I've been struggling with MP3 playback volume since I got my 8830. I just dropped $100 on a pair of Bose in-ear headphones. The sound they produce is second to none (I have no relationship to Bose in any way whatsoever) but they are quieter then most. I was already disappointed with the volume from the the 8830 when playing MP3 files, and with the quieter Bose head in-ear headset, it was just unusable. I was ready to return the new headset today when I stumbled upon a software solution.
MP3GAIN (seems newbies can't post links, just google "mp3gain download") an opensouce (free) application that increases the volume by tweaking the .mp3 file.
I've been playing with it a bit, and boosting the db level to 95 and applying it in "album mode" to preserve the naturally quiet passages when I listen to classical music. I also listen to a lot of live bootleg music and find that values above 95 lead to distortion. You mileage may vary, but before you give up on the 8330 as an MP3 player, give MP3GAIN a try. Be mindful that volume increase can be substantial... don't hurt your ears!
I find that the volume level on my Curve 8310 is plenty loud without the audio boost. But it is good to know there are apps out there to increase the level for when I start to lose hearing. Beats hearing aids. Lol =8')
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