[pulseaudio-discuss] Need help with audio gain on an Intel HDA equipt ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe

[Alexander E. Patrakov]

Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Wednesday 15 January 2014 18:02:04 Alexander E. Patrakov did opine:
> > 2014/1/15 Gene Heskett <gheskett at wdtv.com>:
> > > Running an older ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS 32 bit build because a specially
> > > patched rtai kernel is mandatory for one app.  However, I am booted to
> > > a 32bit 3.12.6 build ATM.
> > > 
> > > The Audigy2 Value (SBO-400) card, and my amps/3way speaker all went
> > > south for the winter in a space of about 3 weeks, so I bought another
> > > amplified 3way kit and switched the audio back to the intel HDA
> > > facilities on this motherboard.
> > > 
> > > Is there anyplace where I might find another 20 db of gain?  Its so
> > > quiet, even a youtube video would never get me accused of disturbing
> > > the peace.
> > 
> > Please post the output of alsa-info.sh
> > 
> > The script is at
> > http://git.alsa-project.org/?p=alsa-driver.git;a=blob_plain;f=alsa/utils
> > /alsa-info.sh;hb=refs/heads/build
> 
> Output is huge, >60k, attached.  If the server passes it.

I have looked at the output. No smoking guns found (even with codecgraph), but 
you seem to have the "independent headphones" mode enabled for some reasons. 
It may well be that the output is routed elsewhere (to non-existing 
headphones?) by default, and what you hear is just some kind of leakage.

Please run:

alsamixer -c0

and report which controls affect the actual audible volume coming out of the 
speakers.

> > Also, we need to know whether this is a problem with speakers that you
> > want to work around (which likely won't work), or a purely software
> > problem. As you are a Certified Electronics Technician, I assume that
> > you have a digital multimeter and a cable with a 3.5mm jack at one end
> > and just three wires on the other.
> > 
> > I want you to run this command:
> > 
> > speaker-test -c1 -t sine
> > 
> > and measure the output voltage of the card at its maximum volume in
> > three situations: with only an unloaded 3.5mm jack connected, with
> > typical 32-ohm headphones connected, and with your speakers connected.
> 
> I'll have to make that up when I am awake.  Which I am not ATM, jut half.
> And FWIW, the digital meters I own are all able to read rms by default.
> Which means their frequency response is totally in the toilet above 60hz.

Here is a 60 Hz sine wave for your tools:

speaker-test -t sine -f 60 -c 1 -p 100000 -P 4 -F S16_LE

-- 
Alexander E. Patrakov