Bass not on working Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th gen running focal

[ash]

Related to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1845677/comments/14

Audio works and the volume seems reasonable however the audio is noticeably missing bass giving everything a high treble sound.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: alsa-ucm-conf 1.2.2-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-21.25-generic 5.4.27
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-21-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu26
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Fri Apr 10 09:17:33 2020
Dependencies:

InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-04-08 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Beta amd64 (20200402)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: alsa-ucm-conf
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu26
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Dependencies:

DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-04-08 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Beta amd64 (20200402)
Package: linux
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-21.25-generic 5.4.27
Tags: focal
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-21-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin lxd plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1872108

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[ash (ash0)]

apport information

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Martin Seener (martinseener)]

ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu25
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.443
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Dependencies:

DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Beta amd64 (20200409)
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
Package: linux
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=C.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-21.25-generic 5.4.27
Tags: focal
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-21-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin lxd plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True

[Martin Seener (martinseener)]

apport information

[Martin Seener (martinseener)]

Can i also help with other logfiles or informations? If yes, please let me know, how i can do it because i never did before. I just booted Focal live image from just some days ago here and ran the apport-colllect command only.

Thanks for opening this bug and taking care of it!

[Michele (mikelito)]

Same issue here on X1 Yoga 4th gen. Seems alsa sees a bass speaker, but it's stuck at zero and cannot be turned on or otherwise regulated.

Node 0x17 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40058d: Stereo Amp-Out
  Control: name="Bass Speaker Playback Switch", index=0, device=0
    ControlAmp: chs=3, dir=Out, idx=0, ofs=0
  Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x00, nsteps=0x00, stepsize=0x00, mute=1
  Amp-Out vals: [0x00 0x00]
  Pincap 0x0000001c: OUT HP Detect
  Pin Default 0x90170111: [Fixed] Speaker at Int N/A
    Conn = Analog, Color = Unknown
    DefAssociation = 0x1, Sequence = 0x1
    Misc = NO_PRESENCE
  Pin-ctls: 0x40: OUT
  Unsolicited: tag=00, enabled=0
  Power states: D0 D1 D2 D3 EPSS
  Power: setting=D0, actual=D0
  Connection: 3
     0x02* 0x03 0x06
  In-driver Connection: 1
     0x02

Full alsa info http://alsa-project.org/db/?f=aab3665eede4913070f67e7d8b1b57d17db2633c

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

Right,but the Bass speaker bind the DAC 0x2, it is a normal speaker's DAC; if it binds other DAC, the current ucm can't handle this situation.

So the community has not resolved it, need to upstream has a solution first.

thx.

[Martin Seener (martinseener)]

I just also ran alsa-info on my Mint 19.3 (Ubuntu 18.04 with 5.3.0-40 kernel and my "fix" where bass works!!). Maybe it helps investigating.
http://alsa-project.org/db/?f=0fb55e2c97b8b3a9061f9878a1c5a1305b6b95a1

What do you mean with upstream needs a solution first @hui.wang. Can you give us more info here? Also if we can somehow help otherwise instead of only wait for it?

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

Please track this thread:
https://mailman.alsa-project.org/pipermail/alsa-devel/2020-February/162605.html

[henry (heamaya)]

Hi, I'm affected by the same bug. I have read the last thread, and I understand there is a workaround for my laptop. However, they are not sure whether the workaround could affect other devices. So, I would like to know whether this means that this bug will get stuck here and stay in the current status. Could we expect a solution soon?

[Romain Isnel (romainisnel-deactivatedaccount)]

Hello. I am in the same situation as Henry and I would also like to know if I can expect this to be resolved. The mentioned thread has been inactive for 2 months now.

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

IF anyone could send the comment to that thread (#11), it will be better. It is a kind of push for upstream to find a solution for bass speaker.

[Martin Seener (martinseener)]

Hi,
some days ago i already privately reached out to Benjamin (of this Thread in #11). This was his answer:

Hi Martin,

Thanks for getting in touch. As another user reported in this message
https://gist.github.com/hamidzr/dd81e429dc86f4327ded7a2030e7d7d9#gistcomment-3276276
the patches that I originally posted introduce a regression in headphone
output volume. I'm currently trying to see if that can be fixed. Today I
tried fiddling with alsactl controls but that did not help. However I
found that Node 0x21 (as well as Node 0x17) also has a different
connection when using my patches. I'll investigate further about that as
soon as I have some time.

Until the headphone volume regression is avoided I don't think it would
be a good idea to post the patches upstream again.

I didn't look into the Ubuntu 20.04 situation but I'm curious to do that
if I have the time.

So it seems, they're on it. Don't know how much push we should put into this mailing list though.

[Alejandro Miranda (alejandromiranda)]

Hi, I have the same problem here with my lenovo thinkpad x1 carbon 7th, a brand new laptop switched to ubuntu but the sound is very poor, I will wait for the solution, thank you.

[ash (ash0)]

I switched to fedora 32 and can confirm no problem with the audio.

[Michele (mikelito)]

Try this, it helped a lot on my X1 Yoga G4:
first install alsa-tools
# apt install alsa-tools
then run
# sudo hda-verb /dev/snd/hwC0D0 0x17 SET_CONNECT_SEL 1
borrowed from here
https://gist.github.com/hamidzr/dd81e429dc86f4327ded7a2030e7d7d9#gistcomment-3335436

I have absolutely no clue of how this works, and I hope there will be a better
"official" fix soon, also because it's still just two channels, and volume cannot
really be properly adjusted. However sound went from "crap" to "pretty decent".
Needs to be run after reboot (and probably suspend).

