Hmm...from what i read mostly on other forums about choping, skipping, crackling in the e6500/e6400 without any positive comments i'd rather expect that as a default position here...

but i have exactly the opposite experience actually i'm quite amazed with the sound it gives me through headphones, no crackling, skipping whatsover, no background noise whatsoever (in a completely silent surounding without sound playing i hear absolutely nothing, all other soundcards/notebooks/... i had to date had at least some even if almost inaudiable background static(?) if set to high volume). And the sound is clear and full to me... though that might be just my subjective impression and i can't think of a way to objectively understand your problem for me (without physical comparison).

And just in case that helps: I made a clean install of vista x64 with all updates but didn't install the dell/idt sound driver(after hearing many people having problems with them) and use the automatically installed microsoft hd audio driver without and effects or anything set in the sound options and it works just great.

Hi there

So, I see you are running Vista?  Perhaps thats my problem, I am running XP.

When you listen to a song, do you hear the bass drum?  On mine, it is very faint, you can hardly hear any bass.

I have same problem. :emotion-39:Sound quality is tinny.without any bass note. (XP32, all actual drivers)

Ruda.M,

This thread was started by Jonathan Bell in the old Dell Forum. Last week Dell initiated this new Forum that we are in now, but not all of the messages were transferred over here. Here is a summary of the parts of the thread that were left behind.

liebmann wrote:

"...I'm not sure though how xp handeles sound differently then vista between the drivers and the app, are there actually microsoft hd drivers in xp? "

I replied:

"In XP the audio was closer to the core of the operating system. In Vista audio is more at arm's length -- further removed in the architectural hierarchy -- supposedly so that if the audio driver were to crash it would not take down the rest of the system. As a result Vista is not as audio friendly as XP. I don't know of any HD drivers within XP (there are AC'97 drivers built in), but Vista does have native HD drivers."

 Then Jonathan Bell posted:

"Oh my, I have found the problem!!!!!!!

1. Go to your volumn control

2. Click the Advanced button by the main volumn

3. Check "PC Spk Mute"

4. And thats it

I noticed a massive difference, audio quality is worlds apart now.

Thank goodness, I am so relieved. But no output to the PC speakers though, but hey, I don't mind."

Maybe Jonathan Bell's solution will work for you too.

Jim

Ruda.M,

This thread was started by Jonathan Bell in the old Dell Forum. Last week Dell initiated this new Forum that we are in now, but not all of the messages were transferred over here. Here is a summary of the parts of the thread that were left behind.

liebmann wrote:

"...I'm not sure though how xp handeles sound differently then vista between the drivers and the app, are there actually microsoft hd drivers in xp? "

I replied:

"In XP the audio was closer to the core of the operating system. In Vista audio is more at arm's length -- further removed in the architectural hierarchy -- supposedly so that if the audio driver were to crash it would not take down the rest of the system. As a result Vista is not as audio friendly as XP. I don't know of any HD drivers within XP (there are AC'97 drivers built in), but Vista does have native HD drivers."

 Then Jonathan Bell posted:

"Oh my, I have found the problem!!!!!!!

1. Go to your volumn control

2. Click the Advanced button by the main volumn

3. Check "PC Spk Mute"

4. And thats it

I noticed a massive difference, audio quality is worlds apart now.

Thank goodness, I am so relieved. But no output to the PC speakers though, but hey, I don't mind."

Maybe Jonathan Bell's solution will work for you too.

Jim

Jimco,

if i Check "PC Spk Mute" then sound is very good bat only in external speakers or headphones. I seek solutions for internal speakers.

Ruda.M

Ruda.M, sorry but I don't have anymore information on that model. If you come up with anything new please share. Thanks.

Jim

Selecting "PC Spk Mute" solved it for me too.  Thank you for saving me from audio h*e*l*l!

I just received an E6400 and I'm having the same problem under XP.  The IDT audio drivers that Dell provides produce very poor treble-heavy internal speaker audio with almost no volume.  Using the PC speaker mute option in the Windows XP advanced volume controls will significantly improve audio from external speakers, but this obviously disables audio when the laptop is not docked or does not have external speakers attached.

Several people have stated that internal audio is much better under Vista using the Microsoft HD audio drivers as opposed to Dell's IDT drivers.  This implies that the problem is software and not the hardware.  Hopefully Dell will work with IDT to develop an acceptable driver packge for XP.  It would also be useful if Dell would acknowldge this issue and let the community know they are working toward a solution.