In any given room, one or more speakers are likely to be the quietest. That’s because speaker volume is rarely even across a home theater setup. For example, the left front and left rear speakers are typically quieter than the right front and right rear speakers. This is because the sound comes at us from different directions in real life, too. It’s not just about which speaker has more range or is louder; rather, it’s about where the sound is coming from and what direction it’s coming from. With that said, you might be wondering how to fix a quiet speaker? Fortunately, there are a few simple solutions for making each speaker as loud as the others. Even if you don’t have an extensive understanding of audio equipment or how they work together, we can show you how to do that with ease!
Why Are My Speakers So Quiet?
Confusing speaker placement
This is a common problem that can be solved in 5 minutes. If your speakers are too close together, the sound will be muffled and hard to hear. This is especially true if you have a surround sound system with surround speakers. To fix this, simply move your speakers further apart.
Wrong speaker placement
If your speakers are too far apart, the sound will be too thin and weak. This is especially true if you have a computer or stereo system that has two front-facing speakers – imagine you’re watching TV and the two front-facing stereo speakers are at the same level as your eyes? You can’t see anything! To fix this, simply place one or both of your front-facing stereo speakers lower than eye level or closer to your ears.
No bass (low frequency) output
If you’re using computer speakers, they might not be able to produce enough bass output for movies and music to sound great; even if they can produce enough volume for general volume levels within a room. To fix this, make sure that each speaker has a subwoofer attached to it; otherwise known as an active bass module (ABM). These modules take the low frequencies from the main audio signal and amplify them for additional punch in movies and music; also known as “sub-bass” in audio lingo. Most modern computer systems come with an ABM already installed but if yours doesn’t, you can buy them separately.
No treble (high frequency) output
If you’re using computer speakers, they might not be able to produce enough treble (high frequency) output for movies and music to sound great; even if they can produce enough volume for general volume levels within a room. To fix this, make sure that each speaker has a tweeter attached to it; otherwise known as an active treble module (ATM). These modules take the high frequencies from the main audio signal and amplify them for additional sparkle in movies and music; also known as “treble” in audio lingo. Most modern computer systems come with an ATM already installed but if yours doesn’t, you can buy them separately.
Too much bass or treble output
If your speakers are producing too much bass or treble, the sound will be too boomy or shrill – like listening to a radio in a noisy room! To fix this, adjust the level of each speaker so that all frequencies are equal between them (volume-wise). This will ensure that all parts of your favorite songs/movies/TV shows are heard equally by everyone in the room.
How to Fix a Quiet Speaker
Try Rotating Your Speakers
One of the easiest ways to fix a quiet speaker is to rotate it. This will help position the quiet speaker towards a different person in the room, which should make it louder. This strategy is ideal for people who are seated in the middle of the room, such as parents watching a movie with their children. With that said, this trick might not work for larger home theater rooms. Generally, it’s ideal to rotate your speakers so that they face the wall. If you’re seated near the wall, the opposite side of the room will then be facing that wall. This will likely make each speaker louder since the sound from each will be bouncing off the wall and towards the audience. Rotating your speakers towards the center of the room, however, will make them quieter. This is because the sound will be going towards the other speakers instead of towards the audience.
Check the Speaker Wire
Another easy way to fix a quiet speaker is to check the wire. This is especially important if you’ve recently switched out your speakers or cable. If you notice that one or more speakers are still quieter than the others, you might have a faulty speaker wire connected to them. Although the problem could be with the speakers themselves, it’s common to have faulty speaker wires. This issue is especially common among those who’ve recently switched to a different brand or type of speaker, or those who use the same speaker wire to power multiple speakers. In most cases, the solution is to replace the speaker wire with a new wire that’s compatible with your speakers. If you can’t find the right wire, try contacting the company that created your speakers.
Try Adjusting the EQ Settings
If your speakers are hooked up to a receiver, you might be able to adjust the EQ settings. Many modern receivers have a built-in EQ setting that lets you adjust the volume for each speaker. If the volume for one of your speakers is lower than the others, you may be able to boost the volume by adjusting the EQ. This is a quick fix that’s relatively easy to do, but it’s not a long-term solution. In other words, the volume for each speaker won’t stay the same over time, especially if you use the receiver often. If you want to make these changes permanent, consider investing in a sound board. Soundboards are often more expensive than receivers, but they provide a lot more flexibility.
Check Your Amp Volume and Balance
If you’re using an amplifier to power your speakers, check the volume and balance settings. Most amps have a volume setting, which lets you boost or lower the volume for each connected speaker. You might also have a balanced setting, which lets you adjust the sound towards the left or right speakers. If you notice that one of your speakers is quieter than the others, you can adjust the volume or balance settings to make it louder. If you change the volume or balance settings, however, you might also need to adjust the volume on your receiver. A quick way to check the volume and balance settings are to listen to a few different types of music. If certain songs are too quiet or too loud, you can use the volume or balance settings to fix a quiet speaker.
Try Using a Different Outlet
If you’ve already tried rotating your speakers, checking the speaker wire, adjusting the EQ settings, and checking your amp volume and balance settings, you might want to try using a different outlet. This common solution should only be used as a last resort if all else fails. Although outlets are reliable and rarely cause issues, one of your speakers might be too close to an outlet. If one of your speakers is quieter than the others, it could be receiving too much electricity from that outlet. In this case, it’s safer to use an outlet that’s further away from the speaker.
Conclusion
A quiet speaker isn’t a problem you should ignore. Instead, you should do what you can to make sure the sound is even across all speakers. If you’ve tried rotating your speakers, checking the speaker wire, adjusting the EQ settings, checking your amp volume and balance settings, and using a different outlet to no avail, it’s time to take action. Some people may be tempted to buy new speakers, but that’s not necessary. Instead, you can fix a quiet speaker by checking the connections and testing the volume on your amplifier.
