Windows – How to limit the volume of audio on Windows by decibel level

audiohardware-recsoftware-recsound cardwindows 7

I enjoy listening to music at high volumes, but I'm concerned about possible long-term hearing loss. Articles covering this question suggest limiting audio volume to under 85 decibels.

Is there:

  • A setting built in to Windows or a third-party software that can control the system volume slider in units of decibels?

  • Or, a standalone third-party software that can limit audio playback by decibel level?

  • Or, a hardware device that I can use reasonably easily to cap audio decibel levels?

A more reliable source about noise-induced hearing loss.

Best Answer

One way you can solve this is by using dynamic range compression (DRC).

The DRC algorithm basically works as follows: for low decibel (dB) sounds, the output signal matches the input signal, but after some dB threshold, the sound is artificially limited. Loud sounds still sound "louder" than other sounds, but their maximum dB is greatly decreased.

Here's a simple figure illustrating the concept: Dynamic range compression (credits)

You can learn one way to do this with Windows via the following forum post: https://forums.playbattlegrounds.com/topic/15386-how-to-guide-for-windowsgame-audio-compression/

The main idea is to use a "virtual" cable to route your output audio signal to a program, have the program apply DRC to the signal, and then route that altered signal to your speakers.

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