topic Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound in ERAZER Gaming

Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

pdstanbridge — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 10:50:53 GMT

Hi guys, first post.

Proud owner of the X40. The one with the Nvidia 4800. Upon first inspection it is generally very nice. Solid, well built with a decent screen. I've upgraded from a MSI Raider, and there are subtle differences. The one thing I am struggling with is the sound. I am using the Nahimic companion, and everything appears to be working. The sounds is very clear, but to me there is no bass. It's exceptionally tinny. I've had a look at various settings, inc adjusting the Nahimic bass settings to no avail. Compared to the sound on the MSI, it is pretty awful, which surprised me.

I'd like to hear from others who have the same laptop - is this as good as it gets?

Thanks

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Major_ToM — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 09:04:59 GMT

Hi @pdstanbridge ,

we kept this topic in focus for a while, but there are no other useses with similar complaints.
Maybe @Sarria , @DistraughtBanan , @Tijgert ,or @r3nfolly would like to comment on this one.

Cheers

Major ToM

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Tijgert — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 09:13:28 GMT

Hi Tom, I'll take a crack at it.

Yes, the sound is not great at all. It works, but that's about it, though I have had worse.

There is no bass speaker and the speakers are tiny, and also tinny.

If you want to check beyond a doubt then do a fresh Windows install on a spare SSD and see how the sound is there, both clean and with drivers. You can also listen to the speakers individually after taking the bottom cover off to see if one is worse than the other. Maybe one is defective and ruining the sound for you. It'll never be as good as my old GE76 or even my far older XPS, but I use external sound anyway.

Seeing the amount of space they had to work with I think it's very sad the manufacturer just chose a tiny standard speaker and not something more custom made. But it's not Medion's fault, they just buy the laptops and slap their sticker on it.

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

pdstanbridge — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 19:31:34 GMT

Very interesting, thank you. So it's not me going slightly mad - I could tell straight away that something is a bit off with the speakers, but both appear to be working fine. So if the bass is completely missing I presume it is being compensated for via software? You mentioned an external source - what do you use if you don't mind me asking? I'm actually wondering if the speakers can be upgraded internally by myself.

Digressing, this laptop is actually very good indeed, apart from the speakers. My productivity has increased which was the main reason for buying. I can run it very quietly on battery, and off battery, and the battery lasts a surprisingly long time. Compared to my old MSI anyway it is a big improvement.

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Major_ToM — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 07:54:35 GMT

Hi @pdstanbridge and thumbs up for your answer @Tijgert !

I for myself have to admit, that I have no comparable laptop system available, but due to the fact, that I early "fell in love" with moderate priced extrenal sound systrems like Creative Labs e2500/2900, I´ve never paid attention to internat solutions.
Bass requires resonance space (even if my neighbours sometimes see it differently) 😄

Cheers

Major ToM

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Tijgert — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 09:31:40 GMT

For my regular setup I use a Creative X4 external sound card because it has 5.1 output (a thing this laptop misses sorely that bugged me extremely). I hook that up to a Logitech Z906 5.1 speaker system. It is perfect this way for immersive gaming or music, though not very mobile.

For mobility where I don't use earbuds (that also sound better than the laptop) I use a pair of Creative Pebble Pro 2.0. They're very small Bluetooth speakers (but also wired) that take power from the laptop or external (for maximum power and bass it does require an external power source though, but the difference is not earth shattering). It is a very versatile set and the sound is incredible for speakers this small. I did not believe it would work so well. VERY good bass for speakers this small. You also have much cheaper versions of these speakers that have less RMS power, but I haven't tested the difference.

I myself have the 4090 version and am also very pleased with this machine as I can also get community support from both XMG and Eluktronics since they're the same machine. (there are more brands that carry this clone).

There's even a store that sells spare parts should you feel the need to mod or replace something quickly.

A plus for Medion: my screen died and they replaced it under warranty IN JUST 1 WEEK. I never had a repair done so quick before, also when my GE76 had a faulty screen. So other than the sub standard bios support, Medion service is real good.

As far as modding different speakers into it: yes you can. If you can find better speakers that have the same impedance and might fit, just duct tape it in there after you make sure the wires are correct. You gotta be handy though...

Just wanted to say this 🙂

Hope this helps!

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

pdstanbridge — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 09:07:04 GMT

So the issue continues.. but I think now it’s a hardware fault rather than software. I want to open the case and have a look. Are there any schematics showing the internals? I’ve removed the case screws but cannot find these clips that hold it in place?

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Tijgert — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 14:53:18 GMT

The little clips are all around and not very.. clippy. Just stick a spudger in and pry, it'll pop off.

Start at the front corner.

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

pdstanbridge — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 13:33:32 GMT

It's definitely a hardware issue unfortunately. The bass has completely stopped working today. It was originally the left speaker and I don't know how the bass works - but the speakers are working, just not properly. So I either need to get it repaired or I try and fix it myself. Does anyone have any contact information I can use? I can't seem to find anything useful.

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Tijgert — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 14:35:10 GMT

How did you determine it is not software related?

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

pdstanbridge — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 21:22:59 GMT

It was working intermittently, now it is not. I tried reinstalling the software/nahimic. It's as if a wire has come loose.

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Major_ToM — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 09:55:07 GMT

Hi @pdstanbridge ,

if you are coppmpletely sure that we´re talking about a hardware issue and the issues still happen with the machine set back to factory settings, then you should open up a service case via the MEDION service homepage, shouldn´t you?

Cheers

Major ToM

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Tijgert — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:41:19 GMT

I suggested to you to try it with a fresh install of Windows, did you do that or did you just use the current Windows install and merely uninstall and reinstall the software?

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Major_ToM — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 08:51:26 GMT

Hi@pdstanbridge ,

do you have an update on your case for us?

Cheers

Major ToM

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

pdstanbridge — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 12:32:19 GMT

Hello Major Tom. I bought some Pebble Pro speakers which are obviously vastly superior. But I would like to open the case up and have a look. I bought myself a tool to help me do that so I’m just waiting on that to arrive

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Tijgert — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:27:53 GMT

I’m sure the first question they will ask you is if you tried a fresh windows install, to exclude any software conflicts. Did you do that or not?

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

pdstanbridge — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 20:48:34 GMT

I haven't yet - and I am not ruling that out. It's such a weird issue though. I was just running some BF5 and the left side just completely gave up in game. Only the right side was outputting any sound at the time. Quit out of BF5, still no sound from the left side. Then went into the speakers settings and clicked test - both channels played sound - but the left channel crackles somewhat (like a click at the start). I'm convinced its a dodgy connection or a damaged speaker. I will be opening up asap.

Re: Brand new X40 - very tinny sound

Mrdanky — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 16:55:13 GMT

very easy to take these laptops apart. the speakers sit insome moulded slots in the casing. Make sure they're sitting in their correctly. i dont have any photos but its very simple to see if they are installed correctly. When closing the laptop back up, make sure they are sitting in their positions as they aren't fastened down.

The speakers, like most laptop speakers are poor quality. use headphones or external speakers if you want good quality audio. even airpods will sound much better