Rear speakers not detected/very quiet on Huawei Matebook Pro X

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thomasfromage
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:48 am

Rear speakers not detected/very quiet on Huawei Matebook Pro X

Post by thomasfromage »

This computer has four speakers but only the front ones appear in the Sound settings. The speakers' audio quality is very poor overall - tinny/too soft in the spoken range, distorted/rattly in the bass. When I plug in headphones, they work great.
Screenshot from 2021-06-11 10-54-33.png
When I run a test like speaker-test -t wav -c 6 the rear speakers, both left and right, do play but are very quiet in comparison to the front speakers. LFE, whatever that is, is silent.

Here's the output of inxi -Fxxxrz:

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-74-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 4.8.6 wm: muffin 4.8.1 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.1 Ulyssa base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: HUAWEI product: MACHC-WAX9 v: M1020 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: HUAWEI model: MACHC-WAX9-PCB v: M1020 serial: <filter> UEFI: HUAWEI 
  v: 1.18 date: 02/18/2021 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 13.7 Wh condition: 56.0/55.2 Wh (101%) volts: 7.3/7.6 
  model: DYNAPACK HB4593R1ECW-22T type: Li-ion serial: <filter> 
  status: Discharging cycles: 15 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-10510U bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Kaby Lake rev: C L2 cache: 8192 KiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 36799 
  Speed: 800 MHz min/max: 400/4900 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 800 2: 800 
  3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 800 8: 800 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  chip ID: 8086:9b41 
  Device-2: NVIDIA GP108BM [GeForce MX250] driver: nvidia v: 460.80 
  bus ID: 01:00.0 chip ID: 10de:1d52 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: modesetting,nvidia 
  unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa resolution: 3000x2000~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: GeForce MX250/PCIe/SSE2 v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 460.80 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 
  chip ID: 8086:02c8 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-74-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Wireless-AC 9462 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 4000 
  bus ID: 00:14.3 chip ID: 8086:02f0 
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 953.87 GiB used: 11.26 GiB (1.2%) 
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Toshiba model: N/A size: 953.87 GiB 
  speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 serial: <filter> rev: AGXA4103 scheme: GPT 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 118.03 GiB used: 11.22 GiB (9.5%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p9 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 59.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 70 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nilarimogard-webupd8-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/nilarimogard/webupd8/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
  1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com ulyssa main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
  2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
  3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
  4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
  5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
  6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
Info:
  Processes: 271 Uptime: 37m Memory: 15.39 GiB used: 2.17 GiB (14.1%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 
I should add that I'm dual booting with Windows 10.

Here's alsamixer:
Screenshot from 2021-06-11 11-49-38.png
aplay -l yields:

Code: Select all

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC256 Analog [ALC256 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
aplay -L yields:

Code: Select all

default
    Playback/recording through the PulseAudio sound server
surround21
    2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
samplerate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Samplerate Library
speexrate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Speex Resampler
jack
    JACK Audio Connection Kit
oss
    Open Sound System
pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server
upmix
    Plugin for channel upmix (4,6,8)
vdownmix
    Plugin for channel downmix (stereo) with a simple spacialization
sysdefault:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    Front speakers
surround21:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=2
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 2
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 3
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=4
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 4
    HDMI Audio Output
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
    Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=7
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
    Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=8
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 2
    Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=9
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 3
    Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=10
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 4
    Direct sample mixing device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
    Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=7
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
    Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=8
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 2
    Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=9
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 3
    Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=10
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 4
    Direct sample snooping device
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=7
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=8
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 2
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=9
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 3
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=10
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 4
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC256 Analog
    Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
    Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=7
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
    Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=8
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 2
    Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=9
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 3
    Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=10
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 4
    Hardware device with all software conversions
usbstream:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH
    USB Stream Output
cat /proc/asound/cards yields:

Code: Select all

0 [PCH            ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
                      HDA Intel PCH at 0x6013108000 irq 149
And finally, cat /proc/asound/card0/codec* | grep Codec yields:

Code: Select all

Codec: Realtek ALC256
Codec: Intel Kabylake HDMI
UPDATE: I followed the instructions here: https://github.com/samuelmatn/guides/bl ... d-speakers. I was successful in modifying the pin settings in hdajackretask but then before rebooting I get to the step that says "Update initramfs" and I know mkinitcpio is not for Mint, so I try to do something comparable with update-initramfs -u -t but it gives me an error:

Code: Select all

ln: failed to create hard link '/boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-74-generic.dpkg-bak' => '/boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-74-generic': Operation not permitted
cp: cannot create regular file '/boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-74-generic.dpkg-bak': Permission denied
If I reboot regardless, none of my pin settings are saved, and the 4.0 surround option does not appear where it's supposed to; the changes seem to have had no effect without the "Update initramfs" step.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.


Last bumped by thomasfromage on Thu Jun 17, 2021 3:15 pm.
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