Laptop audio volume range randomly changes between boots

[Funktapus]

My laptop headphone volume is usually very limited: often times I can still hear people talking on the opposite end of the office with the volume turned all the way up.

Occasionally, when I boot the computer, the volume has a much greater range and my comfortable listening volume is well below 50%.

Can anyone venture a guess to why it randomly works better, and how I can get it to do it more often?

The laptop is a Thinkpad E530. The driver is just listed as an "High definition audio device". Is there someway I can get more detailed information about how the device is functioning to nail down what changes?

 

[deviantstyles]

It might be a faulty connection due to a loose audio port. If you twist the headphone plug where it goes in to the jack, does the volume change or make crackle noises? Or if you lightly push the side of the headphone connector in various directions does it also do the same?