[XPS 13 9370, Realtek ALC3271, Speaker, Internal] fails after a while

[John D Sheehan]

Sometimes if I run `pulseaudio -k` a few times, sound returns.
Sometimes if I run `sudo alsa force-reload`, sound returns.
Sometimes if I shutdown and start the laptop, sound returns.

This first occurred a few months ago when I was running 20.04, and I upgraded to 21.10 in the hope it would fix the issue. It did not - sound continues to be intermittent.

I use the Brave browser, not firefox.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 21.10
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.13.0-21.21-generic 5.13.18
Uname: Linux 5.13.0-21-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu71
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: sheehan 3636 F.... pulseaudio
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sat Nov 27 20:21:47 2021
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-10-15 (43 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 21.10 "Impish Indri" - Release amd64 (20211012)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_IE:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_IE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_Card: Built-in Audio - HDA Intel PCH
Symptom_Jack: Speaker, Internal
Symptom_PulseAudioLog:
 Nov 27 19:00:54 xps systemd[1436]: pulseaudio.service: Deactivated successfully.
 Nov 27 19:01:05 xps systemd[1436]: pulseaudio.socket: Deactivated successfully.
Symptom_Type: Sound works for a while, then breaks
Title: [XPS 13 9370, Realtek ALC3271, Speaker, Internal] fails after a while
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 07/09/2021
dmi.bios.release: 1.16
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.16.0
dmi.board.name: 0F6P3V
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.16.0:bd07/09/2021:br1.16:svnDellInc.:pnXPS139370:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0F6P3V:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct10:cvr:sku07E6:
dmi.product.family: XPS
dmi.product.name: XPS 13 9370
dmi.product.sku: 07E6
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
mtime.conffile..etc.modprobe.d.alsa-base.conf: 2021-11-27T18:59:43.285943

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Michael Nahas (mdnahas)]

I have the same problem. It started late in 2021, I think. I have no damn clue what's going on.

Sound often works when booting from "off". It often breaks if I put my laptop to sleep and wake it. It may break at other times?

When the sound stops, it stops sound on the whole machine. I have a USB-A to 3.5" headphone adapter and I thought I could use that because it is separate hardware, but, no, that doesn't work either.

I've tried blacklisting the snd_hda_codec_realtek module, but it still happens.
I've tried installing the original OS (Ubuntu 18.04 from Dell) and it still happens.

Maybe I zapped the audio card with static electricity and it stopped working? But why would that affect the USB-A dongle?

Maybe there was a firmware update from Dell that changed its behavior?

I'm stupified. But I need audio. I love Linux, but I'm thinking of abandoning Linux and going to MacOS, because I need working audio!