Volume decreases when playing audio with headphones

[Kelly Thomas1]

Hi

I recently purchased a brand new HTC 1 M9.

The phone works fine apart from when I listen to music with my headphones plugged in. For the first 10-15 minutes there is no problem at all. Then what starts to happen is the volume starts to decrease automatically right down to zero. I can actually see this happening on the screen as it is decreasing. Even though I try to turn it up it is battling with me & wants to turn the volume down. I don't tend to get this problem with the headphones I got with the phone but it seems to happen with some decent headphones I prefer to use.

Does anyone have any ideas how to fix this? I did read a post earlier about disabling "fast boot mode" in Settings >> Sounds but I cant even see anything regarding "fast boot mode".

Many Thanks

 

[VidJunky]

What brand and type of headphones are the ones you prefer to use? Do they have any kind of controls built in? The headphone volume is automatically decreased when headphones are plugged in but for it to continue to decrease with no input from you and only with that one set sounds like either the controls on your headphones are jacked up or inadvertently being used or there could be a compatibility issue...

Posted via the Android Central App from my HTC One M9

 

[Kelly Thomas1]

They are skullcandys - Not sure of the make & model. There is no volume control on the headphones. Only a button I can press to talk on the phone. I had my suspicions it was the headphones but I thought with this being a decent phone which I paid top dollar for it would be compatible with almost any type of half decent headphones. Cheers for the feedback. I just wondered if anyone else had this issue with headphones other than the ones that were supplied with the phone.

 

[msm0511]

They are skullcandys - Not sure of the make & model. There is no volume control on the headphones. Only a button I can press to talk on the phone. I had my suspicions it was the headphones but I thought with this being a decent phone which I paid top dollar for it would be compatible with almost any type of half decent headphones. Cheers for the feedback. I just wondered if anyone else had this issue with headphones other than the ones that were supplied with the phone.

I've used Grain Audio iehp's, the included ear buds, and my Apple EarPods. I haven't had any trouble with any of the three. So it doesn't happen with the included ear buds?

 

[Kelly Thomas1]

Cheers msn. Included ear plugs are fine. No probs.

 

[msm0511]

Cheers msn. Included ear plugs are fine. No probs.

That's kinda odd. I had something happen similar this morning, but with the external speakers. I was watching the leaked Deadpool trailer, and had to pause it for a minute. When I hit play there was no audio. At first I thought it was something wrong with the video itself. Then I realized for some reason the volume turned itself down to zero.

 

[VidJunky]

Did you pause it to take a call, or access Google Now?

Posted via the Android Central App from my HTC One M9

 

[msm0511]

Did you pause it to take a call, or access Google Now?

Posted via the Android Central App from my HTC One M9

No, I don't use Google Now, and my sim isn't even in my M9. I'm using my iPhone 6 right now b/c I wanted to try the iOS 9 beta. I didn't even leave the web page. Just paused the vid.

 

[Ventzy Kunev]

I have the same issue, but with phone's own bundled headphones. I am listening only when I run and it happened to me twice already, out of 15 times without a problem. 20-30 mins after start. At first I thought it may be the button of the phone when shaking, but after I stopped I put the phone on still surface and when I increase the volume to the max, it decreases by itself. I closed all opened application and the music goes from included music app. I found some options like controlling sound when phone is on the pocket, which maybe interfere is the sound levels, I disabled those options, but the problem persists. I tries with disabled dolby, no change. When I remove headphones from the phone and put volume to the max it does not decrease. Put headphones, press volume up button, release it and it decrease to some extend. Sometimes to the 0, sometimes not. It seem like there is some option or application that does that.

Now, about 2 hours after my last run I tried with different headphones and it does not decrease volume. But guess what, I plugged orginal and it does not decrease volume too. So... maybe worst case scenario is this problem to occur only when phone is hot or something. I hope to be wrong, because this would be hardware related problem.

 

[VidJunky]

I have the same issue, but with phone's own bundled headphones. I am listening only when I run and it happened to me twice already, out of 15 times without a problem. 20-30 mins after start. At first I thought it may be the button of the phone when shaking, but after I stopped I put the phone on still surface and when I increase the volume to the max, it decreases by itself. I closed all opened application and the music goes from included music app. I found some options like controlling sound when phone is on the pocket, which maybe interfere is the sound levels, I disabled those options, but the problem persists. I tries with disabled dolby, no change. When I remove headphones from the phone and put volume to the max it does not decrease. Put headphones, press volume up button, release it and it decrease to some extend. Sometimes to the 0, sometimes not. It seem like there is some option or application that does that.

