Sound effects broken after UAD driver update

Hello Ten Forums! I know this has been asked before and I've read a few threads regarding this and the needed driver versions. However I still seem to be the odd one out unless I've missed something...

I have a GA-AX370-Gaming 5 motherboard on the latest BIOS version.
In August I was having trouble with Line In audio not being passed through when enabling 'Listen to this device' in Windows Sound (I like to pass through audio from my main monitor when using other display sources to my PC's speakers and headphones). When installing the latest driver from my motherboard's page (6.0.8945.1) I lost the HDA Control panel app and Realtek Audio Console was installed. It took me a while to realise what had happened but for some reason I lost the ability to use the Sound effects in the new app. I also got an issue where my speakers wouldn't work at all but since then I've gotten a new M.2 SSD and freshly installed Windows 10 Pro (currently on 21H2). However... since installing the drivers again the Sound Effects still don't work...
I've updated to 6.0.9175.1 thanks to the regularly updated info on this forum but I'm in the same boat, no effects.
My speakers are Logitech Z333 (I'll mention they are the new logo version since they seem to work better than the old logo ones I have owned) and they are plugged into the motherboard's green Front speaker out. I've tried the Rear speaker out to see if there's any difference but that got no audio at all.
I've been without effects since August and I'm a bit bummed out about it since I used to use it for certain games and music. I'll note that the Line In passthrough was fixed.

I've read Equalizer not working in Asus Realtek Audio console and Realtek Audio Console REQUIRES a Realtek HD (UAD) Driver!! but like I said at the start, the info I've learnt hasn't help me resolve the issue.

Hopefully I can get some personailsed help in this new thread,
Thanks!

Double check to make sure enable audio enhancements is on.

Sounds like you went from HDA drivers to UAD. Your board says it supports Creative Soundblaster Blah Blah gimmicky nonsense, and that means unless you install the third party, inferior trash to get the "enhancements", they will be missing with UAD drivers.

Personally, I HATE the UAD drivers and that new M$ Store version of Audio Console + the third party, buggy, crappy, gimmick apps (Creative, Nahimic, etc.) even more. I would highly recommend sticking to HDA drivers and the generic, but good, Realtek enhancements/effects as long as you possibly can...if you can.

HDA 6.0.9273.1 Link (current best driver): https://www.catalog.update.microsoft...x?q=6.0.9273.1

Note the extra "Enhancements" tab in HDA vs UAD. In UAD they gimp the enhancements and make you run a third party, inferior app to regain them...or some of them. "Bah Humbug" to that!

Thanks for the replies people.
Yeah I definately went HDA to UAD without knowing the difference, however I would've just left it like that if things didn't break.
I've now installed HDA 6.0.9273.1 and the HDA Audio Manager is back, but the enhancements are still not doing anything. What else can I try?

sandyt said:

Double check to make sure enable audio enhancements is on.

The Signal Enhancements section is missing for me. I suppose that's the issue.

n7rize said:

The Signal Enhancements section is missing for me. I suppose that's the issue.

Assuming you did a nice cleaning of the UAD driver when switching back to the HDA, I don't know. I won't pretend to know how each different board with Realtek chips behaves, they are vastly different for no clear reason. As long as I stick with HDA only, all three of my Realtek based mainboards have the full working enhancements and old control panel. Two of those "support" Creative SoundBlaster Cinema and Nahimic stuff that I avoid like the plague. Two B450 boards and an old Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P AM3 board.

Gigabyte did a terrible job providing the wrong type of audio drivers for the GA-AX370-Gaming 5 board (the 6.0.1.8597, 6.0.8688.1, 6.0.8854.1 & 6.0.8945.1 versions are in UAD/DCH format, which totally breaks/kills compatibility with Creative's Sound Blaster X-FI MB5 software [X-FI MB5 is listed as "Creative SB X-Fi driver" v1.0.19 on the downloads page for that board)

only the PG463 & 6.0.1.8454 versions are in the proper HDA (non-UAD) format and those are the ones that actually work with the X-FI MB5 app. the gigabyte folks didn't check nor test well with those other driver versions with Creative's XFI MB5 app.

if you are still missing the Enhancements tab, even with the HDA (nonUAD) drivers installed, check if the XFI MB5 software is installed in the Programs & Features Control panel (appwiz.cpl), remove it and reboot. and if that still doesn't work, open registry editor (regedit.exe) and check if the "\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Creative" (or , \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CreativeTech) "\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Creative" registry keys are there, delete them and reboot

I would also consider removing the 6.0.9273.1 HDA driver and re-installing it with a different INF file (instead of installing 9273 HDA with maybe the HDXMB3H.inf file [maybe your "hardware ID" is listed in that file], install it with the generic HDXRT.INF file instead by using Device Manager and selecting "let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer" - that would usually let me pick a specific INF file to use instead of the "normal" one)

erpster4 said:

Gigabyte did a terrible job providing the wrong type of audio drivers for the GA-AX370-Gaming 5 board.

Interesting! It says it has 2x ALC1220. That is a new one on me. Why 2? I am not a fan of the third party Sound blaster stuff, but the ALC1220 is a good chip, yeah?

1. 2 x Realtek® ALC1220 codecs
2. Support for Sound Blaster X-Fi MB5
3. High Definition Audio
4. 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
5. Support for S/PDIF Out