Why Is My THX Audio Sound Bad? (Problem Solved!) -

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THX set an incredible standard for high-quality audio with its inception in 1983, with the launch of Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi. To this day, the THX logo is recognized as being synonymous with superior sound quality in games and films. But what happens when that’s not the case? Even THX audio could sometimes sound bad, but what causes it, and how can you fix it?

Bad audio quality in THX audio can be caused by a wide variety of issues. There are some issues with the Synapse equalizer, but the problems can also be related to software bugs, outdated software, or hardware problems. The ideal fix will depend on the cause of your particular problem.

THX can be slightly unpredictable because it depends on many factors to work correctly. You need compatible hardware, software, operating systems, and device drivers, and all these things must be perfectly compatible with one another. Let’s look at some of the most common reasons why your THX audio could sound bad and some ways you can fix it.

Bad THX Sound Quality Due To Razer Synapse

Razer includes its Synapse equalizer software with its THX sound system. You can use it to control your sound quality to get the perfect balance you want. However, it seems there might be a problem with some versions of Synapse.

For example, on Razer’s forums, a user called TheFranubian found that THX Surround Sound had problems when they set custom configurations on the Synapse equalizer.

The user noticed that whenever they were playing a game using THX Surround Sound through the Synapse equalizer, everything would work perfectly until they paused the game. Once they resumed, the sound would be a muffled, low-quality mess, and they had to restart everything to get it back to how it should be.

How To Solve It

TheFranubian found that these steps resolved the issue they were experiencing:

Create a blank profile within Synapse and calibrate your THX surround sound / spatial audio within it.
Turn your THX off so that all sound sources automatically switch to stereo.
Now you can set your preferred equalizer settings to whatever you want it to be. It’s crucial to have everything perfect since you will have to repeat the entire process if you want to change anything afterward.

With THX still deactivated, duplicate the Synapse profile you just created.
Switch to the new (duplicated) profile, leaving everything intact.
Now you can turn THX back on in the duplicated profile.

Don’t change any settings on the duplicate profile, including equalizer settings, and don’t turn THX off.
It’s still safe to choose which apps will use your THX audio and which ones won’t, though.
Ensure all playback and recording devices are set to the highest possible quality in Windows’ sound panel.

Bad THX Quality Because Of Outdated Software

Most of THX is controlled by software. This includes audio drivers on your computer, Windows’ built-in sound software, and often firmware on some other devices. The unfortunate fact is that software can contain bugs, and these bugs can cause problems with sound quality.

Most software developers release updates and bug fixes as they identify these problems, and Razer also releases frequent updates. To ensure that a software bug isn’t causing the problem, it’s essential always to keep all your software updated.

For example, there’s a known problem with the Razer Nari headset. When you switch on THX, the sound quality is drastically reduced, and the solution is a simple software update.

How To Solve It

To solve the THX sound quality issues, you must update the software. You can do so by following these steps:

Connect your headset to the computer via the USB cable.
Look for the Razer Central icon in your System Tray (in the bottom right corner of your Windows desktop, next to the time and date). You may have to expand your System Tray by clicking the arrow next to it.

Right-click on the Razer Central icon.
Select “Software Update” from the menu that pops up.
This will open Synapse, and it should start checking for updates automatically.

If it doesn’t start looking for updates automatically, you can click on the button labeled “Check for Updates” in the top right corner.

According to Razer, if this does not resolve the issue or there are no updates available, you can follow the steps mentioned previously to create a new profile that will improve the THX sound quality.

Hardware Problems With THX Sound Quality

Just like software, there are various hardware-related problems that could cause bad sound quality when you’re using THX. These problems could range from compatibility issues to faulty devices.

Compatibility issues are usually not much of a concern. Still, if you use an external DAC (digital-to-analog converter) or equalizer for a better sound experience, there’s a possibility that the device might not know what to do with your THX audio, causing poor sound quality.

The first very crucial part is to ensure that all your devices are 100% certified as compatible with your THX audio. It’s usually easy to find that information by searching the web.

The second point is to check online forums, like the Razer Insider forums or Reddit, to find out if anyone else used your particular configuration and if they experienced any problems. Because there’s such a wide variety of devices that support so many different audio standards, it’s not always easy to confirm perfect compatibility between them, so personal experience is best.

Regarding faulty devices, many users found they could improve their THX sound quality by doing two things that might also help you.

Try another USB port. If your headset connects through USB, you can try to connect the headset to a different USB port. Sometimes a particular USB port could be faulty or failing, causing bad audio quality since it is unable to output the correct signals. Try switching it to another port, especially one that’s located on your motherboard instead of the front USB panel on your PC.
Try using an external sound card. All modern motherboards have integrated sound hardware, so most of us never even consider buying a dedicated sound card. However, the onboard sound hardware could be damaged, and they aren’t usually the best quality hardware to begin with.

It’s worth looking at the possibility of getting a dedicated sound card (or external USB sound device) and running your audio through that. It will bypass any possible hardware issues with your integrated sound controller, and it could improve your sound quality and performance.

Final Thoughts

THX’s entire reason for existence is to improve sound quality and audio immersion. Still, many users find it so difficult to get decent THX sound quality that they opt for other spatial audio alternatives. But there are a few simple things that you can do to fix any problems with bad THX sound quality that are probably cheaper than replacing your setup with something else.