Just a quick one on hardware. I got a super-cool EliteBook 8570p i7/SSD at work… I normally take it home in the evening, so I really prefer to keep the headphones @work attached to the dock. I was so disappointed to realize that the sound was totally unacceptable.
Tried reinstalling different drivers – no luck.
The ultimate solution was to go to SRS Audio Settings, and uncheck “Audio Enhancement” on “listening experience” tab.