Imagin it. You are trying to listen to your favorite album, watching a popular movie, or calling a loved one.
But you cannot hear the audio properly. You have just increased the volume to the fullest, but somehow, it’s not working. Your headphone doesn’t seem to be any louder while it used to work perfectly before.
Now you are thinking, why are my headphones so quiet all of a sudden? Or maybe, why is the volume so low?
To remove all your worries and confusion, I have come with an informative and complete guideline.
I hope it will help you fix the issues with headphone volume suddenly being too low or fully quiet.
At first, let’s find out the reasons behind it.
Why Are My Headphones So Quiet?
Here I am going to explain some common reasons that can cause your headphone volume to be lower. They are:
Plug And Socket Issues For Wired Headphones
There can be a loose connection between the socket of your media player and the headphone plug. It happens mainly due to the low making quality of headphones or using them for a long time.
Besides, the headphone jack of your device may be defective.
Otherwise, the port might have some dirt inside it.
Both two cases can interrupt your device connectivity, making your headphone quiet.
Connectivity Issues For Wireless Or Bluetooth Headsets
It will happen for interfering between the headphone and your media player. If there are interferences like a desk made of metal or any physical barrier like a wall, you can face volume issues with your headphone.
Audio File Issues
Although it is rare, there is still a possibility that the audio file itself may be the reason why the volume of your headphones is so low.
It can happen if the audio is recorded at a very low volume.
So it will still remain relatively quiet, no matter how much you raise the volume in this case.
Incorrect Settings Of Your device
Incorrect audio settings is one of the common reasons for your left earbud being quieter than the right one.
Try to connect your wireless or wired headphones to different devices when you face this problem.
If it works perfectly as before, then the problem is definitely with your device settings.
Problems With The Headset Itself
There is also a possibility that your headset may have a hardware defect. And it’s causing the sound to be too quiet.
The reason is either your headset is brand new, or you have already used it for an extended period.
If your headset is brand new and experiencing this factory defect, try to utilize the manufacturer’s warranty policy to get a free repair or replacement.
Low Battery
It happens with Bluetooth headphones. If you are constantly running the headphone on a low battery, this can affect the volume.
Most Bluetooth headphones will automatically reduce output when they are running out of charge.
That’s why you cannot hear anything.
Physical Shape Of The Ears
By nature, the right half of your face is not identical to the left half.
Because of this reason, we might have differences in the external shape of the two ears.
The external ear shape can affect the way how the earbuds fit in our ears. This can cause different sound quality or loudness for each ear, especially when wearing earphones.
Ear Wax Problem
If you use earbuds for a long time repeatedly, it will cause your ears to develop earwax.
Ears wax in the ear canal blocks the sound transfer to the eardrum. This will reduce the volume as well as the quality of sound.
It may happen to one ear or both.
Issue With Earbuds Cleaning
Your earbuds get dirty with time which makes the speaker grid to be filled with wax. Then it blocks the sound from being produced perfectly.
Now that you have known why your headphone volume is too low or quiet, it’s time to discuss the solution to this problem.
Go through the below section. You will find all the details there to fix this problem.
Troubleshooting Of Quiet Headphone
Follow the instruction mentioned here to solve your problem.
Check The Hardware
You can do it step by step.
Ensure Proper Plugging
At first, make sure your headphone is properly plugged in.
Even though it seems perfect, you should disconnect and reconnect your headphones for a better result.
Clean The Headphone Jack Or Audio Port
Now check whether your headphone jack is clean or not. Any dirt or grime can stick to the headphone jack. It can cause interference with the audio signal making it sound too quiet.
However, do you know how to clean it?
Take a cloth or cotton bud and dampen it with rubbing alcohol. Now wipe away the debris you are seeing.
You have to do the same thing for the audio port of your media player device.
Check The Wire
Also, you have to check if there is any defect on the wire of your headphone. For long-term usage, the wire might get damaged.
Sometimes it happens due to the pulling of the wire carelessly. Then its connection is torn from the inside.
Considering how severe the damage is and where it is located, it will be best to get a new pair of headphones.
Clean The Earbuds
Make sure that your earbuds are clean and free from earwax, dirt, or grime.
If it is dirty, take an old toothbrush and brush the inside of each earbud carefully. Then clean the rest of the earphones using an alcohol-damped cloth or cotton bud.
