Windows 10: Audio louder than usual until volume is changed

I have continued tinkering in attempts to solve this audio spike issue. I have noticed that the Windows “bong” that plays when an email arrives also is subject to the volume spike. So I don’t think the issue is specific to YouTube or iTunes or Windows. It must be a setting or a conflict … maybe we have too many cooks in the audio kitchen: RealTek Audio, Dell’s MaxxAudioPro, the Windows volume mixer … ? That’s why I’m hesitant to add another with that utility you suggested for download, but I’ll try it if there’s no better option. It might be easier to diagnose if it happened every time, but the randomness is frustrating. After we pause a video or audio, why would resuming the sound cause a spike only sometimes, not always? And why does moving the audio mixer slider up or down always fix it?
Also: I can’t seem to find a RealTek Audio Manager on my PC. In Control Panel under “Sound” I have RealTek HD Audio as my default device and I can make some adjustments under “Properties,” but no Audio Manager that looks like what you show.

 

Another indication of this audio spike that I've found to be repeatable consistently, at least right now: Click on the speaker icon on your taskbar, then click on "Mixer," then click on any of the sliders (at this moment I show sliders for iTunes, Firefox, System Sounds and Speaker/Headphones). Just click on a slider, but do NOT move it, then release your click. Do you get an abnormally loud bong? Whether it sounds too loud or not, now click, hold and drag the slider a tiny bit up (which should make it louder). Does the volume of the bong actually DECREASE? That's what's happening on mine.

This is how I instantly correct the volume spike that occurs after pausing and restarting audio from iTunes or YouTube. Or when an email comes in and the Windows bong is clearly spiked up in volume. So I know what's happening. I just don't know why or how to correct it.

 

I do not use Realtek as I have a discrete audio card, a Creative SoundBlaster Audigy. So I haven't experienced your problems. The utility I suggested monitors sound levels and doesn't leave it go higher than a preset level, so in theory it should cancel spikes automatically. Try that, you don't have anything to lose.

As for the Realtek HD Audio Manager, I noticed the Asus logo at bottom left, so it might be specific to my Asus P8H61 motherboard, and not a common feature in all Realtek cards. You might have something similar though, open Control Panel and look carefully for anything related to Realtek. Click the search icon on the taskbar and type Control to see the link for the Control Panel. Then click View as Large Icons to see individual control rather than groups.

 

I have experienced the same problem for the last half of year. Recently I have installed DFX Audio Enhancer (to equalize the output of my audiosystem to be as clean as possible). I can't tell about the other audio enhancement software, but this software installs as a driver, so there is no need for the realtek driver no more. Works fine for me.

 

No problem! Yes, what I'm suggesting is installing the latest generic (the one made by Realtek and not the one customized by Dell).

Firstly, do not take in consideration the fact that Windows tells you that you have the latest driver. Usually, that is not the case because the drivers that Windows provides are not always updated the second they are released by the manufacturer.

Secondly, I do not know for sure that you can install the same MaxxAudio (the one customized by Dell), but I can tell you that the generic driver comes with MaxxAudio by default. I do not know how many features your Dell MaxxAudio has that the generic MaxxAudio doesn't have. You just have to try it and see for yourself.

One thing I have noticed is the probable cause of the spikes, at least in my case. The spikes are present when AudioWizard (MaxxAudio) doesn't get installed. When it isn't installed, a white screen appears on the AudioWizard tab, in the Realtek HD Audio Manager, found in Contron Panel. The bad thing is that it doesn't always get installed, so it is just a matter of repeating the procces I've described until it gets installed (when the AudioWizard icons appears on the desktop).

However, you can try my method and if it doesn't make you happy, you can always revert back to your original driver. Good luck!

 

Update for you, Andrei: I uninstalled my RealTek HD audio driver, but no MaxxPro driver is listed in my Control Panel programs, so I couldn't uninstall it. I rebooted. Then from the RealTek link you provided, I installed the latest RealTek HD driver for my Windows 64-bit, as you directed. Then I rebooted again. Alas, the audio spikes are still there, both on iTunes and YouTube.

With iTunes, I can pause any song multiple times and then hit play again, and I do NOT get an audio spike. But If I click to a DIFFERENT song and hit play, the volume spikes up. Moving my Windows speaker sound slider in either direction brings the audio back to reality.

On YouTube, it spikes when I hit play on any video and can be corrected (again) by moving the Windows speaker sound slider. Unlike iTunes, it WILL spike again after I pause the video and then hit play again, and also will spike if I click play on a different video.

