are connected are what is detected. That is the hardware that is detected so that will always only be detected not even when virtual surround if enabled that will not auto speaker fill. It will only give the virtual effect of surround through the headphones you can use speakers but is not as clear. You can go out to the link below and you will see for the virtual surround a headphones symbols is shown even on the Nahimic site. Thank you, http://i.imgur.com/hj4ydg5.jpg

This is getting no where.

I gave a long reply also mentioning the four "Back Black In." I requested the escalate it to someone that can deal with Realtek and get it fixed.

 

[OneMoar]

try checking "make front and rear devices play independent audio streams in the realtek advanced options

 

[FordGT90Concept]

That's the default setting so already checked.

Edit: For giggles, I picked the alternative choice (mute rear when front plugged in) and Speaker Fill is still broke.