I just got my new 8GB Clip Plus this week after using my original 2 GB Clip for 2 years and loving it. Unfortunately, I have noticed that the volume of the Clip Plus is quite a bit lower compared to my Clip. I did all the stuff with the system settings and region (tried North America and Rest of the World, set the volume setting to “High” ) but it’s still not as loud as my old Clip. And forget the “Normal” setting, it’s just laughable how low that is. But has anybody noticed this difference in volume between the old Clip and the Clip Plus? Is there a way to make the Clip Plus as loud as the old Clip? Thanks.
Message Edited by patrick989 on 08-07-2010 09:37 PM
Message Edited by patrick989 on 08-07-2010 09:38 PM
As far as I know, both the Clip and Clip+ uses the same hardware. With that in mind, both output at 18 mW per channel @ 16 ohms. That’s enough to drive most phones out on the market. Perhaps you are using a higher impedence phone on the Clip+ versus on your Clip?
Otherwise, you might want to disable the “Replay Gain” feature in settings (which is a non-destructive normalization of a track’s volume).
As far as I know, both the Clip and Clip+ uses the same hardware. With that in mind, both output at 18 mW per channel @ 16 ohms. That’s enough to drive most phones out on the market. Perhaps you are using a higher impedence phone on the Clip+ versus on your Clip?
Otherwise, you might want to disable the “Replay Gain” feature in settings (which is a non-destructive normalization of a track’s volume).
If you are using the ReplayGain, you can boost the Pre-Gain setting for more volume, which might help.
As far as I know, both the Clip and Clip+ uses the same hardware.
I don’t believe this is true. For one, the Clip+ has a memory card slot. That requires different hardware. I’m not 100% sure, but I think the Clip+ also has a different processor than the original Clip.
And the firmware to control each is certainly different.
I’m using the same headphones that I used with my old Clip and I compared the sound of both mp3 players with these same headphones, and the Clip Plus is not as loud. Turning the volume nearly all the way up on this new Clip Plus, in a quiet room, is equal to turning my old Clip up to like 45-50% volume. I am not using Replay Gain. It seems like a hassle to have to increase the volume of all my songs, I bought this mp3 player because I expected it to be just as good as my old Clip and I never thought the volume would be lower. Nobody else has had this problem?
IIRC the volume scaling was changed in a firmware update for the Clip V1. If I play my Clip V1 with .18 firmware at 50% volume it is about equal to my Clip V1 with .35 firmware at 75% volume. The full output 100% volume seems the same to me though. I think the scaling was changed to get a lower volume at low settings for sensitive IEMs that played too loud at the lowest settings. I also think the Clip+ volume scale is equal or very close to the current firmware scaling in the Clip V1 and V2.
Oh I see. I still have .18 firmware on my old Clip, I guess that’s why I noticed such a difference between that volume and the volume of my new Clip Plus. I have to turn it up to around 70-75% just to achieve the same volume of my old Clip at around 50%. So you’re saying when I turn it up louder than 75%, it will get a LOT louder to make up for all the lower volume scaling and be the same as my old one? I guess I’ll have to test that out without making myself deaf lol.
EDIT: I tested it out cranking it up to the max and compared it with the old Clip at the max, and it does seem to get a whole lot louder and virtually as loud as the old one. The volume scaling explanation was very helpful and it finally explained my dilemma, thanks!
Message Edited by patrick989 on 08-08-2010 08:10 PM
I bought my Sansa Clip 8GB last year and had no problem until I downloaded new firmware, that’s when my volume disaapeared. After reading all the questions to this problem and trying to do what some had advised, still no joy. The reason, I could not get the North American language to come up on the screen and I dis not have a volume setting!
The only thing no one seems to inform you to carry out is under “setting”? Press “reset all” and the rest is a walk in the park. All the other settings appear, e.g. language / volume etc and once again I have to turn the volume down becuase it is too loud. I can now hear my music in a noisy shopping centre, at a noisy football ground, if fact anywhere I may go too. Hope this is of help?
when i wear my clip+ in the gym. I can barely hear it at max volume. have tried three different headphones. wife “stole” my ipod. on same headphones it is at least twice as loud. i think this is a defect.
when i wear my clip+ in the gym. I can barely hear it at max volume. have tried three different headphones. wife “stole” my ipod. on same headphones it is at least twice as loud. i think this is a defect.
Do you live in Europe, where the volume restriction applies?
Or, have you verified the volume level is set to High in Settings?
Finally . . . and don’t laugh or be insulted because others have missed this but, have you tried raising the volume control on the side?
If you don’t have a high setting for volume under the settings, choose reset under settings and then choose U.S. or Rest of World for the region–the high setting, which you should choose, should now appear. The EU region setting does not have a high volume setting, due to EU regulations.
My old Sansa Express finally died last week affer 3 years of continuous service, so I went for a new Sansa Clip+. Plugged in, charged up, loaded mp3, pressed play… so quiet I could hardly hear iot! :o( Maxed the volume… still really quiet. Almost sent it back today, but after a bit of googling I find that its due to some EU regulation that limits max volume. Setting the region to North America, the volume is back to maximum; in fact a little louder than my old Express.
Easiest way to do this is: main menu -> system settings -> Reset Factory Settings, then make sure you choose North America as your region. Done!
Just wanted to reconfirm the behavior here - since after I upgraded to latest firmware the volume option disappeared, and the volume was very quiet (even turned all the way up) and I couldn’t find the volume boost any more.
but after doing ‘reset all’, setting language/location to English/North America, the ‘Volume’ option reappeared, and I could boost it again to a ‘normal’ level (seriously, the ‘max’ at the normal level is rather quiet, only good for quiet rooms).
this was quite annoying, so thanks to all that posted here as to how to get around this issue!
I had this problem, and tried resetting the factory settings to North America, Rest of World and Europe, but still the volume is ridiculously low. The volume button on the side doesn’t seem to have any effect on the mp3 player each.
Any further advice? Or am i going to just get another mp3? Cheers
if the volume rocker on the side of the unit doesn’t work, it’s a hardware problem. You most likely cannot fix it. Get another player and recycle this one responsibly.
I had this problem, and tried resetting the factory settings to North America, Rest of World and Europe, but still the volume is ridiculously low. The volume button on the side doesn’t seem to have any effect on the mp3 player each.
Any further advice? Or am i going to just get another mp3? Cheers
If it is a hardware issue and you still are within the warranty period (1 year U.S., 2 years EU), be sure to contact SanDisk (phone is best) for a free replacement.
If you bought your Sansa Clip in Europe their STUPID laws make our Sansa players come with LIMITS.
After two hours of searching Sandisk web site (waste of F*#$ing time) and many forums I found the soultion below.
ONE tip when coping the clppa.bin file into your “root folder” that just means copy it direclty onto your SANSA CLIP. same folders as Audible, Audiobooks, Music, Podcasts etc…
Good luck
[FONT=Calibri]If its the new style Sansa Clip, they’ve limited the volume because of European law… The easiest way around this is to reinstall new firmware and change region settings to avoid this problem… [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]See below:[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]1 Turn USB Mode in Clip+ to MSC Mode[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]2 Download the firmware: [/FONT][FONT=Calibri]http://mp3support.sandisk.com/firmware/clipplus/clipplus01.02.09.zip[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]3 Unpack clppa.bin file to root folder in your player (it’s main folder)[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]4 Disconnect Clip + to install the firmware[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]5 After installation choose your language and don’t forget to select region preferences to North America or Rest of world (anywhere, as long as its not a European Country!)[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]That should sort out your Volume for you…[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]Enjoy…! [/FONT]
