Quieter bluetooth headsets?

March 20, 2014 5:18 PM

I just bought a Plantronics Marque M155 Bluetooth headset for use with my cell phone. The lowest volume setting on it is too loud for my probably-overly-sensitive ears. Any suggestions for quieter headsets?

I have an Android phone, if the problem has to do with the phone itself and not my headset. The headset volume setting appears as the system volume. I often have the same problem with the phone's own speaker as well, or with regular no-microphone headphones I plug into the phone. Lots of things are too loud for me, and it causes me pain.

I'm open to one-ear or two-ear options, but would prefer wireless (so an in-line volume adjustment would probably not be the best solution).

posted by asperity to Technology (3 answers total)

Perhaps you could try an app like DSP Manager. This should let you set up a profile for Bluetooth where you could set all the levels to their lowest setting.
posted by davidvanb at 5:21 AM on March 21, 2014

Response by poster: Tested that with all sliders at -15 dB, but it doesn't seem to do anything at all to change the speaker/Bluetooth volume.
posted by asperity at 8:37 AM on March 21, 2014

Response by poster: In the event anybody spots this later, I think I've figured out how to solve the problem for wired headphones and possibly for Bluetooth ones as well: my phone and other devices are nearly all overpowered for the low-impedance headphones I've been using.

I bought a set of high-impedance earphones that help a lot. The very lowest volume setting is no longer too loud for me and I can even adjust the volume over a few notches without it being painful. They also don't transmit as much hiss as my other headphones have. Specifically I bought the Etymotic Ety-Kids earphones, but I think anything with high impedance would probably work for me.
posted by asperity at 2:34 PM on February 21, 2015