Mac OS X 10.4.9 Special Report: Volume significantly louder: boon for some, drawback for others

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 1:13 a.m. PT

4 min read

The system volume scale is significantly louder under Mac OS X 10.4.9. In other words, the same volume setting under Mac OS X 10.4.9 represents a much higher actual volume relative to earlier releases of OS X.

The opinion on this change is split, with some users seeing the volume increase as a significant improvement -- allowing higher volume than was previously accessible -- while others see it as a problem -- making even the lowest volume setting too loud for some purposes, and eliminating the lower range of volume.

Lowering volume via AppleScript MacFixIt reader Michael Henderson offers an AppleScript that can set the volume to levels lower than can be accomplished by tweaking of the slider.

Open Script Editor (located in /Applications/AppleScript) and enter the following:

tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
set volume 0.01
end tell
end tell

then click the "Run" button. Modify the variable "0.01" to set volume at the desired level.

Reader reports: Increase in volume is welcome

One reader writes

"I can confirm that system volume is louder after update to 10.4.9. Even on the first setting (one bar on the volume graphic), it sounds like the same level as the setting I used to use in the middle of the volume range control."

Another adds:

"Even at the lowest settings the sound is too loud."

Dick Hutchinson writes:

"It's about time volume is loud enough for folks who don't hear too well. Love it!"

Mike Kirsch writes:

"But I'm grateful because I'm testing this on my MacBook and the volume on the MacBook had always made music unusable because of low volume."

Reader reports: System is now too loud

MacFixIt reader Jake writes:

"Yes, I definitely just noticed much higher volume on my MacBook Pro 15" after moving to 10.4.9. The problem before, however, was of range, not total volume. We needed the high end to be higher, but the low end was perfect and provided a lot of control. Now, the low end settings basically don't exist. Since I use the low settings more often then I do the high end, this is mildly annoying."

Rob Roglev writes:

"I'm experiencing the same problem on my iMac 20" Core Duo (Early 2006). It's quite annoying as the first notch of system volume represents a threshold that used to be 50% or so. In short, we lose the entire lower end of the volume range."

Jeff Phillips writes:

"After the last OSX update, my system volume has been very loud. It's to the point that I can't even listen to it at night any more because the volume is too loud to go to sleep with."

A reader writes:

"Now, even when the volume is set on the lowest level, it's a quite a bit too loud after the 10.4.9 update."

Possible workarounds

Use External speakers If you have external speakers with volume control, you will generally be able to access lower volume levels than with your Mac's built in speakers.

Use headphones The volume scale for headphones does not appear to have changed as drastically.

As described by one reader:

"What's interesting is that it only applies to the speakers. With headphones plugged in, everything is nice and sensible. With the speakers though, 1 volume bar is far too much."