Apple Watch: music volume increases drastically when a sound effect plays (?)

Originator:robotspacer
Number:rdar://21143570 Date Originated:28-May-2015 02:10 PM
Status:Open Resolved:
Product:iOS Product Version:iOS 8.3, Watch OS 1.0.1
Classification:Serious Bug Reproducible:Sometimes
 
Summary:
Just now I was listening to music on my new Powerbeats2 Bluetooth headphones. When I first connected the headphones, the volume seemed a bit low, but I didn't think much of it. When I started a workout, and the countdown sound effects started to play, the music volume jumped up drastically—enough for me to tear the headphones off my head.

I turned the volume down, and for a while it remained at a normal level. After a song or two, the headphones disconnected. (That'll be another bug report.) I reconnected the headphones, and the volume was low again. I intentionally kept it on the low side, knowing it might jump up again. Unfortunately I forgot that I was getting close to my halfway point. Once I hit it the volume jumped up again.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. On Apple Watch, open the Settings app, tap Bluetooth, and connect to Bluetooth headphones. In my case I'm using Beats Powerbeats2.
2. Open the Music app and force press.
3. Set the source to Apple Watch and select the headphones if necessary.
4. Play some music.
5. Open the Workout app and start a workout. (Or, I believe, do anything else that plays a sound effect.)

Expected Results:
The music should remain at the volume I set it at.

Actual Results:
The music jumps up drastically in volume, perhaps twice as loud. I went from "this is too quiet, I should turn it up a couple notches" to "this is loud enough to damage my hearing and I need to stop this immediately".

Version:
iOS 8.3, Watch OS 1.0.1

Notes:
I assume there is some other condition necessary to reproduce this bug, but I do not yet know what it is. I tried turning off my Watch and turning it back on, then repeating the steps above. Again the music seemed quiet. This time as soon as I opened the Workout app the volume jumped way up.

It's worth noting that I did not actually hear any of the sound effects it was attempting to play. I suspect they were played through the Watch speaker but obviously I could not hear that over the extremely loud music.

Configuration:
iPhone 6 AT&T, Apple Watch 42mm

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