Laptop Speaker Volume

[hlewton]

I have made all adjustments I found for my speakers on a laptop and I just can't seem to make the speakers loud enough, they are at 100%. I did try making adjustments to the enhancements tab of the speaker properties too.

The devise manager says the audio driver is VIA HD Audio and it appears to be up to date plus it says the audio is working properly. Is there any software program I could install to get more volume out of these laptop speakers?

Thanks.

[Claude]

Assuming you've got Bluetooth on the laptop, I suggest you get a Bluetooth speaker, or, if you prefer, Bluetooth headphones. I've got a Moki Aquabass which I use outdoors and BOSE Soundsport if privacy is needed. And of course, you can use both for your mobile as well.

[StuartR]

I agree, get some external speakers. I use USB connected speakers as they don't need a separate power connection, and I find them more reliable than bluetooth, but you should review all the options.

[hlewton]

Thank you both for the suggestions. Actually this computer doesn't have Bluetooth.

I found this

Use DFX Sound Enhancer

DFX is a nifty app for Windows that boosts the sound quality across all the programs that are installed on your computer. The tool is a freeware with an option to extend the features by paying for a full license that’s not cheap (almost $39.99). After you have installed the application, just turn it on and use the dynamic boost slider to increase the volume of your system. In the free version, you can only boost to level 5 (that’s 150%) while in the paid version you can boost up to 200%

and was hoping for some suggestions along this line or recommendations of maybe another product.

Headphones may work and actually I have some I can try but that is just more to pack and if I can find another way I would like to give it try. I don't want to install anything someone else doesn't have good experience with.

[PJ_in_FL]

I'd save the $39.99 and opt for an inexpensive set of POWERED external speakers. These have their own power supply. Some external speakers depended on the voltage from the "speaker out" plug and couldn't provide much amplification.

I have a few sets of inexpensive speakers, one I used to take when we traveled to resorts where I can plug in my laptop to the TV where my wife and I can watch movies during down time or rain and be able to hear the sound clearly. Getting a laptop with HDMI output provided a better solution than that for the large flatscreens with decent speakers.

Not as neat as an internal solution, but less likely to blow out the laptop speakers by pushing them beyond design limits.

[hlewton]

Not as neat as an internal solution, but less likely to blow out the laptop speakers by pushing them beyond design limits.

Thank you. I never though of that.

[ChrisGreaves]

I have made all adjustments I found for my speakers on a laptop and I just can't seem to make the speakers loud enough, they are at 100%. I did try making adjustments to the enhancements tab of the speaker properties too.

I'm a bit out of my depth, here, but I think I have found that from time to time, an application has a volume control that is separate from the Windows Volume control.

I think there have been occasions where I have been able to crank up the volume in an application without changing the Windows Volume slider/thingos.

Question: Is this abysmal (literally) low volume happening with every application? With music/videos played through your browser? With, say, WAV files played through Windows players?

Cheers
Chris

[PJ_in_FL]

I have made all adjustments I found for my speakers on a laptop and I just can't seem to make the speakers loud enough, they are at 100%. I did try making adjustments to the enhancements tab of the speaker properties too.

I'm a bit out of my depth, here, but I think I have found that from time to time, an application has a volume control that is separate from the Windows Volume control.

I think there have been occasions where I have been able to crank up the volume in an application without changing the Windows Volume slider/thingos.

Question: Is this abysmal (literally) low volume happening with every application? With music/videos played through your browser? With, say, WAV files played through Windows players?

Cheers
Chris

IMHO the issue is the POWER available to take a small signal and push enough usable energy out as sound. If the input is low, i.e. only a small amount of the supposedly 16-bits wide data is used, then it will take a larger amplification factor to get satisfactory sound. The amplifiers in the laptop can only go so far with small inputs.

That said, there are some utilities that can digitally amplify or modify sound volume. I don't know if there's one available for this particular application or file type. I've used volume "equializers" with groups of MP3 files that I loaded onto players I was using during races to keep from adjusting the volume if a song was loud or soft. I'd need to look up the actual utility I used later as that computer isn't available at the moment.

Another factor that I have is that the receiving end isn't as efficient as it used to be.

[hlewton]

I have made all adjustments I found for my speakers on a laptop and I just can't seem to make the speakers loud enough, they are at 100%. I did try making adjustments to the enhancements tab of the speaker properties too.

