Problem with receiving VoIP audio with Envy

I have an Envy 14 and just recently found this problem. Whenever I want to use VoIP programs (like Skype or Gmail Voice Chat), the audio fails to output. I tested this by calling my cellphone with Gmail and my microphone works perfectly. Other audio on my computer works as well. However, no audio comes from the actual VoIP program.

However, this does not seem to affect browser based applications that use Java or Flash (such as tokbox) as I've had audio successfully playback from video conferences before.

I have tried to use the Volume Mixer before to turn up or down either Skype or the Google Talk plugin; I have noticed a continuous static noise coming specifically from those applications.

I have set the default communications device to Speakers and Headphones on the Beats Audio Program, but this also did not do anything. I have disabled all other forms of audio output, but this also has not fixed the problem.

 

After isolating just the Skype program through the Mixer, I realized that sound was actually being output, but at a ridiculously low volume. Could this be the fault of a driver, or is there something inherently wrong with the sound card?

 

I've had problems using bluetooth headphones with Skype at times relating to the Beats audio mixer interface, but other than that everything works fine when I use Skype.

In general the speaker output volume seems to be slightly lower than most other laptops for all applications, even if the sound quality is good, but I can still hear Skype calls, etc. using the speakers.

 

Have you actually dug into Skype's settings ? You can set call volume for both your mic and your speakers at Tools > Options > Audio Settings, and I think there's another slider in the actual call window. I'm not sure about Google Talk, but if your speakers work fine with other applications, I would say it's probably not a sound-controller issue, but rather a software settings issue.

 

I know it does not have anything to do with the Skype settings. Since I can hear audio in their Sound Test Service calls with no problem. I can hear no sound or very little sound when placing actual calls though through Skype or Google Talk. There are no problems with web-based services, like TokBox, which uses flash. I believe that's the only correlation I have found so far.

 

I have reinstalled the audio driver and the problem still persists. I have noticed that at times when trying to call, there is a constant buzzing noise that persists until I end the call. All other sounds on the computer continue to work. I can isolate the sound using the mixer (the sound is usually from the Google Talk Plugin or skype).