Maximum volume too low on your S60 3rd Edition device?
Quick question for all of you out there - Is the maximum volume too low on your S60 3rd Edition device? Specifically, you’re Nokia E-series device? I remember reading some concerns about this a while back on some blogs.
After a firmware update to my Nokia E61 and E70, the maximum volume became too low. So low that it rendered the device useless for audio playback in noisy conditions like on the city street or bus. I know it’s not a hardware issue because the volume was at an acceptable level until the firmware update. And I know it’s not isolated to one application like the native Music Player, because I experience this same issue on 3rd-party music players.
So if any of you are experiencing this, please let me know in the comments section below! I’ll hunt around the company and find a solution for this. Cheers all!
UPDATE: As a daily hourly reader of AAS, I’m not sure how I missed this - But Steve Litchfield explains how to pump up the volume of the Music Player using the equalizer in the settings. However, it’s still not loud enough, and the equalizer is only for the Music Player - what about other players that don’t have it (DivX Player is one I’ve tested). Even with the equalizer, it’s still not loud enough. 
I certainly do have this problem! Listening to music on my E61 was fine with the previous firmware. Then I upgraded to the latest firmware and like you said listening to music is now unusable. The volume is way too low.
Music/podcasts/audiobooks are very important to me on my mobile. Thanks to the firmware upgrade I can no longer enjoy my music. It’s that bad! If I could reverse the firmware upgrade I would just for so that I could listen to music again.
BTW… sorry to go off topic but how is your E70 Phil ? Which one do you prefer E61 or E70? Thanks.
Oh come on, keep up at the back!
This was worked around ages ago - see my article at http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/How_to_Pump_up_the_volume-louder_music_in_S60_3rd_Edition.php
Steve
Oh my God, how’d I miss that?! I read your site like three times a day!
That’s weird, I never thought of an “equalizer” making the overall volume much louder. And I wonder how many normal consumers would find this and now to increase all of these?
But how about players that don’t have an equalizer? For instance, DivX Player is still way too soft. And I can’t see any other way to increase the volume.
And even with the EQ cranked up like your article advises, it’s still too quiet for my tastes.
BTW… sorry to go off topic but how is your E70 Phil ? Which one do you prefer E61 or E70?
If the E61 had a camera I’d switch back right away. And if the E61 had dedicated number keys I’d be in heaven. The E70 screen is beautiful though because the pixels are crammed so closely together, but the bigger screen and lower resolution of the E61 is still more useful.
If and when a communicator-style phone comes to S60, I’ll grab it, I don’t mind having a larger device in my pocket. However I do go jogging with my phone and if it was a too big and too heavy, my running shorts would fall down.
There is an article on how to improve the volume on your S60v3 handset over on AAS:
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/How_to_Pump_up_the_volume-louder_music_in_S60_3rd_Edition.php
The method mentioned by AAS of pumping up the volume by tweaking the equalizer distorts the sound on my E61. Still unusable.
Phil… thanks for your input.
I am definitely for getting volume back from the previous firmware version. For me, Speakerphone became useless after I upgraded firmware on my E61. Using phone normally (and with bluetooth headset) I have to set volume to the max and it is still not enough in many places that go too - like the datacenter I work at. I am in there for hours at a time and I cannot hear my conversations.
I used to use my E70 as my music player. I can’t do it anymore, because the volume is so low. It is very frustrating to have that to happen. I really hope you can find a proper way to get it back working. I don’t like the workaround, it doesn’t sound as good as it used to. Thank you for bringing this up again.
I’ve had success with running Music player, with the equaliser active, in the background. It seems to apply its effect to the sound system for another app running at the same time.
Still, I agree that Nokia should rethink the volume decrease for the next round of firmware….
Steve
Noise canceling headphones might do the trick. Take a look at my blog entry I just put together in which I summarize my experiences: http://mobilesociety.typepad.com/mobile_life/2006/11/listening_to_mu.html
Thanks for all this feedback guys! I’m talking with the e-series firmware people now at Nokia and trying to get this issue resolved. I’ll let you know when I make progress.
They are afraid about hearing damages.
Also a famous magazine in Germany down rate nokia smart phones, because they are too loud.
I just want my E70 to be as loud as my old iPod.
Apple have yet to get sued for hearing damages, but maybe my hearing is damaged and I didn’t hear about it.
i use oggplayer to play music and podcasts on my e61 simply because they have the “boost volume” function which makes it more usable. i just wish nokia podcasting can modify which audio player to output the podcasts rather than by default going to the music player.
Maybe we need an adult check for the volume control.
As usual, there is no software for symbian.
Mmmh, but for the pod:
http://gopod.free-go.net/
Same for me. After the firmware upgrade of my E70 the sound level became much too low to listen to podcasts in the city bus/metro. BTW It would be great if the music player & the podcasting app could be merged.
Ced (from belgium)
I had the same problem but not anymore. E70 was useless music device after the sofware update so i bought Apple iPod.
I bought my E61 a month ago and the sound level sometimes goes down so low that I can’t hear what people say in cars or crowded areas. That never happened with my 9300i.
When will a fix be released exactly?
Thanks,
Guillaume Leygues
When will a fix be released exactly?
I never got an exact date. But soon.
my volume is too low to be able to use the hands-free when in busy or crowded and noisy places.
I have an E61 and also have the same problem. I have upgraded it to the latest firmware but the problem still exists. Current version is 3.0633.09.04. Any news when this will be addressed and fixed by Nokia? Looks like E series users are being ignored by Nokia.
Angelo,
Me too upgraded to the new firmware(3.0633.09.04) and the volume is still the same - Too soft. It is ridiculous.
Hi Phil,
Any news from Nokia about this?
Hi Phil,
Any news from Nokia about this?
Thanks.
I agree that volume is very low with DivX Player/Smartmovie Player.
Hey ppl I found out how and where u can hear your E61 pump actual volume of sound… have a look
http://jaladyajit.blogspot.com
Ajit, the link shows a 404…
thing one, I´d say that the volume control should be divided into more than ten steps, actually there is a percentage shown, so it should be just the matter of changing one integer value that sets the increase/decrease of every step.
Thing two, I think that the volume limitation is the last step of the sound processing and is somehow “system-controlled”, so it cannot be accessed by 3rd party apps. But that´s just a guess…
All in all, the “issue” is to change two integer values in the scripts to solve the problem. The thing is, that Nokia devs don´t mind end users, they just follow some stupid EU rules… It´s just same as with the EAP-TTLS/PAP module needed for Eduroam…
Sorry guys I had to rename my blog.. here is the actual link
http://rockure61.blogspot.com/2007/02/concerns-over-low-volume-on-nokia-e61.html
I am furious about this . Just bought the n73 music and man it sucks you can actually hear your own breathing when volume 100. Very disappointed from Nokia, apple proved it self much smarter with the adult volume limit. You buy a music phone and you can not use for music. I don’t think I going with nokia again. I just furious.