I'm a bit out of my depth, here, but I think I have found that from time to time, an application has a volume control that is separate from the Windows Volume control.

I think there have been occasions where I have been able to crank up the volume in an application without changing the Windows Volume slider/thingos.

Question: Is this abysmal (literally) low volume happening with every application? With music/videos played through your browser? With, say, WAV files played through Windows players?

Cheers
Chris

This isn't a computer I use on a daily basis so I really am not sure how to answer your question. I was getting it ready to update to Win 10 Creators version like the message on my screen asked me to do by checking the settings on the machine when I opened an Internet You Tube program and noticed it was not playing very loudly. All the controls I have were set to maximum thus my reason for this post.

Thanks.

[hlewton]

IMHO the issue is the POWER available to take a small signal and push enough usable energy out as sound. If the input is low, i.e. only a small amount of the supposedly 16-bits wide data is used, then it will take a larger amplification factor to get satisfactory sound. The amplifiers in the laptop can only go so far with small inputs.

That said, there are some utilities that can digitally amplify or modify sound volume. I don't know if there's one available for this particular application or file type. I've used volume "equializers" with groups of MP3 files that I loaded onto players I was using during races to keep from adjusting the volume if a song was loud or soft. I'd need to look up the actual utility I used later as that computer isn't available at the moment.

Another factor that I have is that the receiving end isn't as efficient as it used to be.

I think that is the sort of thing I was looking for recommendations on but one of he above posts makes me concerned since I really don't want to blow out the speakers in the laptop and then have no sound.

[PJ_in_FL]

I think that is the sort of thing I was looking for recommendations on but one of he above posts makes me concerned since I really don't want to blow out the speakers in the laptop and then have no sound.

The program you mentioned above, DFX Sound Enhancer, claims to increase the OUTPUT of the system to 200% rated maximum. My intrepretation is this adjusts the output amplifier above the levels the system allows, and could possibly damage whatever is downstream of the amplifiers.

What I mentioned is to use a program such as MP3Gain that modifies the INPUT files to digitally increase and/or normalize the sound volume of the file. This program is designed to normalize a play list to a similar volume, and it may be able to losslessly increase the volume of single files, but I don't have experience doing that.

Now that you mentioned you were playing an online (Youtube) video, the program above won't solve that. I'd either try other videos or get someone else to confirm the sound is too soft (re the comment about my own "receiving equipment" not being what it used to be ).

I'd go ahead and complete the Windows 10 upgrade. You can always fall back to external speakers if there really is a problem with the laptop's speakers.

[ChrisGreaves]

IMHO the issue is the POWER available to take a small signal and push enough usable energy out as sound. If the input is low, i.e. only a small amount of the supposedly 16-bits wide data is used, then it will take a larger amplification factor to get satisfactory sound. The amplifiers in the laptop can only go so far with small inputs.

I can agree with that, too.
When I take my little netbook on holidays, the sound of my Mp3 jukebox is tinny compared to the sound I get from the amplified sound from my two PC-speaker boxes - those two-inch square, four-inch tall things from ? twenty years ago.
Cheers
Chris
P.S. Thanks for the tip on MP3Gain. I shall take a look at that to see if it solves my problem of fluctuating volume across my MP3 collection.
Chris

[hlewton]

I think that is the sort of thing I was looking for recommendations on but one of he above posts makes me concerned since I really don't want to blow out the speakers in the laptop and then have no sound.

The program you mentioned above, DFX Sound Enhancer, claims to increase the OUTPUT of the system to 200% rated maximum. My intrepretation is this adjusts the output amplifier above the levels the system allows, and could possibly damage whatever is downstream of the amplifiers.

What I mentioned is to use a program such as MP3Gain that modifies the INPUT files to digitally increase and/or normalize the sound volume of the file. This program is designed to normalize a play list to a similar volume, and it may be able to losslessly increase the volume of single files, but I don't have experience doing that.

Now that you mentioned you were playing an online (Youtube) video, the program above won't solve that. I'd either try other videos or get someone else to confirm the sound is too soft (re the comment about my own "receiving equipment" not being what it used to be ).

I'd go ahead and complete the Windows 10 upgrade. You can always fall back to external speakers if there really is a problem with the laptop's speakers.

Thanks for the information. I think I better leave well enough alone.