How To Fix Volume Control On Headphones

Don't allow your headphones blast your ears! It'south common for some combinations of devices and headphones to be much louder than they should. However, you don't need to spend money on some other pair of cans.

Your headphones can get too loud when there'southward an issue with your device's volume settings, or the audio drivers aren't working correctly. Common fixes include lowering system volume with an EQ, synchronizing volume across devices, and switching drivers.

Listening to your headphones at loftier volumes can be dangerous for your hearing. You lot can do several things to take intendance of your ears, merely you lot can start past fixing any issues that make your headphones too loud.

one. Book Synchronization Is Disabled

Many headphones come with their own book settings and buttons. This can be a very helpful feature: information technology lets you modify the volume without taking out your telephone.

But this feature also brings an extra step to the process: volume synchronization.

If the volume control of your headphones and your device aren't synchronized, y'all'll need to adjust them separately.

Bank check for Volume Settings Across Your Apps

You might be using a program with its own volume settings, which is pumping your headphone's volume way across normal.

The culprit could be:

Sound players
Companion apps for your headphones
Audio/video editing software
Companion software for your soundcard

Make the Headphones the Default Device on Windows

If you're using Windows, you can set up this problem in most devices by selecting information technology as the default audio device.

Correct-click the volume icon in your tray and select "Sound."
Select the "Playback" tab.
Correct-click on your headphones and select "Ready equally Default Device."

Turn On the Accented Volume Setting on Android

In Android, volume synchronization is handled by the setting "Accented Volume." Turning it on should fix the problem.

Plow on programmer options by going to Settings, select "Virtually telephone," and tap "Build number" several times.
Become back to Settings and tap "Developer options."
Curl down until you discover "Accented Book" and plow it on.

2. Volume Limiters Aren't Working Correct

There are two scenarios where faulty volume limiters can exist a trouble:

Your headphone's volume limiter can't limit their sound output to normal levels.
Yous're used to relying on software audio limiters, but your electric current device doesn't take one.

Allow's take a wait at the first case. Some headphones come with audio limiters. These are ordinarily digital limiters, which are fairly effective at maintaining audio output inside a rubber range.

Nonetheless, the results of sound limiters can be inconsistent. Some devices, like computers and CD players, tin can produce very powerful outputs, which could throw off the audio limiters in your headphones.

Analog headphones can also nowadays their own problems since analog limiters aren't equally effective equally digital limiters.

On the other mitt, there are also software book limiters. These are the kind y'all see in smartphones. They give you exposure warnings when you're about to go by it.

Even so, the default settings often leave you higher up safe noise levels. If that's the case, yous might want to alter its settings.

Whichever is your case, activating or downloading a book limiter in your device should fix the issue.

Set up a Volume Limiter on Your Smartphone

You can prepare a global volume limit in your smartphone past opening Settings and going to Audio/Music.

Apple devices max out at 102db, so you should exist safe by staying below 70%. Decibel outputs vary amongst Android phones, and some of them don't come with a congenital-in audio limiter as iPhones do.

If your Android phone doesn't come with an audio limiter, y'all can always download ane from the PlayStore. There are plenty of options, only you lot won't get incorrect with VolumeLock. Information technology'due south a simple and consummate app that doesn't require any setup.

Set a Volume Limiter on a Computer

Windows has a congenital-in solution. It's non very intuitive, but it doesn't require whatever setup.

Right-click on the volume icon and select "Audio."
Select the "Playback" tab.
Double click on "Headphones."
Select the "Levels" tab.
Click on "Balance" and reduce both sides in equal measure.

You can also try a third-party app like Quiet on the Set. It's lightweight and easy to use.

Information technology'due south not as straightforward on a Mac, but there are some programs and custom scripts created by users that tin can act as volume limiters. Check out this script by Lucas Andión and the Earsafe app.

3. Audio Driver Isn't Working

Some other possible reason your headphones are too loud is your audio drivers might not exist working properly. This issue is generally present on Windows PCs.

