Windows 8.1 USB microphone volume is extremely low

Anonymous
2014-03-14T02:41:12+00:00

I have a Samson C01U USB mic. It is a plug-and-play microphone. There are no drivers for it. There is no firmware for it. You just plug it in, and it works.

This mic has always worked perfectly. When I used Windows 7, I set the volume level of it to about 40-50% and everything sounded crisp, clear, and loud. On Windows 8, it is inaudible unless I set the volume to 90% but even at that point it is not loud enough. Setting it to 100% results in a lot of noise in the background.

This is not the first time someone has brought this issue up as it is extremely common to everyone owning a USB plug-and-play mic:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1323451/windows-8-mic-issue

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/2da97f80-f58b-4635-acbf-9dd7292ed752/microphone-very-low-volume?forum=w8itprohardware

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_8-hardware/low-usb-microphone-recording-volume-at2020/9528f797-65c8-4033-a4d6-39995cd0d074

Has there ever been a fix for this issue?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2014-07-31T00:46:56+00:00

Hi,

Thank you for the reply.

As you have mentioned that you have checked the issue with other microphone but you still face this issue. We have already tried to uninstall and reinstall the drivers. I suspect this issue to be a hardware issue. Check the issue with a local technician.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-06-23T06:06:34+00:00

    Having same issue, **** **** **** annoying,

    what's even more annoying is Microsofts pathetic help.

    Obvious bug, please fix

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-05-29T14:21:32+00:00

    WE KNOW. Nevermind the model of microphone. "TURN THE VOLUME UP" is the obvious solution, we've done this. I've got a totally different mic, and NO, IT ISN'T A HARDWARE ISSUE. AND NO, I DON'T NEED TO REINSTALL/UPDATE DRIVERS. And NO, there isn't a "boost" option. And **NO**, PLUG AND PLAY USB MICS DON'T HAVE DRIVERS! A real solution please. None of this form letter BS. Windows isn't free, we do pay for it, so simple, basic things like a microphone should work as expected. As should you.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-05-26T17:12:48+00:00

    I did notice that Windows 7 microphone level goes to 22db while Windows 8 only goes to 12db.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-04-30T20:04:55+00:00

    Hi,

    I just got the same issue and managed to improve sound level by trying a different USB port.

    Condenser microphones apparently need a fair amount of power and USB ports are not equaly powered. It worked on my laptop, to my surprise! I hope this will help.

    Cheers. Guillaume

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