HDX 18t: Low Sound From Speakers?

I just put in a DVD to test the speakers sound quality and noticed the sound is very low. Even when turned up via the touch controls the audio is barely audible (hardly one of the best laptop audios). Am I missing something, or did I get a bad apple?

 

DVD volume in general is quiet. It is so to acommodate the high dynamic range needed for home theater (read: people who have serious subwoofers). Try using a media player that allows boosting/normalizing of DVD volume.

If it's the regular Altec Lansing flavor, you won't be disappointed by the speakers. Actually, i'm running mine with a 9db boost at 225Hz, and i believe you know that Vista/Win7's boost actually does nothing but reduce frequencies higher than that by that amount. So actually i am playing almost 2 times softer than the speakers can do, yet i find them enough for regular listening needs. If i want to wake my neighbors up i just use my 12" sub.

 

If you click the speaker icon in the tray.. (right click)

left click speaker and dual head phones..

you will see levels in the tab.. start there and work your way over to studio quality 24 bit sound... that worked for me.. when ever it sounds low.. try this and get things back in order.. I think I tinkered too much when I first got mine but I use pandora at almost all times minus phone calls so music is wayyyyyyyy important to me.

Be well, JW

 

Thanks, but that's not the kind of issue I'm referring to. I'm saying the overall speaker sound output was very low when I turned it on. I mean ever when I turn the volume up.

I will try that thanks. The audio sounds as if it's operating at 10% output.

 

If it's way too soft then there's something wrong with yours, both of mine sound just fine. The Nokia 6233 still beats 'em, but we're talking the loudest (and clearest sounding) cell phone against some pretty generic laptop speakers.

 

I checked with HP and they sent me a link to update my drivers. I'll do this when I get home and let you know if it worked.

EDIT: Well I got home and nothing. Even when turned up all the way, the sound is still pretty low. I have to compare it to another unit to be sure, but I'm pretty sure what I'm hearing can't be one of the best sounds from a laptop. It sounds like what you'd hear from a cell phone with the speaker turned on.Today I got a heap of updates from MS--which took about an hour to download and install. Much to my surprise, when I by chance played a youtube video, I got an acceptable sound from the speakers. It wasn't by any chance a room shaking experience, but at least I finally can now hear what was going on--along with some music--without having to put my ear on the keyboard. I feel much better now; and that I no longer believe HP is selling bad products.