Will a soundcard boost volume

[kenmtb]

Hi-
My HPz400 produces a lower volume than my old dell 620. I have everything maxed out in the realtek driver per suggestions on the web but the sound is still kind of low. Would getting a cheap soundcard boost the volume. I had a card years ago and it had a volume dial on it and it was pretty strong.
Thanks

 

[fireberd]

The short answer is no. Sound Cards do not have power amplifiers on them. They output a signal and its up to the speakers amplify the sound. Years ago, sound cards had power amplifiers built into them but that was before Windows XP.

If your headset is not loud enough, you will have to get a small headset amplifier to connect between the PC and the headset or a different headset. If the speakers are not loud enough, a new higher power speaker system is needed.

However, if there is a hardware problem with the on-board Realtek then a separate sound card MAY help your situation.

 

[kenmtb]

Thanks for the info. This is sad. I updated the drivers and maxed out all of the volume controls. And experimented with selection various options that were suggested with only a nominal increase in volume. windows has taken a step backwards vs XP. A lot of people are having the same issues. I looked as some amplifiers but they seem to require a battery or are expensive. Is there something that can plug into a usb?

 

[fireberd]

Without doing a lot of research I don't know if a small USB powered amplifier is available.

I have 4 different PC's (two desktops and two laptops) with Realtek on-board sound and its more than enough for my powered speakers, internal speakers on the laptops or a headphone.

Here is an older forum post that offers some help for headphones, on SOME systems.
http://www.sevenforums.com/sound-audio/288802-realtek-hd-low-volume-fix.html

 

[countzero]

The short answer is no. Sound Cards do not have power amplifiers on them. They output a signal and its up to the speakers amplify the sound. Years ago, sound cards had power amplifiers built into them but that was before Windows XP.

nope. professional soundcards will output at +4db, consumer grade devices at -10.
VLC will let you play audio at 200% volume. is a fix if source is encoded too low.
you could spend anything between 50 and 5000.- on a mixer, soundcard or speakers, any of the three is a possible solution.

controlling volume in windows mixer is retarded btw. soundcards only offer full resolution at full level. level reduction should happen in the analog realm.

 

[kenmtb]

The short answer is no. Sound Cards do not have power amplifiers on them. They output a signal and its up to the speakers amplify the sound. Years ago, sound cards had power amplifiers built into them but that was before Windows XP.

nope. professional soundcards will output at +4db, consumer grade devices at -10.
VLC will let you play audio at 200% volume. is a fix if source is encoded too low.
you could spend anything between 50 and 5000.- on a mixer, soundcard or speakers, any of the three is a possible solution.

controlling volume in windows mixer is retarded btw. soundcards only offer full resolution at full level. level reduction should happen in the analog realm.

Sorry for being a non technical noob, you are saying that a soundcard may boost the volume to my headphones? Thanks PS I have found an external sound card that may work but Im not sure https://jet.com/product/62d0ff6d9312440ea888dd35546d1193?jcmp=pla--ggl--electronics_other--electronics_electronics_accessories_computer_components_other--.--.--.--.--.--2&code=PLA15&k_clickid=68382527-d6c8-4381-8fbf-eca3ecfcc8c1&kpid=62d0ff6d9312440ea888dd35546d1193&gclid=CjwKEAjwovytBRCdxtyKqfL5nUISJACaugG1OVo-69G3R0ZkteWZxkQPO3E4U3ck77_pvmffUaDOURoC_n_w_wcB

 

[countzero]

didn't know it was about headphones. here impedance also comes into play.
low impedance headphones (~30ohm) will deliver high volume without much amplification.
but yes, that external souncard will most likely boost volume even though it looks like crap.
anything decent will set you back upwards of 130 bucks.
I've had indestructable sennheiser HD25 headphones for 19 (!!!) years and they are very loud on anything although relatively high 70 ohms. 180$ to buy, but i don't know anybody else with less than 9 bucks in annualized headphone cost
that's a great feature about studio grade audio stuff: you don't ever have to upgrade. I've had my genelec speakers for 15 years. they will blow anything from the consumer space out of the water for another 20. great TCO

 

[kenmtb]

$130 wow thats over my budget for sound. I am shocked that the sound signal can not seem to be easily amplified by windows7 or it's software. Im not an audiophile by any means. It would be nice to be able to hear some of the quiet youtube videos like I did when I had xp

 

[countzero]

"....can not seem to be easily amplified by windows7 or it's software" VLC can. but it will give you clipping if source file is strong. won't youtube.
i think high quality lower impedance headphones might improve your life all around. PC, ipod, smartphone...
you can also buy the external sound card you mentioned. but don't expect it to be high quality, last long or provide future driver updates.
but the best way to save money in the long run is to buy proper stuff once, never upgrade. audio can do that, silicone can't.

 

[kenmtb]

good points. I feel kind of mad that I have to upgrade to expensive headphones to hear the same youtube tutorials that came in loud and clear before I moved to windows7. Quite a few folks are complaining about the sound quality of windows 7. Microsoft needs to step it up. Guess Ill look around for some low impedance phones

 

[society misfit]

As much as you could benefit from quality headphones, do not believe they will increase the output volume of a Youtube video (or any media for that matter). It is little more complicated than that.

