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Mike Swanson 8a0611d4d1 Session log: Legion Pro 7 post-reboot audio tuning, volume hotkey fix, forum post

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

2026-03-21 05:53:35 -07:00

16 KiB

Raw Blame History

Session Log: 2026-03-21

Session Summary

Continued work on fixing the terrible speaker sound quality on the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16IAX10H (CachyOS workstation). Previous session (2026-03-20) diagnosed the root cause and applied initial fixes (forced SOF driver, EasyEffects EQ). This session discovered that the SOF driver alone was insufficient because the Awinic AW88399 smart amplifiers were not integrated into the audio pipeline, and built a custom kernel with the community patch to fix it.

Key Decisions

Used the community patch from nadimkobeissi/16iax10h-linux-sound-saga GitHub repo rather than attempting to write our own driver
Built a full CachyOS kernel package (not DKMS) because the patch modifies existing kernel source files (ACPI scan, serial-multi-instantiate, alc269.c, aw88399.c ASoC driver)
Installed UCM2 config modifications for proper speaker routing
Used BUILDDIR on main disk after tmpfs (16GB) ran out of space during kernel extraction

Problems Encountered

tmpfs too small - Initial makepkg in /tmp failed with "No space left on device" because the kernel source + build artifacts exceed 16GB. Fixed by moving build to /home/guru/kernel-build/ with BUILDDIR override.
Missing build deps - bc, cpio, rust, rust-bindgen, rust-src needed installation.

Hardware Details

Laptop: Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16IAX10H (DMI product: 83F5)
Audio Controller: Intel 800 Series ACE (PCI 80:1f.3), PCI SSID 17aa:3d6c
Codec: Realtek ALC287, codec SSID 17aa:3906
Smart Amplifier: Awinic AW88399 on I2C (ACPI: AWDZ8399:00, path: \_SB_.PC02.I2C2.SPKR)
Kernel: 6.19.9-1-cachyos with SOF driver (sof-audio-pci-intel-mtl)
SOF Firmware: intel/sof-ipc4/arl-s/sof-arl-s.ri v2.14.1.1
SOF Topology: intel/sof-ipc4-tplg/sof-hda-generic.tplg

Root Cause Analysis

The sound was terrible because:

SOF driver loaded but using generic HDA topology - no smart amp integration
AW88399 kernel module loaded with 0 references - snd_soc_aw88399 was loaded but nothing used it because there was no HDA side-codec bridge driver
Wrong codec fixup - Kernel picked fixup for PCI SSID 17aa:0000 (generic/none) instead of 17aa:3906 because the PCI subsystem ID is actually 17aa:3d6c which had no quirk entry
No HDA side-codec bridge - The stock kernel has CONFIG_SND_SOC_AW88399=m (ASoC driver) but NOT CONFIG_SND_HDA_SCODEC_AW88399 (the HDA bridge driver that connects ALC287 to the I2C amps) - this driver doesn't exist in mainline Linux as of kernel 6.19

Fix Applied

Source: Community Patch

Repository: https://github.com/nadimkobeissi/16iax10h-linux-sound-saga
Patch: 16iax10h-audio-linux-6.19.8.patch (979 lines, 10 files)
Related issues: CachyOS #687, #707; Kernel Bugzilla #218329
Status: NOT upstreamed to mainline kernel; $2,000 bounty exists for upstream submission

What the Patch Does

Creates new HDA side-codec bridge driver (snd-hda-scodec-aw88399, snd-hda-scodec-aw88399-i2c) - connects ALC287 HDA codec to AW88399 amps via I2C
Adds ACPI ignore entry for AWDZ8399 in drivers/acpi/scan.c so serial-multi-instantiate handles it
Adds serial-multi-instantiate node for aw88399-hda with 2 instances
Adds HDA fixup entries in alc269.c: ALC287_FIXUP_LENOVO_LEGION_AW88399 for SSIDs 17aa:3906, 17aa:3907, 17aa:3938
Exports functions from ASoC aw88399.c: aw88399_start(), aw88399_stop(), aw88399_init(), aw88399_request_firmware_file()
Removes ACPI match from ASoC driver to prevent binding conflict with HDA side-codec
DMI-based L/R channel swap for products 83F5, 83RU, 83F4 (hardware wiring issue)

Files Created/Modified on System

Firmware

Created: /lib/firmware/aw88399_acf.bin (amplifier calibration firmware from Windows driver)

UCM2 Configs

Backed up: /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-analog.conf.bak
Backed up: /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-mic.conf.bak
Modified: /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-analog.conf (from community repo)
Modified: /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-mic.conf (from community repo)

