NXE reportedly causes sound issues for HDMI users

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 21st 2008 at 1:30PM }

There's quite a thread going at the AVForums in which several 360 owners are saying that the New Xbox Experience has caused their Xbox 360 consoles to lose all sound. The problem seems to be isolated to those who use HDMI to connect the console to their television sets, although one user has complained of the same problem using a SCART connection. For the moment, a quick fix has been discovered that seems to work for many people. If you are experiencing this glitch try the following:

While the Xbox 360 is turned off, remove the hard drive.
Turn on the Xbox 360.
Once the Dashboard loads, replace the hard drive.

Reportedly, this fix only lasts while the Xbox is on. Once you turn it off, you'll have to repeat the steps above to make the sound work again. We've contacted Microsoft and the company is aware of the issue. We'll update this post when we receive more information.

[Thanks, Daniel H]

Tags: hdmi, new-xbox-experience, nxe

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

bnun @ Nov 21st 2008 1:39PM

My NXE works fine over HDMI, no problems here.

KingOfGods @ Nov 21st 2008 3:06PM

Same here

itsburnsie @ Nov 21st 2008 3:12PM

Yup, I use HDMI and have had no issues... thankfully

timo @ Nov 21st 2008 3:34PM

yeah i got an elite and everything's super.

Cal @ Nov 21st 2008 3:47PM

Works fine for me too

Hotaru Tomoe @ Nov 21st 2008 4:04PM

No issues for me either, other than for some reason there was a static hiss during the install (which has not returned)

Brian @ Nov 21st 2008 5:31PM

No problems for me.

Honestly, if I experienced this error, I would simply leave my console unplugged for a day.

Faiz @ Nov 21st 2008 6:44PM

Works perfectly fine for me as well.

I thought maybe it was cuz I'm using my monitor's HDMI to connect.

BL4CK @ Nov 21st 2008 8:33PM

No problems here either.

greeto4 @ Nov 22nd 2008 8:45AM

I dont use the HDMI on my 360 but I did notice one audio problem. Games work fine but when I order a movie or tv show the audio does not come across the tv. If I use the optical audio for surround sound it works fine. If I turn off the tv after the program started the sound comes back.

DeathWalker @ Nov 30th 2008 11:25PM

My sound is out after the update. But it works with the component cables. The harddrive fix works but you have to put in each time you start the unit. If you pull the harddrive and update a 256 memory card it works.... but when you put the hard drive back in no sound...the only thing i havent tried is formatting the hard drive but i dont want to loose all my saved games

xenocidic @ Nov 21st 2008 1:39PM

connecting the hard drive when the console is on? that doesn't sound safe...

ANTCEP @ Nov 21st 2008 1:50PM

it's sata, it should be fine

Brian @ Nov 21st 2008 1:59PM

it is safe.

exkon @ Nov 21st 2008 1:47PM

Same here, HDMI connection, no issues here.

BootStrap Boon @ Nov 21st 2008 1:50PM

Just got my xbox back from the repair shop a couple hours ago, installed the NXE, and now it has to go back with another 3rr.

Ysleiro @ Nov 21st 2008 2:43PM

Bullshit.

Brian @ Nov 21st 2008 1:59PM

No issue for me

Josh @ Nov 21st 2008 2:00PM

I'm using HDMI and no problems here

Mazrael @ Nov 21st 2008 2:02PM

there always has to be a RROD.. best I managed is gradual GPU failiure on a Zephyr Elite, and disc read failiure on a Xenon premium.. I do 6 hours most nights, up to 10, 12 if I have a day off, & in two years & 50 odd different games.. where's mine??

Anyhow.. on topic.. my 360 has had no trouble with sound..surely something like that would come up in testing..
I noticed the 'clicks' on menu's differ in volumes.. I believe that's deliberate, I think it sounds good like that, it's never affected music playing..

josh @ Nov 21st 2008 3:53PM

bootstrap. that sucks man. the tech guy didn't do shit to your console.. theres always lazzy ass ppl.. don't worried, I'll play for you. lol

Jason @ Dec 18th 2008 2:16AM

I am having sound issues with my hdmi. I JUST BOUGHT an arcade system today because my pro system got the RROD. Put my hard drive in the arcade system...BRAND NEW HDMI cable. I have no sound. I've been lucky a few times when it wants to work it works but not very often. Maybe it has something to do with the 20 gig drives?