Some sound drivers don't properly regulate sound output when you lot're using headphones. Information technology could be a compatibility event with your headphones or simply a problem with how the driver works.

In any case, there are ii things you can do to get around this problem.

Update Driver

First, make sure your driver is updated. The developers might have already fixed the issue.

Open the Device Managing director. You can discover it by clicking on the windows push button and typing "device manager."
Expand the section called "Sound, video and game controllers."
Correct-click on your audio driver and select "Update commuter."

Switch Drivers

If updating the driver doesn't brand a difference, yous tin can uninstall it and stay with the stock Windows audio driver.

To do this, uninstall your audio commuter from the device director. Later you lot restart, Windows should automatically install the default drivers for your device.

Yous tin also download a different driver. If your PC is nevertheless using your old driver later on installing the new one, practice this:

Right-click on the book icon and select "Audio." Go to the "Playback" tab.
Right-click on the new driver and select "Set as default device."

4. Lowest Volume Setting Is Too Loud

Sometimes, the fault doesn't lie in your headphones or your device'southward settings just in the Os you're using.

Sadly, this can't be stock-still completely. The manufacturers would have to implement the fix themselves. Yet, there's a mode effectually the problem.

Download an Equalizer

Equalizers are apps that tin adjust the volume of different audio frequencies that come out of your device.

EQ tools are frequently used to change how music sounds and optimize it for a certain genre. Even so, information technology can also boost or lower the overall book of a device.

There are countless EQ apps for iOS, Android, Macs, and Windows PCs. Whatsoever of them should work fine.

Some EQs have sliders to adjust organization volume. Otherwise, just lower all of the frequencies to the same caste.

By doing this, you're bypassing the volume system limitations and making your device sound quieter.

5. Bluetooth Headphones Are Too Loud on Android

Some users report that their headphones only show a loudness issue when connected to an Android device. The cause of the problem is oft the "Absolute Volume" setting.

Too loud bluetooth headphones on Android phone

We previously talked most Accented Book regarding book synchronization. When turned on, information technology lets you synchronize volume beyond your Android device and your headphones.

Nonetheless, this setting can also make some Bluetooth sound devices sound excessively loud.

Plow Off Absolute Volume

If you have this problem, turning off Accented Volume should set it.

After turning on programmer options, go to Settings and tap "Developer options."
Curl down until you find "Absolute Volume" and turn information technology off.

Related article: 7 Mutual Headphone Issues and How To Gear up Them

How To Know if Your Headphones Are As well Loud

Exposure to very loud noises tin damage your hearing, and this also applies when information technology comes to headphones.

Hither are a few signs your headphones are as well loud:

The sound of your headphones can be heard at arm's length.
You hear a ringing when y'all're in quiet places.
You're always having to turn up the book.
A sound meter app measures your book at over 85 decibels.
Your volume is e'er over 2-thirds.

To prevent hearing loss, yous shouldn't expose yourself to sounds louder than 85 decibels. To give you an thought: a whisper is 30 dB, a normal chat is threescore dB, decorated traffic from inside the machine is fourscore-85 dB, and standing beside a siren is 120 dB.

And then, why can't volume limiters just set a limit on decibels? Well, your phone can't hands mensurate the decibels of the sounds that come out of information technology.

The volume of a song depends on several things:

How it was mixed
Book settings in the app y'all're using
The headphone'south volume settings (when it applies)
The soundcard in your device

On top of all that, information technology'south easy to forget virtually volume when you're listening to music. Yous might turn up the volume without realizing information technology when you get lost in ane of your favorite songs.

So, how tin you know if your headphones are being too loud on your ears? Y'all can try doing some of the post-obit.

Concord Your Headphones in Front end of You

An easy style to know if your headphones are likewise loud is to hear them at a distance.

Play music at your usual volume with your headphones plugged in and concur them in front of you at arm's length. If you tin can clearly hear what's sounding, then the volume is besides loftier.

Ask Someone

It'due south a proficient idea to get other people's ears on the effect.

Listen to your headphones at your usual level while having a friend sitting next to yous and ask them if they could hear what you were listening to.

