Boosting volume over and above 100% allowed by Windows is very helpful when listening to low-volume audio. For example, I recently watched an old family video and its sound is way too low even when the Windows volume is set to 100%. So, I boosted the system volume to over 100% so that I could actually hear what was happening in the video. If you too are in a similar situation where you want to increase the volume beyond 100%, this article is for you. Let’s get started.
Before You Begin
When boosting the volume above 100%, you have to be very careful. Boosting it too much could damage your speakers and headphones. It might even cause hearing damage under certain circumstances. Always increase the volume gradually and closely monitor the sound quality and speaker response. Never boost the volume too abruptly or to the maximum right away.
Boost Volume Over 100% in Windows
1. Use Loudness Equalization
Before amplifying the volume, you can try enabling the Loudness Equalization audio enhancement in Windows 10 and Windows 11. This feature normalizes audio output so that all sounds are maintained at a consistent volume level. In simple terms, it adjusts the dynamic range of the audio to make quieter sounds louder and loud sounds quieter.
Here is how to enable Loudness Equalization in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
- Open the Start Menu.
- Search for “Control Panel” and open it.
- Select “Large icons” from the “View by” dropdown menu.
- Find and click on the “Sound” option.
- Select the speaker you are using and click on the “Properties” button.
- Go to the “Enhancements” tab in the Speaker Properties window.
- Select the “Loudness Equalization” checkbox.
- Click the “Apply” and “OK” buttons.
The above action enables Loudness Equalization for that specific speaker. From now on, the sound levels are normalized and you can hear the quieter parts of an audio much better. If you have more than one speaker, an extra pair of headphones for example, enable Loudness Equalization on that device also.
To turn off Loudness Equalization, simply uncheck the “Loudness Equalization” option in the Speaker Properties and save changes.
2. Using Equalizer APO
Note: You require administrator rights to install Equalizer APO.
Equalizer APO is an open-source and free system-wide equalizer and sound boost software for Windows. Using it, you can amplify and boost the system volume over and above 100%. Here’s how to use it.
First, go to the official Equalizer APO page on SourceForge and click on the “Download” button. This action downloads Equalizer APO to your computer.
After downloading, find the Equalizer APO executable file in your Downloads folder and double-click on it to start the installation wizard.
Click “Next.”
Click “I Agree.”
Click “Next.”
Click “Install.”
Under the “Playback Devices” tab, select all the listed devices. Optionally, if you want to be able to equalize microphones, go to the Capture Devices tab, and select all the listed devices. Click “OK.”
Click “OK” in the Info dialog.
Click “Finish” to complete the installation process.
After installing, press the “Start” button, click on “All Apps,” scroll down & expand the “Equalizer APO” folder, and click on “Configuration Editor.”
The above action opens the Equalizer APO application. At the top, select the speaker for which you want to boost the volume from the “Device” dropdown menu. By default, the program selects your default speaker.
Next, find the “Preamplification” tab and turn the Gain knob right side to boost the volume. As I said earlier, increase the gain gradually and closely monitor the audio quality and response from speakers.
Once you are satisfied with the volume increase, click “File > Save” to save the changes.
You can see how Equalizer APO increased the gain in the Analysis Panel.
That is it. From now on, the volume is boosted in Windows. To revert the changes, reduce Gain in Equalizer APO or simply uninstall the application via the “Settings > Apps > Installed Apps” page.
Boost Volume in Chrome Browser
If you want to boost the volume of a specific tab in the Chrome browser, you can use an extension called Volume Master. It lets you control the volume of any tab with a simple slider. To boost the volume of a tab, simply click on the extension icon and move the slider to the right.
Wrapping — Amplifying Volume Above 100%
As you can see, boosting the volume of system audio above 100% is pretty easy. However, you must be very careful and only amplify the volume gradually while monitoring your speakers and headphones closely for any distortions. Otherwise, it could damage your speaker hardware.
As an alternative, you can try enabling the Loudness Equalization option. It normalizes the audio to boost the quieter parts and reduce the louder parts of the audio.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I will answer.
Thank you for the info! Very helpful!