external soundcard volume too high

I have the steelseries external soundcard and the volume of my computer (np9150) is at 1 and it's still too loud for my headphones. The steelseries headphones come with another sound controller so that one is fine, but any that don't have it is way too loud!

If i use the headphone jack on the computer, the sound is terrible but the sound is at normal volumes.

Any solutions?

 

The USB sound card should get it's own volume slider in the windows audio controls. If they are not there when you click the speaker icon go the the mixing panel.

 

yeah the usb sound card has its own volume slider which adjusts the volume for any headphones attached to it. However with my normal headphones are too loud using the usb sound card volume slider at volume 1. The only reason my steelseries headphones work perfectly is because it has a separate volume adjuster attached to it, which was turned down.

 

It helps to install the official drivers.

 

i have the steelseries driver installed, is that what you are talking about?

 

So you have both the Windows sound volume slider turned down, as well as the separate volume slider for the Steelseries adapter per the proprietary software turned down, but it's still too loud unless you use the audio control on your headphones? Have you tested with other headphones as well?

 

I have the same card and indeed non-steelseries headphones are pretty loud on default settings. Use the volume sliders on the steelseries control panel to turn the volume down, I'm talking about these:

 

I recommend the use of Equalizer APO, install it to the USB soundcard. Modify the config text file in the program files for the Equalizer APO (which is how you use it after first installing it) and set the preamp settings to -28 dB from the -6 dB that is default set and save the text file. It should immediately work upon saving, so hook up your USB soundcard to a pair of speakers and run a song while you modify the settings to verify the change. Should work well with 12% standard volume then.


ALSO, USB ports are individualized. Therefore, if you plug a USB soundcard into one of your laptop's USB ports, it will only install drivers for THAT port. Same goes with Equalizer APO. If you want that soundcard to initialize with Equalizer APO on all of your laptop's USB ports for the same soundcard, you must manually install the other ports (plug in the soundcard to each port and run the exe to install on the card) - the sound settings in Windows will show "soundcard 1"...""soundcard 2"..."soundcard 3" since those are tied to which USB port the device the drivers were installed on. This also applies to USB hubs, so any new USB ports will be treated as a 'new device'.

Please note: I would be cautious still. You don't want to blow your ears off if it somehow doesn't initialize on a reboot or instant plug in of the sound card (don't know if Equalizer APO will make a mistake and not initialize the device).

 

You can try an in-line attenuator. E.g.: Bose | Bose® headphones airline adapter | Accessories

Or an in-line volume control. E.g.: Amazon.com: Shure EAADPT-KIT Adapter Kit (Combines 1/4" Adapter, Airline Adapter, Attachable Volume Control): Musical Instruments

You can then leave your "software" volume levels in the sweet spot of your audio adapter's DACs to maintain decent dynamic range instead of trying to output the sound near the noise floor. But depending on the impedance of your headphones, the these adapters may degrade or improve your listening experience (alter frequency response). Something to try...

 

ahh yess that worked!!!! i missed that area... it's now at -20 lol. Now it's only slightly too soft with the steelseries headset, and slightly too loud with normal headphones but the volume adjuster is now normal!

Thanks guys

 

Lol, I hate it when you have loads of different sliders for different pieces of kit :/ Can be an ear splitting mistake if you get something the wrong way round.