Realtek 5.1/7.1 surround speaker issue in Windows 11.

Looks like Windows 11 optical audio is faulty.

When I run an audio check on my reciever Windows is only sending 2channel audio. Even when I play a 5.1 audio the rear speaker audio is played from the front speakers.

I have tried everything I can but it just looks like it doesn't work correctly.

Speaker setup does not work on optical.

Audio test works incorrectly too.

It is not faulty.

You don't have 5.1 optical because you didn't pay for it. Your computer manufacturer (Dell/HP/Lenovo) or your motherboard manufacturer (ASUS, Asrock, Gigabyte) didn't pay Dolby Digital for your specific computer model. If you use the Netflix app on your computer, you will have 5.1 optical because Netflix paid for Dolby Digital for the Netflix app. This is also why Netflix said that if you use your browser to watch Netflix, you will not have 5.1 (because Microsoft didn't pay for Dolby Digital).

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/14163

Take the Realtek ALC898 audio chipset, it is lited as 8 channel (ALC8xx) so it is 7.1 capable. It is 7.1 analog only.

https://www.realtek.com/en/products/computer-peripheral-ics/item/alc898

S/pdif was invented back in 1983 with the CD. It has only enough bandwidth for 2 channel uncompressed audio. In order for optical cable to send 5.1 audio, it has to send proprietary compressed Dolby Digital codec --- which the Realtek website clearly stated that it is an optional feature for the ALC898 chipset.

Looks like Windows 11 optical audio is faulty.

When I run an audio check on my reciever Windows is only sending 2channel audio. Even when I play a 5.1 audio the rear speaker audio is played from the front speakers.

I have tried everything I can but it just looks like it doesn't work correctly.

Speaker setup does not work on optical.

Audio test works incorrectly too.

What apps?

Music is stereo so spotify is going to be stereo only. Youtube videos are stereo so youtube on internet browsers are stereo only.

If you want music to play in all 5 speakers, you have to enable speaker fill.

I have followed all suggestions, installed all drivers, the realtek Audio Console is installed and from that the 5.1 speakers work, but when I open an app I get only 2 speakers, the standard stereo setup. The Realtek Audio service is enabled at startup and the 3 software components are installed.

How can I get W11 to use the 5.1 config and not the 2.0? I know on my old pc with W10 it works. Now I have a new one and this is not what I expected.

I have a Gigabyte Aorus Elite V2 mobo with a 5700X.

Thank you so much for this. This may be the first actual solution to a problem I have encountered on this site. LEGEND!!!

Actually it doesn't solve anything because the next thing people ask when they got to the old mmsys.cpl sound control panel is asking where is the missing enhancement tab. Why can't they find the equalizer or the mic's noise suppression which had been on the mmsys.cpl's enhancement tab?

The actual solution has always been that all computers with modern DCH audio drivers (which are computers made in 2018 and later and therefore all eligible for Windows 11 upgrade) should use your audio driver's configuration app (downloaded via Microsoft Store) to do all audio configurations, which in 90% of the case it will be the Realtek Audio Console, Dell Audio app, HP Audio app, B&O Audio app, Waves MaxxAudio Pro app...