Has anyone got 5.1 sounds working on XC-895?

oztraxed

Hi, thought I would ask this question in a positive way rather than my 5.1 does not work.

A new XC-895 purchased a month ago with Realtek 5.1 sounds. When I test the speakers with the sound panel all 6 speakers make a sound. But whatever I play only comes out in stereo.

I've had the computer supplier tech team look at it for the last month, they've logged on remotely and checked everything and say yip, everything is working fine,  as when testing the speakers all 6 sound. But they admit they're baffled as to why playing only gives stereo. they said they cannot do anymore, as the computer is working fine ... ... except it does not for me as I cannot play 5.1 sounds.

I have got the screen shot of all the settings, so hoping someone has managed to get 5.1 coming out of all 6 speakers can help with telling me how they did it. It is a Cambridge Soundworks Creative 5.1 Desktop Theatre Speaker System I have got, worked perfectly well with my old computer system, and can get sound coming out of all 6 speakers when using Test in the sound Panel, but only stereo when playing anything else.

I'm using audio jacks for connections to the speakers, and they're plugged in correctly at the back. Realtek driver version 6.0.9107.1

Tachi13

Hi @oztraxed

were you able to find the Realtex HD Audio manager like the below image and try with the Realtek software like this? when you get to the software, you'll be able adjust speaker configuration and really look at a change. It worked for me when I bought in surround speakers, enable Spatial sound on too.



Please click on "Yes" if this answered your question.

oztraxed

Hi Tichi, thanks for the reply. Yes I have, not that one but same for Realtek, and it plays all the sounds on all 6 speakers, but stil only stereo out when playing anything other than thru their sound properties, music, movies, speech etc.

But no worries, I hope problem solved. the retailer's picking the box up today and be sending me a new one, hopefully within a week or so, hoping that will fix it!

NoelMP4

oztraxed said:

I'm using audio jacks for connections to the speakers, and they're plugged in correctly at the back. Realtek driver version 6.0.9107.1

hello oztraxed.

I'm curious as to how or where you got this Realtek audio v6.0.9107.1 driver because I don't think Acer has that recent version available on their web site (unless you can show me the link or site that has it)

on that Realtek(R) Audio Properties dialog box in your screenshot (it's from Device Manager), click on that Driver tab to verify/confirm the driver version

oztraxed

Hi Noel, how's it going?

The drivers came with the computer out the box, though I'm sure if you go to the Realtek site you can download that as well, as I've seen it there.

That is the driver version from the properties box I copied down.

Hope that helps?

Cheers

****

Edited the content to hide personal information
Acer-Erick

NoelMP4

oztraxed said:

The drivers came with the computer out the box, though I'm sure if you go to the Realtek site you can download that as well, as I've seen it there.

unfortunately the Realtek web site that I checked myself has an old audio driver version (R2.82) from 7/26/2017 (that one is v6.0.1.8186 dated 6/14/2017)

so I guess Acer pre-installed the 9107 audio driver version on your XC-895 machine but did not make it available for download on the Acer support site.

oztraxed

Well the thing is 5.1 doesn't work on my XC-895, so the computer has gone back. Hope to know soon when they will send me a new one back. Can't fault the retailer's tech help desk, they had dialed into my computer a few times, check for latest drivers etc but couldn't get 5.1 working.

When I get the new computer back and if it works 5.1 I will update this and let you know the version of drivers I have on there. does 5.1 work on your's?

Joe9844

It depends what you are playing, it is perfectly normal to not have 5.1 audio.

Microsoft only paid DVD software player and dolby digital licensing fee in Windows 7. Microsoft did not pay for dolby digital in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

If you are playing a song --- which is stereo only --- you need to enable "speaker fill" in the Realtek Audio Console. If your computer comes with "premium" audio like DTS or Nahimic or icepower, then "speaker fill" may not be available.

oztraxed

Hi Loe, thanks for the reply.

I'll wait for my new unit to arrive from the retailer, be checking it out. Not sure about the licence part, as it played 5.1 all the time on my last computer to any sounds, and that was on an XP machine. I suspect as long as there is signal going out those cables the cinemasound's amp on the 5.1 setup will make all 6 speakers work.

Anyway I hope the new unit works 5.1. I tell you, stereo music out of 2 little speakers without woofer makes for painful listening, kinda like transistor radios in the 60s you see black and white photos of lol!!

Joe9844

As I said, 5.1 is often a "pay or not pay" problem. When you bought your XP computer 20 years ago, you also bought a DVD burner --- which most likely came with OEM version WinDVD (which WinDVD paid Dolby a licensing fee). Also 20 years ago, integrated audio chipset in the motherboard was not that popular --- so people most likely bought themselves a separate sound card (which the sound card manufacturer paid Dolby a licensing fee).

You want to see if your computer has 5.1 or not. Download Netflix app, play a 5.1 movie and see if you have 5.1 sound. Netflix paid Dolby licensing fee for their Netflix app.

5.1 has NOTHING to do with whether your stereo music uses the subwoofer or not. Stereo is stereo --- by definition it doesn't have a discrete LFE signal. You can't create a subwoofer signal out of thin air.

oztraxed

Hi Loe, thanks for the reply. The licencing part I'm afraid I don't know anything about. I would expect if I brought a new computer from a supplier that said 5.1 included, I would expect to play music and get 5.1 sound, especially if when I use the Test function in the supplied audio console it pings all six speakers.

For sure the supplier's techie people, who has been great in trying to fix it, agree that I should have sound coming out of all 6 speakers when playing music, not just when doing the test function.

It's almost like, and this is from me, a complete non techie, that when playing music there's signal down only one or two of the output audio jacks, not all three, so the 5.1 amp it plus into has no signals to send to the other speakers.

Well I am hoping when they give me another new computer, in the next 2 weeks or when one is in the warehouse that I can just plug it in and hear 5.1 sounds out of all 6 speakers, not just two.

If I am expected to get a new sound card or a licence I would have thought their tech department would've known about it and adviced me?

thanks again Loe!

Cheers

billsey

The hardware is doing what you ask. When you play stereo audio it sends sounds to the two speakers. You have to be playing 5.1 to get 5.1. As Joe suggests turning on speaker fill should get the sound from stereo duplicated on the other speakers, it's not really surround sound, just stereo on all six.

oztraxed

Update, yay I now have 5.1!!!! 

Got a new computer from the supplier, exactly same spec, did things I did before i.e. set speakers to 5.1 etc and .....

5.1 sound out now!!!

Thanks all for your patience and advices.

Cheers

Ed

billsey

Very odd... Although now we know there is a hardware issue that can cause those symptoms.

oztraxed

What I did with the new computer (same as the old one I had before, and same procedures)

Windows update to get latest version

Uninstall Realtek speakers  from Device manager, then scan new hardware to get speakers back again

In Settings -> System -> Sounds -> Sound Control Panel. configure Realtek  speakers to 5.1

In Realtek Audio Console check 5.1 speakers and Speaker Fill = on

and there you go, I get 5.1 sound coming out now.

Hope that helps!

NoelMP4

about the Realtek audio v6.0.9107.1 driver - Acer finally posted it but for Aspire XC-1660 & XC-1660G models in late April 2021.
the driver downloads for these XC models do have the 9107 audio driver listed