Kernel Build

Build directory: /home/guru/kernel-build/
PKGBUILD: Modified CachyOS PKGBUILD with aw88399-hda-scodec.patch added to source array and CONFIG_SND_HDA_SCODEC_AW88399=m, CONFIG_SND_HDA_SCODEC_AW88399_I2C=m enabled
Built packages:
- /home/guru/kernel-build/linux-cachyos-6.19.9-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst (147MB)
- /home/guru/kernel-build/linux-cachyos-headers-6.19.9-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst (37MB)

Kernel Installed

Packages installed via sudo pacman -U
Initramfs regenerated automatically
Limine bootloader config updated automatically

Previous Session Fixes Still Active

/etc/modprobe.d/sof-force.conf - forces SOF driver (dsp_driver=3)
~/.local/share/easyeffects/output/Legion-Speakers-v2.json - EasyEffects EQ preset
EasyEffects sink set as default audio output

Configuration Changes

Packages Installed This Session

bc (kernel build dep)
cpio (kernel build dep)
rust (kernel build dep - LTO kernel)
rust-bindgen (kernel build dep)
rust-src (kernel build dep)

Kernel Config Added

CONFIG_SND_HDA_SCODEC_AW88399=m
CONFIG_SND_HDA_SCODEC_AW88399_I2C=m

Update: 05:30 — Post-Reboot Tuning & Volume Hotkey Fix

Session Summary

Booted into the patched kernel from the previous session. AW88399 amps bound successfully. Addressed two issues: (1) volume hotkeys not working, (2) sound quality issues (over-driven, then lacking clarity). Also wrote a comprehensive forum post documenting the full fix.

Post-Reboot Verification Results

All successful:

AW88399 HDA side-codec: Both amps registered and bound (channels 0 and 1)
Modules loaded: snd_hda_scodec_aw88399, snd_hda_scodec_aw88399_i2c, snd_soc_aw88399 all with references > 0
Correct fixup: ALC287: picked fixup for codec SSID 17aa:3906
Autoconfig: line_outs=2 (0x14/0x17) type:speaker — both speaker pins active
I2C amps respond at addresses 0x34 and 0x35 (chip ID 0x8321 = AW88399)
Firmware: aw88399_acf.bin loads silently (no dmesg output on success)

Key Decisions Made This Session

Removed EasyEffects from audio pipeline — It was creating a virtual PipeWire sink which broke volume hotkeys AND was applying heavy DSP (bass enhancer, exciter, 15-band EQ, loudness, multiband compressor, limiter) that over-drove the sound now that the amps are working properly.
Removed UCM2 Post Mixer Analog override — The community UCM2 config had a Legion-specific block that routed PipeWire volume control through the SOF DSP's Post Mixer Analog Playback Volume (numid=40). This control has coarse 2dB steps and a -90dB to 0dB range. At typical 50% PipeWire volume, this applied -18dB of digital attenuation in the DSP, destroying dynamic range and clarity. Removing it lets PipeWire use the HDA codec's Speaker Playback Volume which has fine 0.75dB steps.
Set all SOF DSP volumes to 0dB — Pre Mixer, Post Mixer, and Deepbuffer all maxed so no intermediate digital attenuation.

Problems Encountered & Solutions

Problem 1: Volume Hotkeys Not Working

Symptom: Fn+Volume Up/Down keys did nothing. Tray slider worked fine.

Diagnosis journey:

Verified keys generate KEY_VOLUMEUP/KEY_VOLUMEDOWN via evtest on the ITE Device(8258) keyboard (event4)
KDE's kmix shortcuts were correctly registered (increase_volume=Volume Up, etc.)
invokeShortcut "mute" worked via DBus, but invokeShortcut "increase_volume" did nothing
Discovered the issue is NOT the keyboard — it's plasma-pa's audioshortcutsservice KDED module

Root cause: plasma-pa's PreferredDevice::sink() doesn't handle virtual/combined sinks. When EasyEffects virtual sink is the default, increase_volume and decrease_volume handlers silently fail. Mute works because it uses a different code path. Related: KDE Bug 456310.

Fix: Set hardware speaker sink as default instead of EasyEffects virtual sink:

pactl set-default-sink alsa_output.pci-0000_80_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Speaker__sink
pkill easyeffects

Note: This affects ALL virtual sinks, including PipeWire filter-chain sinks. Any media.class = Audio/Sink filter will have the same hotkey problem on KDE Plasma 6 Wayland.

Problem 2: Over-Driven Sound

Symptom: Sound was a bit distorted/over-driven after removing EasyEffects.

Cause: ALSA Master and Speaker volumes were at 100% (0dB) while PipeWire was also at 100%. Combined with the AW88399 amp gain, the signal was clipping.

Fix: Let PipeWire control volume through the Speaker DAC, keep ALSA levels at 0dB reference.

Problem 3: Lacking Clarity / "Paper Over Speakers" Sound

Symptom: After fixing over-drive, sound lacked center/clarity/spatial definition.

