Apparently, numerous Surface 2 owners are facing a sound crackling and volume reduction issue on their device. While Microsoft has yet to acknowledge this issue, it appears to be a software/driver problem that may end up being fixed in an upcoming firmware update.

“I just purchased two new Surface 2’s and I am noticing a significant reduction in volume from the speakers compared to my old Surface RT. The speakers also lack any kind of bass. They are very ‘tiny’ and shallow sounding. When using headphones, there is plenty of bass sound and the volume level is not an issue,” one user stated on Microsoft’s official support forum.

In comparison to the original Surface RT, the volume on the Surface 2 is much quieter and some have even reported sound crackling. The Surface RT also faced a similar speaker/sound volume issue and was ultimately fixed after several months.

Some suggestions were tossed around in the support forum and one of the suggestions was to return the device and get a new one. This idea was proven wrong as complaints continued to come in regarding the volume issue, even on the newly-replaced Surface 2 devices.

“As an example I am currently playing some music through the Music app as I type this. I have the Surface 2 at 80 volume and the music app also at 80. The music is barely audible,” another user stated.

While Microsoft has yet to acknowledge this issue or release a fix, a Microsoft support member offered a few suggestions on how to overcome this issue.

“Regarding the audio distortion, Surface 2 was designed to deliver a great quality audio experience. For best results, use the Surface 2 speakers at a volume of 80 or less — playing at higher volumes can result in distortion depending upon the audio content type. If you want louder sound, we recommend using external speakers or headphones. Leaving audio enhancements “on” (default) optimizes your audio experience across all content types,” a Microsoft support member stated.

Unfortunately for most, these suggestions do not work. We’ve reached out to Microsoft for a response and will update you accordingly. Are you facing a similar volume issue on your new Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2?

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