Check The Playback Devices
It is also important to check the audio setting of your playback device. Sometimes you need to make some necessary changes to obtain a better sound quality.
For iPhone
To adjust the volume of your iPhone,
Press down the volume up and down buttons until you can hear audio at a comfortable level.
Call Siri and ask her to either Increase or Decrease the volume accordingly.
If you are having an issue with Apple AirPods (people call them EarPods too) quiet in one ear, try changing the left-right audio balance settings by going to
Settings >> General >> Accessibility.
Now scroll down to the Hearing Section and change the channel balance of your headphones by adjusting the sliders. (It should be in the middle)
For Android Devices
You can adjust the volume of Android devices by following instructions.
Press the volume up and down buttons until you can hear audio at a comfortable level.
If it doesn’t work, then modify the audio balance settings. For that, navigate to Settings >> Sound & vibration.
Adjust the volume of your calls, notifications, music, alarms, and media using the sliders accordingly.
For MAC
Follow these steps to check the MAC volume and audio balancing options.
Go to the Apple Menu>> System Preferences>> Sound.
Now select your headphone on the Output tab.
If you cannot find your device, it indicates that your headphone is not connected to the MAC.
Adjust the MAC volume and audio balancing of your headphone by positioning the sliders properly.
If you are still facing any problems, restart the sound controller.
Follow the below steps for that:
Navigate to Applications>> Utilities.
Now double-click on Activity Monitor and type coreaudiod in the search bar to find the Core Audio Controller.
To restart the Controller, click on coreaudiod and close it by clicking on the (x).
You will find it on top of the left corner of the toolbar.
For Windows
For quick access to your headphone volume, Right-click the sound icon.
You will see it at the lower right corner of the taskbar.
Then, click on the Open Volume Mixer.
Now adjust your headphone volume and audio output using the different sliders.
Do you want to adjust the master volume and audio balance of your headphones?
Do the followings:
- At first, press Windows Key + S and type Sound in the search box. Now click the Sound Settings option.
- On the Sound Settings window, under Output, adjust the Master volume.
- For balancing the audio, click on Device properties on the same window.
- Adjust the sliders to balance the audio of the left and right speakers of your headphone.
- If you want advanced checkups on your application volumes and their device preferences, go to the
- Sound Settings window, under Advanced sound options. Then click on App volume and device preferences.
Now adjust the volume of your apps and modify their device preferences accordingly.
I have shown the processes of volume and audio adjustment for different devices.
Now, let’s go for the next part of troubleshooting.
Personal Checking
There is also a possibility that the problem is actually in your ears. If you use earphones at a loud volume for longer periods, it can deteriorate your hearing over time.
That’s why the audio sounds too quiet to you.
In this case, try listening with other headphones and devices to be sure of it. If the problem is really in your ears, then you need to see a doctor.
Now, I want to let you know some extra tips that will help prevent this problem in the first place.
These will also make your headphone sound louder.
Bonus Tips On How To Make Your Headphone Louder
Let’s know about the tips in detail.
Ensure Proper Placement While Wearing Headphones
To enjoy the best sound quality and proper volume out of your earbuds, proper placement is necessary.
You can lightly pull your ear lobe when inserting a earbud. When it is fully inserted, let it go.
This practice will provide a secure seal that can direct the soundwaves inside the ear canal perfectly.
However, if you feel that your current earphone doesn’t fit well in your ear, look for a suitable one for your specific ear shape.
Ensure Proper Storage After Using
If you want to avoid the problem of your quiet headphones or earbuds, store it properly after use.
Don’t leave them here and there and allow them to get tangled.
It will affect the durability of your headphones.
You can simply roll up the earphones and keep them in a pouch or case.
It will prevent the cords from unnecessary pulling or stretching.
Install Volume Boosting Apps
There is also an easy and simple way to make your headphone louder. You can install the headphone volume booster app on your devices.
For android devices, you can install Precise Volume and Equalizer FX apps.
For iOS devices, you may use Boom Music, Keiser Tone, and Bass Booster apps.
So, that’s all for today. I am going to conclude it here.
Conclusion
Well, why are my headphones so quiet? Finally, you have got the answer to this question. I have also included all the ways to fix this problem and even the prevention measures. Therefore, I hope this write-up will help you a lot in this kind of situation.
Thanks For Reading This Article.