Surface 2 Speaker/Sound Problems

Anonymous
2013-10-23T17:22:07+00:00

I just purchased two new Surface 2's and I am noticing a significant reduction in volume from the speakers compared to my old Surface RT.  The speakers also lack any kind of bass.  They are very "tinny" and shallow sounding.  When using headphones, there is plenty of bass sound and the volume level is not an issue.

I am also experienceing a significant amount of sound crackling (from the speakers and attached headphones) when streaming video from Amazon Instant Video using both the desktop and metro versions of IE.  I do not experience this crackling problem with other sound sources like Xbox music, gaming, or other website streaming video (i.e. YouTube).

Since I was experiencing this on two different Surface 2's, it seems unlikely that this is a hardware issue.  This is most likely a software/driver issue.  Is there anything that I can do to resolve this problem, other than wait for a possible software or firmware update?

Thanks.

Surface | Other

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-11-11T01:01:52+00:00

    Your 2 cents are spot on... so sad that Microsoft will not attempt to fix these issues. I love the surface but at this point I want some review websites out there to start bad mouthing all these problems with the new surface so that Microsoft will finally listen...

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-11-10T16:40:48+00:00

    I completely agree. And that is why I posted on the nvidia forum too. But in the end, I bought a tablet from MS and that tablet is not working properly.

    Now I/we know better because we are tech guys/girls that understand this stuff but if I were my dad or my name was john doe, my thinking would stop at the end of my first paragraph.

    I agree that it's most likely Nvidia's fault but my MS tablet was working properly before i got this update which was provided to me by MS through windows update (notice the lack of the name "nvidia" here). Is it my job to go chase down nvidia when all this came from products and updates provided by MS? I don't think so. If this were a pro version, I could take care of it myself but it's not so I can't and in the end, even if the fix ultimately come from nvidia, it will be provided to me by MS. And so having said that, the pressure rests on MS shoulders. They can then transfer than pressure to whoever they want, i don't care.

    If it's MS's thinking that I should chase down all of the little guys that make up everything that the aurface is made of, then they are not going down the right path to mass acceptance.

    Eventually, sites like wired.com (known for their love of a certain fruit company) will take notice of this issue and then the bad reviews will start rolling. 

    Don't get me wrong. I have MS tattooed on my heart. I make a living from SQL Server, visual studio and the office suite. The only tech thing I have that is not MS is a generation ipod and it's been gathering dust for a few years now.

    As mush as I want MS to succeed in the tablet market, I don't think it should be up to me to make their tablet work. 

    My 2 cents

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-11-10T15:55:38+00:00

    Done! Better to have pressure on both sides!

    If some statement is not provided soon, we'll have to tale this issue to the tech sites...  maybe a bit of bad press will raise awareness! Hate to do it but if nothing get done........

    Update: since yesterday, I sometimes loose sound completely... like right now while writing this post. I am losing the "tock" sound that the keyboard makes. It comes back after a few seconds or if I play with the volume.

    Do you think that they are going to feel the same pressure if we are bothering MS alone than if we are making it public in their own forum too? I personally don't think so. I agree, MS is the one in charge of the end product and it's quality but they depend on NVIDIA on this one. I remember that the RT has Sounds problems at the beginning and it took more than a month or two to get it fixed.

    Have pressure in both ends is better than in just one.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-11-10T15:22:40+00:00

    Done! Better to have pressure on both sides!

    If some statement is not provided soon, we'll have to tale this issue to the tech sites...  maybe a bit of bad press will raise awareness! Hate to do it but if nothing get done........

    Update: since yesterday, I sometimes loose sound completely... like right now while writing this post. I am losing the "tock" sound that the keyboard makes. It comes back after a few seconds or if I play with the volume.

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  5. Anonymous
    2013-11-10T14:00:38+00:00

    This maybe true, but the only way to get drivers for RT is via Windows Update...that being said, it is Microsoft's job to test and update these drivers. They should also be the ones pushing NVidia for an update not us, the Surface 2 is an Microsoft product after all.

    I think we should all join a MS chat...past the link to this thread and close it...over and over and over....lol

    ..maybe then they'll work faster.

    MS wont release anything if NVIDIA does not give them anything. So putting there some pressure will help to accelerate the whole process.

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