With laptop problems associated with low sound levels when listening to music or watching videos, almost every owner of this type of equipment is faced. It's not even that the laptop’s built-in speakers are clearly not designed to increase the volume too much, but that this situation can be observed even when stationary speakers are connected. And not all users know how to make a sound louder than usual on a laptop, although several simple solutions to this problem, as they say, lie right under their feet. Consider some of the most popular methods that can increase the volume of audio playback, paying attention to the built-in tools of Windows operating systems, and to third-party software products, and to physical methods.
How to make the sound louder on the laptop keyboard?
To begin with, we offer some simple solutions that are available to any laptop owner. Apparently, there is no point in saying that all such computer devices have special buttons or keyboard shortcuts that allow you to adjust the volume.
On some models, they can be placed on the main panel, in others, the main keys of the keyboard unit are used in combination, for example, with the Fn, Alt or Shift buttons. This is the most elementary that you can offer the layman.
Simple Sound Enhancement Solutions
How on a laptop to make sound louder with keys for the same built-in speakers, it seems, is understandable. But when connecting additional acoustics of an active type, when the volume control is located directly on the speakers or subwoofer, after setting the maximum volume in Windows, you can add sound on the speaker system.
However, quite often you can meet situations where the sound seems to be at its maximum, and something is wrong when watching a movie online in a browser or when communicating in a favorite Skype program with volume.
Many users, unfortunately, do not pay any attention to adjusting the volume level in the mixer built into the operating system, and it is in it that the volume sliders are displayed for running applications. As already clear, to increase the sound level, it is enough to simply move them for each specific program to the maximum mark.
Change audio outputs and acoustics
Another fairly common situation related to lowering the volume is the soundcards used. So, for example, in ultrabooks very often not integrated sound chips are installed, but full-fledged cards that are inserted directly into the slots of the motherboard. At the same time, few people pay attention to the fact that when connecting speakers to a sound card or even to a USB port, the output signal level is noticeably lower than when using the headphone output (this is an axiom). Therefore, sometimes with a small difference in the resistance of the speakers and the headphone output, it is better to use it.
If we talk about how to make the sound louder on the laptop by changing the used speaker system, we can offer to install really only those speakers that are equivalent in resistance to the outputs of the sound cards to which they will be connected. However, many experts advise doing much easier and purchase wireless Bluetooth speakers. It is believed that when using them, the difference in sound will be noticeable immediately.
Driver Update Issues
Sometimes the loss of volume may even be due to the fact that the drivers of the sound card are outdated, and it is no secret that manufacturers of any computer equipment are constantly working to improve its work by installing the latest versions of control software. It is possible that it is his update that will give the desired effect.
Using Windows means it makes no sense to update, but it’s better to download the latest drivers from the official resource of the manufacturer of acoustics (you can even specify the exact search by device identifiers, which are defined in the “Device Manager”) or entrust an update to automated programs like Driver Booster, which themselves identify installed "Iron" and some virtual components, after which they find the latest drivers exclusively on the official resources of manufacturers and developers, and for thereby integrating the software into the system without user intervention.
How to make sound louder in Windows using the built-in tools?
But you can’t especially count on drivers, since you still won’t get any noticeable gain, for objective reasons, so to speak. But how on a laptop to make the sound louder? As it turns out, if necessary, you can even use the hidden means of the operating system, which many users often forget or do not know at all.
We are talking about calling up the settings of playback devices, selecting the one you need from the list, going to the properties and activating the Bass Booster and Loudness equalization elements on the Enhancements tab. How to make a loud sound? For the first parameter, you can set your own maximum frequency values (or leave the default settings), but the activation of the second option with a decrease in volume allows you to automatically reach its level to the total maximum value. But there is a downside. The fact is that if the signal level in the track or video is excessively increased, it will be automatically reduced. Actually, this is the principle of loudness or normalization, which is practically the same.
Increase the playback level in software players
Now a few words about how to make a loud sound when using all kinds of software players. For example, in the classic Windows media player, you can use the audio track options and set the maximum boost level (Boost), as well as increase the overall level to as much as 400%! Of course, this is clearly not true, however, you will immediately feel the difference.
The VLC player initially has the ability to set the exceeded audio level directly on the volume panel, and the value reaches 125%. In combination with additional treatments, more can be achieved.
Some players can also use the built-in DSP effects, in particular, the equalizer. When it is activated, some advise setting the frequency sliders to the highest position, which will give a noticeable increase in volume. But, I think this is not the best solution, because in the end you can get wheezing and locking. The best option is to use predefined settings or your own experiments.
The foobar2000 software player looks the most interesting in this regard. How to make a loud sound in it?
For this, it is simply ideal to install additional components in the form of special ASIO drivers, as well as a DSD processor and high-quality audio codecs.
Third Party Equalizers and Amplifiers
To increase the volume today, there are also many specialized utilities that are claimed to be able to significantly increase the volume at the level of the operating system. These include APO Equalizer, Letasoft Sound Booster and the like.
According to the developers of the second application, increasing the volume level can reach 500%. Tales, of course, but there is some truth to this.
The main problems when increasing the volume
With all this, some negative consequences of such actions should be especially taken into account. Firstly, as has already been said, if the sound level is increased too much, extraneous noise and signal distortion can be obtained, and secondly, there are no guarantees that the speakers will not tear on the connected speakers at the maximum volume level, speakers (speakers), no absolutely no. And if at that moment the microphone is turned on, and a tip (whistle) begins in the columns, then you can get quite unpleasant sensations yourself (if you don't go deaf at all). Therefore, when performing such experiments, be extremely careful and careful.
Additional solutions
If we talk about how to make a loud sound on a laptop, you can add a couple more tips. So, for example, if you have additional equipment at home, such as music centers, amplifiers or home theaters, you can organize the sound output to their own speakers. If you want to use software methods, try to initially process the audio in special editors like Adobe Audition (former Cool Edit Pro application), Sound Forge and the like.
Each such program has options for amplification (Amplify) and normalization (Normalize) audio, plus - a lot of professional additional effects superimposed in real time or using pre-listening before saving sound material.