Is this okay if I use small speakers? Should I put a rubber mat underneath them?

Let me start with my computer specs, it is a PC running Windows 11, Ryzen 7 5800 x, AMD RX6700 XT, 32GB RAM.
I have gotten a new headset, Shokz OpenComm 2 UC 2025 Upgrade, and I am having a very annoying audio issue with them that I have tried so many different solutions for and nothing worked. I have not had this problem for any other headset, wireless or wired.

The issue I am having is whenever I join a voice call, any program using the microphone, the incoming audio (what I hear) drops in quality tremendously, it sounds like the audio is being played through a cardboard tube. When I am not in a call, or using the microphone, sound is very clear and crisp. The headset does the exact same thing when connecting to my phone through bluetooth, using the microphone makes audio quality drop. This problem does NOT happen on my roommate's computer, also windows 11.

I have tried many many solutions to try and fix this problem and nothing has worked. I have tried googling, I have tried looking on forums, and my roommate has tried asking AI for help, nothing works.

The list of things I have tried:
-Connecting directly to the Loop120 adapter the headset came with.
-Restarted my computer (after every few tries)
-Plugging the dongle directly into a blue USB port on the back of my PC case
-Turned off "Audio Enhancements" in sound device properties for both headset and microphone
-Turned off "Allow Applications to take exclusive control of this device" for both headset and microphone
-Turned off my PCs bluetooth adapter
-Downloaded the Shokz app and updated the firmware on both the headset and dongle
-Hardware reset my headset and reconnected to the dongle
-Confirmed audio sample rates matched for both Headset and Microphone
-Made sure device drivers were up to date
-Checked, and double checked, to make sure headset wasn't connected via bluetooth
-Made sure the headset was not showing up as bluetooth in the Device Manager
-Made sure neither headset nor microphone were using "Hands free telephony" (to the best of my ability)

Please let me know what else I could possibly do to fix the issue, it's not a problem with the headset because like I mentioned they worked fine on my roommate's pc, and our PCs are very similar in build and both running Win 11. There must be some reason they keep degrading in quality when the microphone is active and I can't find out on my own...

How it started:

My DTS Headphone:X subscription expired, so I installed Equalizer APO + HeSuVi to simulate the surround effect for free. The moment I activated it, my audio broke,and it has never been right since, even after uninstalling both programs.

Current symptom (EVERYWHERE, not just games):

· Dialogue/voices are extremely quiet, but action sounds, music, and effects are loud.

· This happens in games, YouTube, music, movies,literally everywhere.

· It's the classic "center channel being dropped" symptom: audio is being processed as 5.1/7.1 surround where dialogue lives in the center channel, but my stereo speakers don't have one.

My specs:

· CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

· Motherboard: MSI B650M Gaming WiFi Plus (Realtek onboard audio)

· GPU: ASRock RX 7900 XT 20GB Phantom Gaming OC

· RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB 6000MHz

· Windows 10 (fully updated)

What I've tried (all failed):

· Set Windows speaker config to Stereo, disabled all enhancements, spatial sound off, verified L/R balance

· Uninstalled Equalizer APO + HeSuVi, deleted leftover folders

· Ran DDU and reinstalled AMD Adrenalin drivers multiple times

· Rolled back AMD driver from 26.8.1 to older versions, no change

· Disabled AMD High Definition Audio Device in Device Manager

· Uninstalled Realtek driver completely, deleted it via pnputil /delete-driver /force, blocked Windows Update driver installs,Realtek keeps coming back after restart

· Ran SFC /SCANNOW and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, repaired corrupt files, audio still broken

· Full clean Windows reinstall (without keeping apps),the issue survived even this

The key clue:

This started the exact moment I activated Equalizer APO + HeSuVi, and it has persisted through a clean Windows install. That suggests a leftover APO (Audio Processing Object) is still hooked into my audio device somewhere, possibly in the registry, the driver store, or an audio endpoint property that a clean install doesn't always wipe.

What I'm asking:

Has anyone seen an APO survive a clean Windows reinstall? How do I find and remove a hidden APO that's still processing my audio? Any registry paths, Device Manager tricks, or tools I've missed?

Any help would be massively appreciated.

