Since you are using Airplay have you also increased the volume on the Apple Music app (or whatever music app you are using) on your phone?

As the manual volume buttons increase and decrease the volume, the slider on the display of the phone moves left and right.  They are not operated independently as far as I see.

GuitarSuperstar is suggesting that there are two volume controls in the equation. The Sonos one, which I think you’re referring to, and the one for AirPlay 2, which you would be controlling from either the AirPlay 2 menu, or from the player app you’re using to send a signal through AirPlay 2 to the Sonos. 

Hi Airgetlam.  To clarify, I am playing music through the iOS Music App, but even if I use the iOS Sonos App, as the buttons on the phone increase and decrease the volume, the graphic slider on the phone’s display moves along with it.  Same if controlling through Airplay2.  Are you saying that the sliders in the Sonos App and the Sliders in the Music app are independent?  I haven’t found that to be the case.  Thanks

Apparently, I was thinking about the interaction between Bluetooth and AirPlay 2.

When using AirPlay 2 to send a signal to the Sonos devices, it is indeed one volume. My apologies for misremembering this. 
 

It does seem odd to me that you’re having issues with volumes, though. I’m currently  playing through a pair of PLAY:5s, and can’t push the volume above about 50% before it becomes unlistenable. 

Thanks.  I’m a part-time DJ and like my music loud - think “dance party”.  I thought with the pair of Fives, the pair of Ones, the Arc, and the Sub Gen3, I’d get there, and I’m close, but I think I may just be hitting the limit of what this system can do. 

I just went into the EQ settings in iOS Music, turned on the EQ, and set it to “Loudness”.  I may also max out the EQ settings in the Sonos App.  Those tweaks may get me where I want. ;-)

@DeanH1234 Either you are in a very large room or you are suffering from hearing loss. With my Arc/Sub/Play:1s setup, 25% volume is VERY loud. Most of the time, it is set between 10%-15%.

Based on GuitarSuperstars response, I’m guessing there’s something not working quite right with the system. My living room is on the small size and my hearing is good. The system isn’t loud till I get to about 75% volume and doesn’t get much louder after that. 

In your original post, you mentioned you are playing music through Airplay. Do you get the same result when you stream music directly from the Sonos app?

Playing music via Sonos radio via the Sonos App sounds louder than locally-stored music, but it’s also more lossy, so the desire to turn it up isn’t so great.  Locally-stored music on my phone that I play via the Music app and the Sonos app play at similar volumes -- maybe the Sonos app has an edge. 

I went ahead and downloaded a free DB meter on the iOS app store, called “Decibel Meter Sound Detector”.  I played Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional” on Apple Music, brought it to mid-song, volume slider at 50%, standing about 12 feet back from the Fives/Arc, and it registered 75 DBs average.  I’ll try it at 75% volume tomorrow. Curious to hear your measurements.

Link for the DB meter: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/decibel-meter-sound-detector/id1254994873

And no, I don’t typically listen to Whitney Houston ;-)  But it popped up on Apple music and I thought “what the heck”

Is Sound Check disabled in the Apple Music app settings?

Yes, sound check is off.

When you were listening to Whitney at 75 dB, did that sound loud or quiet to you? Was that volume softer or louder than your normal listening volume?

I’d consider 75 DB medium volume. It was certainly loud enough to be heard throughout the living room and open kitchen, but it wasn’t “dance party” loud.  It was about right for cooking dinner but too loud for eating dinner, if that makes sense. 

I’ll test my speakers using that app tomorrow when my family is awake, but I honestly think your speakers are fine. 75 dB is pretty loud for most people. 85 dB for a long period of time already puts a person at risk for hearing damage. I know you like to listen to your music loud, but I think you may have suffered some hearing damage because of it.

@DeanH1234 I just tested my Arc/Sub/Play:1s setup by playing “So Emotional” by Whitney Houston from Spotify at 50% volume. It averaged around 75 dB standing about 12 feet from my Arc using the same app you tested with. Your system is fine.

BTW, the music at that level is way too loud for me to enjoy, and I’ve been to plenty of live rock concerts in my life so I know what loud music sounds like. Seriously… you should get your hearing checked.

@GuitarSuperstar Thanks for your input.  The issue is less about my hearing and more that I’m used to dance music played on high-quality powerful speakers (not necessarily loud).  I enjoy dancing, and once Covid is over, I plan to have people over for a dance party.  Yes, the music will be louder than I would have it for day-to-day listening … 75dB is totally fine for that, I agree.  Once you fill a space up with bodies, you tend to need a little more volume.  But it’s good to know my system is operating correctly.  And sure, I’ll check my hearing -- I think there’s an app for that ;-)