USB-C docking station audio issues

Parkje04 · 29 Aug 2020

Hi all,

I'm stumped by this one. So I bought a USB-C docking station and everything works fine except the audio. When I plug my external speakers into the 3.5mm jack, they work fine. BUT, when I plug in an external monitor via HDMI, they no longer work - the audio defaults back to the laptop speakers. The really weird thing is that the audio device disappears when I do this (see screenshots below).

I've dug around for a while, and haven't been able to find anyone else with the same issue. I'm wondering if it's a problem with the dock itself (which admittedly is a cheap-o from Amazon) or if this could possibly be a Windows 10 issue? Any help would be appreciated!

hsehestedt · 29 Aug 2020

Could you provide a link to docking station, please.

I'd like to see what I can dig up.

If you have documentation that provides any additional links, such as a location for docs or downloadable drivers I would appreciate that as well.

Parkje04 · 29 Aug 2020

Appreciate you taking an interest, hsehestedt. It's this one: Robot Check

Like I said, a cheap one straight from China. So I'm not holding out much hope. But it really annoyed me when I couldn't even find the problem anywhere else on the internet, so I had to post to see if anyone had any ideas.

I haven't been able to dig up any information on the docking station itself. With a lot of these products from Amazon, the documentation is impossible to find. The instruction manual it came with was useless - basically just told me to plug it in, and had a (mislabeled) diagram of all the ports.

hsehestedt · 29 Aug 2020

Yeah, I can't find a lot about that dock. I would love to know what chipset is uses but it only says something like "latest advanced chipset".

Most of these docs that have multi monitor support, audio, ethernet, etc. use a DisplayLink chipset. Windows update may have some drivers but I would suggest trying to installing the latest DisplayLink drivers from here:

All Downloads

If that does not help, no harm done. You can simply uninstall the driver then.

I admit it's a little bit of a stab in the dark, but it's worth a shot.

Please do let me know if this helps!

nagyi88 · 06 Jan 2021

I have the same issue with 2 different usb-c docking station so the problem could be common. If my HDMI monitor is connected to the docking station, I can not use the 3.5mm jack on the dock (no sound). The DisplayLink driver not helped.

hdmi · 06 Jan 2021

Parkje04 said:

But it really annoyed me when I couldn't even find the problem anywhere else on the internet, so I had to post to see if anyone had any ideas.

Here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-r...R3M4NRL87O2BOK

jimbo45 · 07 Jan 2021

Hi folks

@Parkje04
@nagyi88
@hdmi

If using HDMI cables (or display ports connected via adapter cable to HDMI) the sound is passed through the HDMI cable and not the USB interface or the sound card itself to the speaker outputs.

Many HDMI outputs from computer to monitor will have HDMI audio -- I'm not sure how you can turn that off though and force sound through USB. I'm sure people more experienced in Windows than me can find a solution to that issue

Note this problem also exists if you are using a Display port->HDMI cable attached to your monitor.

USB-C docking station audio issues-screenshot_20210107_103016.png

A quick getaround --especially if you have a USB docking station is simply to plug in cheap USB->Audio device -- depending on quality you want for audio and quality your speakers these things can be less than 10 EUR. As this is a separate independent device having its own processor it will handle your audio files and it works perfectly).

This from UK Amazon - 8 GBP (9 EUR) inc tax so should be easy to find anywhere probably cheaper if you don't pay the VAT (Sales tax)

Sabrent USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and play No drivers Needed. (AU-MMSA): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

USB-C versions too - just scroll down the link

I don't think (open of course to correction here) that you can get concurrent audio output (i.e 2 independent audio streams) from 1 audio source. If you have 2 Display ports then using the second one should give you sound -.

Another possibility -- from the HDMI output split off the audio (plenty of cheap HDMI-->AUDIO and 4K HDMI passthru adapters around too).

Even simpler -- if your Monitor has any audio outputs plug leads from Monitor to speakers !!!!

My speaker system also has a jack for external headphones -- bluetooth from the computer still sends audio to the monitor when HDMI cable connected.

BTW --I've messed around with this stuff "Ad Nauseam" and it's the same problem whether using Linux or Windows !!!!. I've gone for the USB->Sound adapter - bought the one in the Amazon link - excellent piece of kit - I output to a Blue tooth transmitter and then use headphones on Bluetooth mode --minimizes cabling all over the place. I can also set computer speakers to blue tooth this way -- also works perfectly.

Cheers
jimbo

hdmi · 07 Jan 2021

@jimbo45
The link I gave points to a customer review that appears to have been submitted by the OP, as the screenshots seem to indicate. I hadn't noticed they were the same until after I posted.

jimbo45 · 07 Jan 2021

hdmi said:

@jimbo45

The link I gave points to a customer review that appears to have been submitted by the OP, as the screenshots seem to indicate. I hadn't noticed they were the same until after I posted.

Hi there

@Hi there
@hdmi

Did you try any of my suggested solutions -- the Amazon link you referred to doesn't suggest any solutions like I did -- problem is basically with how the hardware works whether in Windows or Linux - HDMI audio (or display port audio if using those) disables the speaker / headphone facilities . !!!

There's no inherent problem with the USB docking station -it's just the stupid way HDMI audio is implemented.

Tot Ziens !!!!!!!

Cheers
jimbo

hdmi · 07 Jan 2021

jimbo45 said:

-- problem is basically with how the hardware works whether in Windows or Linux - HDMI audio (or display port audio if using those) disables the speaker / headphone facilities . !!!
There's no inherent problem with the USB docking station -it's just the stupid way HDMI audio is implemented.

Then how do you explain the fact I am able to use both HDMI audio and Realtek HD Audio simultaneously? Over the past 13 years I have used 5 different laptops none of which have made the onboard Realtek HD Audio disappear from Windows audio devices list when the laptop's in-built HDMI output port was in use (be it hooked up to the TV's HDMI input directly or hooked up through my Emotiva UMC-200 via HDMI also).

But I never use a docking station, as all my laptops I have bought have both an in-built HDMI output port and an onboard Realtek HD Audio so I never felt the need to grab a docking station (or cheap USB external audio device, for that matter... as neither my Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme nor my Astell & Kern AK240 were exactly "cheap" at the time when I bought them, soon after they were released...).