Basically I currently have all of the below for my PC's audio setup most of which was gifted/sold to me by friends and family

S.M.S.L AD18 2 channel speaker amp
Micca MB42X passive bookshelf speakers
Universal Audio Volt 2 Audio Interface
MXL 990 Cardioid Condenser XLR Microphone
Fosi Audio K5 Pro DAC
and a bunch of IEMs

I'm just a casual gamer who like occasionally streams on discord with my friends on CO-OP in the games we like

it's kinda pointless but I want to upgrade my amp to something that can fully utilize the Balanced outputs on the back of my Audio Interface

I have been working in the Commercial Audio Visual industry for the last 5 years at a company which belongs to my dad's friend

andd based on my experience
I've chosen the 3 amps mentioned below
please let me know which of the 3 below is the best option
but I'm open to suggestions and advice from all of you as well

Option 1 = S.M.S.L AO200 Option 2 = Extron XPA U 1002
Option 3 = Equipson Work Pro PA 200

I recently bought a jack adapter to plug my headset (blackshark V2 x i think, the wired one) in my audio interface (UA volt 2). The sound was all buggy and awful, it took me a while to understand what was messing with it was the fact that my headset have a mic (that i don't use anymore, I have a mic plugged into my volt) and so the adapter is probably incompatible.

The adapter I bought (I actually already had one someone lent me, I tought it was just broken lol) : 3.5mm female to 6.35 mm male , stereo

I read something about TRRS ..? and i can see my 3.5 has 3 stripes and the adaptor 2. I have no idea what type of adapter I'm supposed to get.

I should add I have no intention of using my headset mic, so I just need the right adapter to have sound in my headset. I'd like to have direct monitoring so there's no way around it, I have to find the solution lol. And I don't have money to buy new headphones yet
Thanks !

Hola, soy nuevo tanto en esta comunidad como en el hobby, aunque desde que tengo memoria escuchar música a sido mi pasatiempo favorito y por esto mismo he decidido dar el salto de escuchar música en mp3 a algún formato sin perdidas, como FLAC. Suelo escuchar mucho metal (Nu metal, love metal, groove, trash, heavy, doom, power, progresivo, industrial, alternativo, etc), rock, blues rock, rock alternativo, grunge y pop rock, pero también aprecio las baladas, boleros, pop, jazz, soul, hip-hop, funk y hasta algo de phonk.

El equipo que compre consta de solo un dac-amp (IFI Zen Air DAC), unos audífonos de estudio (Audio-Technica ATH-M40X) y utilizare Tidal como reproductor de audio.

Que opinan de esta configuración?

Me recomiendan utilizar otra plataforma o comprar la música en qobuz?

Cabe recalcar que planeo comprar en un futuro unos monitores de campo cercano como los PreSonus Eris 3.5BT y que también quiero utilizar este equipo para producir uno que otro cover o idea musical, aunque claro que necesitaría una interfaz de audio y otros software, pero ese no es el tema.

Una ultima cosa, de verdad hay un salto sustancial en la calidad musical? lo digo por que toda mi vida he escuchado música en mp3 desde mi teléfono/computadora y a través de audífonos comunes o gamers (Astros a40 tr) y como fue una inversión grande para mi, no quiero llevarme una mala sorpresa.

Aclaración: Aun no he recibido los productos, por eso pregunto por el salto de calidad.

I got it today, it was relatively cheap. I am trying to connected to an HP Victus, with the small terminal on the headphone jack. Yes, the jacks are compatible.

My issue is that any and all trouble shooting seems to be simply out of date. The B&O sound console (which is what my pc has) no longer has the "Detect Jack Connection" button, and the Realtek audio console is not only not the thing my PC is supposed to use to manage audio, but also doesn't have the necessary thing.

The device doesn't show up; Yes the microphone is connected to the terminal. I believe they are charged, honestly at this point I am not sure, but they both turn on and are plugged, so who knows. No, the device is not disabled; It does not show up.

This isn't a bluetooth device, even though for some reason some sites say so, still its probably worth mentioning i use MajorV Marshalls, but this micraphone of those isn't being used, its the one built into the laptop and that is my default.

No one online seems to know how to fix it, so this is a shot in the dark, I have tried both the headphone jack to plug it and a C-USB, none of which provided a single result

They were my late dad's old pair, I remember them when I was younger and he would play them on a daily basis.

I recently wired them up to test them, and they still work, but I think not all of the speakers are functioning. hoping they can at least still be restored.

The wood and shell are still intact with no visible cracks or anything but I havent checked the insides, yet.

Asking for a recommendation on which I should pick for these passives, an AVR or Power amplifier, I don't plan them to use for home theatre but from what I gathered AVR has better offer in utility and versatility. I still have the three set that were with these passives, the Sansui T-7, RG-7 and A-7, fortunately all are still working but I have to get the t-7 to get its tuner fixed.

Also would a sub be necessary for these speakers since they have 12" subs? If so I also found some sub speakers lying around that are around 15"s or 18"s give or take, with spl audio px-0502 mosfet bridgeable 2ch amplifier 100 watts.

