5.1 on board sound never works!?!?

[Vision1280]

    Realtek ALC889 codec
    High Definition Audio
    2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
    Support for Dolby Home Theater
    Support for S/PDIF Out


I have the Realtek Azalia audio chip on my motherboard and flash on youtube never plays sound on my rear/side speakers. When i play audio files in VLC the same happens, no sound out of side/rear speakers. I have 5.1 speakers connecting with 3 jacks. The side/rear speakers work when I play Battlefield 2 Bad Company. I had a Asus Xonar DX that lasted two days, for the two days the sound worked, in VLC and youtube flash like videos, using the default Playback Device. Why does my on board Realtek default Playback Device sound never work in VLC or youtube flash player? Should I buy a S/PDIF cable and S/PDIF ready sound system? Sound only works in Battlefield and when i press the test speakers button in Realtek HD Audio Manager. I put the blame on bad sound card driver support.

ViewSonic VX2268WM Black 22" 1680x1050 5ms 120Hz 3D-Ready
GA-990FXA-UD5, F3 BIOS, REV 1.0
AMD 970 3.5 ghz 4 core, 1.35 volts
Corsair Hydro Series H60
EVGA GTX 560 Ti, 1024 Mb GDDR5
Corsair Force Series 3 60gb, 500mb read, 490mb write
2 x 4gigs DDR3 Mushkin 996776, 1.5 volts, 1333mhz, 9-9-9-24-33 1T
Xigmatek SLI Power supply
Windows 7 64bit

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

You seem to think it is down to software support but have you made sure that you have the latest drivers installed and configured properly ?

I have 5.1 speakers installed onto my azalia ports and find I have to use the side channels rather than the rear channels as the system is 7.1

[Vision1280]

Thanks. I updated with a driver/software update from Realtek's website to a new version. I can get surround sound in my game still under "side" speaker mode and I can still get just the side speakers to work "front" speaker mode when watching flash videos and when listening to music in VLC, otherwise, the side speaks don't work at all in side mode using VLC or flash videos. I'm so disappointed. I see myself buying a Asus 250 dollar dedicated sound card down the road, with this time "removable" 10 dollar cheap OP AMPs, replacing them with 40 dollar OP AMPs, all for every surround mode support. From what I get, music/mp3 files play in stereo and maybe even possibly flash video does too. I'm afraid the Realtek driver along with utility/software code does not take this into consideration.

[Dark Mantis]

I know that you say you have used the latest drivers from the Realtek site but have you tried the latest ones from the Gigabyte site. Sometimes the manufacturer of the motherboard has customised some aspects of the chip and so you may need their software/drivers to get full functionallity.

[Vision1280]

Gigabyte's site has a Audio Driver Version of 6.0.1.6392 while Realtek's version is 6.0.1.6410. Both are Audio Codec: ALC889, DirectX 11 and Audio Controller: HD Audio.

[Dark Mantis]

There is a good chance that they are both the same apart from the date of release but it could be that the Gigabyte one has been customised.

[Vision1280]

Your sound card works with the Gigabyte version? Mine does not work with Gigabyte's version, and I think it would only work if I had a HDMI connection from graphics card to monitor (being that there is a S/PDIF Out Header on my motherboard for a graphics card In) or I need a S/PDIF to receiver to home theater setup. My analog speaker connection to the on board sound card is a no go though. I have been fighting these sound card issues now for 6 years, my luck is so amazing.   ...all i get.... is a fuzzy sound from my rear... side speakers. Thanks for the help.

[Dark Mantis]

From my Realtek azalia chip onboard my motherboard I have no problem using the Gigabyte drivers. They seem to work perfectly apart from the adjustment that I mentioned before because I am only using a 5.1 speaker setup as opposed to a 7.1 system. I am using Windows7 64 bit. I have none of the extra cables that you mentioned simply the speakers connected directly to the rear panel ports. I am using a Logitech set, quite old but very good, ZXR-500 if it is any help to you.

[Vision1280]

Wow, I finally figured something out. I got it working by using Windows sound test and Realtek sound test. You must configure the setup for speakers to 7.1 in windows sound configuration (click next and uncheck the side speakers, then go back to test) or everytime you press to test sound on the rear speakers in windows test under 7.1 setting, the configuration settings change in Realtek from 5.1 to 7.1 with the grayed out box for rear changing to a box with a check in it with surround sound unchecking it self, then it goes back to a uncheck grayed out box for rear with 5.1 and surround checked after the sound is done playing. Also, make sure to use the 7.1 setting in Realtek and uncheck the side speakers box kind of thing. I don't know why but using 5.1 configuration tries to force my rear speakers into side speakers...

It was just a bug. When windows speaker configuration is open, it keeps its setting on by not updating from changed settings in Reltek's config. This is so strange.