The Impedance of the majority of cheap consumer grade headphones (not saying what you currently own is cheap) is actually pretty low. They also employ a somewhat high sensitivity. This allows them to be compatible with multiple devices such as smart phones, ipods and laptops that have a poorly implemented headphone amplifier (for simple terms). Here is an example…

Apple ear buds has an impedance of ~25ohms and a sensitivity of 109db per 1mv. A somewhat high end In Ear Monitor (IEM) which costs 3x that of the Apple has a impedance of 13ohms and a sensitivity of 92db per 1mv. Despite having lower impedance, the high end IEM also has a lower sensitivity rating therefore will not play as loud as the Apple ear buds.

Also when dealing with low impedance headphones you have the possibility of an impedance mismatch with your headphone output which could result in a constant hiss. But I will save that techie talk for another conversation.

If you are disappointed with the output volume of your current headphone jack, the simplest solution is to buy a headphone amplifier. I can’t comment on that Creative Labs you pointed out above. But given its cost and extremely vague specs I would be skeptical about its quality.

Countzero hit the nail on the head by stating the best way to save money is to buy the right gear ONCE and never upgrade. It’s unfortunate but this usually means paying a little more than anticipated.

 

[kenmtb]

Thanks guys. Sorry if I sound a bit frustrated. Loosing volume after upgrading windows stinks. The sound quality of my cheap Teknmotion phones is good enough for now. Guess Ill check out headphone amps at my local electronics store.

 

[countzero]

yeah, but a headphone amp will only solve your current problem, might be useless on your next machine.
dis first maybe: if your store has headphones on display, bribe the salesclerk with 10.- to borrow you headphones while depositing double the value of what you borrow.

 

[scr]

If you have powered speakers, barring any impedance issues, do your speaker by chance have a headphone jack? Even rather cheap powered speakers generally have one. I use my powered speaker jack simply to adjust the volume and rarely ever use the speakers at all just because the headphones sound so much better and I don't annoy my wife who is a avid reader.

Powered speakers are much cheaper then a amp if they would work for you.

 

[Wishmaster]

As mentioned a good sound card will cost a bit of money. $100+

IMHO, the cheap sound cards are not worth getting as they often are not much better than onboard. (There may be exceptions, Im just speaking in general)

A good card may not give more volume, but will give more clarity/detail. However, this detail may not be noticed.
The number one thing will be your speakers/headphones. If they aren't up to the job then no sound card will help them much.
And then there the fact some people simply can't tell the difference. To their ears, theres no difference. And others can.


If you are just looking for a volume boost, a small Headphone amplifier or a good set of amplified speakers would be the best bet. I have the Klipsch 2.1 THX set and they are great. But there are many other good choices.

And as already mentioned, on headphone watch the Ohm rating. In general, higher ohm rated speakers/headphones will sound better but need more power to drive.

For example:
I have some Sennheiser 558s headphones , 50 Ohm.
They sound good through my Phone and my PCs Sound Card, but I can tell they are missing something. They are acceptable, but seem to be lacking. More so on the phone.

But on my big amp(Home Sound System) , they flat out rock and sound truly amazing. Hands down one of the best set of headphones Ive personally ever owned.

If I use my 32Ohm earbuds in my Phone, they actually sound better and louder than the 558s. But they do not sound better than the 558s properly amped.

Id say (without any amp) stay under 35/32 Ohm. 50 will be acceptable, but you will notice they don't sound as they should, or could sound.

No amp, low ohm. With amp, you have a lot more options.

Amazon has a lot of little headphone/speaker amps pretty cheap.

 

[michael diemer]

If you value your hearing, and want to hear well when you're older, do not use headphones!

 

[scr]

If you value your hearing, and want to hear well when you're older, do not use headphones!

There is nothing wrong with using headphones. It's the volume level that causes the harm. Keep it reasonable and your hearing will be fine. On the other hand if you play music excessivly loud then you will hurt your ears. The same can be said about chain saws, leaf blowers, weed eaters, lawn mowers and anything else that is excessively loud.

 

[countzero]

If you have powered speakers, barring any impedance issues, do your speaker by chance have a headphone jack? Even rather cheap powered speakers generally have one.

Powered speakers are much cheaper then a amp if they would work for you.

now, you are a bloody genius!

 

[kenmtb]

If you have powered speakers, barring any impedance issues, do your speaker by chance have a headphone jack? Even rather cheap powered speakers generally have one. I use my powered speaker jack simply to adjust the volume and rarely ever use the speakers at all just because the headphones sound so much better and I don't annoy my wife who is a avid reader.

Powered speakers are much cheaper then a amp if they would work for you.

Hey that sounds like a great idea. I dont have speakers but I can get some. That may be the way to go. I don't listen to a lot of loud music even when I had win xp and could hear things.

 

[scr]

If you have powered speakers, barring any impedance issues, do your speaker by chance have a headphone jack? Even rather cheap powered speakers generally have one. I use my powered speaker jack simply to adjust the volume and rarely ever use the speakers at all just because the headphones sound so much better and I don't annoy my wife who is a avid reader.

Powered speakers are much cheaper then a amp if they would work for you.

Hey that sounds like a great idea. I dont have speakers but I can get some. That may be the way to go. I don't listen to a lot of loud music even when I had win xp and could hear things.

Make sure the speakers have a volume control and the headphone jack. It would be wise to purchase them at a location that you can return them to in case they don't accomplish your desired effect.