How to Fix Headphones That Are Not Loud Enough: A Guide

Hey everyone, Alex here from Headphones Me. Is there anything more frustrating than this? You’ve settled in for a long flight, cued up your favorite podcast, and you put on your headphones only to find the volume is frustratingly low, barely drowning out the hum of the engine. Or maybe you’re at the gym, trying to find that extra gear with a power anthem, but the music just isn’t hitting. If you’re trying to figure out How To Fix Headphones That Are Not Loud Enough, don’t throw them against the wall just yet. I’ve spent years testing hundreds of pairs, and I can tell you that a quiet pair of cans is one of the most common complaints I hear.

The good news? The solution is often surprisingly simple. We’re going to walk through this together, from the obvious-but-easy-to-miss checks to some deeper technical tweaks that can bring your audio back to life. Let’s get that volume knob turned up to eleven.

First, Let’s Cover the Basics

Before we start diving into complex software settings or talking about things like impedance, let’s make sure we’ve got the simple stuff out of the way. You’d be surprised how often the fix is right under our noses.

Are You Sure the Volume is Turned Up?

I know, I know, it sounds patronizing, but hear me out. Modern devices have multiple volume controls.

Your Source Device: Check the master volume on your phone, laptop, or tablet. Press the physical volume-up button until it’s maxed out.
Your Headphones: Many wireless headphones and even some wired ones have their own onboard volume controls. Make sure you’ve turned the volume up on the headphones themselves. Sometimes, this control is independent of your phone’s volume.
In-App Volume: Check the volume slider within the app you’re using (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, etc.). It’s possible to have your phone’s media volume at 100% but the Spotify slider at 20%.

Check all three. Still quiet? Okay, let’s move on.

Is the Connection Solid?

A poor connection is a classic culprit for weak audio.

For Wired Headphones: Is the 3.5mm jack pushed all the way in? Give it a firm, satisfying click. A partially inserted plug can cause all sorts of audio issues, including low volume and sound only coming from one side. Also, inspect the cable for any visible damage or fraying.
For Wireless Headphones: Are you too far from your source device? Bluetooth has its limits. Try moving your phone closer to your headphones to see if the signal strength and volume improve. Thick walls and other electronic devices can also interfere.

Diving into Your Device’s Software

If the physical checks didn’t do the trick, it’s time to explore your device’s audio settings. Often, a hidden setting designed to “protect” your hearing is the very thing holding your volume back.

How to Disable Volume Limiters

Both iOS and Android have built-in safety features that can cap the maximum volume output to protect your hearing. While well-intentioned, they can be a real pain if you’re in a noisy environment or using headphones that need a bit more power.

On an iPhone (iOS):

Go to Settings.
Scroll down and tap on Sounds & Haptics.
Select Headphone Safety.
Here, you’ll see a toggle for Reduce Loud Sounds. If this is on, your iPhone is actively limiting the volume. You can either turn it off completely or adjust the decibel level slider to allow for more headroom.

On an Android Phone (varies by manufacturer):

Go to Settings.
Tap on Sounds and vibration.
Go to Volume.
Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner and select Media volume limiter.
If this is on, you can disable it or drag the slider all the way to the right.

Disabling this limiter is often the key to unlocking your device’s full audio potential.

Tweak Your Equalizer (EQ) Settings

An Equalizer, or EQ, adjusts the balance of different audio frequencies (bass, mids, treble). A poorly configured EQ can make your music sound quiet or “thin.”

Many people set their EQ to a “V” shape to boost bass and treble, but if the main sliders are pulled down too far, it can reduce the overall gain, making the output quieter.

Check your device’s main EQ settings (often in the Sounds menu) and your music app’s EQ (Spotify has its own in its settings). Try setting the EQ to “Off” or “Flat” to see if that restores the volume. If it does, you can then go back and adjust the EQ more subtly to your liking.

The Hardware Side: Why Wired Headphones Can Be Quiet

If you’re using a traditional pair of wired headphones, the reasons for low volume can be a bit more technical. Don’t worry, I’ll break it down.

Clean Your Ports and Plugs

Over time, the headphone jack on your device and the plug on your headphones can accumulate dust, lint, and other gunk. This debris can prevent a solid connection, leading to low volume or distorted audio.

How to clean it safely:

Turn off your device.
Use a can of compressed air to blow out any loose debris from the headphone jack.
Gently use a wooden or plastic toothpick to scrape out any compacted lint. Never use metal objects like paperclips, as you can short-circuit the port.
Wipe the metal headphone plug with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.

Understanding Impedance and Power

This is where we get into the nitty-gritty of audio science, but it’s crucial for understanding how to fix headphones that are not loud enough, especially with high-end gear.