[Alejandro Miranda (alejandromiranda)]

thnak you ash, I switched to fedora 32 and no problem, I will wait until Ubuntu resolve the problem

[Darko Lukic (lukicdarkoo)]

@mikelito, Wow, so simple, it works like a charm on my Thinkpad X1 Carbon 7th Gen and Ubuntu 20.04!

[Alejandro Miranda (alejandromiranda)]

@mikelito @darko Lukic improve the sound but still not at 100%, with fedora and windows sounds is better

[Alejandro Miranda (alejandromiranda)]

did somebody resolve the problem?

[Alejandro Miranda (alejandromiranda)]

@Michele finally it works with your recommendation, I created a script with this commmand to iniciate on starup, thank you!

[Romain Isnel (romainisnel-deactivatedaccount)]

Hello. @Alejandro Miranda, would you be kind enough to share that script with us? It would be greatly appreciated.

[Alejandro Miranda (alejandromiranda)]

I just follow the mentioned before:

sudo apt install install alsa-tools
then run
sudo hda-verb /dev/snd/hwC0D0 0x17 SET_CONNECT_SEL 1

For the changes take effects after reboot:

sudo gedit /etc/rc.local

and put this on it:

#!/bin/sh -e
hda-verb /dev/snd/hwC0D0 0x17 SET_CONNECT_SEL 1
exit 0

Now give permission to the file:

sudo chmod +x /etc/rc.local

reboot and that's it.

[Romain Isnel (romainisnel-deactivatedaccount)]

Thank you. That solution still makes it so that you can't control the volume though. I thought you had a more complete solution on your side, my mistake.

[Alejandro Miranda (alejandromiranda)]

@Romain No, like you said I can not control the volume with this solution, sounds great but still have this problem

[Michele (mikelito)]

also note that in my experience a suspend/resume cycle also reverts the fix, so probably the script needs to be invoked also upon resume. in short, this is a temporary hack, not a real solution.

[Alejandro Miranda (alejandromiranda)]

I hope that soon it will be fix on the next update kernel :(

[S (bgsosh)]

Same problem on an X1c7. Let me know if I can provide any more info. I hope this is fixed soon, I'm not sure how much longer my ears will last listening to tinny sound at high volume.

[Dwayne Nelson (edn2)]

@Alejandro Miranda I've noticed the command moves the sound from the top speakers to the bottom. Sounds, no doubt, but seems to disable to speakers up top.

[ash (ash0)]

At some point recently (there were some recent alsa updates which I suspect were the culprit) this problem now also popped up on my fedora 32 installation.

Per Alejandro's suggestion this also fixed it on fedora 32

hda-verb /dev/snd/hwC0D0 0x17 SET_CONNECT_SEL 1

[Frederik Feichtmeier (feichtmeier)]

Sadly this is the only big bummer when using the x1 carbon 2019 with Ubuntu - totally looking forward to this, as it also affects me.
The temp. fix also works for me, but only for 1 session, after reboot or coming out of suspend, I need to re-apply it.

[Randall Leeds (randall-leeds)]

This makes a world of difference. It seems to make the Headphone volume control the bottom speakers while the Speaker volume still controls the top speaker.

Does anyone know enough about ALSA to know if there's a way the command could be tweaked so that the Speaker volume controls both?

[Rafael Nicolay (rrnicolay)]

Same problem here (Ubuntu 20.04.1). Following this thread for news.
Let me know if I can do anything to help.

[Randall Leeds (randall-leeds)]

Benjamin Poirier seems to be working to upstream changes that would fix this issue.

See these links for details:
https://github.com/gobenji/thinkpad-x1-gen7-sound
https://lore<email address hidden>/
https://lore<email address hidden>/

[Sep Thijssen (thijssensep)]

I also have this problem on my X1C7 running Linux Mint 20 with kernel 5.4.0-42-generic.

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

We are going to have a solution from upstream soon.

https://mailman.alsa-project.org/pipermail/alsa-devel/2020-September/173471.html

[ash (ash0)]

That's great. Thank you for the update Hui Wang

[Sep Thijssen (thijssensep)]

I just received an update in Linux Mint:
alsa-ucm-conf,
old version 1.2.2-1ubuntu0.2
old version 1.2.2-1ubuntu0.3

And now sound is fixed. Bass is back.

[ash (ash0)]

That update hasn't fixed the bass on my ubuntu 20.04 install

[Raphael Saunier (l-rs)]

Same here; the upgrade to alsa-ucm-conf 1.2.2-1ubuntu0.3 alone wasn't enough to fix the issue on my Regolith install (Ubuntu 20.04.1).

However, after upgrading I once more tried the fixes described in the following article (essentially the same workarounds that others have suggested in this thread) and this time it worked! Not quite on par with the sound that comes out of the speakers on Win 10, but good enough.

https://www.sysorchestra.com/linux-mint-20-upgrade-on-lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-7th-sound-and-fingerprints/

[Romain Isnel (romainisnel-deactivatedaccount)]

Seconding Raphael on the fix available in the article. Audio is quite good now.

[Martin Seener (martinseener)]

The new 5.4.0-51 kernel has been released to focal-release today and this includes the "routing" fix. Tested it on Mint 20 and it works for me! I think this bug can be closed now

[Frederik Feichtmeier (feichtmeier)]

Confirmed to be fixed on 20.04 ubuntu - awesome - thank you very much everyone involved!

[Pierre Maoui (maouipierre+ubuntuone)]

I had terrible bass on my X1 Carbon 8th Gen: I fixed it by upgrading the kernel to 5.10.35 with mainline:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cappelikan/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mainline

then use the graphical interface of mainline to select the correct version.
You may need to disable Secure boot in your bios