sound fading in and out

Turn off Audio enhancements for the active output device first, because Windows 11 enhancements can cause fluctuating, distorted, or reduced volume.

1. Disable audio enhancements

1. Open Start → Settings → System → Sound.
2. Under Output, select the speakers or headphones currently in use.
3. Find Audio enhancements and set it to Off.
4. Play continuous audio for several minutes and check whether the volume remains stable. ^1^

Since resets and Windows updates have already been completed, do not repeat those steps. If disabling enhancements does not help, continue in this order.

2. Test a different audio format

1. Return to Settings → System → Sound → your output device.
2. Under Advanced, locate Default format.
3. Select a different available format.
4. Test after each change and retain the format that produces stable sound. ^1^

3. Determine whether this is app-specific

If fading occurs in only one application:

1. Open Settings → System → Sound → Volume mixer.
2. Under Apps, check that the affected app’s volume is not changing or muted.
3. Confirm that its Output device is the same speakers or headphones selected for Windows. ^2^

If every application fades, test the same audio through another output:

• If built-in speakers fade but wired or Bluetooth headphones do not, the issue is isolated to the speakers or their device-specific processing.
• If every output fades, continue with the driver procedure below.
• If only Bluetooth fades, test wired audio before changing the main PC audio driver.

4. Reinstall the manufacturer’s audio driver

A Windows update check does not necessarily install the PC manufacturer’s model-specific audio package.

1. Identify the exact PC or motherboard model using its label or the manufacturer’s support utility.
2. Download the latest audio driver for that exact model from the manufacturer’s support site.
3. Open Start, search for Device Manager, and open it.
4. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
5. Right-click the active audio device—often Realtek, Intel Smart Sound, AMD, or High Definition Audio—and select Uninstall device.
6. Restart the PC, install the downloaded manufacturer driver, and restart once more.

Microsoft’s guidance recommends uninstalling the current driver and installing the latest version supplied by the device manufacturer when the issue continues. ^1^

If the fading began immediately after a driver change

Check Device Manager → Sound, video and game controllers → audio device → Properties → Driver. If Roll Back Driver is available, select it and restart. That option appears only when Windows still has a previous driver version. ^3^

If none of these changes the symptom, record whether the fading affects built-in speakers, wired headphones, and Bluetooth devices. That distinction, along with the exact PC model and audio-device name shown in Device Manager, is needed to determine whether the remaining problem is model-specific driver processing or hardware.

References

1. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/hardware/audio/fix-distorted-or-crackling-audio-in-windows)
2. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/hardware/audio/fix-app-audio-not-working-while-system-sounds-work-in-windows)
3. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/hardware/audio/fix-audio-stops-working-after-a-windows-update-in-windows)