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Minimum Volume is too loud to enjoy background music

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C
Userlevel 3
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Stereo pair of play:1 on desk, or single play:1 in bathroom, minimum volume is way too loud for background music. It needs to be 25% or lower of what it is currently.

I'm using Google play music or YouTube music as streaming source.

Same issue with physical buttons on the play:1 or using the android app.

My AV receiver with a Chromecast audio can go much lower in volume than a play:1 with same music source. I don't believe electronics couldn't allow going lower than that. Please fix as this makes play:1 not suitable for bedroom or on a desk in a quiet environment.

Note: I have other play:1 in stereo in other rooms such as kitchen or sports room and the need for lower volume doesn't exist here, I'm talking about quiet environment such as bedroom or home office.
Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
My two workstation Play 3s sit less than 3 feet from my face, a Play i is about the same at my bench, and my recliner's Play 5 is about 4 feet away. All are pretty much inaudible at low volumes.

I'd call Sonos when you can be at your speaker and work with the phone people.
K
My experience is also from my desktop pair. Maybe I am just deaf.
F
Userlevel 3
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If you have 10+ meters of distance maybe but in our case we have a chairs next to the Play 1s and then the sound is really way too loud on its absolute minimum. And yes, I know how a slider works.
K
To be honest, I have never understood this issue. If I move the slider all the way to the left, to zero, it then takes me a few taps to the right of the button to get it to an audible level; one tap to the right of the button still seems like zero to me.
I think the key is tapping to the side of the volume button, and not trying to move it directly.
PS: and as the first page of the thread shows, I am not alone either. And those posts were before the 9.2 change/improvement.
F
Userlevel 3
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“The best answer” on this thread is just ridiculous and I assume written and then voted as truth by a Sonos Marketing/PR person.

The maximum volume has zero impact on the actual minimal volume. When I set it to 20% maximum volume (Playbar and 2x Play 1) the only thing that happens is that the volume slider responds later but the actual audible minimum volume is exactly the same.

My suggestion to Sonos, less focus on Alexa and Siri gimmicks. Focus on the ABC’s of your products, and make it possible to lower the minimum volume. A topic that is highly requested by the community for over more than 3 years now.

If else, then just close the community because you clearly have no intention of actually listening to customer feedback.
R
Unfortunately this doesn’t solve the issue. We have now a better accuracy to control low volumes but the minimum volume remains the same... Still too loud in a fully quiet room. Next update I hope.
I will continue to use AirPlay when I need very low volume.

I have the same problem. Only when I use AirPlay I get the desired low volume from my set-up (2x One, Beam and Sub).

When I play exactly the same Spotify song through the Sonos app the minimal volume is MUCH LOUDER and too loud for background listening. The first tap on the volume slider in the Sonos app has no effect (still silent). And with a second tap on the volumeslider the sound is way too loud. Setting a maximal volume (i.e. 50%) does not do anything. This is really annoying and clearly software related. When I use AirPlay with my iPad Air 2 the volume control is much beter a can be set at a nice minimal volume. Moreover the first tap on the volume slider with AirPlay does actual something and produces a very minimal volume. This means it's not hardware related.

Sonos please fix this! This issue has been addressed over 2 years ago. I spend a lot of money on my set and this is not something you would expect from a 'premium' brand.
cariacou
Userlevel 3
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Hi everyone, starting today with Sonos 9.2 there's the ability to use the mobile controller for Android or iOS to set a maximum volume for each of your Sonos players. The reason I bring it up in here, is that if you have the maximum volume set at 50%, the whole volume bar will still go from 0-100, but 100% will now reflect what your volume limit is set to. This has the added benefit of being able to get more granular control of players at low volume, as the volume steps will scale up or down with the max volume.

So, if you never set your players above a certain volume, this is a great chance to improve the control at lower volumes. Play around with it and see if this helps.

Thank you Ryan! This is a great feature. Will try it tonight.
Feature request: Guest Mode. Ex: Add an admin login to the Sonos app to restrict desired settings/zones to non-guest users
F
Userlevel 1
Same problem here. No matter what max volume I set up, there is no smooth transition from silence to the volume I choose: there is a leap from silence to a minimal volume that is too loud for easy background listening.
This is annoying Sonos!
I would like to enjoy my Play:1 at my desk but I have started using a plain old headset on which I can better control the volume.
If it's a hardware problem (which I doubt considering the quality of your products) please correct your software so it streams a sound signal of lower amplitude.
T
Userlevel 1
Badge +1
I agree. The first level is way too loud.

This post has NOT been answered. Please correct.
L
Just bought a Play:1 yesterday and tried listening to it at night in an absolutely quiet room. It's too loud... Now it's early morning, still too loud.

Even if you set maximum volume for the room at anything below 100%, the first audible volume level remains exactly the same, even if I have to move the slider more – too loud. Below that minimum volume, the speaker is completely mute.

Looking forward to a system update that would fix this.
S
Userlevel 4
Badge +6
When wanting to sleep the volume of a one is to loud. Room is completely silent and I want to ay music on a lower volume then now possible on a one. When I am in the same room during the day minimum volume is not my first choose then it is to soft. 🙂 . Max volume setting only turns of first couple of settings one volumembar. What a weird discussion at some points please add a softer setting. People who don't need it don't have to use it, peoplewho do can use it...

