How to Make Headphones Louder on a PC

If you find your headphones not loud enough when they're connected to your computer, make sure the volume is turned up on the PC. Also, see if your headphones themselves have a volume adjustment that you can turn up. You can also try using a volume booster program to increase their effective volume. Make sure to keep your headphones at a level that is comfortable to prevent hearing loss.

Whether you're using over-the-ear headphones, earbuds or any other kind of speaker, if you can't get the sound volume you want out of your PC, you should make sure the volume is turned up as high as you want it.

On all recent versions of Microsoft Windows, you can click the speaker icon in the notification tray to pop up a volume adjustment panel. Use the slider to set the volume to your desired level. It's often useful to do this with music or other sounds playing so that you can see in real time the effect of your adjustments.

Many Windows computers also have additional ways to adjust the volume without having to go to the notification tray. This can be useful if you're in an app that takes up the entire screen, like watching a movie or playing a video game. Many computers have volume adjustment keys on the keyboard, usually with speaker icons to show increasing, decreasing and muting the volume. If you're not sure where they are or how to use them, check your computer's manual or online documentation.

You can also find more detailed volume settings, including often setting the volume for individual speakers or headphones and for different apps, within the Volume Mixer in the Windows Control Panel. You can open this app by opening the Windows Control Panel, clicking Hardware and Sound and then clicking Adjust System Volume. On many versions of Windows, you can also open the Volume Mixer by right-clicking the speaker icon in the notification tray and clicking Open Volume Mixer in the pop-up menu.

The Volume Mixer will let you adjust volume for individual programs as well as the system overall and set other settings depending on your audio hardware.

Some headphones have their own physical volume adjustment switches or sliders. Look for this on the headphone cord or on the headphones or earbuds themselves and adjust the volume to a comfortable level. If you're not sure whether your headphones have such an option, check the documentation that came with them.

If your headphones have batteries, like many Bluetooth headphones, make sure the power is fully charged if you're having issues with sound volume or quality.

You can find third-party apps to let you control the volume of your computer. Some of these give you additional features like being able to control volume in a more granular way program-by-program or control which apps output to which set of speakers or headphones.

Many also say that they can boost the volume of programs beyond the standard Windows maximum. Some are free and some cost money to install and use. Explore the options that are available to you through various programs and pick one that offers the features you want at a price you like. Only download and install apps from trusted sources to avoid malware.

If you play sounds through headphones or earbuds at high volume for too long, you can damage your hearing permanently. Don't play audio so loud that it hurts your ears or feels overly loud.

Also use caution about playing loud audio if you're in an environment where you need to hear what's going on around you. If you're at work or in a public place, you may also want to make sure to keep your headphones quiet enough that others near you don't hear them.

Loud sounds can also damage your speakers. If the sound from your headphones or other speakers sounds distorted, consider turning it down for your own comfort and the longevity of your equipment.