# PC speaker volume controls so sensetive - why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 24, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629 "2002-06-24T01:41:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629/1 "2002-06-24T01:41:49Z")
Why in god’s name are the volume controls on most, if not all PC speakers so amazingly sensetive?! When my music is too loud a very very slight turn turns it off altoghether, then a very very slight turn in the other direction tripples the volume from what it was originally! This has been the case on all speaker systems I’ve had for my evolving computer, and on other people’s computers. So I don’t think it’s a one-off. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629/2 "2002-06-24T01:50:37Z")
Do you mean “PC speaker” volume or “speakers connected to PC” volume ? there is a big difference… just clarifying… ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629/3 "2002-06-24T01:57:31Z")
Sorry. I mean speakers connected to PC. i.e. the physical volume knob. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629/4 "2002-06-24T02:06:58Z")
The volume on your desktop may be too high. The control on your taskbar, or whatever you pc guys call that thing on the bottom. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Com2Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Com2Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Com2Kid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629/5 "2002-06-24T02:24:40Z")
What he said. 😃 Typicaly you have to adjust your Wave Out volume, your Master Volume, and your speakers to get any sort of decency. A bit annoying but. . . . heh. Individual applications also may have volume controls. ---
**Author:** ![glilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/48db29/32.png) [@glilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glilly)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629/6 "2002-06-24T03:33:12Z")
There can be several volume controls, from the application through the little speaker icon in the lower right through the knob (or buttons) on the speaker itself. If any of these are on a high setting, other vol controls will seem sensitive. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629/7 "2002-06-24T16:33:27Z")
basically, what everybody said… click on the yellow speaker looking icon in your system tray bottom right of your screen… slide the main volume control and wave (the first two) to somewhere in the middle. adjust up and down till you get desired sensitivity from volume knob on speakers. if you’re using winamp or some other music software, check whether it is overriding these settings… sometimes winamp could reset the wave out to very high or very low when run, thus affecting the volume knob sensitivity… ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629/8 "2002-06-24T16:43:32Z")
Thanks for the help everyone. I tended to leave all the software volumes on full and use the physical volume, because I know some software (and windows) has a tendancy/ability to alter the software volumes. I did it the way I did it for peace of mind. Also, I believe that if you set the physical volume on high and use the software volumes to control the final volume then the speakers’ amplifier is working hard for to amplify a small signal, rather than not so hard to amplify a bigger signal. I thought that would degrade sound quality. Would anyone care to comment on weither that conception is correct or not? I guess I should trust my computer more and stick to using the software volume controls. they _are_ far less sensitive afterall. thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-speaker-volume-controls-so-sensetive-why/115629/9 "2002-06-24T18:32:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lobley \* > \*\*Thanks for the help everyone. > Also, I believe that if you set the physical volume on high and use the software volumes to control the final volume then the speakers’ amplifier is working hard for to amplify a small signal, rather than not so hard to amplify a bigger signal. I thought that would degrade sound quality. Would anyone care to comment on weither that conception is correct or not? > \*\* it would in most cases cause a large amplification of a small input signal and thus lead to greater noise to signal ratio and hence slightly degraded sound quality. This is my understanding. Would an audio engineer care to back-up or strike down my arguement ? I suggest, therefore, that you leave the software volumes at mid-level, and use the external volume knob to adjust final sound levels. This will correct your high-sensitivity problem and keep the noise amplification to an acceptable level. ofcourse, now that you know the theory you can sit and experiment with the best balance for your listening pleasure.