Impedance (measured in ohms, Ω) is essentially the electrical resistance of the headphones. Low-impedance headphones (typically under 32 ohms) are easy to “drive” and will get loud from a smartphone.
High-impedance headphones (often 80 ohms, 250 ohms, or even 600 ohms) require more power to reach a good listening volume. They are designed for use with dedicated studio equipment or headphone amplifiers.

If you plug a pair of 250-ohm Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pros directly into your iPhone, they’re going to sound disappointingly quiet. Your phone’s internal amplifier simply can’t push enough power to move their drivers effectively.

The solution? A headphone amplifier or a DAC/Amp combo. These external devices sit between your phone/laptop and your headphones, providing the clean power needed to make high-impedance models sing. If you own a serious pair of audiophile cans and find them too quiet, this is almost certainly the reason why. You can check out our guide on the best portable DACs to learn more.

Troubleshooting Quiet Bluetooth Headphones

Wireless audio has its own unique set of challenges. If your Bluetooth buds are the problem, try these steps.

Check the “Absolute Volume” Setting (Android)

On some Android phones, there’s a setting that can cause volume mismatches between the phone and the Bluetooth device. Disabling it forces your phone to use the headphone’s internal volume control, which can sometimes solve the problem.

Enable Developer Options on your phone (go to Settings > About Phone > Software Information and tap on the Build number seven times).
Go back to the main Settings menu, and you’ll now see Developer Options.
Scroll down until you find Disable absolute volume.
Toggle this setting on, then disconnect and reconnect your headphones. See if that makes a difference.

Re-pair Your Headphones

Sometimes the digital “handshake” between your headphones and your source device just gets messy. The simplest fix is to start fresh. Go into your device’s Bluetooth settings, “Forget” or “Unpair” your headphones, and then go through the pairing process again from scratch. This can resolve a surprising number of connection and volume issues.

As our contributing audio engineer, Johnathan Carter, often says, “The cleanest signal path is the best signal path. Whether that’s physical dirt in a jack or corrupted data in a Bluetooth pairing, clearing the path is the first step to restoring audio fidelity and volume.”

It’s Not You, It’s Me: Could the Headphones Be the Problem?

After trying everything above, we have to consider the possibility that the issue lies with the headphones themselves.

Dirty Earbuds: True wireless earbuds, in particular, can get clogged with earwax and debris. The tiny mesh screen covering the driver can become blocked, significantly muffling the sound and reducing volume. Carefully clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions, often with a soft brush or a special cleaning tool.
Driver Failure: In rare cases, a driver inside the headphone can fail or become damaged, leading to low volume or no sound at all. If the problem persists and is isolated to one pair of headphones across multiple source devices, it may be a hardware defect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why are my new headphones quieter than my old ones?
A: This is usually due to a difference in sensitivity or impedance. Sensitivity measures how loud a headphone will get for a given amount of power. A headphone with higher sensitivity will sound louder than one with lower sensitivity at the same volume setting. Your new headphones might also have a higher impedance, requiring more power.

Q: Why is one earbud louder than the other?
A: First, check your device’s accessibility settings. Both iOS and Android have an audio balance slider (Left/Right) that might have been moved accidentally. If that’s centered, the quieter earbud is likely blocked with earwax or debris. Clean it thoroughly.

Q: Can I use an app to make my headphones louder?
A: There are “volume booster” apps available, but use them with extreme caution. Most simply distort the audio by pushing it past its digital limit, which can damage both your hearing and your headphone drivers. It’s better to fix the root cause of the problem.

Q: Does a headphone amplifier make all headphones louder?
A: Yes, but it’s only necessary for high-impedance headphones. Using a powerful amp with very sensitive, low-impedance earbuds can be risky, as it can be easy to turn them up to dangerously loud levels and potentially damage them.

Q: How can I make my laptop headphones louder?
A: All the steps above apply! Check your laptop’s main volume, the app’s volume, and any sound enhancement software (like Waves MaxxAudio or Dolby) that might be limiting the output. For wired headphones, a simple USB DAC/Amp can make a huge difference for laptops.

Final Thoughts

Dealing with quiet headphones can kill your vibe, but as you can see, there are many potential solutions. By systematically working through these steps, from simple volume checks to understanding more complex concepts like impedance, you can almost always find the culprit. Start with the software tweaks, as they are the most common reason for low volume on modern devices. If you’re still struggling after trying everything, it might be a sign of a hardware issue or simply a poor pairing between your source device and your headphones.

Hopefully, this guide has helped you solve how to fix headphones that are not loud enough. Now you can get back to what matters most: enjoying your music, podcasts, and movies at the perfect volume. For more deep dives and reviews, be sure to explore the rest of Headphones Me.