It’s a known fact that some laptops and notebooks are equipped with speakers that might not be able to emit the decibel level you want, or even to cover any other noise. It’s no surprise that everyone’s looking for a way to get more sound, since almost everything that surrounds us makes noise.
Sure enough, the first place to look for more sound is the system tray, in an attempt to max out system volume through Windows’ built-in controls. Alternatives might make you pull some cash out of your wallet to buy some powerful hardware components, speakers or headphones.
On the other hand, a lot can be done through programming and tweaking just the right software components to get the most out of them. A little research gives you different options to try out, and we bundled up some of the methods below. Getting more volume can be done through basic Windows features, as well as third-party applications.
Tweaking Windows volume controls
Sound travels through several filters before you hear it, and it’s not just dictated by the general system volume. Some applications come with their own controls that might be the cause of the low volume levels in some cases.
Check all audio controls:
-> If you’re running a web application or a song on YouTube, for instance, check its slider and max it out.
-> Right-click the Volume tray icon to Open Volume Mixer. If possible, move volume sliders up for the applications that make sound.
-> Check Playback Devices from the Volume tray icon to see if the correct one is used.
Update audio card drivers:
-> Right-click the tray icon to open Playback Devices.
-> Select the active one (with a green check icon) and access its Properties.
-> Under the Controller Information section, hit Properties.
-> Switch to the Driver tab and press Update if available and necessary.
Note: You can open up the DxDiag tool from the Run utility and check your Sound component’s details to manually look online for an update.
Alternative: Modern Windows iterations automatically try to update all drivers with an active Internet connection. You can manually configure how these updates are performed.
Apply audio enhancements:
-> Right-click the Volume tray icon to go to Playback Devices.
-> Double-click the active one and switch to the Enhancements tab.
-> Check the Loudness Equalisation option.
This function attempts to raise low level sounds to be clearly heard, while reducing high tones so that they’re not deafening. You might need to restart any running application for the changes to take effect.
Using third-party applications
Until Microsoft introduces a Windows feature to boost sound over maximum levels, third-party applications remain the best choice for increasing sound levels. You’re probably familiar with VLC Media Player’s capability of doubling playback volume, and here’s how to boost it for the entire system.
Step 1: Download and carefully install DFX Audio Enhancer.
Step 2: When prompted, allow the installation of the new device.
Step 3: Adjust Fidelity, Ambience, Surround, Dynamic Boost, and Hyperbass sliders to get more volume and quality.
Note: There are more presets to apply. Some are perfectly built for headphones, while others unleash the true potential of your audio system.