If a person abreast you can clearly hear what you're listening to, and then information technology'southward besides loud.

There's 1 exception to this rule: open-ear headphones. These headphones are designed to allow the audio filter through the earpiece. In all other cases, the rule applies.

Do the Ringing Exam

Hither's a simple experiment that in no way substitutes a medical exam, but it can tell you if you're listening to music at damaging volumes.

Take a balance from using your headphones. For meliorate results, expect a couple of days. Otherwise, let at to the lowest degree three hours pass.
Find a repose room and mind for ringing in your ears. Information technology'll exist easier to detect if you put on earplugs. You might take to wait a minute.
Listen to your headphones. Set them at your usual book and use them for what feels like a normal menstruum for you.
Repeat footstep 2. Has the ringing gotten any stronger? Practice y'all hear a ringing that you didn't hear earlier? If so, you should turn down the volume when using your headphones.

If y'all hear a ringing in normal circumstances, yous should definitely lower the book of your headphones and become your ears checked with a doctor.

Use an App

Apps like Sound Meter for Android let yous measure decibel levels using the microphone in your smartphone or laptop. In that location are plenty of options for iOS and PCs.

A more sophisticated option is the NIOSH Sound Level Meter App, developed past acoustics engineers and hearing loss experts. It's only bachelor in the AppStore.

Even so, an accurate measurement would require a specialized device and some idea most what you're doing. Apply these apps as a reference together with other methods.

Check for Symptoms of Hearing Loss

If you're already experiencing hearing loss, your headphones might exist i of the culprits.

Here are some signs that will allow y'all observe information technology early and prevent damage as much as possible:

You lot have trouble hearing high-pitched sounds.
You're increasingly having to turn on the volume for your music.
You feel ringing or clicking in your ears.
Y'all accept trouble understanding conversations in noisy places.
Yous're very sensitive to certain sounds.

If you experience any or several of these issues, y'all should make an appointment with a doctor.

Read more than: Can Headphones Crusade Hearing Loss?

Your Volume Is Always Over threescore%

This might sound obvious, but you shouldn't plow your book all the manner up. Headphones tin can reach 110 dB when turned to maximum volume. This is way beyond the 85 dB safety threshold.

Experts recommend that you should keep the volume control below two-thirds. If you're constantly increasing information technology beyond sixty%, you lot're risking yourself to hearing damage.

You Turn Upwards Your Volume in Noisy Areas

Existence in a loud place is one of the primary reasons we turn upwards the volume of our headphones. If there's too much racket effectually you, you'll demand more than volume to be able to hear your headphones.

At that place's a way you can circumvent this problem: using noise-canceling or noise-isolating headphones.

Racket-canceling headphones take tiny microphones that pick up the sounds going on effectually you lot. And so they create out-of-phase sound waves that neutralize outside sound. The result is that fifty-fifty the noisiest places can plough into a depression hum. If you don't hear exterior dissonance, there's no need to turn upwards the volume more than necessary.
Dissonance isolation is simpler but can however brand a big deviation. A headphone with adept isolation has ear cups that softly tighten effectually your ears and physically block outside dissonance from entering.

Also Read: ix Safest Headphones for Your Ears: Heir-apparent's Guide

You Heed for Extended Periods

If you're at a depression volume, you'll be fine listening for extended periods. Nevertheless, the college the book, the more important information technology is to give your ears a intermission.

Listening at 80-85 dB can cause hearing impairment in under two hours. If you get beyond that, information technology could be a matter of minutes before experiencing hearing loss.

If you find yourself listening to music at high volumes, rest your ears for a while before standing. Effort to plough down your usual volume when listening for extended periods.

Concluding Thoughts

If you feel your headphones are too loud, take the chance to brand sure that your listening habits don't put your hearing at run a risk.

Every bit a rule of thumb, proceed your volume under 2-thirds and brand sure your headphones aren't loud plenty to be heard past someone sitting beside yous.

Several things tin make headphones sound louder than they should, such as:

A lack of book synchronization
Faulty sound drivers
How your Os is programmed