Same issue on 2021 MacBook Pro
 

I have a USB KVM (keyboard video mouse) switcher in front of my Display Link and I've been using this setup for a few years with multiple PCs. I just bought a new 2021 MPB with an M1 Max chip. "Dell USB Audio" shows up as an option for sound, but it only works if I reboot my Mac while it is the source on the KVM. The minute I unplug the Mac from the USB and plug it back in, or swap to another PC and back, the Dell audio stops working. It fails to work for both the front or back audio ports. I have a USB headset plugged into the Display Link that shows up as an audio device (Jabra headset). That headset works fine with audio from Mac while plugged into the DisplayLink regardless of whether the Mac has been unplugged and plugged back in or cycled on the KVM.

Not sure if the fix is Apple's to make or Dell's. Does anyone know if Dell/DisplayLink support monitors this forum?

Same issues here on a Startech dock - just updated to Monterey 12.1 last night, going to see if the issue still occurs.

@clayq - please let use know if it helped.

I just answered it myself. Upgraded to 12.1 Monterey MacOS and it doesn't change the behavior. Booting up with the Display Link attached works: sound can be directed successfully to Dell USB Audio. Disconnecting and reconnecting the Mac to the DisplayLink
will result in the sound not working through the DisplayLink.

Same problem, DisplayLink 1.6.0, Monterey 12.1 and on a 2019 Macbook Pro.

Same problem, DisplayLink 1.6.0, Monterey 12.1 and on a 2018 Macbook Pro.

Kate K from DisplayLink tech support got back to me suggesting I use Activity Monitor to quit "coreaudio". I don't have that as a process, but do have "coreaudiod". I forced that process to quit and it immediately started back up and the sound came through the DisplayLink audio jack just fine.

Interesting work-around, but not a final fix. Not sure if the fix is with MacOS or DisplayLink having to deal with the new MacOS.

I logged an issue via Apple's Feedback Assistant as well.

I am having the same problem with an M1 MBP 13".

The suggestion made by @g716 has been working as a quick fix for me as well.

I've got a D6000 dock and I've just upgraded to Monterey and my external audio output no longer works.

Killing the coreaudiod process 'fixes' the issue for me too although it's obviously far from ideal.

Here it stopped working even killing the process now. Nothing has changed, no updates recently. So weird...