Root cause: The community UCM2 config's Legion override was routing PipeWire volume through Post Mixer Analog Playback Volume (SOF DSP). At 50% PipeWire volume → Post Mixer at 36/45 → -18dB digital attenuation with coarse 2dB steps. This was killing dynamic range before the signal even reached the DAC/amps.

Fix: Removed the Legion override block (lines 130-147) from /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-analog.conf:

If.legion {
    Condition { Type String; Haystack ...; Needle "83F5" }
    True.If.postmixer {
        ...Post Mixer Analog override...
    }
}

Set SOF DSP volumes to max:

amixer -c 1 cset numid=39 45,45  # Pre Mixer
amixer -c 1 cset numid=40 45,45  # Post Mixer
amixer -c 1 cset numid=51 45,45  # Deepbuffer
systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber

Problem 4: Speaker Balance — Tweeters vs Woofers

Discovery: The laptop has two speaker pairs:

Pin 0x14 ("Speaker") → Tweeters near screen hinge, driven directly by ALC287 DAC 0x02
Pin 0x17 ("Bass Speaker") → Woofers near palmrest, driven through AW88399 smart amps via DAC 0x06

Initially only tweeters played (terrible thin sound). After the kernel patch, the woofers now play through the amps. The tweeters are quieter than the woofers because the amps add significant gain. Both play simultaneously — the woofers just dominate.

Current state: Balanced and sounds good per user feedback. Both speaker pairs confirmed working (tested by muting Bass Speaker to isolate tweeters).

Configuration Changes This Session

Files Modified

/usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-analog.conf — Removed Legion Post Mixer Analog override (lines 130-147)
~/.config/autostart/com.github.wwmm.easyeffects.desktop — Added Hidden=true to disable autostart
/etc/udev/hwdb.d/90-ite-keyboard-fix.hwdb — Created (hwdb rule for ITE keyboard, may not be needed now)

Packages Installed

evtest — For diagnosing keyboard input events
wtype — For Wayland key simulation testing (not ultimately needed)

Services Changed

EasyEffects: Stopped and autostart disabled
PipeWire/WirePlumber: Restarted multiple times during tuning

Final Working Audio Configuration

Kernel: 6.19.9-1-cachyos (patched with AW88399 HDA side-codec)
Default sink: alsa_output.pci-0000_80_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Speaker__sink
Volume control: PipeWire → Speaker Playback Volume (DAC 0x02, 0.75dB steps)
ALSA Master: 100% (0dB)
ALSA Speaker: Controlled by PipeWire
ALSA Bass Speaker: On (switch only, no volume)
SOF Pre Mixer: 45/45 (0dB)
SOF Post Mixer: 45/45 (0dB)
SOF Deepbuffer: 45/45 (0dB)
EasyEffects: Not running, autostart disabled
UCM2: Community config minus Post Mixer override
Hotkeys: Working (increase/decrease/mute all functional)
Both speaker pairs: Active (tweeters + woofers)

Forum Post

Wrote comprehensive forum post documenting the full fix. Files saved at:

/tmp/forum-post-legion-audio.json — Post content (title, tags, markdown body)
/tmp/post-to-forum.php — PHP script for database insertion on IX server

Not yet published — IX server unreachable (Tailscale stopped). To publish:

sudo tailscale up
sshpass -p 'Gptf*77ttb!@#!@#' scp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o PubkeyAuthentication=no /tmp/forum-post-legion-audio.json /tmp/post-to-forum.php root@172.16.3.10:/tmp/
sshpass -p 'Gptf*77ttb!@#!@#' ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o PubkeyAuthentication=no root@172.16.3.10 'php /tmp/post-to-forum.php'

Forum tags: Gadgets & Hardware (6), How-Tos & Tips (7)

Pending/Incomplete Tasks

Forum Post Publication

Forum post written but not published — needs Tailscale/VPN connection to IX server.

ITE Keyboard hwdb Rule

Created /etc/udev/hwdb.d/90-ite-keyboard-fix.hwdb — this was part of an early debugging attempt for the volume hotkey issue. The actual fix was removing EasyEffects (not the hwdb rule). This file can be removed if it causes issues, but it's harmless.

