MacBook only uses 2 of 4 speakers

[Pierre Rudloff]

The sound on my MacBook (2.1) is not as good in Ubuntu as in Mac OS.
I think this is because PulseAudio uses only 2 speakers. (I guess the MacBook has 2 speakers and 2 subwoofers.)
In the volume prefs, it does show 4 sliders but only 2 of them seem to do something.
The profile is "Surround analogique 4.0 Output" (Analogic surround 4.0 Output).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: pulseaudio 1:1.0-0ubuntu3.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-14.23-generic 3.0.9
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-14-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: pierre 9988 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: pierre 9988 F...m pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0x50440000 irq 43'
   Mixer name : 'SigmaTel STAC9221 A1'
   Components : 'HDA:83847680,106b2200,00103401'
   Controls : 21
   Simple ctrls : 13
Date: Mon Dec 12 01:21:29 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012)
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 06/27/07
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MB21.88Z.00A5.B07.0706270922
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Mac-F4208CAA
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: PVT
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F4208CAA
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMB21.88Z.00A5.B07.0706270922:bd06/27/07:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBook2,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-F4208CAA:rvrPVT:cvnAppleInc.:ct10:cvrMac-F4208CAA:
dmi.product.name: MacBook2,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.

[Pierre Rudloff (rudloff)]

I have been able to enable the second set of speakers with xfce4-mixer.

[Raymond (superquad-vortex2)]

Simple mixer control 'Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Speaker',1
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [off]

do you mean pulseaudio cannot use speaker with index 1

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 11.10 (oneiric) reached end-of-life on May 9, 2013.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for pulseaudio (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]