Contra666 @ Nov 21st 2008 2:05PM

No problem here with 2 consoles:

1 on HDMI
1 on Scart

LuckyHaskins @ Nov 21st 2008 2:03PM

The only trouble I'm having with the sound on my Xbox since the update is that damn "Kingdom for Keflings" music looping over and over. My wife played for two hours last night and it about drove me bonkers! Good game though.

sgt_quackers @ Nov 21st 2008 2:05PM

I'm using an Xbox 360 Elite "Falcon" chipset over HDMI and my sound works perfectly fine.

gregoryscottsharp @ Nov 21st 2008 2:16PM

HDMI directly to my Samsung 46 LCD no problem. Signal forwards through my audio optical out, to my reciever 5.1 surround sound.

No Problems here.

The True Gamer @ Nov 21st 2008 3:06PM

I'm using the same setup on my 42 Sammy plasma, no issues here either.

aingold @ Nov 21st 2008 3:49PM

Same thing on my 52" Samsung. No problems at all.

wdlv @ Nov 21st 2008 2:18PM

Everything works fine over HDMI. Elite from late 2007.

mattclarkie @ Nov 21st 2008 2:19PM

No problem with HDMI on my Sony even via a switch.

There is also another HDMI issue alot of people with Samsungs are getting "Mode not Supported" and this is because the colour settings have defaulted to other than RGB and the TVs can't handle it.

DBoyFlex @ Nov 21st 2008 2:19PM

I had a problem pre-NXE where the sound channels would reverse (with HDMI), left out of right and vice versa. Restarting the xbox would fix it, and using the optical works too but then I have to use component video. I have not tried just HDMI yet as I doubt it fixed anything, and apparently made it worse.

Gemini Ace @ Nov 21st 2008 2:20PM

How about the issue with it freezing when you're exiting your friends list?

ottoman673 @ Nov 21st 2008 2:33PM

Thank you!

I thought it was just a day-one issue but it seems to constantly be happening now. Quite annoying, really.

kentawilson @ Nov 21st 2008 3:05PM

I know right? The whole system locked up when I tried to back out of a friend who was in a party chat. Turned the system off and the screen was still showing the NXE. I had to unplug it to reboot. I thought for sure the RROD was soon to follow. I love all the input MS is doing for the console but let's face it. It's a gamble every time you turn it on.

Mokano40 @ Nov 21st 2008 2:21PM

I'm using it with HDMI and it's fine.

Rodney Stockton @ Nov 21st 2008 5:59PM

No issue for me...

Tony @ Nov 21st 2008 2:39PM

Im using hdmi, and i get sound cutout, but only when i go from a video, back to the dashboard.

Mine seems to fix when i change the volume on my tv.

It only started happening Wednesday.

OmegaX06 @ Nov 21st 2008 2:35PM

Also seems to be giving people the RRoD right after applying the update.

http://forums.xbox.com/24126648/ShowPost.aspx

Andrew @ Nov 21st 2008 2:41PM

I don't think that has to do with the NXE per se. I think it's just a matter of a ticking time bomb getting set off by the extra stress on the system from the update.

eere @ Nov 22nd 2008 1:12AM

Its FUD spread by PS3 fanboys. The only possible way a software update could RRoD is maybe, I say maybe cause I donno, if they had a modified xbox, as in voided the warrenty opened up the case took out resisters and things... The NXE was giving to 10s of thousands before launch and no outbreak happened at that time.

Mr. Williams @ Nov 21st 2008 3:18PM

I had my sound go out using the hdmi. I thought my speakers took a dump at first but i went back with the standard hi def cables and sound came back.

angst911 @ Nov 21st 2008 2:56PM

My only issue has been there all along, when I play back video and the encoding changes my receiver goes bonckers and squeels, I bring up the menu on my receiver, then exit and the problem goes away, just annoying, but I think it's the receiver and not the xbox. Oh, yeah, and using HDMI.

Jason @ Nov 21st 2008 3:15PM

I am using HDMI, and everything works fine except playing videos over Netflix. I get a black screen, but the 360 seems to still be running. I am using an early 2008 Elite over HDMI to a LG plasma.

kBaku @ Nov 21st 2008 3:37PM

I'd got some problems with sound after installing NXE, I'm using HDMI it's really strange because when I change the HDMI socket everything was okay :/ , I resolved the problem unplugin the power adaptor of my TV and Xbox:/

vidGuy @ Nov 21st 2008 3:48PM

I had the same problem, but after unplugging and replugging the HDMI cable, all is well.

UGotRedOnYou @ Nov 21st 2008 4:05PM

I have been experiencing this problem before NXE even came out and it still happens. all i do tho is unplug then replug the HDMI cable from the back of the console. it'll cut the screen out too and takes a few seconds to register, but it works for me.