MSI GS70 Sound "quality"

I've recently purchased the MSI GS70 (229US model) and overall I'm satisfied with performance, weight, price and etc.

BUT the sound on it is messing with my head.
I know that sound quality is somewhat subjective, and some of my arguments would be better explained if I had a proper recording device to make a video and show you what I meant. Since I don't have that atm, I'll try to explain it in words the best way I can.

First of all, the balance of the speakers seems to off. I'll explain: when I go to Control panel > Sound > Speakers - Realtek high definition audio > Configure > Test, I can hear stereo Left and Right separated in front of me, each to its side. Great.
Now, when I make the same "speaker sound test" on Realtek HD Audio Manager (clicking the individual speakers on the pic), the right side is heard to the right, as it should be, but the left side appears to be in the middle instead of dislocated to the left. in the same amount as the opposite channel (I've checked the balance control, and it's on 0). If the balance differences were to appear only on Realtek's program, I wouldn't care, but this off-balance situation also appears in every sound coming out of the speakers. Browser sounds, music player, mpc-hc, etc. I'd really appreciate some insight to what might be happening here. I've tried updating Realtek's drivers from MSI website, and that didn't correct it.

Also, the subwoofer doesn't seem to make any significant sound or difference while music/videos/whatever are playing, or when you increase the "bass" setting on SoundBlaster. The low frequencies seem to be coming out on top with the rest of the sound, probably indicating that the normal-small speakers are outputting it themselves.
I was able to test the sub in Windows Sound settings, by configuring the sound as 5.1 and clicking the Low Frequency on the test, and also doing the same on Realtek's app. Later I went to test it again and it simply didn't emit any sound at all. I thought the speakers would be recognized on windows as being a 2.1 system, but I can choose from stereo, quadraphonic or 5.1 in the windows configuration menu. How does that work anyways? I don't want "surround emulation", I just want it to sound decent.

Speaking of sounding decently, this Realtek Driver + Soundblaster configuration is so far being a terrible experience. I can't manage to find a SoundBlaster Cinema setting that fits different styles of music, and I surely don't want to be messing with settings everytime shuffle picks a different song. The "features" of the sound app are very empiric as to what effect they actually inflict on sound, and I recently found out that closing the app an reopening it makes all the configurations I had altered go back to default. It also doesn't have a separate profile for when you plug in headphones, making it necessary to reconfigure the settings/switch profiles manually when you do it.
Turning off the SoundBlaster app simply makes everything sound crappy, inside-of-a-can sound, as if they designed the whole speaker setup to be completely dependant on the said app.

Putting it simply, I'm not demanding audiophile sound from a small-factor notebook, but simply comparing it to my older, (way) cheaper 2009 Gateway FX without any marketing hype on a 2.0 configuration sounded more natural than the GS70
I hope some of you can help me solve some of these issues, or at least help me determine if I got a faulty hardware or if it's software-related.

 

Just so you know that you're not alone, I have the exact same issue. By the sounds of it, it seems that the left speaker is actually placed in the middle of the laptop by accident? If anyone from MSI is reading this, it would be really helpful to acknowledge some sort of problem so we don't think we're crazy. I thought I was going deaf in my left ear or something!

As for fixing it, I don't think there is anything you can do as an end-user. If it is a hardware issue that they have a RMA fix for, then I guess that's the only option. If you are reading this and are a GS70 customer, post here!

 

Hey guys,

I'm having the same issue. It seems like the left and right speakers are somehow located on the right side of the laptop's body.

Did anyone reach out to MSI? It really seems strange - almost sounds like the laptop is operating in mono.

 

Hey guys,
I just received my GS70 few days ago and I experience the same issue as left subwoofer seems to be placed in the middle or inexisting. I'd like to know if some of you have heard anything about it for the last months before i send it back to MSI.
I didnt buy this beast to have a mono sound

Thanks!

 

Try installing a Realtek HD Audio Driver/Software that includes Dolby

See the linked post for download and setup

After setup click on each speaker to test sound
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...83-owners-lounge.584869/page-990#post-9984994"]

 

New WHQL version of Realtek HD Audio + Dolby build 7496

http://www.mediafire.com/download/62191n01o69xqfz/7496-WHQL+Dolby-April+27,+2015.zip

 

Good evening gentlemen,

I also have this problem.

I tried to install the driver shown but without success.

The problem is still present.

Did you find a solution?

Thank you in advance for your return.

For information, the laptop was purchased in France.

Best Regards.

 

Each and every time I buy a new PC that has Windows pre installed is to full format the primary boot drive and install a fresh clean copy from a USB flash drive created using a untouched Microsoft ISO.

Before you format download the newest drivers for your hardware and save them on a flash drive.

Install them on your clean installation before connecting to the Internet.

right click on each driver's exe file and install as admin.

Reboot after each driver is installed.

My GS60 has no issues when i clean install Windows 7,Window 8.1 or the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10074

I also do this on a GT780DX and a desktop.