Speaker does not work properly unless I disable microphone

[Kay56]

I have a brand new laptop ASUS Vivobook S15 running Windows 11. The speakers are Realtek (R) and drivers are up to date. Both on Zoom app and using Zoom through a browser (Chrome), the sound quality from the laptop speakers is terrible - very low volume, scratchy sound, breaks up. 

For all other purposes (i.e. YouTube, games, websites), the speakers are perfect. At 100% volume they are very loud when tested through the computer settings. It is ONLY Zoom that has this problem. 

I searched these forums and through changing settings as discussed I discovered that if I disallow Zoom (and other desktop apps) access to the microphone, the speakers work fine. If I toggle the settings back to allow Zoom access to the microphone, the speakers work clear UNTIL I test the microphone. After that, they revert to the deeply unsatisfactory output already described. 

Sadly I need both the microphone and the speakers at the same time to work for Zoom. 

Please help!

Kay

[Kay56]

In case anyone else has this problem I'll post the fix that worked for me. It was a setting within the "myASUS" app. I turned off "AI noise-canceling speaker". Things appear now to be working as expected. 

Also I apologize to Zoom as I discovered this problem was also happening with Webex. 

[AndrewWork]

Thanks Kay - Had exactly this problem (hardware and software) and  I followed your suggestion. Just tried a Zoom meeting and it seems to have worked. Appreciate your following up with your own solution to your own problem.