USB headphones are very loud at lowest windows volume setting. Any way to attenuate?

Question

At the lowest volume level, my USB headphones are very loud. Ridiculously loud. I checked with the manufacturer (Plantronics) for drivers, but this seems to be a generic usb headphone driver.

Is there anyway to attenuate the volume of USB audio devices?

Thanks.

Solution 1

This is a bug with the Windows-provided USB audio drivers. In other words, its a Microsoft screwup. They've never chosen to fix it, for some bizarre reason.

Any USB audio device in Win Vista or later will have this same effect, unless the vendor has provided their own custom driver. The default Windows driver has a mathematical error in it which MS has simply ignored, for years now.

Solution 2

Odds are you are using the wrong volume control. There are actually several of them.

Try Manage Audio Devices -> Playback -> USB Audio Device
-> Properties -> Levels.

Also, check the Enhancements tab while you're there and turn off any boost options. You can try equalization or correction options.

Comments

[Mokubai]

possible duplicate of Lower volume level below 1

[marathon]

nope - it is at 1.

[fixer1234]

Is there any reference you can cite where people can go for further information?

[Jolta]

For me, the Levels setting under Properties corresponds completely to the level set in the windows audio mixer. I.e. it goes up and down as I adjust the volume. This is in Windows 10.