Piezo Buzzer too quiet (and volume control behaves weirdly)

ESPHome
1

I have this piezo buzzer module:
image

I tried with this config:

output:
  - platform: ledc
    id: buzzer
    pin: GPIO18

rtttl:
  output: buzzer
  id: my_rtttl
  gain: 50%

switch:
  - platform: template
    name: suona
    turn_on_action: 
      then:
        - rtttl.play: 'siren:d=8,o=5,b=100:d,e,d,e,d,e,d,e'
    turn_off_action: 
      then:
        - rtttl.stop:

The problem is the sound is barely audible and also the volume control behaves weirdly, I get the max volume with gain at 50%, but if I set higher (for example 90%) or lower (for example 20%) it actually gets quieter…

So I desoldered the actual piezobuzzer (the black circular thing) from the small board and connected directly one leg to GND and the other to one GPIO (as stated by esphome documentation, read the code), and copy pasted the following configuration:

# Configure the output
output:
  - platform: ledc
    ######################################################
    # One buzzer leg connected to GPIO12, the other to GND
    ######################################################
    pin: GPIO18
    id: buzzer
    inverted: True

switch:
  - platform: template
    name: suona
    turn_on_action: 
      then:
        ######################################################
        # Must be turned on before setting frequency & level
        ######################################################
        - output.turn_on: buzzer
        ######################################################
        # Frequency sets the wave size
        ######################################################
        - output.ledc.set_frequency:
            id: buzzer
            frequency: "1220Hz"
        ######################################################
        # level sets the %age time the PWM is on
        ######################################################
        - output.set_level:
            id: buzzer
            level: "50%"
    turn_off_action: 
      then:
        - output.turn_off: buzzer

But the problem is the same. I would think that the buzzer itself is quiet but the fact that increasing the volume in configuration make the actual volume lower makes me think I’m doing something wrong.
Any suggestion?

2

They are selling that same module as active and passive buzzer, so generally you don’t really know what you have. But you disassembled that so you should know. Did that buzzer has a circuit underneath?

3

I know for sure is passive, cause its playing what I tell it, only at low volume

EDIT: and yes it has a simple circuit, only a transistor (I believe?) and a resistance

4

Ok, then I don’t have anything to help you. Just wait for the next one…

5

The “gain” here is not what you think it is – it is not a volume.