Wired DSP IEMs (usb-c earbuds) are quieter on iPhone compared to iPad?

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Wired DSP IEMs (usb-c earbuds) are quieter on iPhone compared to iPad?

I have a wired DSP IEMs (kind of like usb-c earbuds) and when I plug them into my iPad mini 6th gen, they sound normal and loud, I was using Apple music to test. However, when I plug the same IEMs into my iPhone 17 pro, they sound quieter when playing the same tracks on Apple Music, but it is especially noticeable on Dolby Atmos tracks. I have to have the volume doubled than what I have it on my iPad to heard Dolby Atmos tracks at a similar volume and even then there are some odd volume shifts during the song that I don't notice when using my iPad to play the same Dolby Atmos tracks.

I don't think this is an issue with the earbuds because they work just fine on my other devices as well. Does iPhone do some weird usb power management that could be limiting volume of my IEMs?

iPhone 17 Pro

Posted on Sep 30, 2025 12:39 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Tesserax

Level 10

157,902 points

Sep 30, 2025 8:46 AM in response to Arnav_C

What you’re hearing isn’t a problem with your earbuds or the iPhone’s USB-C port. The iPhone isn’t limiting power to your IEMs — the difference comes from how Apple Music handles Dolby Atmos on iOS compared to iPadOS. On iPhone, Atmos tracks often play a little quieter because of the way spatial audio and loudness balancing are applied.

To get closer to the volume you expect, try this:

Open the Apple Music app.
Tap your profile picture → Settings → Audio.
Under Dolby Atmos, switch between Automatic and Always On to see which sounds better with your IEMs.
In the same menu, toggle Sound Check off — this feature evens out loudness but can make Atmos tracks noticeably softer.

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Answer 2

Arnav_C Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 1, 2025 11:44 PM in response to Tesserax

Thanks for the reply. I do already have sound check off and when I switch Dolby Atmos to auto, it just defaults to it being off. The tracks are significantly louder this way but also no spatial audio which is sad. Any idea why Apple wouldn't make the Dolby Atmos processing the same as iPadOS? I wish I could enjoy the Dolby Atmos with the same volume as on my iPad. :/

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