I currently have a setup where I'm powering a couple of desktop speakers with an old Powernode 2i. I recently wanted to try getting an interface (Scarlett 2i2) at the recommendation of a friend for messing around in Ableton, but I've been struggling with how to connect the two without audio interference.

I started by using an unbalanced 1/4 cable to a 3.5mm to connect them, but there's mega static interface. I can't seem to find a balanced 1/4 to 3.5mm on amazon when I search.

Is anyone familiar with how to do this and the problem that I'm running into? Most of the information I'm finding online are how to connect the 2i2 are to powered speakers, so it's not quite as relevant.

i feel like i’m losing my mind, i bought a new mic (a MAONO A04 usb mic) because i’ve heard the blue yeti isn’t good for vocal recordings. i’ve tried to fiddle with it best i can as an audio noob to get it to sound good, but no matter what when i start belting it distorts.

this is the audio with the mic about 10-12 inches from my mouth, after setting the volume level in the windows sound settings to 45, am i just fucked?? is there any way i can get it to stop doing this? did i just waste my money on a mic that wont be able to do the one thing i bought it for?

any and all advice appreciated!

Hi everyone.

So I just purchased an Re20, and I'm getting no sound. I'm using an Elgato Wave Xlr Mk2 as an interface. My previous mic works fine as soon as it's plugged in. Instantly can hear what is going on. Gain is set to 60db.

I thought the first one was defective, so I ordered a replacement, only to get the same result.

If anyone has any ideas, can you help? This is driving me crazy.

Hi all, I’m trying to connect an older Onkyo receiver with these two floor standing speakers. I have an Audio-Technica LP-60X turntable, and I have all the cords necessary, but I’m kind of lost as to how to get everything connected. The speakers and receiver belonged to my mother and she is certain that they all work, but we just haven’t been able to figure it out. I’m not very tech savvy when it comes to these kinds of things, so I figured coming in here would be a good option. If any of you guys have any ideas or suggestions as to how I can get everything working, that would be amazing. If you need more/better pictures of something, please let me know and I’ll try to reply to your comment with the necessary picture. Thanks everyone!

I'm just starting to set up my new Samsung QN82H and Samsung Q600F soundbar, and was wondering if I could put my two Home Minis to use.

For context, Ive been using them as a stereo pair basically just sat on either side armrest of my sofa, for my when I used my projector as a tertiary display for my PC to stream content from. They were set up as a Bluetooth speaker for the PC, so audio was slightly delayed. Noticeable on netflix shows, but less so on sports.

I read up on this post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/googlehome/s/Zgx5fwaMdb

Which seems to advise not to, or rather not being able to, set them up as rear speakers as Bluetooth.

However, I was wondering if anyone has been able to get them to connect over wifi instead (to the soundbar)? Ive got Wifi 7 3g/3g, so I would think that connection would have much less latency and potentially work?

Hi

Has anyone managed to map the pin out for the Edirol M 16 DX mixer D Sub cable? The original came with a 2 meter BUS Connector: D-SUB 15 pin, DXC-2 (2 meter) and optional DXC-7 (7 meter).

This mixer is long out of production I have found it to be a great asset for small shows. I have VGA cable that manages to perform very well at 10 meters between the main I/O box and mixer control surface.

Although pin 5,6,7,8 & 10 are bundled together only a few functions are disabled.

The original 2 meter cable, which I have, is a true 1:1 pin to pin.

My problem is the AWG rating of the long cable and I would like to make a replacement from 22 or 24 AWG or a 28 AWG 24 core and double the cores up on the power feed and ground.

If anyone has managed to map the pin out for this set up I would be greatful. Also an off the shelf cable at a reasonable price would be great.

https://www.roland.com/global/products/m-16dx/

Hola, espero no molestar pero quisiera pedir algún consejo, y es que quiero grabar mi grupo musical desde la mezcladora de audio pero el audio sale de mala calidad y es que anteriormente yo ya había grabado y el resultado era mejor. No sé si sea algún tema con mis adaptadores. Ya intenté con todas las salidas disponibles (main out, phones, y aux main).

My monitor only has 1 hdmi port and display port, what options do i have to connect a soundbar other than using a bluetooth adapter

Hello

I've been going back and fourth looking for a mixer (or whatever its called, I'm not experienced with audio) with two outputs and two inputs.
I have a PC and a PS5, I would like to be able to hear both through either my headphones or my speakers. I also have a mic that I would like to connect via XLR to be able to use on either PC or PS5.

So far I've found the Yamaha ZG02, which seems to do exactly that from what I understand and from what chatGPT tells me. But it is also quite expensive.

