Sound volume increases and increases randomly, when watching Youtube and playing games

Hi all,

I would like to preface my issue by saying that I in no way think FXSound is necessarily responsible for my issue, I am asking here primarily because there are VERY knowledgeable members here who may be able to shed some light on my issue.

So, on to my specs:

Windows 11 25H2

USB Multi-Channel Audio Device (CMedia CM6206 Chipset)

Logitech Z506 5.1 Speaker System

FXSound Version 1.2.9.0

I actually have one issue and one question, so I will do both here, if that is acceptable.

First, my issue: While watching Youtube videos or playing PC games, the sound volume will fluctuate between loud and soft, eventually seeming to settle on the softer volume and staying there, even after a reboot. It is almost like some or other “boost” is kicking in and then stopping or something. Other times, the sound will as it should be, which is “normal” for want of a better word. I have checked ALL possible settings I can think of and find and no “volume normalization” setting seems to be anywhere that I can find that would cause this. Could anyone please shed some light on what settings or fixes I could check/apply, please?

Secondly, the reason I am using the USB Audio device is that it offers “proper” speaker fill (using a technology called Xear 3D) when watching Youtube, so that I get sound from all 6 speakers which is great. I would obviously prefer to use my motherboard’s onboard sound (Realtek® ALC892/ ALC897 Codec) As I just prefer a neater setup, however, in all forums I have looked at, it seems Realtek removed their version of “speaker fill” from their drivers, hence my using the USB Audio Device. Is there perhaps a function like “speaker fill” the FXSound offers that I am unaware of?

Thankinbg you all for your time and consideration.