Is there any way to limit the volume?

Hi there.

Recently I purchased some Sennheiser HD 555 headphones.

Sadly, they are TOO loud for me. I mean, my maximum acceptable volume level is at about 15-20% of windows volume. (in my previous headphones, I could easily have it at 70-85, although they did have a volume control in the cable, and I had it at medium-high)

Anyway, is there a way to limit the volume in windows, so I don't lose my ears if I switch from speakers (usually at level 85-100) to headphones and I mistakenly leave the volume up?

THanks!

 

Do you mean recognize the headphones and adjust accordingly?

 

Well that would be just great, but I'd also accept manually limiting it

 

I am confused what is the difference between "I'd also accept manually limiting it" and "and I mistakenly leave the volume up"?

If you forget to turn the volume down, aren't you just as likely to forget to manually limit it? I think what you are asking for is what Clutch suggested, an automatic sensing of the headphones. The Sony audio drivers for my Sony FZ190 do that. They remember the volume level for headphones and speakers. I don't use those drivers anymore. The newer version lacked some settings I want. The stock Vista audio driver have that missing setting, but they don't remember the headphone versus speaker volume.

Bottom line is that it IS possible on some laptops that have the ability to sense the presence of headphones, but I don't know of any software (other than certain drivers) that can implement this function.

Gary

 

Try a more advanced sound mixer like this

http://www.reallyeffective.co.uk/sound-control/

 

But doesn't that still require the OP to remember to take action when switching to headphones?

Gary

 

About the first paragraph:

Of course I'd prefer to automatically limit it, but if that's not possible I wouldn't mind auto limiting it?

Why? Because eventhough I can always put it manually at 15% what if it goes higher by mistake, while I have those headphones on? I tried to put the volume at 100% with the headphones off and I could use them as speakers!!! That's insane.

I forgot to mention I'm running Windows 7 32b on a Dell XPS M1530 (With Sigmatel Audio drivers)

 

if you have different output 'devices' (don't know how they're named in english windows), you can configure the volume of each one individually.

but this depends, if windows actually see both outputs as different devices, or your soundcard driver does mix'n'match them as it wants. if this is the case, check in the drivers settings if there is something that could handle it.

 

I already checked the drivers and nothing can be done with them. Also, they are treated as the same device. Once you connect the headphones the speakers stop working and vice versa (do you use vice versa in english? )

 

you can, and i understand it, i'm from switzerland (at least, i guess you can use it ).

what speaker type is it? some realtek or somewhat else?

 

First be clear that, which volume you want to limit?
You can limit any volume from your system.

 

I'm using the laptop speakers

I want to limit the general volume of Windows (yeah, the little speaker near the clock)

 

i ask what speaker type the laptop speaker is. what driver do you use? is it from realtek or what? the sound chip, actually, not the speakers per se.

edit: you should have, from your sounddriver, a special tool to configure it exactly. looks f.e. similar to this, if it's a realtek.

 

Nope, it's Sigmatel, and I don't have anything like that.



EDIT: Yeah, and in advanced (AVANZADO) I only have "activate power management"

 

not much chance, then. maybe check on the sigmatel page for some driver update? or some tools?

 

Sigmatel website doesn't seem to work... Any other ideas?

 

yeah, get a volumeter (how's that called ) for your headphones? a physical thing you plug in between to regulate the volume.

 

Where can I buy one and how much can they cost? (and are they easy to install? )

 

There aren't too options for ya in auto switching your volume if your system cannot detect whether your audio output is through the speakers or through the headphones.

I know my system will detect if you plug in headphones, but it doesn't do anything more than display a popup.

 

Well, my system does detect that there are some headphones plugged, and if there's a microphone it displays a popup (sigmatel)

 

My original Sigmatel driver did this AND it remembered two separate volume settings, one for headphones and one for speakers. I don't use that driver any longer as I mentioned before.

Gary

 

The default Vista/ Windows 7 audio driver remembers Volume settings for speakers and headphones separately. The Sigmatel driver has just one volume setting for Speakers/Headphones combined.

 

Rajeesh,

Right you are my friend. I was posting that from memory (big mistake) and had the features totally reversed between the two drivers. It is the default one that remembers separate settings for the two. So that might be an option for JinRoh.

JinRoh, if you want to try the default Vista drivers just uninstall the old one and reboot. Vista will offer up the default "generic" driver to be used. It works really well with one BIG caveat. It will not switch from headphones to speakers or vice versa automatically IF an audio app is already running. You MUST switch BEFORE you start any audio app. It will also NOT automatically switch from internal to external mic. You have to do so manually. If you can live with that, it WILL provide you with the safety valve you want for your headphones. It also has a Loudness setting that for some laptops (like my Sony) improves the sound output on speakers.

Gary

 

no clue about the cost, but should not be expensive..

and about installation, they are just a cable in between..

 

Damn! That's one big con... (or two ) I loved the feature to switch from speakers to headphones on-the-air ... Anyway, the sigmatel drivers are old, and they are for vista... (and sigmatel seems to have dissapeared?) so I will try them


EDIT: Well I am now using the default drivers, and the sound is horrible, it doesn't sound as neat as with the sigmatel drivers, and I haven't found a single differnece in the mixer menu.... What am I missing?

Oh! That seems just perfect! What's its name?

 

no clue. it was just a quick google search for "headphone volume control" or something?

 

Oh, I found this "koss vc20" and it seems to be the answer to my problems =)

 

http://www.scansound.com/ is probably where you can find out.