# Fire Volume Varance?



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

In another thread, "Fire for just watching movies", there are some comments relating to volume.  One person says that he must use headphones to hear (same for me) and Betsy says she has to keep her volume down to 50-60%.  This is quite a variance.  Does anyone know why this is?

Stan


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## teri (Sep 13, 2010)

Maybe Betsy has big ears?  

It could be several factors:
1. noise level in the room
2. individual hearing limitations
3. what they are listening to

I think some programs, movies, youtube, etc have different recording levels.  Kind of like how commercials are suddenly loud when you are watching a TV show.

Then again...it could be the physical speakers on each Fire.  I think the other items listed above would have to be counted out before you could assume it is hardware related.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

teri said:


> Maybe Betsy has big ears?
> 
> It could be several factors:
> 1. noise level in the room
> ...


I have played the Fire in the room with a TV or radio on that hubby was listening to, for example this morning to do pilates, and was able to hear fine with the volume turned up. In a quiet room, I only usually have it up 50-60 per cent. My husband, who has hearing loss even though he won't get hearing aids,  can hear the Fire but the iPad not as well.

On the iPad, since it has a microphone, you can get apps that actually measure loudness of sounds, so I could measure the loudness of my Fire if needed.

Betsy


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Well, I only brought the issue up because I've read other comments, over the past few months, that said the Fire volume level isn't very strong.  I'm not sure I have a hearing loss though.  I'm a musician but I don't listen to loud music.  I suppose that it's possible that my hearing could be going somewhat given my age.  I actually shy away from going to movie theaters because the volume always seems too loud there almost to the point of hurting my ears.  We will use headphones for listening.  We have a splitter so we can hook up 2 at once.


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## legalbs2 (May 27, 2009)

I have watched movies on my Fire at a normal setting, but I was in a quiet room.  I also attached the Fire to my TV via the USB port and watched the movie that way.  If you do watch a movie, it is better to have it plugged in and not rely on the battery.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

When I listen to music, it seems to be ok, but just ok, not super loud or anything. But watching a movie? No can do without headphones or my preferred method, plug in speaker. I tried to watch that first episode of Lost when they talk softly while sitting around the fire and I could not hear anything. 

I got one of those small round speaker thingies and it works fantastic. It has a long enough cord that I can place it anywhere and its rechargeable through the usb cord into my netbook. 

I am still trying to find ear buds or headphones that don't hurt my ears.


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## kindlegrl81 (Jan 19, 2010)

I have really bad hearing in my right ear and I can hear the Fire just fine without head phones.  Like Betsy, I usually have my volume at 50-60%.  The only reason I use headphones at all is so I don't disturb other people around me.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

legalbs2 said:


> I have watched movies on my Fire at a normal setting, but I was in a quiet room. I also attached the Fire to my TV via the USB port and watched the movie that way. If you do watch a movie, it is better to have it plugged in and not rely on the battery.


legalbs--

are you saying you output the movie to the TV? Did it act as an external hard drive?

Betsy


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Thanks for the good ideas. I did get a small speaker for our netbook, but it uses std Usb. I might try it with an adapter, but I don't know if that would be sufficient power from the Fire. I had not thought of a battery powered speaker though. I assume it would use the headphones jack?

Stan

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I use a battery-powered speaker or headphones but part of my issue is the case. The frame that holds the Fire covers one of the speakers...


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

LOL - epic fail on the design of that case, Andra!  (Not saying you were wrong to choose it or anything, just that they didn't design it too good if it covers a speaker!)

I have bad hearing and can barely hear with the volume turned up, even using an external speaker like the little beauty that Betsy hooked some of us up with in another thread, unless it's within a couple of feet of me.  Then again, I'm usually not wearing my hearing aids when I'm home.   In my case, though, I don't much use my Fire to listen to music or watch movies so it hasn't been a big problem for me yet; if I was doing either of those a lot, I'd probably plug in my extra ears and then I'd guess things would be different.


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## legalbs2 (May 27, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> legalbs--
> 
> are you saying you output the movie to the TV? Did it act as an external hard drive?
> 
> Betsy


I have a connection I use to connect my Mac to my TV, so I connected my Fire to my Mac and watched the movie from my Fire through my Mac to the TV. It worked fine. I only did it to see if you could.

Obviously, I would not watch a movie on the Fire that I could watch on my Mac or on my TV. I just wanted to see if it was possible. It was. When I get a TV with a wireless WiFi connection, maybe the Fire will be able to do more.


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

I ordered a battery powered speaker with a volume control on it.  It will be here in a few days a should solve the problem.  The battery is rechargeable via usb.

Stan


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Inquiring geeky gadget minds wanna know -- which one?  And of course you'll have to let us know how well it works...or doesn't.


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Steph H said:


> Inquiring geeky gadget minds wanna know -- which one? And of course you'll have to let us know how well it works...or doesn't.


See the I HOME SPEAKER thread. I'll post how. it works when I get it.

Stan

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

@legalbs2

We have a 5 yr old Samsung Tv It has an rgb female cable jack on the back landless "Pc in."  The light bulb finally came on and I recalled seeing the same jack on my laptop. I bought a double male end cable from radio shack so now I can have a 46" monitor to show pics etc..

stan 

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk


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## legalbs2 (May 27, 2009)

Shastastan said:


> @legalbs2
> 
> We have a 5 yr old Samsung Tv It has an rgb female cable jack on the back landless "Pc in." The light bulb finally came on and I recalled seeing the same jack on my laptop. I bought a double male end cable from radio shack so now I can have a 46" monitor to show pics etc..
> 
> ...


Radio Shack really is useful for connecting laptops to TV etc. I did the same thing. Now, I can get emails over the TV; I can Skype on the TV; watch movies from the laptop (Amazon Primetime etc); even read books on the TV via the Kindle App for my Mac. I love techie stuff. Glad I could light your bulb, Stan.


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