Audio not loud enough at 100% in windows.

[Jonathan Cave]

I enjoy online gaming and i use sennheiser 201 headphones.

i'm finding that plugging the headphones directly into the front panel of the case or the rear of the case is not producing enough volume through the headphones. When i use the audio jack on the speakers they are not loud enough either (very basic cheap 2.1 speakers)

what is the cheapest way to boost the volume to the headphones?

 

[manofchalk]

Get a sound-card with a headphone amplifier, quite literally drives more power through the headset. I use an ASUS Xonar DGX, $20ish sound card that does exactly that.

 

[Jonathan Cave]

Thanks for the advice fella,

Is there no way of amplifying or modifying the existing on-board audio ?

it's a MSI G45 Gaming m/b

 

[Jonathan Cave]

how much will the ASUS Xonar DGX amplify the sound when compared to the realtek on-board sound ? will it at least double the sound ?

 

[manofchalk]

You could get an external DAC or headphone amplifier, but either way your still getting new hardware.
Not sure, but it definitely can make a headphones much louder. If I go full volume (on everything, headset itself, audio player and windows volume) with onboard audio, I can faintly hear it from an arms length away. Crank up the power from the headphone amplifier and I can clearly hear it from across the room.

Just for reference I'm using a Razer Carcharias headset, the effect you get may vary due to different headphones.

 

[ssddx]

those headphones are only 24ohm though... and i use 38ohm out of laptops, mp3 players and phones so i dont think its that issue manofchalk...

what is your windows volume set to?
what is your program volume set to? (for example windows media player)
what settings are you using in your audio drivers? (try setting to default)
how high do you have the volume knob on the speakers turned?

 

[ssddx]

how loud are the speakers (the 2.1 set) do they work correctly?

 

[manofchalk]

Could just be personal preference that he wants them louder, I found that with onboard I had to have everything at or near maximum to get a good volume, which introduced some other problems. With my sound card, I can keep all software volume controls maxed and keep the physical dial at around half to get similar volume.

I suspect the speakers are only acting as a pass through in this situation, if they could adjust the volume of the headphones connected too them then there wouldn't be a problem I think.

 

[Jonathan Cave]

The specifications of my speakers are:

Total FTC power: 7 watts RMS
Subwoofer: 4 RMS (into 4 ohms, @ 1 kHz, @ 10% THD)
Satellites: 1.5 RMS x 2 (into 4 ohms, @ 1 kHz, @ 10% THD)
Total peak power: 14 watts
Drivers:
Satellites: 2-inch high-excursion metallic drivers
Subwoofer : 4-inch Max-X™ high-excursion subwoofer
Speaker dimensions (H x W x D):
Satellites: 5.8” (145.9 mm) x 3.4” (84.9 mm) x 3.2” (81.7 mm)
Subwoofer: 8.4” (19 cm) x 5.5” (14 cm) x 7” (17.8 cm)

what is your windows volume set to? - 100%
what is your program volume set to? (for example windows media player) - 100%
what settings are you using in your audio drivers? (try setting to default) - i've checked these are at 100%
how high do you have the volume knob on the speakers turned? - It says in the manual that if i use the speakers to plug the headphones into the manual 'dial' for the volume won't work. (and i've tested this)

These are my speakers:

http/www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-LS21-Stereo-Speaker-System/dp/B0017915WA

so unless there's a way of increasing the sound volume output via the onboard audio i believe the solution is either; buy a sound card with built in amp as manofchalk suggested, OR buy a new speaker set, maybe even use a stereo system to increase the volume output to the headphones?

any help appreciated.

 

[ssddx]

yes... but do the speakers (note: not headphones... but the actual speakers) work perfectly fine ?

also do your headphones work on other devices like phones, mp3 players, etcetera fine or is there a volume issue there as well?

this is the part i dont get.... you mentioned you have a g45 motherboard.... i found the specs for a "z87 g45" here (check to see this is what you have)
http/us.msi.com/product/mb/Z87-G45-GAMING.html#overview

Studio level Integrated 600Ω Headphone amplifier

if that is definitely your motherboard.... it should be more than capable of powering those headphones. (another reason i asked you to check the headphones on other devices).

i personally run a pair of higher ohm (requires more power to drive) headphones on devices with less of an amp than you have and they work fine hence why i'm not sure its your motherboard.

if the problem is definitely an issue with the motherboard not providing enough power... then perhaps an amp (like a fiio) or a new soundcard is an option but i just dont see why it would be the motherboard given the specs (unless of course you have a different one if so give a link)

list your other hardware you have installed in the pc (complete hardware list) including the power supply. also, do you have all of the power connectors going to the motherboard? i'm going out on a limb here but perhaps if you didnt have an aux power plug in or if your psu is undersized that might be a limiting factor (again... going out on a limb here..) because to power a 600ohm headphone you need a heftier amp than what is in most systems.

 

[Jonathan Cave]

Yes they work fine, albeit they're not loud speakers though.

i haven't tested the headphones on other devices yet.

Yes that's my motherboard.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: XFX 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer


So if i have a 600ohm's headphone boost thingy, how the hell do i activate it ? lol

 

[ssddx]

850w psu on that system.... its not underpowered

you didnt list... but do you have all of your motherboard power connectors plugged in? looks like it takes a 24pin and an 8pin (odd... i would have thought it would take more... mine has at least 1 or 2 more.

test the headphones out on a different device. see if you have similar issues. if you have a pair of normal headphones (like earbuds or something) try them out on the pc.

have you talked to msi support yet? also is there anything in the software menu about enabling more output (ie that sound boost or whatever it was called)? i would think it should be an "option" since this would blow normal headphones.

 

[sora]

I enjoy online gaming and i use sennheiser 201 headphones.

i'm finding that plugging the headphones directly into the front panel of the case or the rear of the case is not producing enough volume through the headphones. When i use the audio jack on the speakers they are not loud enough either (very basic cheap 2.1 speakers)

what is the cheapest way to boost the volume to the headphones?

Weird... Have you made sure that you turned the volume up on your headphones as well?

 

[ssddx]

hmm... well looks like the low volume is a common issue.

but what i dont understand is why a soundcard rated for 600ohm headphones isnt capable of driving it.

in any case using a desktop amplifier (like a fiio) would probably work. i would just hate to have it be a software issue or something else that was missed and having the external amp be a waste.

good idea about a volume control on the headphones. i didnt see one on them when i looked. at the photos but then again i dont own them so i cant be sure.

 

[Jonathan Cave]

i havent got anything else to test the volume on and there's no volume controls on the headset itself.

i think the only solution is to buy some speakers which kick out loud volume and plug the headphones into the speakers with a good amp.

 

[Jonathan Cave]

ok tested my sennheiser headphones out on a HIFI and its much louder so it seems that the problem is with my soundcard amp's


if i bought thise http/www.amazon.co.uk/Plantronics-GameCom-Gaming-Headset-Surround/dp/B0079G2Y52 would it resolve the issue ? USB so doesnt need a sound card?

 

[manofchalk]

USB headphones have a DAC typically built into the USB plug itself.
It might solve your issue but you cant be sure. Those headphones could have a lower impedance or the 5v supplied by the USB connection is more than what is coming from your onboard sound. Just dont know.