Latest Windows Update Breaks Audio (KB5101650)

Same happen to me with update KB5101650.
Headphones and other optical audio lost surround channels and go for only 2 (stereo).
I agree driver have a lot of different purposes which i can see, just to mention I was insider for couple year since win.8 honestly i never saw something like this.
And i have doubts that those our drivers have anything to do with security patch issue on win. 11 
And off course it's not about optional driver it's about security patch now tell me what a hack security patch has anything with our audio chips? 😁

Since reinstalling the RME driver restored audio, keep the working driver package and record its version before the next update cycle. In Device Manager, open the Fireface device and USB controller, export the driver details, and disable automatic driver updates for that specific device only if the vendor recommends it. That is safer than trying to remove a cumulative Windows update that may contain unrelated security fixes.

When you see a "Preview" or "Optional" update (KB5101650 looks like it might be one), pause updates for a week and check forums like Gearspace or the RME user forum to see if other users report issues.

The KB5101650 update patched a vulnerability in a Windows component called QWAVE (Quality Windows Audio/Video Experience). This is a networking service designed to help prioritize multimedia traffic, not a traditional audio driver . This explains why an update could cause system-level audio issues that don't show up as driver errors.