Bluetooth Headphones Too Loud

The volume controls on the BT headset control that is on the cable, if it is AVRCP compatible, will control the volume, play, pause, forward, answer call, etc. on the iPhone when they are paired. If the headphones have a separate volume control on the headphones themselves they would normally control the headphone volume alone. It is dependent on the headset and what profiles are in use.

Great. We all agree that the headphone controls the iPhone volume.

Back to the original problem. Lowest setting is too loud.

What to do?

Ideally turn off the connection between the phone and headphones and let me process the columns independently.

At a minimum give me a volume limit that actually works with BT.

I mean, seriously. Are you *trying* to make me move to android? I've been complaining about this issue since the 5S.

So, I just tried out my daughter's Sony MDR-XB950s, and the volume control on the cans are independent of the iPhone controls. I was able to get a nice low volume.

My LG Tone HBS-730 still links its volume control to the phone.

I'm not sure if this is a BT profile thing. The profile allowing media control (who's name escapes me for the moment) doesn't actually include volume control. It must be a different profile.

I have this problem too. I've now tried two different bluetooth headphones for my iPhone 5S, and I cannot get to that low setting that is comfortable in quiet environments. They're fine for listening to podcasts in slightly noisy environments where that mid-range volume is what I want, but the low is just not low enough.

I blame both Apple and the headphone manufacturers and creators of the Bluetooth standards, because none of them have given enough attention to the quiet end of the spectrum for those of us who want to protect our still halfway decent hearing.

It's not Apple that has to fix it. I have had 5 sets of Bluetooth headsets, and 2 Bluetooth speakers. All of them have full volume control ranges. If your headset doesn't it is a flaw in the headset that Apple can't fix.

What qualifies as a low enough volume level is very subjective. It's possible a lot of the comments that say something works fine for them will not be fine for someone else. Some people need glasses. Some people need hearing aids. For some people, the minimum volume is just too loud and eventually I'll damage my hearing and need hearing aids! With the analog jack going away, there are even fewer ways to work around this. There needs to be a better solution and it seems obvious that iOS is the logical place to fix this. If a simple EQ in an app or Android can do this, Apple should be able to fix this as well.

I've often thought we need better controls on a per-bluetooth-device basis. In Settings when I click on the "i" in the list of bluetooth devices, most devices have zero options besides "Disconnect" or "Forget this Device". Audio playback devices should have an option to adjust the gain up or down to fix this issue.

Same problem here with a Bowers & Wilkens P7 Wireless. In Bluetooth mode from too loud to silence with one volume control click. Apple please fix this.

When connected with a cable volumes work fine. But not over Bluetooth.

I have the same issue - but with the Atomicx W203 bluetooth headphones, when I adjust the headset's volume control all it does is change the volume on my iPad - and it goes from mute to way too loud. Can anyone tell me if it's NORMAL for the headset volume controls to directly control the iPad's volume setting? How would you connect two headphones when the individual users want a different volume setting?

Yes the headphones have a separate volume control, BUT all they do is change the iPad's volume setting (more little squares). Example (probably a bad one) - when I pair the same bluetooth headphones with my TV and I change the volume with the headphones' control it doesn't change the TV's volume it only changes the headset volume. Is that not how it works with a iPad/iPhone?

Same problem with Marshall MID Bluetooth, so annoying, I am either damaging my ears or plugging in the headphones in... So the bluetooth function is in fact useless. Had prayed for ios11 to fix this, but it didn’t. Extremely disapointed in Apple... Again.

I am not an expert on this matter. But if the problem is not with the iPhone, then why do the headphones work fine on other devices (Android and Windows)? My Bose Bluetooth speaker does not seem to have the problem though. I contacted the manufacturer of the headphones and they blamed Apple.

Can you be more specific? My headphones use Bluetooth v4.0 (I think iPhone 6s uses v4.2). My speakers are 4 years old and most certainly don't have this recent version, but I can adjust the speakers volume independently.

As 'too loud' in this context is a subjective issue, its very difficult to know if your headphones are truly more responsive with lower decibels at lowest setting, or whether the same sound that I find uncomfortable is a fine lower level for you. But it was only after discussing this with someone else that I went back and checked to see which of several styles of headphones I'd tried recently had this same issue, and it was the only other bluetooth set I've ever tried.

Your ears may vary.

I have the same issue with a pair of PHI Sport and Outdoors headphones. I listen using Amazon music on an iPhone 6 - if anyone has any tips regarding Amazon music or in general that would be great. I find that if I turn the music up and down again it seems quieter (similar to how if you turn the volume down and up again it seems louder)