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I have three entries in my Windows 10s Device Manager that have Realtek in their label:

enter image description here

I'm trying to troubleshoot a long-lasting audio issue with the volume of my USB headset speakers (the USB PnP Sound Device in that picture), and I'm running low on ideas. Could these Realtek entries relate to USB headset sound in any way? If so, why/how?

Daniel Kaplan
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  • I have RealTek Audio on this computer and it does not differentiate between audio devices used. Windows does that. – John Sep 19 '23 at 21:53
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    Your USB headset should be it's own audio device and not related to the realtek junk. And I too have realtek junk (I think we all do these days). – Señor CMasMas Sep 19 '23 at 22:06
  • @SeñorCMasMas It makes sense that it's its own device. I've heard that Realtek is an audio codec, not a soundcard? If it were a soundcard, I'd find your statement to be almost self-evident; I'm not plugging this USB device into the computer's audio ports. But if it's a codec, I'm still confused. Wikipedia says a codec could be a device or software, and I'm not sure which one this is. My only frame of reference are the codecs used for software video players, and I've always been under the impression that all software players on the system share them. – Daniel Kaplan Sep 19 '23 at 23:03
  • @Ramhound I'm not asking why I have this particular device, I'm asking what effect it could have on USB headsets. – Daniel Kaplan Sep 19 '23 at 23:05
  • @DanielKaplan - An audio codec handles playing audio files. Since your motherboard has a Realtek audio chip, that is the reason the codec is likely installed. It should have no effect on USB audio devices. – Ramhound Sep 19 '23 at 23:05
  • @Ramhound "An audio codec handles playing audio files." Can you ELI5; my USB headset needs to play audio files, too. Does it have its own independent audio codecs for this? – Daniel Kaplan Sep 19 '23 at 23:09
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    @DanielKaplan "codec" covers a multitude of sins, it is literally a contraction "coder/decoder" and while we know of software blobs that decode video and audio as "codecs" the name can also apply to hardware devices. The Realtek Audio Codec is a combination of software and hardware for Realtek audio devices. – Mokubai Sep 19 '23 at 23:14
  • @DanielKaplan - What audio codecs will be used depends entirely on the software. I have no idea what "ELI5" is shorthand for. Discord uses Opus, for instance, software like Skype or Teams likely uses Microsoft-related codecs. However, I disagree that the Realtek Control panel could not modify the sound of a UPnP device. So my suggestion is to install it and provide adequate updates to your question. Nvidia also has some audio technology that you might have accidentally enabled. – Ramhound Sep 19 '23 at 23:17
  • @Ramhound ELI5=Explain Like I'm 5. – Daniel Kaplan Sep 19 '23 at 23:20
  • @DanielKaplan - Codec is software. It interfaces with the device drivers. – Ramhound Sep 19 '23 at 23:22
  • Ramhound is right, an errant piece of software could be trying to drive the wrong audio device and as a result be glitching your audio for you. Missing or broken software could be doing odd things. – Mokubai Sep 19 '23 at 23:22
  • @Ramhound Given all the terrible reviews for that software, I'm not sure if I want to install it. When I tried, it failed with a Code: 0x803FB005 error. Some comments say that can happen if I have the wrong drivers, but I have the version DriverEasy recommends. (Not that they'd necessarily know best.) My main concern are the comments about how the software makes all audio flaky. – Daniel Kaplan Sep 19 '23 at 23:31
  • Nvidia also has some audio technology that you might have accidentally enabled. I definitely have those drivers. Those were the red lines in my picture. I've updated the picture to remove the redlines. – Daniel Kaplan Sep 19 '23 at 23:33
  • @Mokubai an errant piece of software could be trying to drive the wrong audio device and as a result be glitching your audio for you Is this a common occurrence? Is it like flipping a coin were being struck by lightning? – Daniel Kaplan Sep 19 '23 at 23:35
  • @DanielKaplan - I have a motherboard with a Realtek device, and it installed fine, I launched the MSI-appropriate software when I did. In my case, it virtually just displayed my I/O was unused, so it did nothing. – Ramhound Sep 19 '23 at 23:36
  • Common? No, but you have a pretty uncommon problem and something is not working right. Your choices are either a hardware fault in the headset that needs something occasionally tweaking the volume or something very odd going on in your operating system or installed software. Personally I'd be tempted to take a backup of my OS and do a clean install to rule out that side, and if the problem still occurs either set up a script that every second or so tweaks the volume up by one notch and back down, or simply try another headset. – Mokubai Sep 19 '23 at 23:39
  • Personally I'd be tempted to take a backup of my OS and do a clean install to rule out that side Actually I did that roughly 2 weeks ago. The problem reappeared. A new headset is in the mail. Call me a pessimist, but I don't expect the new headset to fix the problem. To me it seems like a software issue since reinstalling drivers and changing the volume temporarily fixes it. But I'm not a hardware guy. Hopefully I'm wrong. – Daniel Kaplan Sep 19 '23 at 23:52

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If you have a USB headset then it will be completely separate and independent from the Realtek audio system.

The Realtek devices will control the various 3.5mm sockets on your motherboard. You will most likely find them on your back panel and may also have them on the case as well:

enter image description here

USB devices on the other hand are distinct audio devices in their own right. They have their own drivers, both software within the operating system and hardware driving the speakers.

I cannot speak for your actual problem but judging by the "USB PnP Sound Device" I would suspect that you have a very generic USB headset and it may be that the hardware is not 100% compliant with how the generic driver is passing data to it.

Mokubai
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