Y510 Speaker Problems?

[mikepasta]

Just curious as to whether this "sound image issue" is being addressed by the engineers yet. As I stated in an earlier post in this thread, the speakers are actually working, it's apparently the volume level and/or frequency range of the sub that is causing the sound to be heard coming from the right only. My Y510 was with the Lenovo depot in Texas for 3 weeks only to be told that there is nothing wrong but they did agree that the sound "appears' to be unbalanced to the right. Supposedly the engineers were going to work on the issue.

From my previous post...

Here is a quote that was printed on the paper that was sent back to me with my notebook:

'"Left and right speaker output is good. Placement and volume level of the subwoofer is creating an image issue which cannot be resolved at this time."

This quote is from Repair Technician Steve. Hope this answers questions out there. Unfortunately it doesn't help the unbalanced sound issue.'

Just looking for an update.

[ArtieJ]

I think the "Sub" should have been bandwidth limited to avoid this issue. I actually think it would sound better.  They're throwing full range to that speaker, to make you go "wow, this laptop sure is loud!"

[mikepasta]

I agree! It seems a simple driver update to either increase the attenuation to the audio amplification circuitry of the low frequency audio reproducing device or change the dynamic frequency response to reproduce only the lower audible frequencies would do the trick. (Sorry... I just had too!!  I'm a former ET in the USN)

Seriously: A driver update to either lower the frequency sent to the sub or decrease the volume of the sub would suffice.

[mtsao]

No improvement after installing latest device driver (V1.94) from Realtek web site, Vista_R194.zip.   In Vista, showing driver version 6.0.1.5628, 5/20/2008.

It's a sham that this small speaker placement / device driver problem ruins the customer's experience with the Y510 ideaPad, which is otherwise great.

Considering that this problem was reported by seiengineer10 back in March, and also replied to by Mark_Lenovo, a fix should have been in place by now from Lenovo.
The front-line call center folks should also be more alerted to this problem.  In my own case, it took 4 calls to get the correct answer and the key phrase "speaker sound image problem with the subwoofer on the bottom right hand side".

[Mark_Lenovo Administrator]

Mtsao, Mikepasta,

This has been investigated and discussed internally.   

One way to look at this is that the subwoofer is offset to the right side of the system, so the sound will always be somewhat louder on that side.  If a person is sensitive to this effect, they could adjust the balance to favor the left in compensation. This will achieve a more "balanced" audio experience.   Obviously, then if someone does that, they aren't able to turn the volume up to maximum output.   Whether or not that is a practical limitation might then vary user to user (not everyone might use the maximum sound level)

A complete mechanical re-design of the system to change the placement of the subwoofer is understandably not a likely solution.

Other, more practical alternatives are being investigated - how the frequency range being supplied to the subwoofer could be clipped so that only the lower, more omnidirectional frequencies are played by the sub.   This is being looked into.

I appreciate your feeling that given the passage of time (several months), this should be already resolved.   

I think this is now receiving more attention - I'll provide updates as this is worked.

Mark

[mikepasta]

Thanks Mark,

I'm glad Lenovo is finally looking into this. As you saw in my post(s) earlier, the idea of adjusting the frequency response should work. Another option, as noted earlier, is to just decrease the audio level to the sub. It wouldn't be as good as adjusting the freq range, but at least the sound image would be more centered. It seems a driver update would be able to address either or both possible fixes.

Again, thanks for the update!

Mike "Pasta" Passacantando

[BigM555]

I am experiencing a problem in Vista Home Premium as well though it is not quite what is described here. It appears that my speaker configuration is turned to the right by 90 degrees. Speakers on the left play rear channel audio (and are thus much lower) while speakers on the right play front channel audio. Changing speaker configuration settings (ie; stereo, surround, etc) in the control panel has made no difference. I have also upgraded the driver with no success. Front and rear audio appears to playback in mono as altering the balance control does not shift it from front to back as one might expect.

I am satisfied that it is a driver issue however because I also dual boot to Linux and balance and speaker 'placement' within Linux is as it should be (though I have not followed instructions to get the sub working in Linux yet).

I hope that Lenovo will address this issue with the regard it deserves. Touting the audio capbilities of the Y510 in marketting and not fixing the Vista driver for months seems rather malevolent.

BigM555 

[mikepasta]

Mark,

Any updates on the sound image issue? Just checking... Thanks!

[Tox]

Hello,

I also do have the same problem, let me explain. I first start to buy a Y510-1 and just after installing Vista, there was the same unbalanced problem that you all described. I have discuss with the french Lenovo support and they told me that they didn't know nothing about this problem so they have accepted to change my notebook for free but the supplier didn't have any other left. So I have decided to buy another one to another supplier. This time I have bought a Y510-3 and after installing Vista no problem at all ! great I thought until yesterday when I installed a new software (Mixmeister) then the same problem appeared, the sound was unbalanced to the right ! I have removed the new software and it still the same. I think that the problem is not coming from the hardware. What do you think about that ? Do you think that there is another driver from realtek that could fix this problem ? My notebook is only one month old and I wonder if Lenovo knows how to solve this problem ....

Regards.

[skripatch]

Did you all try to download and install newest driver from Realtek itself? Just google for "Realtek" and under first link you'll see "HD Audio Driver"