Laptop subwoofer is not functional on ASUS G73Jw

[Robert Hooker]

In windows the "subwoofer" on this laptop appears to be the primary speaker, and without it working on linux there is a significant reduction in audio quality. It does not appear as a seperate subwoofer channel there and appears to be just a mono full range speaker.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: alsa-base 1.0.23+dfsg-1ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.36-1.7-generic-pae 2.6.36
Uname: Linux 2.6.36-1-generic-pae i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.23.
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC259 Analog [ALC259 Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: sarvatt 1568 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xdc600000 irq 53'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC259'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0269,10431a13,00100100'
   Controls : 18
   Simple ctrls : 10
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'NVidia'/'HDA NVidia at 0xd6080000 irq 17'
   Mixer name : 'Nvidia GPU 11 HDMI/DP'
   Components : 'HDA:10de0011,10de0101,00100100'
   Controls : 16
   Simple ctrls : 4
Date: Tue Nov 9 09:48:40 2010
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
dmi.bios.date: 08/05/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: G73Jw.202
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: G73Jw
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrG73Jw.202:bd08/05/2010:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnG73Jw:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnG73Jw:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: G73Jw
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

[Robert Hooker (sarvatt)]

Output of the alsa-info.sh script

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

Hmm, could you clarify whether the subwoofer
1) is not working at all under Linux, or
2) is outputting full range instead of just subwoofer frequencies?

Also, what version of Windows are you running and do you have Realtek's driver installed or not (in Windows)?

[Robert Hooker (sarvatt)]

It's not working at all under linux, sorry about that. I played around in HDAAnalyzer and managed to enable it but I'm not sure how to fix it properly.

In

Node 0x17 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40010c: Mono Amp-Out
  Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x00, nsteps=0x00, stepsize=0x00, mute=1
  Amp-Out vals: [0x80]
  Pincap 0x00000010: OUT
  Pin Default 0x99130120: [Fixed] Speaker at Int ATAPI
    Conn = ATAPI, Color = Unknown
    DefAssociation = 0x2, Sequence = 0x0
    Misc = NO_PRESENCE
  Pin-ctls: 0x00:
  Connection: 1
     0x0f

I checked the OUT widget control checkbox so it looks like this and it is enabled

Node 0x17 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40010c: Mono Amp-Out
  Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x00, nsteps=0x00, stepsize=0x00, mute=1
  Amp-Out vals: 0x00
  Pincap 0x00000010: OUT
  Pin Default 0x99130120: [Fixed] Speaker at Int ATAPI
    Conn = ATAPI, Color = Unknown
    DefAssociation = 0x2, Sequence = 0x0
    Misc = NO_PRESENCE
  Pin-ctls: 0x40: OUT
  Connection: 1
     0x0f

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

Thanks, that is valuable information. Hopefully I'll have some time to look at it next week.

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

Ok, here's a quirk. If you like I can provide you with a dkms package for easy testing, or you can build a kernel yourself with this patch applied, just let me know.

[Robert Hooker (sarvatt)]

Thanks David, I applied this to 2.6.37-9 and it works perfect! I was going to mention that G73Jh most likely has the same issue, but on reviewing people's logs it appears it uses node 0x16 there and works properly unlike on this G73Jw

http://launchpadlibrarian.net/59728370/Card0.Codecs.codec.0.txt

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

Interesting, because it looks like the issue should have been the same. It could just have been that BIOS sets the out-pin correctly on G73Jh but not on G73Jw?
Do you have a bug number referring to G73Jh?

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

Hmm, even if BIOS sets the "out" correctly on G73Jh, it should then have the reverse issue, that the subwoofer keeps sounding even when headphones are plugged in.

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

Patch accepted upstream.

[madbiologist (me-again)]

The abovementioned patch has been included upstream in kernel 2.6.37-rc7. From the changelog:

commit ac612407932be18697b5ae9da0a80f138b8bea8e
Author: David Henningsson
Date: Wed Dec 15 09:18:18 2010 +0100

    ALSA: HDA: Enable subwoofer on Asus G73Jw

    Set default association/sequence right on pin 0x17 in order for
    the automatic parser to recognize the subwoofer correctly.

    Signed-off-by: David Henningsson
    Signed-off-by: Takashi Iwai

[bdoe (bdoe-att)]

I am an ASUS J73JH owner running Ubuntu 10.10 (2.6.35-25-generic-pae kernel), and my issue is the same as the JW owners here: There is no output from the subwoofer whatsoever. I just wanted to point this out before anyone got to thinking things are working for the JH.

[bdoe (bdoe-att)]

Sorry, that should be "I am an ASUS G73JH owner..."

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

bdoe, as your hardware is different, please file a separate bug for your issue. thanks!

[bdoe (bdoe-att)]

Although I don't think the difference between the JW and the JH affect the audio subsystem in any way (the only major difference between the two is the GPU, which is on a different daughtercard for the same mainboard, I believe), I'll file mine as a separate bug.

[Robert Hooker (sarvatt)]

it is different, when David fixed up this bug I mentioned it probably affected Jh models too but we found alsa info dumps and the pins were different so please do file a separate bug.

[bdoe (bdoe-att)]

New bug filed, Bug#728161

[Silas Freeman (xcsilas-freeman)]

So say if i have no idea how to do anything like you guys do.. what can i do to fix this problem? I really need the output because i DJ some dances.. kind of a problem! any help?

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

@Silas, you seem to have a different problem, can you please file a separate bug by opening a terminal and enter this command:
ubuntu-bug audio
Thanks!

[Silas Freeman (xcsilas-freeman)]

i think i have the same problem? my sub woofer has no output and the bass is coming through my two speakers. It makes everything sound horrible! is it not the same bug? sorry if it isn't!

[Silas Freeman (xcsilas-freeman)]

I have the same asus you guys have been talking about

[David Henningsson (diwic)]

@Silas, so if you do have the same problem, following these instructions should solve your problem: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/InstallingLinuxAlsaDriverModules