Make t61 louder

[fr0zenmon]

How do I increase the volume louder then max settings. It sounds like a mouse from a few feet away. If thats not possible is there external speakers that might help?

[muffd]

Did you try to double click the sound icon in the systray and make sure the Volume control, is to the Max?

[Savarak]

How do I increase the volume louder then max settings. It sounds like a mouse from a few feet away. If thats not possible is there external speakers that might help?

I feel your pain... For Windows Media player, I use FFDSHOW's codecs... and set it to amplify all the sounds to 150% to 200%, which helps a ton... the speakers in these laptops suck!!

[pae77]

Likewise, for Win MP, I use the K-Lite Codec pack which also has mixing and gain controls that allow one to boost the gain several hundred % beyond normal. Works fine for movies with headphones or external speakers. As stated above, the built in speaker are pretty terrible. Therefore, a set of powered external speakers with a sub woofer is a good idea.

[kblackav8or]

The speakers on my T60 are the worst of the 4 thinkpads I have owned now.

[samirlsn]

Try this software called Breakaway - it makes everything much louder without any distortion and it's fantastic, I don't know how I ever managed without it: http://www.claessonedwards.com

One drawback is that it introduces a slight delay to the audio.

Samir.

[RonS]

Remember that there are to volume controls that work together: The silver buttons above the keyboard, and the Windows volume setting. If one of them is turned down, that could be your problem.

[Paul Unger]

Try this software called Breakaway - it makes everything much louder without any distortion and it's fantastic, I don't know how I ever managed without it: http://www.claessonedwards.com

OK, that's awesome! Any "free" variants? [I know, I'm so cheap . . . ]

[pae77]

Another similar program is "DFX AUdio Enhancer" http://www.fxsound.com/dfx/index.php?ve ... =0&refer=0
and I think there is a free version that has some limitations but may have sufficient features for your purposes.

[julia]

Likewise, for Win MP, I use the K-Lite Codec pack which also has mixing and gain controls that allow one to boost the gain several hundred % beyond normal. Works fine for movies with headphones or external speakers. As stated above, the built in speaker are pretty terrible.

Where do you get these Codec programs and how do you install them? I got a great T60 and can't believe the sound. I figured headphones would solve the problem.

My old T30 blasted away and I would use Skype like talking in the same room. This one I adjusted everything to max, then... hello? Anyone home? How hard could it be to put in a decent sound system?

Thanks for info on the Dodec.

Julia

[Paul Unger]

Another similar program is "DFX AUdio Enhancer" http://www.fxsound.com/dfx/index.php?ve ... =0&refer=0
and I think there is a free version that has some limitations but may have sufficient features for your purposes.

DFX did "increase" the volume, but it's completely non-adjustable in the free version (us cheap buggers get what we pay for!). So here's what I did. I installed both Winampand Jammix Enhancer. Both free downloads. To enable the Jammix Enhancer in Winamp you need to go to Options -> Preferences -> Plug-ins -> DSP/Effect and select the Jammix Enhancer. I use the "Auto volume - Boost" Preset and it's certainly boosted! That's for music. Seems there's going to be a lot more fiddle-faddle to get it going for movies . . .

[pae77]

Not at all. For movies just download the free Klite codec pack and install it to work with win mp or the media player it comes with but I use Win Media Player 11 with it and am happy with that. K-lite has a mixer, equalizer and various process control screens that enable you to boost gain and control and enhance sound in various ways, plus it allows you to play virtually all the popular video formats on win media player. Another cool thing is for movies, it has a dolby encoder that I find usually enhances and improves the movie sound quite a bit. You can also configure it to work optimally with whatever ofl the various speaker configurations you are using. The dolby function usually doesn't improve TV video sound though so I turn the dolby function off for those.

For the person who asked where to download it, there are dozens if not hundreds of places from which K-Lite can be downloaded. Google is your friend for such things. Anyway, here's one place from which to get it: http://www.filehippo.com/download_klite_codec_pack/ As for how to install it, just click on the downloaded file and click install and follow the prompts. After you select which media player you want it to work with, just go with the remaining default installation settings. I recommend setting it to work with windows media player because I know that works well but I haven't actually tried the media player it comes with.

