Volume drops low, triggering notification chime fixes it?

[gowenfawr]

I have the following behavior with my Samsung Galaxy S5, Verizon, Stock.

Short version:

• Sometimes volume is lower than normal (same point on slider bar means less volume)
• Notification beep from incoming mail or text will reset volume
• Why? How to avoid? Related to Google's Nannyverse "you're going to go deaf!"?

Long version:

I will notice that the volume is low - it seems too quiet, and when I use the rocker to turn the volume up, the perceived volume is not in line with where the slider is (e.g., let's say 1/2 is normally loud with my earbuds; when volume has dropped, 2/2 is not as loud as 1/2 usually is)

This happens with both AUX (earbuds) and bluetooth (car stereo, also standalone speaker) outputs.

The fix is to have the notification chime go off - either new mail or a new text message. When that sounds, it sounds at normal volume, and the speaker volume is immediately boosted back up. (So if I've got earbuds in, I'm clawing them out, because my music went from soft to loud). It's gotten to the point where I send myself a text message when I notice the volume is diminished so I can reset it.

Has anyone else noticed this symptom?

Does this have anything to do with the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad "Google is concerned you might not have noticed the volume is loud and is nannying the volume down for you so you don't go deaf" terrible horribleness? (Note to Google: Bad feature. Remove it.)

Any help or pointers appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[SpookDroid]

This has happened to me on several occasions with headphones. Something about the impedance being messed up seems to trigger this (I've tested it on a Note 3 and a Galaxy S4, and the same pair of headphones, whenever I pushed the action button, made the volume drop, even though the slider didn't). Unplugging and re-plugging seemed to fix it though.

It might also be a notification being 'stuck'. Since music players now drop the volume to allow a notification to be played over the sound, maybe it just got stuck in that mode, and the next incoming notification just makes it react again.

 

[AZgl1500]

I have not had your problem. I do not listen to music, but I do use Bluetooth headsets.

I have learned to use MacroDroid to reset the speaker volume and the Ringer Volume for certain circumstances. My primary use is to sense the screen status. Screen locked, Reset Ringer Volume to MAX, and Reset Speaker Volume to Max.

I use the speaker phone option for a lot of phone calls because the wife and I talk to family members and we both want to hear what's being said.

I have fat fingers (best excuse I can find).... but the speaker/receive volume for whatever reason keeps getting turned OFF, same for the Ringer Volume. It keeps getting turned off.

MacroDroid fixed those issues by always restoring my phone settings to my preferences every time the screen locks or goes black (like during a phone call).

You might give MacroDroid a try, it is free for up to 5 macros. I bought the premium version because it is so powerful and resolved all of my problems.

* MacroDroid - Device Automation - Android Apps on Google Play