"Headphone jack" not loud enough on fire 7 tablet

Just a wild guess, but there could be a "safety" feature that limits the maximum volume. If so, there should be a setting to defeat it buried down in the hardware and software settings.

From what I've read on the matter (and as dangus intimated), this is a fairly recent "safety" feature endemic to the Android OS (Kindles run a modified version of Android, so it's likely that they share the same "feature"). It's there solely to help manufacturers avoid those stupid "hot coffee burn"-types of lawsuits.

I have an older Gingerbread-era HTC phone whose headphone jack plays at satisfying volumes (not ear-bleed levels, mind you, but loud enough to be enjoyable as a portable media device). My [newer] SG4-Mini unfortunately shares the same low-volume problem as your Kindle.

The problem isn't at the hardware level, but instead lies in a particular system file. There are a few settings in that file whose values control the jack's volume limit. So editing that file would seem like an easy fix, right? Not! For starters, the device needs to be "rooted" in order to gain access to that file. Second, you need a specific type of file explorer (one that can alter file permissions) to edit that particular file, since it's read-only by default. Third, you must make sure you know exactly which file[name]--and which variables/values--that need to be edited for your particular device (it varies!). In short, this solution is not something I'd recommend for the layman (hell, I've yet to attempt it myself, since there's always the risk of bricking a device if you screw something up).

IMO, your best bet would be to upgrade your current set of earbuds with ones with a higher SPL rating. For any given volume setting, my set of Sennheisers (cheap-ish MX400) sound significantly louder (and much better) than the stock HTC's that came with my first phone. I still plan to modify that system file on my SG4, though. It's already rooted, so the first major hurdle has been cleared.

I tried volume boosting apps but the only app that did work warps and distorted the sound even when the app is turned up just 10%.
Yeah, none of those "booster" apps will work, unfortunately.


They say genius skips a generation. Mom's a genius, so I guess I'm a genius too

A. What do you expect from a $50 tablet?

2. As dangus noted, most manufacturers have cut back severely on the power that their portable products put out, in response to numerous lawsuits from parents of stupid kids who ruined their hearing by playing music too loud. Their gain is your loss, unfortunately.

Personally I doubt that there's any easy way to get much more undistorted volume out of a $50 tablet. If you can find a way, good for you. If not, you might try a good pair of low impedance, high sensitivity earbuds instead of full-sized headphones. My perennial favorite are Koss "The Plug", with a list price of $15, and can be had for as little as $5.

I can't say if the Koss buds are exceptionally sensitive, as I tend to use them with audio gear that has very generous headphone power sections, namely Cowon personal music players. I also use portable outboard headphone amps to supplement the output of some sources. If you're on a budget, this may not be an option for you, or very practical for a tablet. Perhaps your best bet is to save up and trade up to a more full-featured tablet when the time comes.