VMK20 volume too low on iPhone?
So your headphones sound like a mosquito buzzing in the distance, even though the volume is cranked to the max. Frustrating, right? The good news is that the problem is almost always with the iPhone, not the headphones – Apple just loves hiding volume-related settings all over the place like Easter eggs.
Why is your iPhone whispering?
iPhones have several settings that quietly cut your volume without telling you. Apple wants to protect your ears. Nice gesture and all, but pretty annoying when you're trying to blast Slayer on the bus.
The most common culprit is the volume limiter, which iOS enables by default. Another possible factor is ANC. Noise cancellation processing eats up a bit of the audio signal's power, so if you're already at the volume ceiling, turning ANC off can squeeze out a few extra decibels.
Third classic: iPhone and headphone volumes are separate. With Bluetooth devices, the iPhone controls both the phone's own volume and the headphones' internal volume. Sometimes one of them gets stuck on the low side.
How to fix it
Go through these in order:
- Disable the volume limiter
- Open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety
- Toggle off Reduce Loud Sounds
- On older iOS versions, you'll find the same thing under Music > Volume Limit
- Check the Music EQ setting
- Settings > Music > EQ
- Select Off (or "Late Night", which boosts quiet sounds)
- Some EQ presets cut overall volume by a surprising amount
- Try turning off ANC
- Press the ANC button on the VMK20's left ear cup until the green LED turns off
- If the volume jumps up noticeably, the problem was signal loss caused by ANC
- Reset the Bluetooth connection
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone
- Tap the (i) icon next to VMK20 and select Forget This Device
- Turn off the headphones, plug in the 3.5mm AUX cable and unplug it (this resets the BT circuit)
- Pair again
- Check volume on both ends
- Turn iPhone volume all the way up
- Turn VMK20's own volume all the way up (Vol+ on the right ear cup)
- These are separate controls
- Test with an AUX cable
- Plug in a 3.5mm cable to your iPhone (you'll need a Lightning/USB-C adapter)
- If the volume is normal over wired, the issue is with the Bluetooth connection
If nothing helps
If you've gone through every step and nothing changed, try the headphones with another phone or computer. If the volume is low on those too, it might be a hardware defect. Drop us a message at info@valco.fi – include your order number and what you've already tried, so we can save everyone's time.
But nine times out of ten, the culprit is that Apple volume limiter. Check that one first and you'll probably have it sorted faster than you can open your email app.
