Which earbuds have volume control?
Earbuds are a type of headphones that fit inside the ear canal and directly transmit sound. They allow you to privately listen to audio from devices like smartphones, tablets, or music players without disturbing those around you.
Having good volume control on earbuds is crucial for both listening enjoyment and hearing health. The ability to increase or decrease volume allows you to adjust sound levels for different audio sources and environments. Setting volume to a safe level protects against noise exposure that can permanently damage hearing over time.
Rather than blasting loud volumes that drown out surroundings, volume control lets you find the optimal level to hear details clearly. This provides a better listening experience. Overall, volume controls make earbuds more versatile, customizable and safe for daily use.
How Volume Control Works on Earbuds
There are two main types of volume control implemented on earbuds – physical buttons and touch controls.
Earbuds with physical buttons will have a dedicated + and – button on one or both earbuds to raise or lower the volume. Pressing these buttons sends a signal to the amplifier circuit inside the earbud to increase or decrease the gain, which directly controls the volume output. The buttons provide a tactile way to precisely control volume levels.
Touch controls on earbuds use electrodes in the surface of the earbud to detect taps or swipes from your skin. Common gestures like double tap or swipe up/down are mapped to raising or lowering the volume. The touch input is converted into a digital signal that tells the amplifier to increase or decrease gain. The main downside of touch controls is lack of precision for setting an exact volume level.
Both methods allow incremental volume adjustment directly on the earbuds without needing to take out your audio device. This gives you quick and convenient access to control loudness while listening.
Earbuds with Physical Volume Buttons
Many earbud models come with physical volume buttons built into the housing or cord. Pressing these buttons allows you to turn the volume up or down on your earbuds. Some popular options include:
The Apple AirPods Pro and AirPods Max both have physical volume buttons on the housing that let you control volume. The second generation AirPods also have tap controls that can adjust volume.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have volume up/down buttons on the right earbud. You can press these to change the volume in increments.
Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds have a single round button that controls volume. Press up or down on the button to increase or decrease volume.
Beats Powerbeats Pro have a volume rocker on the earbud housing for direct volume adjustments.
JBL Reflect Flow Pro and Live Pro+ both come with an external stem with plus and minus buttons to control volume.
Samsung Galaxy Buds models, including the Buds Pro and Buds 2, have touch controls that can be customized to control volume.
Earbuds with Touch Controls
Touch controls on earbuds allow you to adjust volume and other functions through taps, swipes, and holds on the earbud surface. Many popular true wireless earbuds like AirPods utilize touch controls for volume and playback. Here are some top options:
The Apple AirPods Pro and AirPods 3rd generation have touch volume controls – you can double tap to play/pause, triple tap to skip forward/back, and slide up or down to raise or lower volume. The touch controls are very responsive.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro feature touch-capacitive earbuds that allow you to swipe up or down to control volume. You can also tap to play/pause and tap and hold to switch between noise cancelling modes.
Beats Fit Pro earbuds have touch controls on the bud stem. You can press once to play or pause, press twice to skip forward, three times to skip back, and long press to switch between noise cancelling modes. To control volume, you swipe up or down on the stem.
On the Sony WF-1000XM4, you can stroke up or down to control volume. Tap twice to play or pause, three times to skip forward, and touch and hold to toggle noise cancelling. The earbud surface is touch sensitive for easy controls.
The Master & Dynamic MW08 feature touch controls on each earbud. You can swipe up or down to increase or decrease volume. Tap once to play or pause, twice to skip forward, and three times to skip back. Hold to toggle noise cancellation or transparency mode.
Independent Volume Control
Some earbuds allow you to control the volume in each earbud independently. This means you can set the volume higher or lower in the left or right earbud as desired. This can be useful for situations like watching TV where you may want to keep one earbud quieter to hear ambient sounds while the other is turned up to hear the TV audio clearly.
According to a discussion on Reddit (source), independent volume control in each earbud is a highly sought after feature but not very common. The reason being that true independent volume control requires each earbud to have its own audio driver and amplifier, increasing cost and complexity.
