ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F continues to play audio through the rear speaker even when the front headphone jack is connected.
ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F continues to play audio through the rear speaker even when the front headphone jack is connected.
I just finished a new build and am facing an odd problem with the onboard audio on my ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F. My speakers are plugged into the rear 3.5mm port on the back of the motherboard, while my headphones go into the front 3.5mm jack connected to the motherboard’s front audio header. Windows identifies both as separate outputs. In Windows, when I set my speakers as the audio output, only the speakers work as expected. But with headphones selected, sound appears through both devices. Even when muted in Windows, sound still plays through the rear speakers. The built-in ALC4080 with SupremeFX seems to amplify the front jack, causing distortion when headphones are connected. I suspect some signal bleed occurs from the front jack to the rear output. Previously, older Realtek codecs let me mute/re-mute the rear connector when using front headphones, but that feature isn’t visible in the Realtek Audio Console for the ALC4080. There seems to be no way to fix this without switching to an external audio solution. ASUS hasn’t helped much. It feels like the rear output picks up unwanted noise from the front channel. Turning off the external speakers is frustrating during games or calls. Apart from this, the audio works well for my needs. Appreciate your assistance.
This situation is quite unusual. It’s likely your drivers weren’t properly installed. You can verify this by looking up available drivers for your motherboard on Asus’ website—audio and chipset drivers are important. The issue might have been resolved in a BIOS update; you should check ASUS’ site again for newer versions. I recall an older Windows setting called audio monitoring that kept the audio output active so you could hear incoming signals. It’s possible this feature is still available and enabled for your speakers. I don’t have time to search its location. You might also try the sound mixer in your current setup. Finally, consider using a third-party sound mixer to adjust your speakers and see if it works properly. That should help. Good luck!
After testing your ideas, I kept facing the issue. I couldn't locate a fix, so I resorted to a temporary fix using a $9 Apple USB-C to 3.5mm adapter and connecting my speakers to it. It seems to be functioning properly now, and since the speakers aren't linked to the rear output, using headphones connected to the front works without issues. This isn't the best solution, but it was a cost-effective workaround. Appreciate your assistance.
Do you have several audio headers on your motherboard? You might connect the front audio header to another free audio pin group.