Is it just me, or do the Envy 14 speakers have no bass?

I'm coming from a current gen 15" Macbook Pro. Compared to the Mac, the Envy speakers sound very thin.

Is this the same for everyone? Is there a way to make them sound better?

 

unfortunately that's just how most (not all) laptop speakers are.

You can up the volume some with this stuff

http://forum.notebookreview.com/5668647-post3614.html

but keep in mind that you may get some distortion and if you do you'll have to lower some of the settins down.

 

The Beats mode (fn + B I think) resets the equalizer to emphasize the lower ranges, if I remember right, though you could do that yourself in the IDT/Beats software. Generally, though, the Envy 14's speakers are pretty weak. They're still the best speakers I've had in a laptop (this is number four), but that's really not saying much. If your Envy has a home base where it gets used regularly, it's really worthwhile to invest in some good external speakers.

 

It's not just you; there really isn't anything below mid-range frequency response with the Envy's speakers. They are quite loud, however. This is most likely because most people aren't looking to use their laptop like a portable stereo system (boom box) without using headphones. Most people will only use the external speakers for a short video demonstration/viewing.

Capitalist Marketing Rule 101: Manufacture to satisfy the majority/mainstream user (or the majority of the sub-class your product is targeting).

Capitalist Marketing Rule 102: Take as many "invisible" short-cuts as you can to minimize internal cost and maximize profit.