AirPods Max Volume Low: How To Fix [2023]

If you are one of the many Apple users who bought the AirPods Max, the over-ear headphones with the H1 chip in each ear, and surprisingly found that the Volume is lacking, this article is for you.

Ever since I got my hands on a fresh set of Airpods Max, I've had this feeling of the volume getting low every time I put them on.

And I wasn't wrong, the volume was indeed dropping but the reasons for the same seem to elude me. Upon further inspection, I was able to fix this shortcoming.

Here's what helped me fix the issue.

If the Airpods Max Volume is too low, clean any wax or dirt build-up inside ear cups. Check the app and adjust the volume on your phone and then check the volume by playing suitable audio. Turning off noise canceling, transparency modes, and other similar settings could also help.

Clean Wax and Dirt Build Up Inside Ear Cups

As you might have guessed, with prolonged usage, there might be wax or dirt building up inside the ear cups that could potentially result in a loss of volume and sound quality.

Users then try to overcome this deficiency by increasing the volume well beyond the recommended limit. This will not only lead to ear damage but also sound to leak from your Airpods.

Clean your AirPods Max with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth by damping them a little with water.

You can remove the cushions from the ear cups while you clean the device. Holding your AirPods Max upside down prevents liquid from flowing into the headband attachment point.

Keep in mind that you should dry the cushions and the headband for at least a day before re-attaching and using them again.

Make sure you do not apply too much pressure while cleaning as it could damage the device.

Properly Check App and Phone Settings

Your iPhone or smartphone is in charge of controlling the volume. So, this issue can also arise as a result of your phone or pairing issues.

Equalizer Setting

Your iPhone has an Equalizer setting that changes the emphasis on the different elements in an audio track. The equalizer setting that you have configured could result in the AirPods Max having a lower overall volume.

To turn Equalizer off, do the following steps:

• Click on the 'Settings' icon and navigate to 'Music'.
• Tap on EQ
• Turn it OFF.

Additionally, you can also turn off the 'Sound check' and 'Volume Limit' features in Settings > Music. These could also result in lower overall volume.

Headphone Safety

The 'Volume Limit' feature could also be termed as 'Headphone safety'. To toggle this off, follow the steps below:

• Click on the 'Settings' icon
• Navigate to 'Sounds & Haptics'
• Tap on 'Headphone Safety'
• Turn off 'Headphone Notifications'

Check Audio Track

Make sure that the audio you have chosen to sample your AirPods Max is appropriate.

If you have chosen an audio file that you have downloaded from a random site, it could be a converted version with low sound quality.

Several YouTube videos are also unreliable as they could have low volume, so make sure you've chosen a reliable audio file to test your device.

If this is the situation, the audio file you have chosen is the guilty party, not your iPhone, smartphone, or AirPods Max.

Turn Off Noise Cancelling and Transparency Modes

AirPods Pro and AirPods Max come with Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Modes.

What is Active Noise Cancellation? There is an outward-facing microphone that detects the ambient noise outside and produces anti-noise for the user, to cancel out its effect.

They also have an inward-facing microphone that listens inside your earcup for unwanted internal sounds, which your AirPods Max also counter with anti-noise.

These features could be a reason why you are having issues with low volume on your AirPods Max. To confirm the said scenario, turn them off.

Follow the steps to do so:

• Once you have connected the AirPods Max with your iOS device, open the Control Center.
• Touch and hold the Volume slider until you open the additional controls.
• Tap on the 'Noise Control' icon located in the lower left corner.
• Toggle it Off.

Turn Off Reduce Loud Sounds

The 'Reduce Loud Sounds' feature was introduced in iOS devices to eliminate any sound that is emanating from your audio that exceeds the set sound limit.

As you can obviously see, this could be an issue if you find that your AirPods Max is producing low volume.

To turn this feature off, follow the steps below:

• Open 'Setting' and navigate to 'Sounds & Haptics'
• Tap on 'Headphone Safety'
• Toggle 'Reduce Loud Sounds' to turn it OFF

Turn Off Low Power Mode

If you experienced low volume issues while you are in Low Power Mode, that is because in order to conserve battery life during Low Power Mode, iOS chooses to power down non-critical systems.

This could result in lower volumes. So, when you test your AirPods Max, make sure your battery levels are good, both on your iOS device and the headphones.

Alternatively, you could use your Airpodes Max in wired mode with an appropriate cable to save battery.

Adjust Audio Balance

Make sure that you have configured both Earcups to have the same levels of volume.

To check the same, do the following steps:

• Open 'Settings' and tap on 'Accessibility'.
• Tap on 'Audio/Visual'.
• Make sure the 'Balance slider' is in the middle to ensure equal sound in both earbuds.

Power Cycle

Once you have made these changes, give your AirPods Max a good old soft reset to make sure all changes in configuration are affirmed.

To Power cycle your AirPods Max, do the following:

• Press and hold the Noise Control button and the Digital Crown on your AirPods Max.
• Once you see the LED indicator flash an Amber light, let go.
• Now power your AirPods Max back up and try listening again to see if the volume is at your desired level.

Update Firmware

Although AirPods do not have firmware releases on their own, if you are running your iOS device using the latest firmware, you already have the latest version for your AirPods.

To update your iOS device firmware, do the following:

• Open 'Settings' and navigate to 'General'.
• Tap on 'Software Update' and further tap on 'Automatic Updates'.
• Turn this feature on to download and install iOS updates on release.

Factory Reset

If none of the solutions in this article has resolved the volume issue with your AirPods Max, it is time to attempt a Factory Reset.

Once you have reset your device, you will have to pair to your iOS device as the headphones will forget your iOS device.

To do a Factory Reset of your AirPods Max, do the following steps:

• Charge your AirPods Max a fair bit before you start the factory reset process.
• Press and hold the Digital Crown and the Noise Control button for around 15 seconds.
• Let go once you see the LED indicator located in the bottom of the right earcup flashed Amber and then White.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it, a complete and comprehensive guide on how to fix low volume issues on your Airpods Max.

If you still can't get over the issue even after performing all the steps mentioned above, you might benefit from contacting the customer services of Apple for further assistance.

Hopefully, you have fixed your Volume issue by following some of the suggestions in this article.

Have a good day!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I calibrate my AirPods?

To calibrate, put your AirPods in its case and close the lid. Wait for 30 seconds and connect your Airpods to the iOS device. Go to Settings > Bluetooth. Tap on your Airpods and tap 'Forget This Device'. Tap again to confirm. With the lid of the case open, press and hold the setup button for 15 second until the LED flashes amber and then white.

Is there a volume limit on iPhone?

iPhones come with an internal signal processor called 'Limiter', which sets a volume threshold above which sound cannot be produced. Audio that attempts to produce more sound than this threshold are limited by the Limiter.

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