Hey there, don't be discouraged. In my opinion, I do think the Ipod Shuffle has better sound quality and volume compared to the others. You probably need a better pair of earphones. Don't bank on the equalizer too much, it introduces quite a lot of distortion even on good earphones. Get a pair of in-ear phones and you're ready to go. Alternatively, route it through a personal portable amplifier and its gonna boom.

Cheers