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Currently when using headphones on my MacBook Pro the volume goes from completely silent at 0 bars fairly loud at 1 bar (6%) very loud at 2 bars (13%) and everything above is painful. (Unless I for each app that provides its own slider changes the volume of this to about 4-5%, which is annoying and risky)
I'd like to adjust the "base volume" for all apps on the computer, lower it radically so that when I use the global volume buttons 50% is about comfortable 75% would be somewhat loud; e.g. I can actually use those buttons to finetune the volume (not just toggle between pain and no sound as it is now).
Are there any hidden config setting (or config files; I use Linux at work so I don't mind hacking config files either) where I can globally modify the sound level so that the volume buttons is actually usable?
Stein G. Strindhaug
Posted 2012-03-20T14:30:06.670
Reputation: 232
I have the same problem. I'm using 20 buck headphones and no built-in amp. Two bars is already too loud in some occasions. So mostly I use 0 bars and obviously no sound, or 1 bar; often, I use my cheap laptop when using the headphones to avoid running the risk of going deaf in case something unexpectedly happens to raise the volume up on the iMac. It's ridiculous that such an expensive computer can't get something so simple done right. I mean, seriously, what were they thinking when they designed it this way. – Daniel – 2017-04-11T15:43:06.263
I have the same issue with my iPhone but there 40% is loud and anything above 60% is painful (unless a track is mixed very low), but I can live with that (at least it has some steps i can use not just 3); and I assume it's impossible to modify that without jailbreaking it. – Stein G. Strindhaug – 2012-03-20T14:36:04.133
...if anyoune wonders I have very sensitive ears, and my headphones have fairly low impedance too ;) – Stein G. Strindhaug – 2012-03-20T14:39:42.617
No way around that I know of, but you can increase the volume gradually by pressing
Shift-Option-VolumeKeyor going to Audio MIDI Setup.app in Utilities. – slhck – 2012-03-20T14:45:13.280Yes, that's the closest to an answer I've found, but that is not a solution, it still relies on awkward key combos, or awkward pixel perfect positioning of a slider. But there ought to be a setting that can make the volume buttons functional as volume buttons. Now it's just a "no sound", "loud", "pain" switch... :P – Stein G. Strindhaug – 2012-03-20T14:52:19.810
See also: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/19146/is-fine-volume-adjustment-possible-in-os-x-lion
– Spiff – 2012-03-20T18:05:23.013Just curious, do you have completely passive headphones, or do they have a built-in amp? – Spiff – 2012-03-20T18:07:00.110
@Spiff: They're passive (Shure SHR840), but I guess 44 Ohm is very low impedance. (Actually, if I touch the unplugged jack when wearing the headphones I can hear clicking when static electricity is discharged from my fingers, so it's really sensitive) – Stein G. Strindhaug – 2012-03-20T20:24:21.487