Okay I found this to be a problem with the Xbox version of Skyrim. When using Maces, Swords and presumely Axes in stealth, after you attack it is like you can be found as if you had no sneak for about 5 seconds after you attack. To better explain, say perhaps you miss the attack on a creature/person, the eye that represents your detection level will rise as if you had no perks in sneak and it was around 15-20 and standing right in front of him. While with daggers you arent found, no matter how many times you miss and swing the daggers around. This is a serious problem and only allows people who use daggers to stealth and melee. Hopefully this is just a game flaw, and not something the game developers put in, because using daggers that do x30 dmg is pretty easy and boring after a while, and as challenging as it is to be found instantly after you miss an attack or even hit and the guy downstairs finds you instantly, I'd like to have the stealth mechanics as if I was using daggers.

-Sirk

The solution to this seems apparent...

Don't use daggers.

If it kills the sneak challenge and the X30 is too much for you...Why not just change weapons?

Use bows , they work with it !

daggers and bows r silent. anything else and they hear your swing.

Swords ?

yes if u attack and miss with anything but a dagger or bow they hear

Yeah, swords make noise when you swing. Which I believe to be correct. Swing a sword in real life, and it sings. Thrust with a dagger and it's silent. Which is, I assume, why they are silent in-game and all other weapons (other than bows) make noise.

bows make no noise, but arrows do so be sure to remember that. i often "pull" enimies were i want them by using this feature to shoot the road. rocks, down the hallway, etc.

i also never put the point into the dagger perk, its easy enough to get x15, and most of the time i will still use an axe or sword anyway, but this is mainly because i dont like the way daggers clip into your leg when you sneak.

If the other weapons were silent then daggers would be completely useless in the game except for role playing.

I never knew swords in the game made sound well I guess it's mostly because i'm always listening to music from my ipod. Anyway I guess it kind of makes sense. Since they are bigger than a dagger. The dagger is probably more silent than a sword is because it swings faster than a sword.

It's because they're heavier. Heavier items make more noise when you swing. So if you don't kill someone right off, they'll hear you.
Maces, axes, & swords can be used fine with sneak. You just have to be careful & be sure you can take people out without being heard.

I have a character who sneaks at all times in heavy armor, with a mace. I next to never get caught it's just a pain in the butt.