Also, it spikes when an email comes in and plays the Windows bong. The audio remains at about double the volume until I move that speaker audio slider up or down.

Something seems to be telling the speaker volume to boost when it detects a new sound, and it won't return to its usual volume until I tweak that Windows speaker slider.

I can't find a RealTek HD Audio Manager that looks like the one you posted, but I can configure it somewhat in a Control Panel window under "Sound" and "Realtek High Definition Audio." I tried it with "Loudness Equalization" checked and unchecked. No difference, still getting volume spikes.

It's a minor issue, I don't want anyone to obsess over this (as I am), but if anyone has another suggestion, I'm listening. Oh year, maybe I'll try that utility you suggested. I'll let you know what happens.

 

Were you having those random audio volume spikes? Did DFX Audio Enhancer resolve it? My audio already sounds great with the Dell MaxxAudioPro enhancement. I just want to find a way to stop the volume from spiking all by itself.

 

From your symptoms I understand that the spikes happen every time the audio hardware initializes, that is when playing a new sound (another application or Windows system initializes the hardware before playing the sound) and when you pause and resume a playback. Use the utility to monitor audio levels and try to cancel spikes automatically. Post if it works.

 

YES, Spapakons! The Sound Lock utility can resolve the audio spike issue! I just installed it, tested my iTunes and YouTube video audio, and the spikes were still present, so I rebooted, and the spikes were STILL there, but I noticed two things: the utility was clicked "off," and the default setting for the Sound Lock maximum allowed sound level was quite high. I clicked it on, dragged it down to about the max level I prefer, then tested again with iTunes and YouTube. Here's how I know it's working: each time I try something that would normally produce a sound spike (like starting a YouTube video, or pausing and then re-starting an iTunes son), I hear a little audio glitch, like a momentary hiss, and then the audio continues at normal volume. It sounds like it's catching an attempted spike and resetting it.

I still think it's some kind of software conflict that shouldn't need a utility like Sound Lock, but at least I can operate my PC without having to continually reset the speaker audio slider all day.

Thanks!

 

You are welcome! *Thumbs

 

I'm glad that you found something that works! However, you missed one of my points. You may have to repeat the procces of installing and uninstalling the audio driver a few times before the spikes disappear (based on my experience with the problem), precisely, until you notice the AudioWizard icon on your desktop. Also, you don't have to install MaxxAudio yourself, so don't bother searching for it - it will eventualy get installed automatically (and solve the problem). So, if you find yourself with nothing better to do, you can reinstall the driver a few times and check, after each installation, if the icon that I've described before appears on your desktop. Have a good day!

 

Thanks for the heads-up, Andrei. As the RealTek audio driver was installing, I did see the word MaxxAudio flash by a few times by as if were also being installed. But after installation and reboot, I noticed that my Dell MaxxAudio Pro wizard (in Control Panel under "Sound") isn't fully functional anymore. It doesn't bring up the equalizer, for one. Not a big deal to me, I never messed with the equalizer anyway. And as I mentioned earlier, I did not uninstall anything called MaxxAudio because it's not listed as a Control Panel program.

I do not see any AudioWizard icon anywhere. What will that do for me if/when it appears? I'm OK with uninstalling and reinstalling the RealTek Audio driver if necessary. The volume spikes seem to have been resolved by the Sound Lock utility, but it's definitely not perfect. When a spike starts to occur, Sound Lock gives me that little hiss and drops the volume even slightly lower than it was previously. That's better than a startling spike. I'm going try different volume thresholds on Sound Lock to see if I can find one that gives a more seamless sound correction.

Again, thanks for all the advice and expertise you folks are offering.

 

My pleasure!

The presence of the AudioWizard icon on your desktop will indicate that your problem was solved, based on my experience with the same problem. If it appears, it means that the extension got installed, which leads to the solution to the problem. In other words, AudioWizard (precisely, the absence of it) is responsible for the audio spikes. But, as I have said before, you have to retry the whole driver uninstallation and installation until AudioWizard gets installed. Looks like it somehow bugs and doesn't always get installed. Also, you can try THIS driver too if you want because it solved the problem in my case the first time I installed it.

 

So do you think if I install that zip file you posted, I will be able to uninstall the Sound Lock utility and still be free of audio volume spikes?

 

I'm not 100% sure, but it is something worth giving a shot as it solved the problem on my end *Wink The reason why I am not totally sure is because, as I've said before, you have to try until AudioWizard gets installed (it doesn't always get installed because of a bug), specifically until its icon appears on your desktop. But remember to at least disable, if not completely uninstall, every audio enhancement program!