Help with On Board Sound Volume

[Cooper101]

I just build a new system, and the on board sound volume is very low compared to the on board sound I got with my old system. (I posted this on previous thread but I guess this needs to be a new thread)

Here is my new mobo:

ASUS M3A AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

I have the Realtek ALC883 Audio Driver WHQL V5.10.0.5464 for Windows XP & 64bit XP installed which is the latest version.

I have a 1/8 stereo jack splitter plugged into the rear lime green speaker output jack.

One output of the splitter goes to my speakers and the other goes to the front case jack.

On the front jack I have another splitter. One output of that splitter goes to my headset and the other goes to another set of headphones I use when I am watching a DVD on my computer while sitting in my easy chair.

I have a video capture card (for watching TV on my PC) which has a 1/8 stereo jack plug which I have plugged into the rear line in plug.


My previous set-up was exactly the same except I was using the on board sound from the Soyo Dragon KT600 + mobo and I never had any problems with volume except the volume from the vid cap card was a little low.

NOW with this new mobo the onboard sound has to be turned up all the way on all the sliders (the Windows Sound Sliders, the application sound slider etc...) to hear anything at a normal volume.

And the sound from the vid cap card is barely audible.

HOWEVER, when I unplug the splitter from the jacks in the front of the case the volume goes up quite noticeably. Is the mobo just not pumping out enough juice? I am planning on replacing the front jacks with a SILVERSTONE SST-FP32-B Aluminum USB/1394/Audio Panel which has on board audio connectors rather than the plugs that have to get plugged into the back jacks. Will that solve the problem or do I need to get a third party sound card?

[flanzig1]

The old Soyo board probably had some built in amplification to drive non-powered computer speakers. On-board sound today require a powered speaker system or just headphones. With splitting the output to 3 different things, you are reducing the power to each by a 1/3 or more depending on the impedance of the 3 items and causing an impenance mismatch.

[Cooper101]

Ok, so installing the audio panel should help since it connects to the on board headers then right?

[Katreat]

I think so, I have used a spillter before and my sound works so think if you limmit yourself to one it should be ok

Just to be sure, you might try just plugging in one set of headphones at a time, if its on front pannel should not be much of a problem to do.

Kat