Logitech USB Headset H390 - Volume Lowers by itself

dresdenphile

When I plug in this USB headset, the system volume on my Windows 7 PC lowers itself as though an invisible hand is turning down the volume. This happens even if I set the default playback device to my computer's speakers instead of the headset. If I try to adjust the volume, the slider "fights" me and will lower itself to 0 unless I hold it in place. Also, under the Communications tab, I have "Do Nothing" clicked.

Any ideas as to what the hell is going on? The headset is comfortable, but it's a pain the ass to try to play tug of war with Volume Ghost when I'm on Skype or Google+ Hangouts.

Tav

Skype has an option to automatically adjust your volume, I'm guessing G+ might have something similar. Turning that off should help.

dresdenphile

Tav wrote: »

Skype has an option to automatically adjust your volume, I'm guessing G+ might have something similar. Turning that off should help.

That's what I thought at first, too, and all those settings are good. However, I can just plug the headset in with no open programs and watch the volume bar shimmy all the way down to 0.

Nullzone

Is there a hardware volume control on the headset? What about software that came packaged with it?

Lanchester

Check your sound settings as well. Control Panel > Sound, double-click on your speakers device > Advanced tab, Exclusive mode has "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device".

Don't know if that's irrelevant since you're dealing with your headphones, but it's something to check. Also make sure your sound drivers are up to date.

MichaelLC

Nullzone wrote: »

Is there a hardware volume control on the headset?

This set has a round button on the cord to adjust the volume? Look at the silver edge - I bet it's stuck on the lip and being pressed down. Exact same thing happened to mine.

Look right where the red light is on the bottom of the silver disk:

dresdenphile

Nullzone wrote: »

Is there a hardware volume control on the headset? What about software that came packaged with it?

No software came with the headset, sadly. It's supposed to just plug and play through the USB.

Lanchester wrote: »

Check your sound settings as well. Control Panel > Sound, double-click on your speakers device > Advanced tab, Exclusive mode has "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device".

Don't know if that's irrelevant since you're dealing with your headphones, but it's something to check. Also make sure your sound drivers are up to date.

Should that box be checked or unchecked?

I tried to update the drivers, but Logitech's driver download page for that product basically says, "Trust Windows, mang." When I go into Device Manager and tell it to update the driver, Windows tells me everything is up to date with the basic Windows Audio Driver for the headset.

MichaelLC wrote: »

This set has a round button on the cord to adjust the volume? Look at the silver edge - I bet it's stuck on the lip and being pressed down. Exact same thing happened to mine.

Look right where the red light is on the bottom of the silver disk:

The control looks exactly like that. The light is solid when on, and toggles to flashing when the sound is muted. I will double-check that this evening to see if the button is not full depressed or unpressed 100%.

dresdenphile

That's a no go on the button being the issue. Everything was fine with it.

I checked and double-checked the Exclusive Mode boxes, and neither option fixed the issue.

Nullzone

If you press the button in the other direction, what happens?

dresdenphile

The button is a toggle: lit up/transmitting sound from the mic or blinking/mute.

Nullzone

So there's no slider, dial, or buttons to raise/lower the volume anywhere on the physical headset?

MichaelLC

Nope - it's a round rocker switch on the cord.

Nullzone

The picture *looks* like it has one...



The little plus/minus symbols should be a volume control. Try pressing the plus symbol when you plug in the headset and see the volume slider going down, see what happens.