Windows 8.1 USB microphone volume is extremely low

Anonymous
2014-03-14T02:41:12+00:00

I have a Samson C01U USB mic. It is a plug-and-play microphone. There are no drivers for it. There is no firmware for it. You just plug it in, and it works.

This mic has always worked perfectly. When I used Windows 7, I set the volume level of it to about 40-50% and everything sounded crisp, clear, and loud. On Windows 8, it is inaudible unless I set the volume to 90% but even at that point it is not loud enough. Setting it to 100% results in a lot of noise in the background.

This is not the first time someone has brought this issue up as it is extremely common to everyone owning a USB plug-and-play mic:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1323451/windows-8-mic-issue

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/2da97f80-f58b-4635-acbf-9dd7292ed752/microphone-very-low-volume?forum=w8itprohardware

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_8-hardware/low-usb-microphone-recording-volume-at2020/9528f797-65c8-4033-a4d6-39995cd0d074

Has there ever been a fix for this issue?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2014-07-31T00:46:56+00:00

Hi,

Thank you for the reply.

As you have mentioned that you have checked the issue with other microphone but you still face this issue. We have already tried to uninstall and reinstall the drivers. I suspect this issue to be a hardware issue. Check the issue with a local technician.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-01-06T12:51:12+00:00

    Yes, I understand - and we are all grateful for you doing it (even if we aren't optimistic about the final outcome!)

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-01-06T16:46:34+00:00

    Hi Martin,

    Sorry to know that the issue persists.

    You may also run the Hardware troubleshooter and restart the computer to check if this helps.

    If this is feasible then you may use a 2.0 USB cable and check the status.

    Keep us informed to assist you further.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-01-07T14:36:16+00:00

    I've restarted the computer multiple times.

    The Microphone (Samson C01U) has been connected to both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 Ports, the issue persists no matter what port I connect it to.

    I have used multiple cables, including brand new cables.

    Hardware troubleshooter does not find any issue.

    If I pass the USB port via Virtualbox to a windows 8 instance, I get the same issue, if I pass it via virtualbox to a windows 7 instance, I do not get this issue.  I believe that this therefore points to there being an issue with the windows 8 USB audio drivers, which will need a fix from Microsoft to resolve.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-01-12T06:27:15+00:00

    Same story with Lenovo Yoga 2 11 (Windows 8.1) - unusably low mic volume.  Can't use Skype without shouting.   Installing the latest drivers from the Lenovo website did not help.

    There is clearly something systematic going on which can affect any system.   Too many people with too many different systems report low mic volume even with max level & boost enabled.

    It can't be a hardware issue!

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