Volume not loud enough - how do I bypass volume limit?

Buy a stereo headset with a stronger dB (decibel) output and you'll get a louder sound but be careful, loud music can impair your hearing. I learned this myself by frequently having max volume on my headset and playing drums quite often. Now, I felt I had trouble hearing what other people say sometimes. Or if you don't bother spending money, get a 5 in 1 speaker system.

By the way, Linux operating systems produce loud sound and by default, the volume is not even max. If you max a Linux's volume control, its 15-20% louder than max volume on Windows but Windows' sound quality is a bit clearer....anyway Linux's are louder with sound output. I use Linux Mint 9 and I seem to prefer it more when playing music like Mp3's or watching Youtube than Windows because its LOUDER definitely.

Yeah, VLC can make the volume louder (Volume goes to 200!), but a lot of times that's at the expense of audio Quality. It's just amplifying the signal in software which then clips the peaks that are there and eventually flattens the dynamic range and destroys the SNR Though in an emergency, if you want to hear something that's very quiet, it comes in handy...

setup your loudness setting in your speaker in control panel heres the screenshot

I'm somewhat horrified to see some of the suggestions here...

Protect your equipment, and use an amp and some proper speakers.

Heh yeah, the REAL solution is to use externally amplified speakers....

I have to keep the volume on my studio monitors to about 25% or I'll blow my ears out. :)

I use optical out to my sound coversion box, and i've never had anything on my pc set below 100%... (though the self-amped speakers...different story)...

seriously, you want it louder? buy an amplifier and some bigger speakers...

Just dont forget, if you decide to go stupid on how big your getting, keep them away from your PC, the magnetic field will format your HDD for you.

"carelessness causes loss of data"

DrToxic said:

I use optical out to my sound coversion box, and i've never had anything on my pc set below 100%... (though the self-amped speakers...different story)...

seriously, you want it louder? buy an amplifier and some bigger speakers...

Just dont forget, if you decide to go stupid on how big your getting, keep them away from your PC, the magnetic field will format your HDD for you.

"carelessness causes loss of data"

You'd need a speaker with a very strong magnet and you would have to have the hard drive basically attached to the speakers magnet to cause any damage or data loss.

Zepher said:

DrToxic said:

I use optical out to my sound coversion box, and i've never had anything on my pc set below 100%... (though the self-amped speakers...different story)...

seriously, you want it louder? buy an amplifier and some bigger speakers...

Just dont forget, if you decide to go stupid on how big your getting, keep them away from your PC, the magnetic field will format your HDD for you.

"carelessness causes loss of data"

You'd need a speaker with a very strong magnet and you would have to have the hard drive basically attached to the speakers magnet to cause any damage or data loss.

Agreed.
If you hold a harddrive in front of a PA speaker cone, you'll be safe.
The only way you'l get any type of magnetic interference is if you hold the drive right up to the PA speaker magnet itself.
PA speakers are a massive overkill for a PC anyway, unless you plan on filling a hall or auditorium. In which case you wouldnt have the PC anywhere near the speakers anyway.

You're not wrong, DrToxic. But just a bit out of context

Used to be a big problem back in the old CRT days... Most studio monitors and larger computer specific speakers are magnetically shielded.

Though with LCDs it's not really a problem any more...