Headphone audio much quieter on left channel

or have I just been unlucky and received a laptop with a faulty audio jack?

The hardware test is to install the Windows native audio driver. If the left channel is still lower when using that driver, then the odds are that the fault is in the hardware.

1. Open the Device Manager.
2. Expand the "Sound, Video & Game Controllers" section.
3. Right click on "Realtek High Definition Audio" and select to uninstall.
4. Put a check mark in the option to delete the driver software, and then ok.
5. Restart the laptop and go back to the Device Manager and check again for a Realtek driver. Keep uninstalling & restarting until Realtek no longer appears under Sound...Controllers and "High Definition Audio Device" appears in its place.

[The reason you might have to go through the process more than once is because the driver files for more than one Realtek driver could be on the hard drive. When a Realtek driver is removed, the next one gets installed if Windows can locate the files. Windows installs its generic driver only after all Realtek files have been removed.]

It is best to do this while offline, to prevent Windows Update from interfering. When you finish testing and get back online,  Windows might update to the wrong Realtek driver, so be prepared to have to download the correct Realtek driver.

Sorry please ignore previous reply, I have uninstalled the Realtek drivers until the generic windows ones were used - and still getting the same issue with difference in channel volumes.

I'm trying to do that but I think I might have managed to uninstall the generic windows driver for 'High Definition Audio' when I was trying to uninstall the Realtek previously :/ One thing I also just noticed, if I press down just above the jack - the volume of the left channel dips even more.

Sorry to hear that.

Tech support.

Thanks Jim, I have flagged this issue to technical support and also drawn their attention to the various posts on this forum which mention the same problem with the left channel when using headphones as they say it is not a known issue. Several other users on other forums and Reddit have stated the only solution was for them to get a motherboard replacement.

I can make here one report more. Brand new Dell Precision 5520 (probably the exactly same MB as with the XPS 15 9560). Left channel on headphones much quieter.

PS. keiller84, your subject line states that the right channel is in fault, but your text that it's the left channel. Is the left channel the correct one?

Good spot! Have edited the post title as it is the left channel that is quiet.

DELL tech support on Twitter initially said this wasn't a known problem and said they would send a box for me to send the laptop back for analysis. I have premium support, need the laptop every day now and highlighted to them several accounts of people saying an engineer had come out to them and replaced the motherboard entirely.

As far as I can tell from the hours of research I've put in, this is the only proper fix.

Today my Precision 5520 got an on-site motherboard replacement. Now the audio works perfectly. It's still a bit unclear whether the problem is the Realtek chip or the headphone jack connection, which is on the motherboard. They replaced both. I got my maintenance just by opening a support request ticket with the SupportAssist app.