# What's up with my computer's sound?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 14, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017 "2005-08-14T23:37:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017/1 "2005-08-14T23:37:12Z")
Audio on my computer is absolutely frustrating. I have all the volume controls turned up to the max and I can still barely hear anything from the speakers. Most audio that I would listen is from the internet (like say the latest Strong Bad email or streaming audio from KEXP) Now okay, this would tend to make you think the problem is with the speakers… but occasionally some audio from the internet (random video or sound clips) will play at a normal volume (well, actually they will play QUITE loud because, like I said, the volume controls are all turned to the max.)
Game sound tends to play at a relatively regular volume but audio CDs play very quietly.
Sound is coming out of both speakers at all times just very quietly.
Any ideas what is causing this?
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017/2 "2005-08-15T00:03:49Z")
Are you using Windows Media Player to play your music CD’s? It sounds like you just need to adjust the volume in WMP (same idea no matter what player you use actually).
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017/3 "2005-08-15T00:27:53Z")
All the volume levels are turned up to the max. Unless there’s some in program volume control other than the little slider bars that each program has.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017/4 "2005-08-15T00:41:22Z")
WMP has a volume control.
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017/5 "2005-08-15T00:57:12Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> WMP has a volume control.
Other than the slider button? And if so where?
And would that effect so much of my audio… even from things like Real Player?
Like I said… Every obvious volume control in Real Player/ AOL Media Player/ Windows Media Players, ETC ETC… including the general volume control on the toolbar… is at max.
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### Author:  [@Fredescu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fredescu)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017/6 "2005-08-15T01:30:17Z")
Can you provide an example of a file that plays normally and a file that plays loudly? Will one file play loudly in one instance and later on play quietly? What player do you use to listen to CDs?
When checking your Windows volume control, go to Options, Properties, and make sure all relevant outputs are ticked. You may have all the visible sliders all the way up, but unchecked boxes in properties represent hidden sliders. Turn up the volume for the ones you’ve added.
Go into the audio properties in Control Panel. The actual icon will vary depending on your version of Windows. Look for the default playback device (on the Audio tab in Windows XP) and make sure that this is a sound card device and not a modem or something. Try changing the option that says to use only default devices. If it’s on, try with it off and vice versa.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017/7 "2005-08-15T01:31:01Z")
> [@Push You Down](#):
>
> Other than the slider button? And if so where?
>
> And would that effect so much of my audio… even from things like Real Player?
No.
If game sounds are ok, I’ll leave this to someone better than I.
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-computers-sound/317017/8 "2005-08-15T02:44:51Z")
> [@Fredescu](#):
>
> Can you provide an example of a file that plays normally and a file that plays loudly?
Okay… of course this is the only file that I remembered playing at normal sound level. It’s a clip from the Sunday Night Sex Show on Lifetime (?) Obviously not safe for work.
[http://www.idleriot.com/media/videos/Horrid/1033/Old\_Lady\_on\_Fellatio.html](http://www.idleriot.com/media/videos/Horrid/1033/Old_Lady_on_Fellatio.html)
> [@Fredescu](#):
>
> Will one file play loudly in one instance and later on play quietly?
No it’s always consistent.
> [@Fredescu](#):
>
> What player do you use to listen to CDs?
Windows Media Player. Internet streaming audio is from Real Player.
> [@Fredescu](#):
>
> When checking your Windows volume control, go to Options, Properties, and make sure all relevant outputs are ticked. You may have all the visible sliders all the way up, but unchecked boxes in properties represent hidden sliders. Turn up the volume for the ones you’ve added.
About two years ago there was no audio coming out and me and my computer savvy friend could not figure it out… Sure enough one of the audio boxes “mute all” was checked.
This is essentially a new computer. It’s scratch built from various parts. It runs Windows 98 and has a pentium 3.
> [@Fredescu](#):
>
> Go into the audio properties in Control Panel. The actual icon will vary depending on your version of Windows. Look for the default playback device (on the Audio tab in Windows XP) and make sure that this is a sound card device and not a modem or something. Try changing the option that says to use only default devices. If it’s on, try with it off and vice versa.
I’m playing around with some of these audio options… I have to restart Windows to see if they worked or changed anything.