You don't have to hold it up to your ear to hear it but the sound isn't very good.
It's not so bad that you have to hold it right beside your ear to hear it but it's not really loud enough.
1) You don't have to hold it up to your ear to hear it but the sound isn't very good.
「聞くのに耳に近づけなければいけないほどではないが、音があまりよく聞こえない。」というニュアンスです。
hold 〜 up to one's ear で「〜を耳に近づける」
音がよく聞こえない時に "the sound isn't very good" と言えます。
2) It's not so bad that you have to hold it right beside your ear to hear it but it's not really loud enough.
「耳にくっつけて聞かなければいけないほどではないが、音が小さい。」
hold 〜 right beside one's ear で「耳に〜をくっつける」
音がよく聞こえない時は "it's not really loud enough" とも言えます。
ご参考になれば幸いです！
日本 
