Asus W2V audio - angry customers on the warpath!

If you think you would get a better responce from another manufacturer your wrong. Id say you would have a better shot with asus than anyone else.

 

Asus will never win any marketing awards...... their so used to being an ODM that they do expect the companies they deal with to relay this information. There isn't anything in the works besides what's already been done. Asus has already said that some of the problem i a physical hardware limitation, whereas they have fixed the main problem.

What lies unsolved, I don't think can be solved... and that's using the notebook to output only 2.1 channel sound.......... it'll do 5.1 and and 7.1 beautifully.... and really if you're outputting off a machine like that, it's horrible to do anything less........ but I think that's a limitation of how that laptop had to be set up.

 

Maybe, at least they have good dealers like you Justin to communicate between them and the end user, but since I hooked up my W2 in my showroom to play music on a simple 2-1 system I found out how terrible the sound really is after engaging my iPod Video for the same purpose........

 

I agree with you 100% Jeroen. What's even more infuriating is that they seem to be updating some software (BIOS for example) on later releases of the W2 without bothering to make these updates available for current owners.

Phil
W2Vc-U005P

 

I was seriously looking at this model from ASUS, I believe I will just seek elswhere after hearing this about the W2

 

I would really think again if I was me too.......
Such a pity, I still think it's one of the best notebooks out there but I cannot understand why Asus puts s much effort in creating these magnificent laptops and they do not put ANY effort in after sales customer support.

They really could be the best if they tried........

 

Now I think that's going a little too far........ they have tried, they know that there is a hardware limitation to 2 channel outputs....... but they have fixed any sound quality issues in the speakers on the system itself and 5.1 and 7.1 channel outputs........

That's has nothing to do with customer support, it has more to do with either doing "this or that"...... whatever this limitation is, they said they had to change the sound chip on the W2j to overcome it........ their people did all they could to salvage a great unit....... they just needed certain sound coming from the computer and they needed to be able to output the 5.1 and 7.1......... I'm fairly certain that the implimentation of the subwoofer on the system is actually why they can't just output 2 channel audio..... I think 2.1 would work fine, because it's seperating the bass on the computer...... where as most systems never do this.....

 

so, what are the latest news about sound problem?
i wasn't looking at much lately..

 

Despite all of the faults with the Audio, the W2V really has no other weaknesses IMO .... a replacement Audigy ZS gives more than adequate audio ... it is simply too good a laptop to overlook.

 

Well, as I understand it there isn't any progress at al. There is a new BIOS (with a significant increase in version), but as far as I know it only enables support for Hypermemory.

The thing I don't understand, is how Asus can release a notebook which performs so badly when connecting headphones (or simple analog speakers). Don't they test these kinds of things? Even people with hearing problems can hear that the sound lacks bass and high tones.
Moreover, not everybody has a digital decoder to connect their laptop to. Second, I watch a lot of Xvid movies which have plain stereo sound in 9 of the 10 cases, so you can't even connect it digitally (correct me if I'm wrong).
Last but not least, it's a portable device so I want to use it on the move (e.g. in the train), then the only option is using headphones (unless you want to disturb the whole train). So how can Asus overlook such a thing?

@BarnOwl: did you contact Asus NL about this problem? I think I will do this very soon to hear what they have to say about this (and while I'm at it I will also ask about the constantly running fan).

@illucid: besides the sound problem, the W2 is indeed a great laptop. The only other thing that could bother people is the fan, which is mostly on when using line current.

 

Not yet, I must agree after purchasing the W2 I had a problem with the TV tuner and Asus NL had a replacement within a day at the dealer. So no complaints about their service......

I'll call them soon to see what they say about the sound issue, I will get back on that in this thread....

 

I don't have any complaints about their service either, my old M6800N (which now belongs to my father), had to go back for repair twice, both times the laptop was back in a week. The last time they even replaced the whole top cover because there was a crack in the lid (I dropped it ), I didn't mention it on the RMA form as a defect, so thumbs up for Asus for that matter...

I will contact Asus NL soon and report back in this thread.