I found I can get the volume a little lower using my phones volume button than with the sonos controls. Just have the Sonos app up.
2 x Play 1, Playbase, Panasonic EX 600, Panasonic UB420. One, One Sl + submini
H
When wanting to sleep the volume of a one is to loud. Room is completely silent and I want to ay music on a lower volume then now possible on a one. When I am in the same room during the day minimum volume is not my first choose then it is to soft. 🙂 . Max volume setting only turns of first couple of settings one volumembar. What a weird discussion at some points please add a softer setting. People who don't need it don't have to use it, peoplewho do can use it...
C
Userlevel 3
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I have two Play 1 in stereo on my desk and when the room is quiet (eg. no one else is around) the minimum volume is too loud to keep as background music (source is Google play music).
Would it be possible to lower the minimum output on individual Play 1 so when in pair the minimum perceived volume is at least half of what it is currently?
Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Something is happening that is odd and different for different users. My lounge Play 5 Gen 2 sits a couple feet from my head, I sit between 2 Play 3s in my office that are under 3 feet from my face and I can turn them all down to where I can't hear what is playing, just a bit of sound from the louder sections playing from my library or Napster but if I put my ear right up to them there is still full sound.

About 3 clicks (in a quiet room) gives me barely enough volume to hear most of the tracks, 5 clicks is listenable but very low, 8 clicks is where I normally listen as background music.
Airgetlam
I tend to agree, pwt. But I also have to wonder how close the speakers are to the people's heads. I could see if it was within 12 inches, there might be a potential issue, but if it's more than that, it just doesn't make any sense to my experience.
Bruce
pwt
Userlevel 7
Badge +20
This is one of those strange 'parallel universe' threads. The minimum volume (i.e., volume set to 1/100) on all my PLAY:1 and ONE speakers is so low as to be practically inaudible at close proximity, and my hearing is not _that_ bad!

So, either there are hardware differences out there, or folks are setting the volume using a different technique to me.
4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port
C
Any new information? I have Sonos Play 1 in a small bedroom and the volume set at level 1 (on the whole scale) and its too loud to fall a sleep.
I
I have gone through the steps to set my volume on my play 1 to just 10%

it DOES NOT reduce the MIN VOLUME.

All this fix does is reduce the RANGE of possible volume, it DOES NOT make the min volume any quieter.

Shame
Chris
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
My first click I could just here sound coming out of speaker if I held ear against
Respect the Queue (1)Move (2)Beam (1)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1)Connect:Amp (3)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings
Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Playing from my music library or Napster my speakers (Play 5s, 3s and 1s) go so quiet I can barely hear them at a foot away. I'm curious what services folks are having too-loud issues with.

Fooling with the volume and volume limit gives very odd results. I do not have the best ears and my listening area is not very quiet but these results are what I'm hearing.

Try these tests on your systems, having two controllers handy, one on the Play / Queue screen and the other on the Volume Limit screen makes it a lot easier.

====

With the volume limit at 100% If I press the volume down button (Paired Play 3s) until they go silent and then press it 5 more times a single press on the volume up returns the sound to the minimal level.

With the volume limit at 25% If I press the volume down button until they go silent and then press it down 5 more times a single press on the volume up does nothing, 5 more presses returns the sound to the minimal level.

====

With the volume limit at 100% and sound at the last down push of the volume control where you can still hear music; Changing the volume limit changes the music volume by about half at all from 100% to about 15%, where it goes silent.

====

With the volume limit set at 1% it takes a bunch of up-clicks (from the 100% silence level) to get the sound to appear but it seems to come back on at about the same level as with the limit at around 15%

====

So what do your systems do?
Airgetlam
I'm wondering if there's a level of "it has to be this loud in order to get the electronics to function" that people aren't getting past on this. I also tend to wonder why they just don't move the speakers further away. I get the possibility of it being too loud for certain things when it's next to the head, but not the whole "then just move it 10 feet away, and it won't be as loud" part as a non starter..
Bruce
Chris
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Ok I just don't find any validity to this. I went and set several of my speakers to 20% max volume. The slider then still slides all the way with much better fine tuning then of lower volume. I mean if I clicked up 1-2 notches I could barely hear the speakers. I really don't understand this being any issue - especially when people have said they have tried this.
Respect the Queue (1)Move (2)Beam (1)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1)Connect:Amp (3)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings
Chris
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
So you have set the max volume to like 10% and then used the slider and half the slider doesn’t change volume at all. I haven’t tested just curious. You would have thought it would create finer steps. Maybe something they can implement next.
Respect the Queue (1)Move (2)Beam (1)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1)Connect:Amp (3)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings
jgatie
The max volume feature does nothing with regards to low volume. Personally, I don't understand why Sonos keeps adding these corner case features when there is a huge customer base asking for more fine grained control on lower volumes since 2014.

Unless the hardware isn't capable of delivering sound quality at lower than current minimal levels I could understand, but I assume this is just a volume scale between 0-100 that treats every step as equal. Treat the first 0-10 with more fine grained control and the other 90 with less accuracy. Quite simple solution and shouldn't take days to implement.


"corner case"? "huge customer base"?

Google "site:https://en.community.sonos.com sonos volume limit"

1,970 results

Largest thread, 6 years old, 8 pages:

https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/volume-limit-feature-4412144



Google "site:https://en.community.sonos.com sonos lowest volume too high"

217 results

Largest thread 1 year old, 4 pages:

https://en.community.sonos.com/wireless-speakers-228992/minimum-volume-is-too-loud-to-enjoy-background-music-6764717

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