diff --git a/sound/pci/hda/hda_generic.c b/sound/pci/hda/hda_generic.c
index 249cd4615908ca4c7aae4d9614b8ea949658194d..c7f6d1cab6063a6483802ee6c80391c18c2de884 100644
--- a/sound/pci/hda/hda_generic.c
+++ b/sound/pci/hda/hda_generic.c
@@ -474,6 +474,20 @@ static void invalidate_nid_path(struct hda_codec *codec, int idx)
 	memset(path, 0, sizeof(*path));
 }
 
+/* return a DAC if paired to the given pin by codec driver */
+static hda_nid_t get_preferred_dac(struct hda_codec *codec, hda_nid_t pin)
+{
+	struct hda_gen_spec *spec = codec->spec;
+	const hda_nid_t *list = spec->preferred_dacs;
+
+	if (!list)
+		return 0;
+	for (; *list; list += 2)
+		if (*list == pin)
+			return list[1];
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /* look for an empty DAC slot */
 static hda_nid_t look_for_dac(struct hda_codec *codec, hda_nid_t pin,
 			      bool is_digital)
@@ -1192,7 +1206,14 @@ static int try_assign_dacs(struct hda_codec *codec, int num_outs,
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		dacs[i] = look_for_dac(codec, pin, false);
+		dacs[i] = get_preferred_dac(codec, pin);
+		if (dacs[i]) {
+			if (is_dac_already_used(codec, dacs[i]))
+				badness += bad->shared_primary;
+		}
+
+		if (!dacs[i])
+			dacs[i] = look_for_dac(codec, pin, false);
 		if (!dacs[i] && !i) {
 			/* try to steal the DAC of surrounds for the front */
 			for (j = 1; j < num_outs; j++) {
diff --git a/sound/pci/hda/hda_generic.h b/sound/pci/hda/hda_generic.h
index 7e45cb44d1514497385f2f6bc2b63251391cdaba..0929a06df8128495f5e717768fcfa28eaed7360d 100644
--- a/sound/pci/hda/hda_generic.h
+++ b/sound/pci/hda/hda_generic.h
@@ -249,6 +249,9 @@ struct hda_gen_spec {
 	const struct badness_table *main_out_badness;
 	const struct badness_table *extra_out_badness;
 
+	/* preferred pin/DAC pairs; an array of paired NIDs */
+	const hda_nid_t *preferred_dacs;
+
 	/* loopback mixing mode */
 	bool aamix_mode;
 
diff --git a/sound/pci/hda/patch_analog.c b/sound/pci/hda/patch_analog.c
index cac015be3325d9760366434c6e727c472a21dbf5..699262a3e07abcd9558bb538de0916d96bc63bcd 100644
--- a/sound/pci/hda/patch_analog.c
+++ b/sound/pci/hda/patch_analog.c
@@ -340,6 +340,14 @@ static int patch_ad1986a(struct hda_codec *codec)
 {
 	int err;
 	struct ad198x_spec *spec;
+	static hda_nid_t preferred_pairs[] = {
+		0x1a, 0x03,
+		0x1b, 0x03,
+		0x1c, 0x04,
+		0x1d, 0x05,
+		0x1e, 0x03,
+		0
+	};
 
 	err = alloc_ad_spec(codec);
 	if (err < 0)
@@ -360,6 +368,8 @@ static int patch_ad1986a(struct hda_codec *codec)
 	 * So, let's disable the shared stream.
 	 */
 	spec->gen.multiout.no_share_stream = 1;
+	/* give fixed DAC/pin pairs */
+	spec->gen.preferred_dacs = preferred_pairs;
 
 	/* AD1986A can't manage the dynamic pin on/off smoothly */
 	spec->gen.auto_mute_via_amp = 1;