 

If you're in the Netherlands you may experience a better than average turaround on service, as I believe Asus still do most (if not all) of their European warranty repairs there.

 

Yes I know, the laptops are repaired in "Assen" which is about 100km from the city where I live... Nevertheless I think it is a remarkable job to replace the motherboard, the top cover, the right mousepad button and the battery and bring the laptop back at my front door within a week.

 

Oh, no!!!

I just sent back my M6VA and replaced it with this W2V because I use my laptop for music home studio work - and, like everyone else, I couldn't figure why the sound is so bad, worse by far than the M6V!!!

I listened with my ear up to the subwoofer - nothing comes out. I have tried all manner of settings, downloaded latest drivers, etc.

So today, I put "W2V subwoofer" in Google and landed here.

Now that I have read all these threads, my heart has sunk into my shoes. No,no,no, please tell me it isn't true! I returned a BETTER SOUNDING, SMALLER MACHINE, PAID THE HANDLING FEE and now end up with this pile of scrap silicon!

Sheesh! <banging head agains wall>

 

Oh yes, yes, it is.. Welcome to the club! We've been sitting on this pile since the warm summer days.. Hopefully your studio software can output sound in both the front and the rear channels - in which case you can use the rear output jack which doesn't strip lows and highs. I know Adobe Audition doesn't support this, unfortunately for me..

 

I'm very frustrated, today I discovered that the new W2J has arrived here in the Netherlands, about 5 weeks after I bought my W2V...
Click here to see the specs and price. The worst thing is that it is similarly priced as mine, but now you get a dual core (also at 2.13GHz), a x1600 256MB and faster memory. If they also solved the fan noise and the bad sound my misery is complete. The only consolation is that I have 2GB of RAM (instead of 1GB) and a 7200rpm HDD (instead of 5400rpm)...

I think I'm gonna call Asus that I insist on a solution for the fan and the sound. Maybe they'll give me the W2J (since they can't solve the problems).

 

god, this is probably gonna piss you all off..
I bought an Audigy2 ZS notebook. After some investigation, I am thinking this "sound problem" is not an across the board thing.
With a decent set of headphones, my W2v sounds the same with the Realtek sound as it does with the SB card.
As far as external speakers are concerned, a friend with a high-dollar Toshiba set his next to mine and we played the same song..
No comparison.. ASUS flat out smoked it, now he is selling his to buy a W2v.
Thats why I think its not a problem that every machine shares.
I am truly sorry for those that are frustrated. I myself know all about disappointment.
As far as the fan goes, I dont see any problem there either. If If I run Battle for Middle Earth 2 demo at high quality, the fan runs at full blast, and it gets quite warm, but that is to be expected.
Good luck!

BDR

 

Hallo Chevron,

did you buy youre laptop by that company?

 

Where'd you get the Battle for middle Earth 2 DEMO!!!! gah!!! i want it!!! Me want DEMO! plz thanks


Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

Fileplanet or EA's site has it, its pretty sweet too, but I just got Empire at War, so thats where I will be for a while!

BDR

 

@Klepzeiker: yeah I bought my W2 at laptops4u, why?

 

I also bought mine there.
Till now no problems and good service.

 

It's not that I complain about laptops4u, they are only the supplier, after that you have nothing to do with them anymore, since Asus handles the warranty.

 

... Not for Laptops4U upgraded parts like the CPU, HDD or memory.

 

Doesn't matter, Asus NL also supports barebones (what it essentially is). My previous Asus was also upgraded by the company I bought it from, still the motherboard was replaced by Asus for a defective CMOS.

 

A motherboard will never be replaced by a shop, that's why your motherboard was replaced. The screen of my modified notebook was replaced, but i have no ASUS-warranty on the CPU, processor and the memory because they are upgraded components.

But it doesn't matter for the sound and fan problems.

 

Ok.
I've been using using this cutting edge mutimedia system with it's severely impaired stereo output since august 2005. I've been checking this and other forums if not daily then at least weekly for a solution that will ensure more than AM radio quality sound from my high end 2 channel stereo when using my W2V as audio source. I have now given up my last hope that ASUS will provide a solution.

