Browser volume stuck at 50%

[GotNoRice]

I'm having a problem where when I view or listen to web content such as Youtube or Pandora, the volume is stuck at 50%. I'm not talking about the volume slider. In every case, the volume slider on the website, as well as in the windows volume control, is at 100% for both the program and the overall volume control. The actual volume that the website puts out never goes above 50%, regardless of volume setting. This behavior is the same using both Firefox and Edge (chromium).

This was a screenshot while playing Pandora using Edge (chromium). Even with the Pandora volume at 100%. The volume never goes above 50%.

This one has me stumped big time.

I wondered if it was some kind of quirk associated with a specific browser, but behavior is identical between Firefox and Edge (chromium).
I wondered if it was an operating system issue, but other non-browser programs such as Foobar2000 and VLC play at full volume just fine.
I wondered if it was an issue with an individual website, but it happens with both Pandora as well as Youtube.
I wondered if it was an issue unique to my main computer in some way, but I've been able to replicate the issue on several computers with vastly different hardware.

What else could it be?

So far, the only "fix" i've found is a browser plugin that allows me to set volume to 200%, but that seems like a duct-tape style fix to me. I'd really love to understand what the underlying cause is, and fix it the right way.

 

[DrLobotomy]

Goto 'Sound' in Windows settings and set the master volume

 

[GotNoRice]

Goto 'Sound' in Windows settings and set the master volume

Thanks, but like I said in my original post, all possible volume controls that I know of are already at 100%. That includes the one you are referring to.

 

[djoye]

Creative Console Launcher

Tested it myself. I have Windows showing 100% volume, but with EQ enabled here, it controls volume independent of what Windows shows.

 

[GotNoRice]

View attachment 229716
Creative Console Launcher

Tested it myself. I have Windows showing 100% volume, but with EQ enabled here, it controls volume independent of what Windows shows.

Interesting idea, but I don't think that's my problem. I've verified that the problem occurs whether the EQ is enabled or disabled. Also, my problem does not occur with all programs. If I use something like VLC or Foobar2000, I get 100% output just fine. That would seem to suggest that it's not a system-level volume control issue, but I'll explore anything at this point.

VLC and Pandora (using Edge) playing at the same time:

Also, I just tested the Pandora windows store app and it has the same problem, so it's seems like it's not even a browser issue or anything specifically related to the viewing of a web-page :|

Pandora Windows Store app (Set to 100% volume in the app):

 

[tungt88]

Not entirely sure if this helps, but I've had issues similar to what you're experiencing on my Sound Blaster X7 LE (from time to time) -- the "fix" I found for it was to simply turn off my X7, unplug the miniUSB power cord, replug the power cord into the X7, and turn the X7 back on.

Technically "hotplugging", but it does the trick every time a volume issue like yours pops up (stuck volume, or can't even change the volume).

Dunno if doing the same will work on your TubeMagic, but it might be worth a shot.

As for underlying cause? No idea, whatsoever (for both your problem and mine). My problem does seem to happen a bit more when I have a ton of browser tabs open in Opera, but it also occurs when I don't have anything running in the background besides a game/YouTube/Blu-Ray.

 

[Zepher]

If you can replicate the issue on multiple computers, maybe it's software you have loaded on them that is causing the issue.
I use 3 machines daily and haven't had that issue happen.