Tiny sound on ASUS Zenbook UM5606 out of the box

[IShashkin]

ASUS Zenbook UM5606 doesn't use subwoofers out of the box. So sound is tiny on the laptop. There is a workaround described here https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/ASUS_Zenbook_UM5606#Audio but it's broken in the last alsa release.

alsa-info.sh --no-upload
alsa-info.txt.zip

Let me know if you need more info.

[perexg]

While you play something (assuming working 4.0 config workaround), how the mixer controls Speaker and Headphone react (use alsamixer -c 1) ? Do they control normal/additional speakers separately ?

EDIT: Please, also grab and upload alsa-info output when the playback is active.

[IShashkin]

While you play something (assuming working 4.0 config workaround), how the mixer controls Speaker and Headphone react (use alsamixer -c 1) ? Do they control normal/additional speakers separately ?

I'm not sure what I need to check. I started a youtube video and it's how alsamixer looks like
When using speakers

When using headphones

EDIT: Please, also grab and upload alsa-info output when the playback is active.

alsa-info-youtube.txt.zip

[simontrimmer]

Hi @IShashkin,
Can you upload your dmesg too please, I'd like to check that the kernel started the amplifiers properly
-Simon

[IShashkin]

Hello @simontrimmer

journalctl --dmesg >> gmesg.txt

gmesg.txt

[simontrimmer]

Hi @IShashkin ,
Thanks that looks good - the amplifiers are fully configured with firmware, tuning and calibration
-Simon

[perexg]

@simontrimmer : Could you explain, how the volume should be controlled in this case for tweeters/bass speakers at the ALSA control API level?

The 4ch workaround seems really wrong. The multichannel setup uses HDA DAC node 0x03 (with volume control) and 0x06 (without volume control).

There are 4 mono AMP? Speaker controls for the digital amplifiers. We should probably use them , too. Also only one HDA DAC output for nodes 0x15 (woofer output) and 0x18 (tweeter output) should be used to route signal to both speakers simultaneously.

@IShashkin : Could you stop pipewire (systemctl --user stop wireplumber) and play a stereo file using aplay using aplay -D hw:1 <wav_file> command. Show alsa-info output and try to play with mixer settings (Bass Speaker, Speaker, AMP?) . Describe the behaviour.

[IShashkin]

@perexg
Bass Speaker can't be changed. I wasn't able to activate the bass speakers.
AMP1 Speaker controls the right tweeter, AMP2 Speaker and AMP3 Speaker do nothing, AMP4 Speaker controls the left tweeter.
Speaker controls both tweeters.

alsa-info-wav.txt.zip

[perexg]

@IShashkin : Bass Speaker can be only muted/unmuted. Press m in alsamixer when this bar is selected.

[IShashkin]

@perexg No luck. I don't hear the bass speakers

[Chevek]

I have the same issue here with Fedora 41.

[smithfred]

For reference, the latest version from the original comment is 1.2.13, and the previous version for which there is a functioning workaround is 1.2.12.

On 1.2.12, "AMP2 Speaker" adjusts the level of the right woofer, and "AMP3 speaker" controls the left woofer.

Edit: and muting "Bass Speaker" completely mutes audio.

[perexg]

Analysis from the alsa-info output:

• Speaker NID 0x17 -> routed to DAC NID 0x03
• Bass Speaker NID 0x15 -> routed to DAC NID 0x06 (without volume control - usually used for S/PDIF output)

So the driver does not do a right job.

@IShashkin: Could you run command sudo hda-verb /dev/snd/hwC1D0 0x15 SET_CONNECT_SEL 1 and retest aplay? The connection list in /proc/asound/card1/codec#0 file for Node 0x17 should be changed from 0x02 0x03 0x06* to 0x02 0x03* 0x06.

Referred info from procfs (part of alsa-info.sh output):

Node 0x03 [Audio Output] wcaps 0x41d: Stereo Amp-Out
  Control: name="Speaker Playback Volume", index=0, device=0
    ControlAmp: chs=3, dir=Out, idx=0, ofs=0
  Converter: stream=5, channel=0
Node 0x06 [Audio Output] wcaps 0x411: Stereo
  Converter: stream=0, channel=0
Node 0x15 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40058d: Stereo Amp-Out
  Control: name="Bass Speaker Playback Switch", index=0, device=0
    ControlAmp: chs=3, dir=Out, idx=0, ofs=0
  Connection: 3
     0x02 0x03 0x06*
Node 0x17 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40058d: Stereo Amp-Out
  Control: name="Speaker Playback Switch", index=0, device=0
    ControlAmp: chs=3, dir=Out, idx=0, ofs=0
 Connection: 3
     0x02 0x03* 0x06

[Chevek]

@IShashkin: Could you run command sudo hda-verb /dev/snd/hwC1D0 0x15 SET_CONNECT_SEL 1 and retest aplay? The connection list in /proc/asound/card1/codec#0 file for Node 0x17 should be changed from 0x02 0x03 0x06* to 0x02 0x03* 0x06.

I tested it, and the sound seems ok: the bass speakers are playing the music. Beside I could mute the bass speakers in alsamixer. Thank you! Is there a config file we could use to have this with pipewire?