(although even the slightest reaction/public acknowledgement would be the least they could do)

I have tried every Realtek HD audio driver that has been relased in the last 6 months and used all the work arounds mentioned here and elsewhere, but none provide anything near hifi quality.

So I just have ordered an M-Audio transit usb external soundcard at a cost of ~100 euro.

It's a disgrace that I have to resort to this expense and trouble and very disappointed in the total lack of service ASUS gives to the customers of it's 'multimedia flagship'.

Pjotrski

 

Asus has acknowledged this and has said you're not going to output 2 channel stereo because the of a hardware limitation.... Now the Wj2 has a different sound chip, apparently doesn't have that issue..... but the hardware limitation is directly linked to the system putting out 2.1 to the laptop itself... so you can't output less than 2.1... How they change that on the W2j, I have no idea... but they fixed that software that I complained about.... and they can't change out people's sound chip. We're not talking about audio output on a whole..... the laptops speakers have been improved with software to the point I approve..... and the output of 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 is perfect..... 2.0 isn't.... call it disgrace of their flagship or whatever, but who outputs to 2.0 speakers? $20 can buy you a workable 2.1 channel set up.... sort of been the standard for 7-8 years on computers.

 

Well I do, when using headphones. I certainly call it a disgrace that you can't use headphones (with an acceptable quality) on a 2300+ euro laptop...

 

I agree i use headphones. or stereo setup. My main desktop is even just a good 2.1 system. I dont need a surround sound for my computer for what its not my home theatre. just wouldnt work well for the room my stuff is in to place the speakers behind me. i find most people still use 2.1 systems for most pcs.

 

.... right, a 2.1 setup is fine though.. it's just a 2 channel without a sub that is going to suck. The problem is the lows are getting seperated out of before the jack.

 

ill be honest i dont even use headphones on my w2v just built in speakers. but headphones should sound good on a machine. i mean im sure there are plenty of people who are using machines like the w2v for music stuff. dj crap maybe i dunno. and need it to sound good with headphones. we mean we all know asus messed up with that. but really there is no solution im still glad i have my w2v.

 

No doubt.... but the point was they "fixed" the issues I had and most of what anyone else found with a bios update and driver update.... but we've got a physical hardware limitation... if they left the sub off the unit, this wouldn't be a problem... now... do they sell the unit as 2+2.1 stereo.... or not? Not too many units have a sub... so yes they screwed up, but I don't think they could have done it any differently...

... my issue is how are they going to fix this on the new unit?

 

I think they should have left the sub out. i dont think it adds any sound benifit to the unit. Ive heard to many smaller laptops that sound better. and the quismos sound much better. just a fuller type sound. I like asus stuff noone is perfect though. But i always wondered if a company is a ODM they should know how to make the perfect machine because they make everyone elses. they know what is good to do and bad to do. They should know what will cause issues and what will now, know what i mean.

 

They will fix the problem by writing the driver interface to correctly split between the speakers.

The fact that when I have the W2V at home hooked up to 5.1 it sounds **** brilliant, and that when I am in the office with headphones hooked up it sounds "aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh", to me indicates a poorly written calculation somewhere in the driver interface.

 

If it were as simple as a driver interface it would have been solved already. There is some limitation in the hardare so either they are using some different chipset. Or i wouldnt be surprised if they issue carrys over to the W2J.

 

No, they won't. They've admitted that it's a hardware issue: Meaning that they're using a low pass filter to direct sound to the passive 'subwoofer' on the underside, and looking at the frequency response graphs probably also a filter for the high frequencies (to prevent distortion in the trebble?).

This could have been laudable bacuase it would indicate that they've made an extra effort to make the notebook sound good on the built-in speakers; if not for the mind boggeling stupid design flaw of placing these (analogue) filters *before* the headphone/line out jack.

