SUMMARY Volume used to be remember on a per-device basis. After the last KDE updates, it isn't anymore. STEPS TO REPRODUCE 1. If using a laptop, connect some headphones or speakers so as to have at least two volume sources. If a non-laptop, try having an HDMI screen with audio or similar plus some speakers. 2. Change the general volume from its default value. 3. Disconnect the currently active sound device (e.g. the headphones) so as to make it switch to a different output source (e.g. the built-in speakers). OBSERVED RESULT Volume remains as it was set for the earlier audio device, but now applied to the new device, for which the same value is unlikely to be optimal. EXPECTED RESULT It should remember that the audio device to which it switched had a different volume the last time it was used. Different audio devices have very different meanings for different volume levels. You can make people hurt their ears badly. SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS Operating System: Debian GNU/Linux KDE Plasma Version: 5.24.5 KDE Frameworks Version: 5.94.0 Qt Version: 5.15.2 Kernel Version: 5.18.0-1-amd64 (64-bit) Graphics Platform: X11 Processors: 16 × AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Eight-Core Processor Memory: 15.6 GiB of RAM Graphics Processor: AMD VEGA10
This is handled by a layer below us, in either PulseAudio or PipeWire. You'll need to report it there. Or report it to your distro and let them (hopefully) figure it out.