[perexg]

The driver should set this by default. You may try kernel patch like
ALC294_FIXUP_BASS_SPEAKER_15.txt . If you confirm that it works, I'll send it to linux-sound kernel mailing list.

[Chevek]

The driver should set this by default. You may try kernel patch like ALC294_FIXUP_BASS_SPEAKER_15.txt . If you confirm that it works, I'll send it to linux-sound kernel mailing list.

Simple instructions to test this on almost any distributions (Debian/Ubuntu/Fedora...) using the TKG Kernel:

git clone https://github.com/Frogging-Family/linux-tkg.git
cd linux-tkg
mkdir linux612-tkg-userpatches
cd linux612-tkg-userpatches/
wget -O ALC294_FIXUP_BASS_SPEAKER_15.mypatch https://github.com/user-attachments/files/17894729/ALC294_FIXUP_BASS_SPEAKER_15.txt
cd ..
./install.sh install

Our CPU is architecture "zen5", choose kernel 6.12.
If you have secureboot enable, you should disable it with those simple instructions.

I tested just a few minutes on Fedora 41and it is definitely an improvement. I'll do further tests comparing with Windows. I also had to push everything to the max in alsamixer to get a better balance.

Thank you!!

[perexg]

@Chevek : Could you share output from alsa-info.sh --no-upload for the test kernel. I would like to check routes.

Also, the goal is that Speaker volume bar handles stereo volume for all speakers and balance may be altered using AMP? Speaker controls. The testing should be without any custom pipewire or other modifications.

[Chevek]

alsa-info2.txt
I do not have much time atm. There is the alsa-info file.

[perexg]

alsa-info2.txt I do not have much time atm. There is the alsa-info file.

Looks fine.

[simontrimmer]

Hiya @perexg,

@simontrimmer : Could you explain, how the volume should be controlled in this case for tweeters/bass speakers at the ALSA control API level?

The 4ch workaround seems really wrong. The multichannel setup uses HDA DAC node 0x03 (with volume control) and 0x06 (without volume control).

There are 4 mono AMP? Speaker controls for the digital amplifiers. We should probably use them , too. Also only one HDA DAC output for nodes 0x15 (woofer output) and 0x18 (tweeter output) should be used to route signal to both speakers simultaneously.

I agree with you though I'm not in a great position to comment on it as I've not experimented with a system that has the tweeters on the realtek codec and the woofers connected to cs35l56s.

The files being loaded into the amplifiers contain the tuning specific to that speaker location and that includes which channel they are picking out of a multichannel audio stream as well as the config of the algorithms on the amp's DSP and each amp exposes a volume control that you've found.

I have seen systems that have the cs35l56 amplifiers snuck behind a cs42l43 (ucm2/sof-soundwire/cs35l56-bridge.conf), in these cases the stereo audio is sent over soundwire to the codec to the amplifiers which then split out a stream for the tweeters and send that back to the codec to be outputted. So the relative volumes in this case are part of the sku specific amplifier tuning and the codec is set to a fixed volume and the overall volume is controlled by the renderer/APO (?)

I'm assuming that in this SKU the audio splitting is happening in the realtek part?

[Chevek]

Also, the goal is that Speaker volume bar handles stereo volume for all speakers and balance may be altered using AMP? Speaker controls. The testing should be without any custom pipewire or other modifications.

'Speaker' control the whole volume. for all speakers.
'AMP1 Speaker' controls the treble speaker on the right,
'AMP2 Speaker' controls the bass speaker on the right,
'AMP3 Speaker' controls the bass speaker on the left,
'AMP4 Speaker' controls the treble speaker on the left,
'Bass Speaker' can mute the 2 bass speakers,
I do not know what are the 4 'AMPx Posture Number' for. They seems to have no effect.

Comparing to windows, the sound is a bit louder on Linux, but it sound better on Windows because on linux some time the volume get higher during a song when medium/treble are in front given the impression the music is not regular.

Even at the max volume, either on windows or on Linux there is no saturation.

Thank you !!

[Chevek]

@perexg As far as I know, there is 6 speakers in total, is it possible to get control on each of them?

[Chevek]

The driver should set this by default. You may try kernel patch like ALC294_FIXUP_BASS_SPEAKER_15.txt . If you confirm that it works, I'll send it to linux-sound kernel mailing list.

I confirm, it works. Have you sent it to kml?

[perexg]

https://lore.kernel.org/linux-sound/[email protected]/

[ThatOneCalculator]

lore.kernel.org/linux-sound/[email protected]

Will be including this into my kernel patchset very soon!

Edit: Tested, works, and added!

[euplotes]

Another UM5606 user here - confirmed the patch works (Fedora 41). Thank you!

[simontrimmer]

I do not know what are the 4 'AMPx Posture Number' for. They seems to have no effect.

These activate different configurations with the tunings to be able to handle device rotation (so the speakers rotate around to match the orientation).

I can't say I've seen a production tuning that contains these yet and there would have to be some user-space component that would respond to the (accelerometer?) event and switch the screen and audio rotations. Not sure if the UCM does that yet?