 

Do does this mean then that if I send my W2V back for a repair they will replace the sound card to the W2J version?? Is there a link where they acknowledge that there is a hardware flaw?

cheers

 

Depends on how the thing is designed. Such a filter is likely a relatively simple analog circuit that make some frequencies go one way and some the other. All speakers with two or more different drivers have them. Seeing as they say it really operate in 2 channel mode even if it has 2+2+1 speakers the 'problem' sits somewhere between pin 35-36 of the codec (L+R out) and the jack. Could be it can't be fixed without a new motherboard revision, could be that replacing the speaker assembly will do it, could be on some breakout board with the audio jacks on them. Because Asus doesn't have publicly available service manuals it is hard to know.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=34170

 

Well this is what I hope they will do. I still have to call Asus NL about the sound flaw, if they acknowledge it and if so, what they're going to do about it. I don't know if it's possible to put in a i945 mobo as can be found in the W2J and put in my current P-M 770 and 533MHz DDR2?

 

god i'm so disappointed to come back to this forum to find that my laptop will never sound good. it was a big reason i bought the W2. i wanted to be able to listen to music. as it is, playing itunes through the built in speakers sounds awful, tinny, muffled, bright yet muffled at the same time. headphones are totally unlistenable. i admit i've got a very sensitive ear, my main stereo rig is a pair of martin logans and some tube amps, but i literally have to plug my ipod into my laptop, transfer music to the ipod, and then listen.

i dont need a sub. just two full range speakers that work. simple! why get complicated? split up the signal into all kinds of parts, never put them back together, and play portions through 4 substandard speakers. just get two decent speakers, it can't be that hard.

god i'm disappointed. it really sucks. i'm pissed, and frustrated. i have a f-ing top of the line multimedia system that can't do exactly what it was advertised as being able to do! total bait and switch. and i'm left holding a big bag of poo.

i guess the solution is to go back and buy their newer, "improved" (you mean, working) model? grrr!

 

Steve..... update the bios and sound driver #1... I have a feeling you may not have done that... it's not going to do anything about the system seperating the lows into their own channel prior to output... but the speakers on the system itself are the best built-in laptop speakers out there...

 

Why not? Apparently they solved the problem on the W2J so we only have to buy ANOTHER 2500 dollar laptop?? I think Asus should change out the sound chip. That's actually what the angry owners on the warpath should DEMAND.

That's like saying a 4x4 should not be run in two wheel drive..........It is not working as it should be. Asus knows this and does not offer a solution. Instead they bring out the same laptop with a new modelnr. that does not have the problem.

I think we should start a lawsuit..........

 

OK... link to where I can update them?

 

No.... you may all be pissed and rightfully so.... I wasn't happy to realize the same thing, but keep in mind that I'm the one who found the sound issues initially before any of the first units even shipped...... Asus later came out with a bios and driver update to take care of my main issues and since I never used headphones with the system, I didn't know until someone else told me that the system was filtering out the lows regardless......... after I went back to them with that, they found out the setup they created was limited........ the system is sold as having 2+2.1 channel audio onboard and stressing the seperate sub........ and it's sold as having 5.1 and 7.1 output. I don't agree with a hardware limitation, but that's what it is and and for Asus to give people a new motherboard would honestly take a class action lawsuit and frankly, the system does what it's advertised to do, so that's a long shot, but you do have a way to get something done.

... I don't know if the new sound chip could some how be soldered on the motherboard and replace the realtek, but if you want me to try to petition Asus about this I will.... this thread has been viewed by at least the 4 most influential people at Asus in the US - and is the main reason the new model has a new chip and why there was a new bios and driver made for the current unit....... I also know this was brought to the attention of Taiwan and I also asked the guys at Asus to look over the most recent activity because of the posts over the last week or so... we'll see what happens, but even though I'm more than just one voice and I have this thread to show.... Asus isn't getting a lot of complaints... I think everyone complaining about it is in this thread and that's a very small fraction of all the W2's sold. I'm not saying there's not a problem, because... well I've already said there is... but Asus' moves were already based on a few voices.... they've done all they can and someone else has to make a move because I've continued to do all that I can and everyone else simply sees this as $2,500 they spent and can't look at it objectively.

