Soundbar Too Loud? Here Are 5 Useful Tips
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You may have been watching a great movie, and when the scenes are tense and the music peaks, your soundbar turns from great to annoyingly loud. Regardless, there are solutions to this problem.
When a soundbar is too loud, try one of these four solutions:
- Switch to night mode
- Changing the settings
- Use a better soundbar
- Using headphones as a last resort
- Contact the manufacturer
Read the rest of this article for more details. Meanwhile, check out Will a Soundbar Make Your TV Louder?
Having an all too loud soundbar is a common problem that other audiophiles and homeowners experience. Soundbars have numerous other problems, and the volume adjustment is just one part of the hurdle.
Fortunately, it’s not hard to solve, and if you’re interested in getting that problem out of the way, you’re welcome to keep reading.
Here’s What You Need To Know To Solve An All Too Loud Sound Bar
Soundbars are a great addition to any sound system, more so if you’re into surround sound and you’re a cinephile. Nothing beats having the ultimate movie experience in the comfort of your home.
Nonetheless, there are instances when the soundbar turns from an incredible addition to a noise blasting device.
The soundbar defeats its purpose, and well, that isn’t a good investment for your home or your sound system. So what can you do about it?
Why Do Sound Bars Have Varying Volumes?
First things first, to understand the nature of the problem. To solve the issue, you’ll need to troubleshoot the soundbar essentially. What’s troubleshooting?
Troubleshooting is a process whereby you analyze and solve serious problems. Many tech gurus use troubleshooting methods to solve issues with computers, smartphones, PCs, etc. You can use the same concept to troubleshoot your soundbar.
The initial part of the troubleshooting process is to identify the problem. Thankfully that’s the basis of this article. The problem is that the soundbar gets too loud.
Next on the list is to recreate the problem. Ensure that you notice instances when the soundbar gets too loud.
Maybe you noticed it during tense, orchestra-based moments in the film or when the soundtrack got to the loudest dynamic range.
What is dynamic range? Dynamic range is the ratio of the loudest to the softest part of the sound. You could say that dynamic range is the reason why your soundbar gets too loud all of a sudden. So how do you fix it?
What To Do When Your Sound Bar Is Too Loud
This part is the last part of the troubleshooting process. It will allow you to solve the main problem and possibly ensure it never happens again. So here’s what you need to do when your soundbar is too loud.
1. Switch to Night Mode
You might not know it, but the night mode feature on your soundbar might be the answer to your problem. Experts list it as one of the ten essential features of a soundbar.
How does it solve the problem? Night mode allows your soundbar to compress the dynamic range. So when you encounter loud sounds, your soundbar doesn’t just rocket out of orbit.
Not only that, but you can get the same effect with voice mode. Ensure that your soundbar comes with either one or both of these features before buying one.
2. Changing The Settings
Next on the list is changing your settings. If it gets too loud, you may need to switch off the surround sound to eliminate the dynamic range effects. It’s an unwelcome trade-off, that’s for sure, but it has a high probability of getting rid of the problem.
If you’re still unsure, you can try switching off the surround sound for a couple of uses. If it doesn’t appeal to you, you can switch it back on and try other methods.
Another setting you can look into is a firmware upgrade. How do you do this? You can check with the brand you got your soundbar. Brands like Vizio offer firmware updates, and you can access them from their website.
3. Use A Better Sound Bar
The best of the best soundbars will come with Dynamic Range Control. DRC is a feature that prevents your soundbar from getting too loud when your volume is low. The best thing about DRC is that it is automated, so you don’t have to adjust the volume all the time manually.
The downside of this feature is that you can only find it in mid-tier to high-end soundbars. If this feature tickles your fancy, you may have to part with a little bit more than you bargained.
4. Use Headphones
If all else fails, use headphones. They may not be an appealing solution, but they are the last resort, and quite frankly, they do work. Not only that, but they work on multiple devices.
5. Contact The Manufacturer
Last but not least, if none of the methods above are satisfactory, contact your soundbar brand support and get assistance. Customer support will help you with this problem to the best of their ability.
Soundbar FAQs.
Why Is Your Sound Bar Isn’t As Loud As It Used To Be?
It could be a change in settings that’s caused the problem. Ensure that night mode is off before use and ensure that your soundbar is on while in use.
Why Are My Speakers Too Loud At 1%?
It could be an issue with dynamic range. You need to adjust the dynamic range control on your audio system.
What Makes A Sound Bar Loud?
The purpose of a soundbar is to make things loud. So you could say that it’s fulfilling its intended purpose to be loud.
Sources
- Whitson Gordon, How to deal with movies that bounce from too quiet to too loud, Popular Science, https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/movies-too-quiet-too-loud/ Accessed October 23rd, 2021.
- Felix Wilson, How to fix your soundbar: common problems explained, Which? https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/sound-bars/article/how-to-fix-your-sound-bar-common-sound-bar-problems-explained-aoqVp9B2rqWt Accessed October 23rd, 2021.
- Noor Alam, The Vizio Sound Bar Bass Too Loud, Speakers Mag, https://speakersmag.com/vizio-sound-bar-bass-too-loud/ Accessed October 23rd, 2021.
- Ben Patterson, Soundbar shoppers: Consider these 10 essential features, Tech Hive, https://www.techhive.com/article/3572636/soundbar-essential-features.html Accessed October 23rd, 2021.