Btw, that file hippo site has a nifty free little utility that you can install as a stand alone .exe called the "update checker" and if you run this, it will scan your system and tell you if any of several programs like the k-lite codec pack and dozens of other programs have updates available. I find that little program to be very useful. Kind of like Thinkvantage System Update for freeware programs (but fortunately, it works better than System Update).

Back to K-lite, as I mentioned, I have it set up to work with windows media player 11. Everytime I play a DVD or video file in win media player, K-lite puts two icons in the system tray. One is for video control and the other is for audio control. Just click on the audio icon while a video is playing and explore the various screens and options that you will find available. It works really well for me, plus it allows me to play virtually all the various formats I have ever tried to play in win media player. In fact, I first discovered it when win mp told me it couldn't play a file because it lacked the proper codec and started me searching for more codecs. It really has become an essential piece of free software for me.

And I'm sure the other free codec pack mentioned above by another poster is probably also very good, but I haven't tried that one.

One thing I like about the K-lite pack is that it is very well integrated, has a good installer, and they are constantly developing it and issuing updates for it. In fact, the current version just came out today or yesterday! So give it a try. I'm sure you'll find it very useful.

[Paul Unger]

Back to K-lite, as I mentioned, I have it set up to work with windows media player 11. Everytime I play a DVD or video file in win media player, K-lite puts two icons in the system tray.

Well, I installed K-lite. A bit bewildering, I must say. I installed once with the default "Media Player Classic". That was a trip back to Windows 98 that I wasn't expecting! Uninstalled and went "without player", but now, for the life of me, I don't know how to enable/use/apply/access the codec thingy (what exactly am I looking for?!) When I play a DVD K-lite doesn't do anything that I can tell . . . no icons in the system tray--that's for sure! Help?

[pae77]

I don't claim to be an expert on this thing. I've only recently started using it myself. I configured k-lite during the installation of it to work with windows media player 11. I left mostly all the other settings at default which installs an interface called FFDShow. Whenever I play any video file in win media player that uses a codec supplied by k-lite, the FFDShow icons appear in the system tray, while the video is playing only. This includes things like .avi files and DVD rips.

I'm just taking a guess but it sounds like you don't have the codec pack properly "associated" with whatever media player you are using. Perhaps it is still set to work with the media player it came with which you stated you are not using (I don't blame you for that decision).

I don't know what else to tell you. It just works for me. There is a detailed user guide at the k-lite web site that may be of assistance to you. Good luck with it.

[fafaforza]

Use VLC (www.videolan.org). You can go 100% over maximum volume.

Plays all formats. Can play a folder with DVD files in it with full menu support. Nice program.

[pae77]

VLC sounds interesting. I'm going to give it a try as well.

[reid210]

While browsing the forum I read Samirlsn's suggestion of Breakaway to boost volume for a T61p. My T60p volume has always been weak, so i tried it and I was very pleasantly surprised. Seems easy, and there's a 30 day trial before "paying." I hate paying but if it is as simple as it seems, it is worth it.

[Paul Unger]

I found VLC to introduce a lot of distortion, even with the tamest of EQ presets . . . Still searching for a solution.

[pae77]

I didn't like the quality of the audio or video produced by VLC. WMP with K-Lite (FFD Show) is superior imo.

However, I am trying another audio enhancement program that works with everything and my initial impression is very favorable. This one might be worth paying for. They have a free trial period.

The program is "SRS Audio Sandbox." My T61p never sounded so good (with headphones, haven't tested with powered speakers yet cause I'm traveling)! http://www.srslabs.com/consumers/store.asp

(Btw, the version available through the above link is for x86 systems only. Oddly, there is a link to a x64 version buried in the FAQs on their site. I guess I should just be grateful they at least have an x64 bit version.)