Now, about 2 hours after my last run I tried with different headphones and it does not decrease volume. But guess what, I plugged orginal and it does not decrease volume too. So... maybe worst case scenario is this problem to occur only when phone is hot or something. I hope to be wrong, because this would be hardware related problem.

Your issue almost sounds like a feature. Either an ear protection feature so the vol doesn't stay at high levels for long periods of time, mixed with a way to quickly reduce vol, say if you needed to hear someone with out removing the ear bud. The issue I have with them being features is the erratic behavior. It doesn't sound like you can predict which behavior will happen.

Posted via the Android Central App from my HTC One M9

 

[ram1220]

Your issue almost sounds like a feature. Either an ear protection feature so the vol doesn't stay at high levels for long periods of time, mixed with a way to quickly reduce vol, say if you needed to hear someone with out removing the ear bud. The issue I have with them being features is the erratic behavior. It doesn't sound like you can predict which behavior will happen.

Posted via the Android Central App from my HTC One M9

Then it's an annoying feature. I wouldn't want my volume going down to 0 when I plug my headphones in.

 

[Kelly Thomas1]

This is actually still happening & it's doing it with the earplugs that were included with the phone. I can't find any solution for this on the internet anywhere!

 

[Kelly Thomas1]

You have exactly the same problem as me Ventzy. Did you find a solution to the problem?

 

[Kelly Thomas1]

Well after much searching today for a solution to this problem I finally seem to have found one. I downloaded an app called Volume Locker. You run that in the background before you begin listening to stuff via the headphones & it locks the volume & stops it moving. Seems to be working fine & it's the only workaround I have found that actually works.

 

[Michael Yamnitsky]

I have the exact same problem with a rooted Nexus 5 running stock Android KitKat 4.4.4 -- it only started happening about a month or so ago... Volume Locker doesn't help, the volume starts decreasing after about 15-20 of nonstop playback of music. Anyone on N5 has this issue?

 

[Kelly Thomas1]

Hey Michael. Volume Locker seemed to fix my problem for a day & then it stopped working. BUT.... I found the problem finally. I found that if I use headphones that have a mic built in it was the cause of the problem. Luckily my headphones came with a lead that could be unplugged from the headphones so I bought a new jack to jack lead with no inbuilt mic & Hey Presto it fixed the problem

 

[elduderino619]

I am having the same issue. I also found the power button doesn't respond promptly now and will go into a safe mood by itself when it does reboot. I have had the same pair of headphones (w/ a mic) and this phone for almost a year now and it just started today. Pretty frustrating.

 

[Dido Lumanyika]

Yap...most headphones with inbuilt mic will do this....I think it's a compatibility issue because when I use Apple iPhone headphones (which have an inbuilt mic) I don't get this problem, but all other ones have shown this problem. I used to restart the phone as a quick fix, but then the problem would crop up again in about 15-20 minutes. Long story short, try not to use headphones with an inbuilt mic/volume control especially while exercising (I find this is often the time this occurs).

 

[Dustin Callahan]

Your issue almost sounds like a feature. Either an ear protection feature so the vol doesn't stay at high levels for long periods of time, mixed with a way to quickly reduce vol, say if you needed to hear someone with out removing the ear bud. The issue I have with them being features is the erratic behavior. It doesn't sound like you can predict which behavior will happen.

Posted via the Android Central App from my HTC One M9

Mine goes up or down all the way, usually after about 20 mins of cardio or cutting the grass. It's fighting itself on the screen up and down then one over powers the other and jacks the vol all the way up or all the way to zero. No matter what I do. What can I do to fix this. My headphones are the BeatsbyDre wired, tour headphones. I've done ever phone update out there and still have issues.

 

[VidJunky]

Mine goes up or down all the way, usually after about 20 mins of cardio or cutting the grass. It's fighting itself on the screen up and down then one over powers the other and jacks the vol all the way up or all the way to zero. No matter what I do. What can I do to fix this. My headphones are the BeatsbyDre wired, tour headphones. I've done ever phone update out there and still have issues.

In both cases you describe it sounds like you are getting hot and sweaty. Is the device in your pocket, on an armband or somewhere else during these times? I've found that if I have the device in my pocket it will act erratically. This seems mostly due to something moist touching the screen and thus causing it open the screen, and touch icons or other controls and thus making changes. I've had six page long replies to texts with mostly gibberish because it touched in the textbox and the keyboard began putting in random junk. If you are using an armband it could be that it squeezes the device and is actually pressing the vol keys. That would explain the fight you describe also because if both buttons were pressed at roughly the same time the device wouldn't know how to interpret the input. I will occasionally get this with my car holder, that holds the device by its sides. With that however I have control over the pressure and the location, so a simple adjustment seems to solve that issue.