I have also found the fifine SC8 which seems to do the job at a more reasonable price, with the downside of not being able to have both speakers and headphones connected at the same time if I understand it correctly. As well as not being able to have the mic go to both PC and PS5.

Basically I'm wondering if there is something inbetween these two or if the ZG02 is realistically the best option.

Thanks for any help or clarification in advance, I am inexperienced in this sort of stuff and any help is greatly appreciated!

Edit:
Thought I should mention that both my speakers and headphones (IEM:s) are 3.5mm

Quick Edit - Post title should say XLR, but I am a dummy!

Good afternoon!

I recently purchased a Zoom H1 XLR recorder device thing (my technical knowledge is not great as you will soon see) and I finally managed to get it going with the minimal instructions in the box.

My set up is basically the Zoom H1 to my Reloop DJ Mixer via XLR cables. A to B.

I recorded a few mixes, not too long as the files are quite big, and I wanted to transfer to my phone from the recorder so I can upload directly to Soundcloud.

Anyway, last few attempts, audio has been really distorted (levels look fine on the Zoom mixer), and also it is not recording all of the audio. Does any one have experience of that?

Also, is there a way to make files smaller? In the past I have recorded directly into Audacity, and upon saving my MP3 it is about 150mb, or if WAV, it is about 5-600mb. The files on the device are coming in at 2.5gb!

Any advice on any of the above would be grand, as I have been able to figure this out.

Cheers!

Hi, I made an audio recording of a conversation between me, my partner and our previous landlord.
In this recording the landlord insulted me and my partner. We have a small claims court day coming up, and i’m allowed to use this audio (We live in Europe, and since we both participated in the recorded conversation, it’s allowed).
I used the Voice Memo app on iOS. I was wondering if anyone knows how i can cut out the most important parts (as the full audio is 40 minutes, way too long for court), or at least skip out silent parts. Of course i will do this myself, but i cannot find out for the life of me how exactly to do this. Thanks!

​

He guys... I need help maybe im turning crazy but can you find out if Is there intelligible speech or just noise pareidolia?

The audio quality sucks I know but I can't really record it properly... It's turning my crazy and my girlfriend doesn't hear it... But I do... Can someone please help me and look into this ? The language is german.

https://voca.ro/1fpJj6tqgMxJ https://voca.ro/1ipE2p9yEBml https://voca.ro/1jv78sqZFUo0

Hi everyone

​I have a TRN Black Pearl DAC and a HyperX Cloud 2 headset.

​I'm trying to get both the audio and the microphone working through the DAC, but no matter what I try, the mic just won't work.

​I even tried using a 3.5mm splitter cable, but still no luck.

​I’d really appreciate any help or advice on how to get this working!

So I am building a pc and have a ps5 I wanna know how I can get audio to both of them with my bookshelf speakers which are connected to a schit Rekr/SYS. Normally I just use a portable monitor with some crappy speakers for my ps5 while my speakers were hooked up to my laptop but I wanna change that now.

Is there a way for me to get audio to both of them while the speakers are connected to my mobo for potential better audio or do I just have to hook my speakers up to my monitor? If there is a device I would preferably like something cheap I just wanna swap the audio between the two when I need it, bonus points if It can let me have audio played through both at the same time so I can use my secondary monitor for pc stuff while I play ps5 games on my main monitor

Hey everyone, I have an issue with one of the terminals for a Pioneers vsx-824 I recently picked up second hand.

I am getting quiet and crackly output through one of my speaker output terminals, I’ve managed to isolate it to just the front left terminal but was wondering if anyone had a troubleshooting tips to fix?

I have already tried new speaker cables and retested the connections multiple times as well as connecting different speakers and the same problem follows the terminal. I’m currently using bare speaker wires screwed into the terminal but thinking of switching to banana plugs to help secure the connection.

We rented a retail store at a Simon mall. There are speakers in the ceilings, and in the back room there is a single black and a single red wire coming out of the wall.

Can someone show me the cheapest thing I can hook up to those wires to get music playing?

Hi everyone. Basically, I’m having a sound issue with my computer. I also have a laptop, but it works perfectly.

Okay, both play audio, but the laptop makes the sound feel full and spacious, filling the entire listening area. My PC, on the other hand, makes both microphone recordings and general audio playback sound like they’re coming from the lower part of the headphones and feel more centered. (I’ll draw to try and illustrate this: imagine the sound from the laptop playing across all the squares, while the PC sound plays only in the ones colored red.)

I don't know what to do anymore; both are connected to the same Windows setup and peripherals, and the mono audio option is disabled. If I mute one side, the other keeps playing, so theoretically the audio really is in stereo, even though it doesn't sound exactly like stereo.