Have you connected your headphones to your MacBook Pro and found that the volume was too low even when set to max? It can be frustrating when you’re trying to jam out when the sound is too soft, especially when you’ve done nothing to cause an issue. We’ll look at some potential causes and fixes for this issue below.
Why is my headphone volume so low on MacBook Pro?
You’re not alone if you think your headphones sound softer than usual when connected to a MacBook Pro. Users have been having issues with the audio being too low on MacBook Pro for over a decade. Unfortunately, there’s not a singular fix that will solve the problem.
There are a few reasons why your volume sounds too low:
- You’re using Bluetooth headphones
- NVRAM needs to be cleared
- Your headphones have built-in ear protection
- You have sound leveling enabled in Spotify or Apple Music
You’re using Bluetooth headphones
Bluetooth headphones just don’t bump that hard, especially earbuds. Even higher-end models like the AirPods Max have to strike a balance between battery life and audio output. Another issue might be that you’re not getting a good seal when wearing your headphones. If this is the case, audio will leak out, and you’ll get an overall weaker sound. Make sure your headphones are correctly fitted and see if that helps.
NVRAM needs cleaning to fix MacBook sound
An issue that seems to affect older MacBooks primarily is that the NVRAM can glitch and cause issues with the system volume control. Luckily, you can reset it on pre-M1 MacBooks by following these steps:
- Turn off the MacBook
- Turn on the laptop and immediately press and hold Option+Command+P+R
- Keep holding the keys, and the Apple logo will start, and then the laptop will appear to reset.
- Continue holding the keys until the Apple logo appears a second time.
This shouldn’t be an issue on M1 MacBooks since the NVRAM clears each time the computer restarts.
Your headphones have built-in ear protection
Some headphones have built-in ear protection that automatically lowers the volume when it reaches a certain level. Most of the time, you can just turn up the volume again, but it’s possible that the sound could get stuck at the reduced volume. If you think this is the case, try resetting the headphones and reconnect them to the MacBook.
You have sound leveling enabled in Spotify or Apple Music
I can confirm that both Spotify and Apple Music have a feature that equalizes the levels of each song. This could have the effect of lowering the volume of a song. If you’re experiencing issues with soft audio, enter the application’s settings and see if Sound Leveling is enabled. If so, turn it off and see if the problem is corrected.
