[Sammi Jones]

Running Windows 7 on a Toshiba Qosimo. No idea what sound card or chip is in the thing, but I think it's got Harmon Kardon speakers built in. Set at top volume, Skyrim is acceptably loud for me...but pretty much all other games are loud enough that I turn them down below max. Strange issue. I've also noticed that I have to turn the sound up before I launch Skyrim, because once the application starts I can hit the "raise volume" button on the side of the keyboard all I like and it does nothing. Skyrim seems to block the volume mixer application from working.

[steve brewin]

Skyrim has low sound issues for a lot of PC players: http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&andor_type=and&sid=b511ec1bb636721a431e627515df1559&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BsortKey%5D=date&search_content=both&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5Bforums%5D%5B%5D=180&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BnoPreview%5D=1&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BpCount%5D=&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BpViews%5D=&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BsortKey%5D=date&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BsortDir%5D=0&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BsearchInKey%5D=&search_term=low+sound&search_app=forums&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BsearchInKey%5D=&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BsortKey%5D=date&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BsortDir%5D=0

Ah, thanks. Good to know I'm not alone. Perhaps this will get fixed in the upcoming patch...but then maybe not, because it doesn't sound like a game-breaking problem.

[Philip Lyon]

Ah, thanks. Good to know I'm not alone. Perhaps this will get fixed in the upcoming patch...but then maybe not, because it doesn't sound like a game-breaking problem.

If it helps, I have the problem too.
My recommended solution until Bethesda fixes it: turn on loudness equalization, http://static.reviewmylife.co.uk/2010/1112/loudness-equalization.jpg

I made a thread earlier about low sound and a poll. Of about over 200 people that voted, around 70% or so had low sound problem one way or another. That's big numbers. It's a big problem.
Gstaff contacted me earlier about it, so Bethesda is definitely aware of that the problem exists. I was surprised though to see this fix not on the changelog for 1.4 patch.
It's pretty fundamental to have properly working sound, even though it's not game breaking. That's like 1/4 of the whole game.

In general, it seems Skyrim has low sound for a lot of onboard stereo users.

[Adam Baumgartner]

If it helps, I have the problem too.
My recommended solution until Bethesda fixes it: turn on loudness equalization, http://static.reviewmylife.co.uk/2010/1112/loudness-equalization.jpg

I made a thread earlier about low sound and a poll. Of about over 200 people that voted, around 70% or so had low sound problem one way or another. That's big numbers. It's a big problem.
Gstaff contacted me earlier about it, so Bethesda is definitely aware of that the problem exists. I was surprised though to see this fix not on the changelog for 1.4 patch.
It's pretty fundamental to have properly working sound, even though it's not game breaking. That's like 1/4 of the whole game.

In general, it seems Skyrim has low sound for a lot of onboard stereo users.

Okay, thanks. I'll give the loudness equalization a shot.

[Ryan Lutz]

Same problem here as well. I must turn volume up to 100% before I start the game to be able to hear the dialog well
I use a HP Pavillion dv7 laptop computer with Windows 7 64-bit, and my soundcard is listed as ATI HD Audio.

Yes and then get blasted out of seat afterward when forgetting to turn it back down.

[butterfly]

Anybody else run into this?

Yes, its very common. People have odd work arounds and such but this is something that Bethesda needs to genuinely address on their end for a real solution.

[Kevin S]

Too low for me and many others too

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1272234-audio-sound-too-quiet-too-low-windows-xp/

[KIng James]

Yes and then get blasted out of seat afterward when forgetting to turn it back down.

You got that right!

[jessica sonny]

If it helps, I have the problem too.
My recommended solution until Bethesda fixes it: turn on loudness equalization, http://static.reviewmylife.co.uk/2010/1112/loudness-equalization.jpg

I made a thread earlier about low sound and a poll. Of about over 200 people that voted, around 70% or so had low sound problem one way or another. That's big numbers. It's a big problem.
Gstaff contacted me earlier about it, so Bethesda is definitely aware of that the problem exists. I was surprised though to see this fix not on the changelog for 1.4 patch.
It's pretty fundamental to have properly working sound, even though it's not game breaking. That's like 1/4 of the whole game.

In general, it seems Skyrim has low sound for a lot of onboard stereo users.

Okay, thanks. I'll give the loudness equalization a shot.

Okay, that seemed to work. It won't do anything for my headphone device I suppose, but I guess I could just plug the headphones directly into the computer.

[Project]

I have an onboard sound card in my i7 laptop, I'm running Win7 64 bit and the sound is low on mine with all sliders turned up full. Tried everything, I had to resort to using headphones for Skyrim.

[Jeremy Kenney]

Turned on the loudness equalization and this helped boost my volume. Can't say if it's a fix for everybody.

[lucy chadwick]

Beyond this, until Bethesda also fixes the situation where you can't use your media buttons while in the game to do anything to the volume either: I cannot consider anything fixed on this front and the ball is still in their hands.

[maddison]

Its very quiet for me. If I play Battlefield 3 at the same volume on my speakers I would have to evacuate the room. Sometimes I quit Skyrim and start BF3 forgetting to turn the volume down and almost get blown off of my chair. Its not BF3 thats loud its Skyrim that is quiet, because the same happens with my other games too, after playing Skyrim, turn down speakers or get blown away.

[ezra]

If it helps, I have the problem too.
My recommended solution until Bethesda fixes it: turn on loudness equalization, http://static.reviewmylife.co.uk/2010/1112/loudness-equalization.jpg

I made a thread earlier about low sound and a poll. Of about over 200 people that voted, around 70% or so had low sound problem one way or another. That's big numbers. It's a big problem.
Gstaff contacted me earlier about it, so Bethesda is definitely aware of that the problem exists. I was surprised though to see this fix not on the changelog for 1.4 patch.
It's pretty fundamental to have properly working sound, even though it's not game breaking. That's like 1/4 of the whole game.

In general, it seems Skyrim has low sound for a lot of onboard stereo users.

Pass this man a Beer! That sorted it out for me too, not much difference through my poxy laptop speakers but through my headphones it's 50% better. Thank you very much for posting this!