Ubuntu Version:
Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS on a MacBook laptop with Intel m5 processor
Desktop Environment (if applicable):
GNOME 46 Wayland Linux kernel 6.11.0-26-generic
The built-in speakers are recognized as HDA Intel PCH Cirrus Logic CS4208
Problem Description:
Relevant System Information:
Screenshots or Error Messages:
Volume is all the way up on both the upper corner menu that you’d get if you press on the upper left corner row of icons and on the dedicated keyboard keys for volume up, still no sound.
System is up to date, speakers are working fine when I boot into macOS (this is dual boot Ubuntu and macOS). Nothing is muted when I open the Sound app from the Settings.
How to get the sound from the built-in speakers working on Ubuntu? They are the only one available from the drop down menu.
What I’ve Tried:
On MacBooks the Cirrus Logic CS4208 codec usually boots with its Speaker channel muted while the GUI slider you see only controls the main PCM volume. Un-muting that hidden channel fixes the silence in seconds.
Do it once
Open a terminal
alsamixer -c0
(If it shows PulseAudio press F6, pick HDA Intel PCH.)
Press F3 to view Playback sliders.
Arrow-right until you reach Speaker (and Auto-Mute, if present).
If the little box under Speaker is MM, hit m to un-mute, then ↑ to raise the level to 80-100 %.
Move to Auto-Mute and press m until it shows Disabled.
Press Esc to quit. Save the setting so it survives reboots:
sudo alsactl store
Test:
speaker-test -t wav -c 2
You should hear the pink-noise voice out of the built-in speakers.
If you still get silence
Install the simple mixer GUI and double-check profiles:
sudo apt install pavucontrol
pavucontrol # Output tab → choose “Speakers – Built-in Audio
Make sure you’re on the “Analog Stereo Output” profile (Settings ▸ Sound ▸ Output ▸ Profile).
Reboot once to verify the change stuck.
That usually brings CS4208 speakers to life on Ubuntu 24.04 / GNOME 46. Good listening!
Thank you for the detailed guide. While at Alsamixer v1.2.9, what is available at the bottom of that screen is: PCM | Line Out | Mic Boos | S/PDIF | S/PDIF1 | S/PDIF2 | Automute | Internal
There are four bars, each having green, white and red sections. Bar 1 and 3 also have boxes underneath that have 00 highlighted in green. The has “100” above it while PCM has “100<>100” above it and same goes for Line Out and Mic Boos. Auto-mute was already disabled. There is a box with MM (not highlighted) over S/PDIF and boxes with double zeros highlighted in green for S/PDIF 1 and 2. The only other bar is above Internal, has 100<>100 above it. There’s no Speakers. The box with MM can’t be reached. I did the speakers test, still no sound. Also installed pavucontrol and picked the profile you suggested. Still no sound.
