Sound problem in the game (loud gunshots, quiet footsteps)

[Jakub]

Hello,

I recently bought new notebook Lenovo Legion 5-15ACH6H (RTX 3060 6 GB, AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, RAM 16GB DDR4) and sound in cs go is quite different than in my last notebook Lenovo Legion Y540 (GTX 1660 Ti 6GB, i7-9750H, 16GB DDR4) which is about 1,5 year old. Both have windows 10 and I had these 2 notebooks right beside another to test it.

First of all, I opened some workshop map, took awp and I instantly noticed, that sound of AWP was quite different. I found out that it was because of enabled Steelseries Nahimic sound equalizer, I turned it off and AWP sound started to be very similar then before (so resolved problem), but second, the more important thing was that I noticed that footsteps and weapon change (for example "pulling out the knife" sound) was a significantly quieter than in my older notebook (I used the same headset) and gunshots are either equally loud or louder than in older notebook (depends on windows volume setting), so big differences between loud and quiet sounds. Before, I was really good in pin pointing the enemies with sound just from earplugs, even my friends wasn´t able to hear or know about enemies as I do with my older notebook, but new notebook makes the sound probably similar like my friends' laptops or PCs sounds.

I had both notebooks right beside another and I was able to hear the significant differences in sound when I connect the same headset to them (earplugs and headset tested). I am thinking that it can be because of sound card, but it is weird that it can be so much difference, when it is notebook from same class from same company, just newer one.

One thing which is maybe important to mention: When I connect my headset/earplugs/whatever to my older notebook, it stays on Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio) and can´t be switched between speakers from notebook and headset (there is no arrow, or dropdown to change it, like nothing is connected to notebook, but earplugs are normally playing sound, and also windows is noticing something is connected, because it change the volume automatically for the last time earplug volume setting, so for example it goes from 100 on speakers to 60 on earplugs (but still showing Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio) with no possibility to change the source of sound between speakers and earplugs, it just play sound from earplugs, because they are connected).

This looks like an disadvantage, but I think, the sound setting (maybe integrated for Windows) is different for Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio) than for Headphones (Realtek(R) Audio). I am thinking that when the sound is coming from speakers, even on new notebook, it sound like the volume of quiet sounds (footsteps/gun changing) is not so quiet compared to gunshots as when the headset/earplugs is connected and windows change it to Headphones (Realtek(R) Audio) (but not 100 % sure, because it is not so easy to notice when the sound comes from speakers).

I was googling a lot and I found something about loudness equalization. On my older notebook, there is no such setting in the sound setting (the whole section "enhancements" is missing), also in my newer notebook there was missing this setting so I found some guide to update the drivers from drive (not from internet) and I tried it on new notebook and the settings option appears. I tried the loudness equalization on new notebook, but the sound was still hell of a different than in older notebook, it makes louder also map ambient sounds and it was rustling a bit, so this setting is not that thing which make the sounds sound like on old notebook.

This is maybe a big topic, because lot of players maybe have this problem and don´t event know about that. I was one of that who has superior footsteps sound (the difference between gunshots/footsteps is much smaller than in newer notebook), so I was able to notice the big difference with new notebook´s cs go sounds and I think my friends which are not so good in hearing the enemies with even mediocre/expensive headsets has the same problem (I emphasize that I was playing with earplugs and I was able to hear everything much better than them!).

Not sure where to start, it can be because of various things, other sound card, that not switching/switching realtek settings, or can it be because of faulty sound card in the notebook?

I also ordered two usb sound cards and I will try it out with both notebooks, if it will help:
1. Creative Labs Sound BlasterX G1 (https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-Sound-BlasterX-70SB171000000/dp/B01EOPT0VG)
2. Creative SOUND BLASTER Play! 3 (https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ)

Has anybody any solution? Maybe it can start to how to achieve the case with connection of the headset/earplugs and windows not changing the setting on Headphones (Realtek(R) Audio) and leaves on Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio) instead. Maybe that is causing the change.

This is a long topic, so thank you in advance for taking the time for reading it!

[Zero]

snd_hwcompat 1

is helpful for locating sounds so you can hear if the sound is coming from the left or right. Unforunately it doesnt fix the loud gunshot bass boosting problem and there isnt much you can do if your motherboard doesn't support loudness equalization.

It is just another one of these "just Valve things" where players are expected to solve problems that the developers ought to fix.

[Jakub]

Not sure if you get it right, I didn´t have loudness equalization on any of that two notebooks. Only after updating the driver on the new notebook, I got the option, I tried it and it still didn´t sounds as on the old one.

It is not just about locating, it is just about hearing it at all, because on old one there was pretty high volume of footsteps (and also gun changing) and gunshots wasn´t about to break my eardrum. But when I want to hear footsteps on the new one as on the old one, I have to push the volume really high, and then any gunshots is like gunshot to my ears... And it is not because of loudness equalization, because the old one don´t even have this option in the settings and also on the new one when loudness qualization gets enabled, it still sounds differently than in the old one.

[Zero]

The gunshots have always been extremely loud on every computer and headphones that I've played on. Also the only fix has been loudness equalization. That said, there is another problem that comes with this problem that is sound localization, and snd_hwcompat 1 will fix that.

[Sudetenland ist mein Heimatland]

my all computers with GTX1660 suffer from the same bug - whenever i use teamspeak or discord, the sounds in game when match or game starts randomly switch sides (right = left) and all sounds are weird like being in a bathroom. The only help is to restart steam + game + teamspeak or to finish match and then to restart it (sometimes it persists until the match ends). Laptop with RTX3060 doesnt do it. All the computers use same build of windows, same headset, same microphone.

[Jakub]

Yeah, I will try snd_hwcompat 1.

But still, is there anybody, who knows how to make connected headphones show and behave as Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio) instead of Headphones (Realtek(R) Audio)?
I think that maybe would be the thing which makes it different...

[Burnas]

Try other drivers (old ones). Try other connection jacks.

[Jakub]

Notebook, so just one connection jack :/
Also, I think when the connecting headset does not change the source from Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio) to Headphones (Realtek(R) Audio), it is probably some bug, but in this case probably a wanted bug if it is the reason of the footsteps being louder than in the Headphone setting...

But I am not sure if there will be available so old "driver" in the new notebook, that it will makes this bug to happen ...

[76561199189085842]

I have a same problem in this Sound, Fired gun to loud and footstep to small.

[Meowshka]

Omg I have the exact same problem. My old laptop was Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH, i5-9300H, GTX 1660 Ti. Recently I got a new laptop (Lenovo Legion Slim 5 16IRH8, i7-13700H, RTX 4060) and the sound is so much worse now. I can barely hear any footsteps but the gunshots are very loud (in any game). Have you managed to resolve it somehow?

[SENIOR{WAR DADDY}]

I have a different issue, I hear fire sound fine but other peoples voice too low

[Meowshka]

Anyone have any advice?