Steve - for the drivers and everything - bookmark this link:
http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?model=W2V&SLanguage=en-us

 

By the way - I have new information which is actually months old..... but I can tell you why this problem exisits on the W2v and not on the W1n or will exist on the W2j.... It's all in the realtek sound chip.

Asus: "W2V try to optimize the treble sound range so we add a filter on earphone sound source which cause the earphone limitation."

Not like this hasn't been said before, but with this sound chip they only way they could put the correct sounds going to the right speakers - seperating the lows from the four main speakers and push those to the onboard subwoofer, was to filter them out with the driver they produced.

So, when I said this is a hardware issue, it is... in that the realtek sound chip physically won't allow both things to occur..... while the end result that people are complaining about is technically a software issue that Asus knowing went about because optimizing what the notebook itself does IS what they're selling and again -- 2.1 / 5.1 / 7.1 outputs all also work as stated...... and the jack is identified, not as a headphone jack, but as a S/PDIF jack, so technically they are completely in the clear here and have a 99.9% perfect laptop. It is simply because of this thread that the new model will have a different chip that can physically allow what they would like to happen and obviously solve this problem....... but the change is based on you guys and not like they had to do it. This has given the model much worse press than is truely deserved and they change was obviously made to continue to sell a good product and say that they took in the critizism and made changes.......

But to go back to me saying you can petition Asus to modify your system.... you can still try it, but Asus doesn't feel like they need to do anything.... The notebook does more than anyone could expect and having 2.1 / 5.1 / 7.1 audio output is more than most computers..... and having four internal speakers and a sub onboard is also more than most systems.... So, mark up can't output simple 2 channel sound as the negatives to that model and move on from there....

 

You must be misunderstanding something. First, there are computers using the same realtek codec that are perfectly able to produce a decent frequency response. Secondly, while you could filter the sound in the driver (basically adjusting the default EQ for various frequencies) this wouldn't help divert any bass to the subwoofer.

The only thing that makes sense is that the signal is modified somewhere after the output pins from the codec because the filtering must happen in the analogue domain.

While I wouldn't bet too much on it, my guess is that someone with a bit of EE knowledge, no need for warranties, and a fine tipped solder iron could 'fix' this issue for themselves.

 

Right....... infact, all of the ensembles models we had this year has the same realtek ship..... the difference is that they all didn't have a subwoofer.

To me, I don't have experience on that level enough to say what's what... but I know that Asus worked on it for a long time and they had to get a new sound chip on the new model in order to make it work.... so if it were that simple, they would have done that and stuck with the same sound chip.... I have no reason to believe that Asus would lie to me and I already know what they've been through. That's all that matters for me, but a lot of people who complained about it never went further than that.

.... although, I don't understand why they couldn't distribute the sound differently... IE: what exactly was different with the sound chip on the old W1n..... and what's different on this new on that they're going to put on the W2j... but I still think people's judgements are too clouded to do anything but jump down Asus' throat about it and not try to understand what's going on.

 

The W2V has the ALC880, yes. What codec does the W2J use? Not saying they're lying, but some engineer -> second party -> less than stellar grasp of English miscommunication comes to mind. I still don't understand (in theory) why they couldn't place such filters *after* the headphone jack, but motherboards do have limited space for tracing - and in particular notebook motherboards - so it might have been a design choice rather than a 'problem'.

Not that I’d recommend it, but as I said: I still think that someone playing ‘follow the traces’ would find circuitry sitting in-between the output pins of the codec an the jack/speaker hookup that’s not there on other Asus notebooks that employ the ALC880 but not the subwoofer.

Realtek *does* have a newer codec dubbed as 7.1(+2) with the last +2 being separate independent stereo pins, so maybe that is what they're referring to. Perhaps the additional front outputs can allow them to preserve the integrity of the signal for the external output while still modifying the sound suited for the internal speakers.

If that is the case ‘it can’t be fixed without a new soundchip’ would be true, in a sense, because you’re not likely to do a new motherboard revision on a product that is going to be EOL soon, and a repair centre isn’t going to make hackish modifications to a system under warranty.