UCM2 Package Update Risk

The modified UCM2 config at /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-analog.conf will be overwritten by alsa-ucm-conf package updates. Options:

Re-apply the edit after each update (remove the Legion Post Mixer block)
Pin the alsa-ucm-conf package version
Use a pacman hook to auto-patch after updates

Future Kernel Updates

When CachyOS pushes a new kernel update, the AW88399 patch will be lost. Need to either:

Rebuild with the patch each time (keep PKGBUILD + patch in /home/guru/kernel-build/)
Watch for upstream inclusion (Kernel Bugzilla #218329)
Watch CachyOS issues #687 and #707 for native inclusion

Cleanup

Remove /home/guru/kernel-build/build/ (large build artifacts)
Keep /home/guru/kernel-build/PKGBUILD and aw88399-hda-scodec.patch for future rebuilds

If Reboot Breaks Audio

Boot LTS kernel from Limine menu
Or boot a btrfs snapshot (available in Limine)
Or remove the patched kernel: sudo pacman -S linux-cachyos (reinstall from repo)

Restore UCM2 backups:

sudo cp /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-analog.conf.bak /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-analog.conf
sudo cp /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-mic.conf.bak /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-mic.conf

Reference Information

Key URLs

Community fix repo: https://github.com/nadimkobeissi/16iax10h-linux-sound-saga
CachyOS Issue #687: https://github.com/CachyOS/linux-cachyos/issues/687
CachyOS Issue #707: https://github.com/CachyOS/linux-cachyos/issues/707
Kernel Bugzilla: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=218329
CachyOS Forum thread: https://discuss.cachyos.org/t/new-fix-for-lenovo-legion-pro-7i-16iax10h-with-alc3306-codec/18889/1
plasma-pa virtual sink bug: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=456310

Key File Paths

Kernel build dir: /home/guru/kernel-build/
SOF force config: /etc/modprobe.d/sof-force.conf
AW88399 firmware: /lib/firmware/aw88399_acf.bin
UCM2 configs: /usr/share/alsa/ucm2/HDA/HiFi-analog.conf, HiFi-mic.conf
UCM2 backups: same path with .bak extension
EasyEffects preset: ~/.local/share/easyeffects/output/Legion-Speakers-v2.json (no longer used)
EasyEffects autostart: ~/.config/autostart/com.github.wwmm.easyeffects.desktop
ITE keyboard hwdb: /etc/udev/hwdb.d/90-ite-keyboard-fix.hwdb
Forum post files: /tmp/forum-post-legion-audio.json, /tmp/post-to-forum.php

PCI/Device IDs

PCI device: 80:1f.3 (Intel 800 Series ACE)
PCI vendor/device: 8086:7f50
PCI subsystem: 17aa:3d6c
Codec SSID: 17aa:3906
ACPI amp device: AWDZ8399:00
I2C amp addresses: 0x34 (right speaker), 0x35 (left speaker)
I2C amp chip ID: 0x8321 (AW88399)
DMI product: 83F5
ITE keyboard: USB VID 048d, PID c197

Speaker Layout

Pin 0x14 ("Speaker"): Tweeters near screen hinge, DAC 0x02, direct ALC287 output, Speaker Playback Volume/Switch
Pin 0x17 ("Bass Speaker"): Woofers near palmrest, DAC 0x06, through AW88399 I2C amps, Bass Speaker Playback Switch (no volume control)

Key Technical Findings

PreferredDevice::sink() in plasma-pa's audioshortcutsservice skips virtual sinks — volume up/down shortcuts silently fail while mute works fine
SOF DSP Post Mixer Analog Playback Volume has coarse 2dB steps (0-45 range, -90dB to 0dB) — unsuitable as primary volume control
HDA codec Speaker Playback Volume has fine 0.75dB steps (0-87 range, -65.25dB to 0dB) — proper volume control
AW88399 amps go active/suspended via runtime PM — both show stream=1, channel=0 during playback
Both DACs (0x02 and 0x06) receive audio simultaneously from the same PCM stream

16 KiB Raw Blame History

Session Log: 2026-03-21

Session Summary

Key Decisions

Problems Encountered

Hardware Details

Root Cause Analysis

Fix Applied

Source: Community Patch

What the Patch Does

Files Created/Modified on System

Firmware

UCM2 Configs

Kernel Build

Kernel Installed

Previous Session Fixes Still Active

Configuration Changes

Packages Installed This Session

Kernel Config Added

Update: 05:30 — Post-Reboot Tuning & Volume Hotkey Fix

Session Summary

Post-Reboot Verification Results

Key Decisions Made This Session

Problems Encountered & Solutions

Problem 1: Volume Hotkeys Not Working

Problem 2: Over-Driven Sound

Problem 3: Lacking Clarity / "Paper Over Speakers" Sound

Problem 4: Speaker Balance — Tweeters vs Woofers

Configuration Changes This Session

Files Modified

Packages Installed

Services Changed

Final Working Audio Configuration

Forum Post

Pending/Incomplete Tasks

Forum Post Publication

ITE Keyboard hwdb Rule

UCM2 Package Update Risk

Future Kernel Updates

Cleanup

If Reboot Breaks Audio

Reference Information

Key URLs

Key File Paths

PCI/Device IDs

Speaker Layout

Key Technical Findings

16 KiB

Raw Blame History