Looking for really loud earbuds

Question and Answer
1

When doing sweaty things I prefer to listen to music and podcasts using earbuds rather than my costly HAs. Trouble is, I struggle to find buds that are loud enough- even with volume-boosted mp3 files, and any of my phone’s (Zenfone8, Android) settings or using distorting “volume-boosting” apps. I believe there is an EU (and US) directive to throttle max volume to protect youngsters, leaving folks like me in the cold. Reviews endlessly focus on sound quality, not max output, so they don’t guide me. The best I found to date, Back Bay Tempo 30, are borderline OK (not for sale in the EU though), Samsung buds and many others I tried are just awful (soft) and I see people also complain about airpods (volumewise). Forums say Votomy V22 buds are really loud, but it appears they are no longer sold. Any suggestions?

1 Like
2

What about programming some second hand old aids, or maybe something like OTC’s…

3

I guess my only thought is that if you need ear buds SUPER DUPER loud, will others be bothered by the sound coming out of them? If you’re at a gym, maybe! If you’re outside mowing the lawn, maybe not?

2 Likes
4

I’ve considered getting Apple’s earbuds because I understand I can put my audiogram in
But so far I haven’t bought them because of the cost.
DaveL

5

I second the recommendation for Airpods. Putting in your audiogram might not be enough by itself, but it should at least greatly reduce the need to crank up the volume. And I think there’s a way to disable the max volume safety feature, though I’ve never tried it.

1 Like
6

Thanks for the suggestions. Many earbuds come with custom equalizers, which probably also achieve what Airpods can do using an audiogram. I know you can override maximum volume settings under Android, but this is still barely enough for me. My question is, given Apple’s ambitions to also deploy these as HAs, has anyone here compared the maximum volume outputs of Airpods with the many other earbuds that exist out there (preferably under Android)?

1 Like
7

Update: Following a Reddit recommendation (claiming a 116 db output) I just tested a set of OnePlus Buds Pro 2. Like Apple’s airpods they come with an app that takes a hearing test (under Android 13 in my case). This will significantly boost the buds’ audio volume, so they are now even loud enough for folks like me. Thankfully this setup appears to overcome EU- and US-imposed output limits (at 85 db or so). I suppose Apple’s airpods can achieve the same, but they are generally more expensive (I paid ~129 USD for the OnePlus at Amazon.de, shipping to Switzerland). I am not too happy with how they fit into my ears, and they lack volume controls on the buds, but at least I can now clearly hear all my podcasts and music while working up a sweat (and the sound is fantastic)! If your hearing is better than mine and you live in the US you may also consider the simpler $50 Back Bay Tempo 30, the loudest buds I had so far.

2 Likes