The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9 has a rotating soundbar built into its hinge, and audio problems on it are often about the way that bar is set up and which output Windows is using, not about a failed speaker. The Yoga 9i's speaker bar sits in the hinge and faces the user in laptop mode and changes direction in tent and tablet modes, with Dolby Atmos processing.
The checks in more detail
Start with the basics: check the volume, the mute key and the output chosen in the taskbar, and make sure the laptop speakers, not an external display or a Bluetooth device, are the default in Settings, System, Sound. Run the audio troubleshooter. If sound works in headphones but not the speakers, or the other way round, the issue is the output selection or a driver. Open Device Manager and under Sound, video and game controllers reinstall the audio device, and update the driver from Lenovo's support page.
The Dolby Access app controls Atmos and the sound profile, and a stuck effect can distort or mute audio, so open it and set the profile to Dynamic or switch Atmos off for a test. In the speaker properties, turn off enhancements and try a different format. If the sound is thin or comes from one side, check that Dolby settings are not set for headphones, and that the laptop is not in a mode that moves the sound field.
A cover or a case that blocks the hinge reduces the sound, so remove it. If the sound is quiet only in tent mode, the speakers face away and that is normal. Update the BIOS. Restart the audio services if sound disappears after sleep. If a crackle follows loads, try changing the power mode. A hinge speaker that is silent in every setting and mode needs Lenovo service, and a repair of the hinge assembly is a warranty matter.
Differential
Likely causes of “Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9 has no sound or distorted audio”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The wrong output device
What separates it Sound goes to a monitor or headset
How to confirm Set the laptop speakers as the default
- 2
A Dolby setting
What separates it Thin, quiet or distorted sound
How to confirm Change the profile or switch Atmos off
- 3
A driver issue
What separates it A mark in Device Manager
How to confirm Reinstall and update the audio driver
- 4
A blocked hinge
What separates it Muffled sound
How to confirm Remove the case
- 5
A hardware fault
What separates it Silent in every mode
How to confirm Lenovo service
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The output device
- The Dolby profile
- The laptop mode
- Whether headphones work
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedChoose the right output
ReversibleSettings, System, Sound.
Open Dolby Access
ReversibleTry Dynamic or Atmos off.
Reinstall the audio driver
ReversibleIn Device Manager.
Turn off enhancements
ReversibleIn the speaker properties.
Remove any case
ReversibleFrom the hinge.
Contact Lenovo
ReversibleIf silent everywhere.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Hinge speaker
- It rotates with the laptop mode.
- Dolby Atmos
- A stuck profile can distort sound.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the hinge speakers are silent in every setting, contact Lenovo
- !Update drivers and the BIOS
- !Test headphones
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Where are the Yoga 9i's speakers?+
In a soundbar built into the hinge.
Why is it quiet in tent mode?+
The speakers face away from you.
What is Dolby Access?+
The app that controls Atmos and profiles.
Why does sound go to my monitor?+
It became the default output.