Playback volume levels have suddenly dropped for reasons unknown

[telstrareg]

Something happened today which saw my volume levels in VLC drop significantly. I tried restoring the config files from a few days ago, but the problem was not fixed. It's almost as if in some way VLC has capped the maximum volume it will play back because none of the settings such as normalization, EQ, Compression, multiplier will bring the volume beyond a certain point - well below what they were previously. Raising them beyond a certain point just creates distortion but no increase in volume. Enabling the volume slider to go up 300% produces no increase in volume after 125%, just weird artifacts.

The only clue I have is that for some reason, VLC no longer respects the Windows 7 control panel settings for Sound/Playback/Enhancements/Loudness Equalization. I always have this enabled because my laptop speakers are too soft without this setting. I tried turning Loudness equalization on and off while playing back files on 2 other media players and there is a huge change in volume but when I do the same in VLC, there is no change in volume (did not used to be case).

Could there be some setting in VLC that somehow bypasses Windows audio enhancements?

[telstrareg]

A reinstall and deleting the old settings surprisingly did not fix it. In the and I did a system restore to a few days earlier and the problem was solved. Would love to know what caused it.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Did you check the VLC volume in the Windows mixer?