Some models like the TEAC TWS earbuds (source, source) advertise “dual earbuds with independent volume control” as a feature. However, reviews indicate the independent control is limited to basic balance adjustments between left and right rather than completely separate volume settings.
Overall, true independent L/R volume control remains a rare feature limited to higher-end earbuds. For most models, the volume controls will adjust both ears simultaneously rather than independently.
Volume Limiting Features
Many earbuds now offer volume limiting technology to keep sound levels within a safe range for hearing. This is especially important for young ears that are still developing. Volume limiting earbuds have built-in circuitry that monitors the volume and prevents it from exceeding a preset threshold, usually around 85 dB. This helps prevent against noise induced hearing loss from excessive volume.
For example, the Togetface kids earbuds have a volume limiter to keep sound under 85 dB. The EarGoods KidzSafe earbuds also automatically regulate volume to protect developing ears.
Volume limiting provides peace of mind that children won’t damage their hearing while using earbuds to listen to music, watch videos, or play games. It allows them to comfortably enjoy audio content at safe levels.
Additional Volume Control Features
There are additional ways to control volume on earbuds beyond just physical buttons or touch controls. Many earbuds integrate with voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant, allowing you to adjust volume hands-free by voice command. For example, you can say “Hey Siri, turn up the volume” to raise the volume on AirPods (Pause, skip, and adjust volume with your AirPods).
Some wireless earbuds also have equalizer functions in their companion apps, letting you customize the frequency levels to amplify certain ranges for your preferred sound profile. The Galaxy Buds series from Samsung offers an adjustable equalizer in the Galaxy Wearable app that provides various presets as well as manual customization (Samsung – Optimize your sound experience with Samsung earbuds).
Additionally, certain earbuds can integrate with third-party audio apps like Dolby Atmos, which use digital signal processing to simulate surround sound and provide volume leveling across content. These amplifiers can boost quiet audio and prevent overly loud bursts.
Choosing the Right Volume Control
When selecting earbuds with volume control, it’s important to consider your specific needs and preferences. For example, if you plan to use your earbuds while running or working out, physical buttons may be easier to operate than touch controls when on the move. According to research from Reliance Digital, touch controls on some earbuds can be finicky and difficult to use mid-workout.
For those who want more granular control, look for earbuds that allow you to control each bud independently, like the Sony WF-1000XM3 (source). This level of customization enables you to set different volume levels for each ear.
Consider battery life as well – the longer the battery, the longer you can listen at your preferred volume. Noise-cancelling earbuds often allow you to lower the volume while maintaining sound quality and limiting external noise.
Overall, choose earbuds that give you your desired level of manual volume control without being overly complex. The right volume settings can enhance your listening experience.
Maintaining Volume Control
There are several steps you can take to maintain proper volume control on your earbuds over time:
First, cleaning the earbuds regularly will help maintain volume control. Earbud tips can accumulate dirt, wax, and debris which can clog the speakers and cause the volume to decrease. Use a small brush dipped in isopropyl alcohol to gently brush the earbud tips and speaker grilles to remove buildup. Let dry fully before using again.
Checking the battery health of your wireless earbuds and charging case is also important – batteries naturally lose capacity over time which can lead to lower volumes. Replace batteries that can no longer hold a full charge.
Finally, troubleshoot any potential hardware issues like frayed wires or loose connections, which could be reducing the signal strength and volume. Check that earbud tips are fitted properly in your ears as well.
Conclusion
The choice of which earbuds to get with volume control features depends on your priorities and needs. If having physical buttons is most important, look at models from companies like Anker, 1More, or Jaybird. For touch controls, Apple AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds, and Amazon Echo Buds are top options.
Volume limiting can help protect your hearing, especially for use cases like sleeping or exercising. Models from Bose and Sony offer this. Additional features like transparency mode, ambient sound passthrough, or preset volume profiles also enhance volume control flexibility.
Ultimately, consider your budget, preferred brands, noise isolation needs, and device compatibility. Test earbuds in person when possible, and read reviews on volume control implementation. Proper volume management will lead to better listening experiences and ear health.