This issue originally came up in CUPC 8.5(6), but as I logged in to report it, I saw 8.6(1) was just released - I have confirmed the same issue still exists in 8.6 as well.
A user asked me how to get sounds to notify her when someone sent her a Chat message in CUPC. She has two sound devices - a normal set of speakers, and a Jabra USB-based headset for communications. When a chat would come in, she could not hear anything on her speakers, even with the volume turned up, the sounds enabled in CUPC, etc.
After a bit of experimentation, it appears the sound for Chat notifications goes to the "Speakers" audio device, and not the "Ringtone" audio device.
To me, this seems counterintuitive, since an IM alert sound is the Chat equivilant to a Ringtone - it's a notification that you have an incoming communication. The sound is not audible unless you have your headset on, assuming it is a different device from your speakers.
I'd like to request that in the next update for CUPC, the Audio Alerts for Chat be set to use the Ringtone audio output, and not the Speaker audio output. (Or, if needed, an option to choose which one is used be made available.)
Thank you!
-Geoffrey