Linux Speaker Support Now Available for ASUS Zenbook 14 UM3406GA

Cirrus Logic has upstreamed the necessary firmware for the cs35l41 audio amplifier, enabling proper speaker functionality on the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406GA) with AMD Ryzen AI 400 series processors.

For those considering the new ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406GA) laptop that has been refreshed for the new AMD Ryzen AI 400 series, Cirrus Logic has now upstreamed the necessary firmware for the cs35l41 audio amplifier for working speaker support. This commit to the linux-firmware.git repository on Friday adds in the latest Cirrus Logic firmware for enabling speaker support on the new ASUS Zenbook UM3406GA (10431584) laptop.

Needing to load firmware at run-time is increasingly common among audio components for laptops and other devices. Unfortunately, this has presented yet another obstacle for Linux on different devices. Thankfully Cirrus Logic has been fairly punctual in recent years around ensuring the Linux support.

So just a quick call out for anyone that may have recently bought an ASUS Zenbook UM3406GA model -- or considering this particular laptop -- that there is now the Cirrus Logic firmware upstreamed to linux-firmware. I haven't tested this laptop so I don't know about any other Linux limitations but given that the AMD Ryzen AI 300/400 series overall is working out well on Linux, hopefully everything else is in good shape.

This development is particularly noteworthy for Linux users who have been waiting for full hardware compatibility with the latest ASUS Zenbook models. The cs35l41 audio amplifier is a critical component for speaker functionality, and without the proper firmware, users would have been limited to headphone output only.

The upstreaming of this firmware to the mainline linux-firmware repository means that future Linux distributions will include this support out of the box, eliminating the need for manual firmware installation or workarounds. This follows a pattern we've seen with other hardware manufacturers who have recognized the importance of Linux support in the enthusiast and professional markets.

For those unfamiliar with the UM3406GA model, it represents ASUS's latest iteration of their popular Zenbook 14 series, featuring the new AMD Ryzen AI 400 series processors with integrated neural processing units for AI workloads. The OLED display option provides excellent color accuracy and contrast ratios, making it suitable for both productivity and content creation tasks.

While this firmware update addresses the speaker support issue, potential buyers should still verify other hardware components' compatibility with Linux before making a purchase decision. The AMD Ryzen AI 400 series has shown promising results in Linux environments, particularly with the latest kernel versions and Mesa drivers, but individual laptop configurations can vary.