Bumping up the 100% volume limit?

[Jiehfeng]

Sometimes I like the volume in my earphones to be a bit louder, but sadly every setting is turned up max; system volume, player volume and some other factor if available. I've tried searching for solutions but most of them don't do it properly or directly.

The famous solution I've seen is the loudness equalization. It definitely does increase the volume a lot, which is brilliant, but there's a catch, smaller volume instances are bumped up, and louder volume instances are bumped down. So it's kinda like a volume oppositor-thingy.

The other solution is some program I forgot the name of and apparently it doesn't work. (and then there's the other stupid solutions where people tell you to use the equalizer and max everything, seems they don't like sound quality :/)

So yeah, is there any other easy solution to this? I use headphones/earphones and I don't wanna spend a lot on a mini amp. I don't think there is anything I could do, but if there is please do share, any help would be nice.

 

[FAST6191]

Possible option. Headphone ports are limited in loudness in various parts of the world and that often means the designs trickle down to other parts of the world (nobody complains when you are saving the hearing of their kids). A recent example being that of the 3ds. http://gbatemp.net/threads/hardware...volume-of-your-3ds-some-models-so-far.400221/

Option 2. Mini amplifier. I am not sure what they cost out in the wild as they are a basic electronics project for most people http://www.instructables.com/id/Altoids-Amp/
Given the other threads I have spoken to you in I would say you are more than capable of assembling such a thing.

"smaller volume instances are bumped up, and louder volume instances are bumped down."
That sounds more like compression or something out of the loudness wars, that or you are not as sensitive to loud sounds. A straight normalise filter will find the loudest part of the track/segment and pump up that to the max before pumping up the rest the same amount.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

There are very few software-related ways to boost volume without losing quality somewhere along the line. Your absolute best bet, without losing quality, is by using an amplifier of some kind. As FAST posted, you can make one yourself, or you could always just buy a portable headphone amp. They're hardly expensive (FiiO makes a nice one for around $30 IIRC) and they should help raise the volume enough

 

[Jiehfeng]

Possible option. Headphone ports are limited in loudness in various parts of the world and that often means the designs trickle down to other parts of the world (nobody complains when you are saving the hearing of their kids). A recent example being that of the 3ds. http://gbatemp.net/threads/hardware...volume-of-your-3ds-some-models-so-far.400221/

Option 2. Mini amplifier. I am not sure what they cost out in the wild as they are a basic electronics project for most people http://www.instructables.com/id/Altoids-Amp/
Given the other threads I have spoken to you in I would say you are more than capable of assembling such a thing.

"smaller volume instances are bumped up, and louder volume instances are bumped down."
That sounds more like compression or something out of the loudness wars, that or you are not as sensitive to loud sounds. A straight normalise filter will find the loudest part of the track/segment and pump up that to the max before pumping up the rest the same amount.

I've always found the 3DS port to be very lacking, so thanks for that, might try it, but this is about my PC, specifically Windows 10. And that's where that loudness equalization setting is, I'm sure you've heard of it, and yes, that's exactly what the description of the setting kinda says:

The mini-amplifier project looks nice, I've seen it before, I haven't really gotten into the thing cause I can't find the stuff I need, but I will try.

For some reason Win 10 isn't that loud, but how the fact that the loudness eq setting actually does increase the volume quite a bit without any quality sacrifices, there must be some way to increase the volume without the other decrease in it for smaller sounds.

There are very few software-related ways to boost volume without losing quality somewhere along the line. Your absolute best bet, without losing quality, is by using an amplifier of some kind. As FAST posted, you can make one yourself, or you could always just buy a portable headphone amp. They're hardly expensive (FiiO makes a nice one for around $30 IIRC) and they should help raise the volume enough

How bad is the quality drop?
And 30 bucks eh? That does sound nice, and it will certainly do the job, I will look into it thanks.

 

[Jiehfeng]

Bump, found a solution.
Letasoft Sound Booster, that program actually works.
EDIT: Nope, crashes programs, does work tho.

 

[Margen67]

The other solution is some program I forgot the name of and apparently it doesn't work. (and then there's the other stupid solutions where people tell you to use the equalizer and max everything, seems they don't like sound quality :/)

What headphones are you using?

 

[izy]

Yeah what earphones are you using? First time i have heard 100% volume being too low

also open Volume Mixer and make sure that the programs you are using are not lowered

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Sometimes I like the volume in my earphones to be a bit louder, but sadly every setting is turned up max; system volume, player volume and some other factor if available. I've tried searching for solutions but most of them don't do it properly or directly.

The famous solution I've seen is the loudness equalization. It definitely does increase the volume a lot, which is brilliant, but there's a catch, smaller volume instances are bumped up, and louder volume instances are bumped down. So it's kinda like a volume oppositor-thingy.

The other solution is some program I forgot the name of and apparently it doesn't work. (and then there's the other stupid solutions where people tell you to use the equalizer and max everything, seems they don't like sound quality :/)

So yeah, is there any other easy solution to this? I use headphones/earphones and I don't wanna spend a lot on a mini amp. I don't think there is anything I could do, but if there is please do share, any help would be nice.

It sounds like you have already exhausted your software-based options.
There is only so much you can do with software, because the audio output from the sound card can only output so many milliamps. I have never heard of 100% being too low on a PC though, the headphone output on PCs tends to be really loud. You could get a higher volume by using headphones with a built in amplifier (in other words a USB headset, or a regular headset with a USB plug for power) but that is probably not the solution you want.
An external amp doesn't have to cost much, sure the audiophile grade headphone amps are expensive, but you can get some very reasonably priced ones such as FiiO ones. I got a FiiO for less than $20 and it has a rechargeable battery. It's also very small so it's good for using with handheld consoles as well.

 

[Jiehfeng]

What headphones are you using?

Yeah what earphones are you using? First time i have heard 100% volume being too low

also open Volume Mixer and make sure that the programs you are using are not lowered

ATH-M50x, nothing wrong with the ohms. And well, my mixer is always at full for everything. It isn't "too low" but it just isn't high enough for standards.

It sounds like you have already exhausted your software-based options.
There is only so much you can do with software, because the audio output from the sound card can only output so many milliamps. I have never heard of 100% being too low on a PC though, the headphone output on PCs tends to be really loud. You could get a higher volume by using headphones with a built in amplifier (in other words a USB headset, or a regular headset with a USB plug for power) but that is probably not the solution you want.
An external amp doesn't have to cost much, sure the audiophile grade headphone amps are expensive, but you can get some very reasonably priced ones such as FiiO ones. I got a FiiO for less than $20 and it has a rechargeable battery. It's also very small so it's good for using with handheld consoles as well.

Yeah I'm going for a FiiO, but I have to save up first.