Where is the equalizer setting on my phone?

What is an equalizer?
An equalizer allows you to adjust the levels of different audio frequencies to customize the sound profile produced by your smartphone or audio playback device. It enables you to boost or reduce the bass, mids, and treble ranges independently to suit your preferences or audio equipment (1).
With a graphic equalizer, you get sliders to control the volume of different frequency bands. A parametric equalizer allows more precision by letting you define the center frequency, bandwidth, and gain for each adjustment. This gives you finer control over the sound signature (2).
The end result is that an equalizer lets you shape the overall tonal quality and balance of audio playback. You can enhance certain elements like punchy bass or crisp highs. Essentially, it provides customizable audio tailored to your taste.
(2) https://www.soundguys.com/how-to-equalize-fine-tune-your-listening-experience-16410/
Why adjust the equalizer?
There are several key reasons you may want to adjust the equalizer on your phone:
Enhance audio quality – An equalizer allows you to boost or attenuate specific frequency ranges, which can improve the overall audio quality. For example, increasing the midrange frequencies can make vocals clearer, while boosting the bass can give music more punch.
Fit music to environment – The sound environment affects how you perceive audio. Boosting certain frequencies can help music cut through background noise. Lowering frequencies that cause irritation or fatigue can make audio more enjoyable in noisy places.
Accommodate hearing needs – Everyone’s hearing sensitivity varies, especially as we age. An equalizer can amplify hard-to-hear frequencies. Boosting select ranges can tailor audio for individual hearing ability.
In summary, adjusting the equalizer allows you to sculpt the sound profile to make music sound fuller, crisper, and generally more pleasant across various listening scenarios.
Accessing the equalizer
The equalizer settings on Android phones are typically found in the device settings menu, often under Sound or Audio options. However, the exact location varies across phone models and Android versions.
On Samsung Galaxy phones, go to Settings > Sounds and vibrations > Sound quality and effects. Tap on Equalizer and choose a preset or manually adjust the bands.
For other Android phones, look for Sound settings or Audio settings, and see if there is an Equalizer option. You may need to tap Advanced or Additional settings.
Sometimes the equalizer may be enabled within music or video apps instead of system-wide. Open the app’s settings to see if EQ controls are available there.
So in summary, accessing the equalizer requires checking:
- The Sound/Audio section of device Settings
- Advanced/Additional audio settings
- Individual app settings for media players
As equalizer menus vary across models, searching forums or the phone’s help guide can assist in locating it.
Equalizer Settings
The equalizer allows you to adjust the audio output by boosting or reducing levels across different frequency ranges.1 On Android phones, the equalizer will typically have several sliders that correspond to frequency ranges like:
- Bass (60-250 Hz) – lower frequencies
- Mid (250-2000 Hz) – middle frequencies
- Treble (2000-14000 Hz) – higher frequencies
Boosting the bass and treble sliders will emphasize the low and high ends of music for a V-shaped sound. Reducing the mid slider can make vocals less prominent. You can adjust the sliders to find your preferred balance.
Most equalizers also come with preset options tailored to certain genres like Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, Classical, etc. These presets boost and cut frequencies optimized for that style. For example, the Bass Booster preset emphasizes low end. There is also usually a default Flat or Normal setting.
Beyond presets, you can create custom equalizer presets by adjusting the frequency sliders and saving your own mix. This allows you to easily switch between EQ profiles for different listening scenarios.
Using equalizer presets
Most equalizer apps and music players come loaded with pre-made equalizer presets that optimize the sound for different music genres. Common presets include:
- Pop
- Hip Hop
- Jazz
- Rock
- Classical
- Dance/Electronic
Start by selecting a preset that matches the genre of music you’re listening to. This will adjust the frequency bands automatically to boost or reduce certain ranges for an optimal listening experience. The “Pop” preset, for example, typically boosts bass and highs while reducing midrange frequencies. The “Jazz” preset does the opposite, allowing the natural warmth of the midrange instruments like piano and brass to shine through.
You can also experiment with different presets, even for genres that don’t match the music. The “Dance” preset, for instance, will make any song sound more lively and energetic by accentuating the highs and lows. Just keep in mind that not all presets will sound ideal with all music genres.
The main advantage of using presets is that they provide a quick way to get better sound with no complicated adjustments. The levels are optimized by algorithms to bring out certain frequency ranges for that particular music style. It’s an easy way to find a baseline equalization that makes the music pop.
Adjusting sliders
The equalizer sliders allow you to amplify or reduce specific frequency ranges. This lets you customize the sound profile to your preferences.
The bass sliders control the lower frequencies. Increasing the bass can help amplify and enrich sounds like bass guitar, kick drums, or synth tones. However, too much bass can make the overall sound muddy.
The mid-range sliders affect vocals, guitars, pianos, and other mid-frequency instruments. Boosting the mids can help make these sounds clearer in a mix. Reducing the mids creates a more recessed sound.
The treble sliders adjust the higher frequencies like cymbals, snare drums, and string instruments. Turning up the treble emphasizes the brilliance and clarity of these sounds. However, too much treble can cause harshness or listening fatigue.
It’s generally best to make small boosts or cuts of 3dB or less. Sweeping adjustments can radically alter the tonal balance. Listen carefully as you adjust each slider to shape the sound to your liking. Subtle changes often work better than drastic ones.
Source: How to equalize: Fine-tune your listening experience
Testing adjustments
Once you’ve made some initial adjustments to the equalizer sliders, it’s important to thoroughly test how they impact the sound quality. Here are some tips for testing and fine-tuning your equalizer adjustments:
Play a variety of sample tracks to listen for changes across different genres of music. For example, play a bass-heavy hip hop track to hear how boosting the lower frequencies affects the bass. Then play an acoustic track to hear how higher frequencies were impacted.
Make small, incremental adjustments rather than dramatic changes to multiple bands at once. This allows you to precisely dial in the desired sound. Boost or cut frequencies in increments of 3 dB or less.
Listen on different devices like headphones, speakers, and your phone’s built-in speakers. The equalizer adjustments may sound different on each output, so testing on multiple devices can help you find the optimal setting.
Take breaks periodically to rest your ears, then come back and re-evaluate the adjustments with fresh ears.
It takes time and repeated listening to find the sweet spot. Have patience and make careful, subtle changes to hone in on your preferred equalizer settings.
EQ Limitations
While equalizers can help enhance the audio experience, they have some limitations:
Equalizers can’t fix poorly recorded or encoded audio tracks. If the original track has issues like clipping, distortion, or lack of dynamic range, adjusting the EQ may not help improve the sound quality. As the Reddit user commented, “The frequency range of the speaker is going to limit the frequency range you can amplify/attenuate to satisfy the preferences of the listener.”
An equalizer is also not a substitute for high-quality speakers or headphones. If your phone’s built-in speakers lack bass response, dramatically boosting the lower frequencies may lead to distortion without actually improving the sound. Upgrading to better headphones that can reproduce a fuller range of frequencies may be a better solution.
In short, while equalizers provide useful tuning, they can’t overcome issues inherent to the original audio track or hardware limitations. Adjust your expectations accordingly when using an EQ.
Additional Audio Settings
In addition to the equalizer, most phones have other audio settings you can adjust to improve sound quality:
Virtual Surround Effects
Many Android phones like Samsung have a “Sound quality and effects” menu with options for virtual surround sound effects like Dolby Atmos that can make music and videos sound more three-dimensional and immersive [1]. These effects mimic surround sound speakers and can enhance the listening experience, especially for media that has surround sound mixes.
Volume Leveler
The volume leveler helps maintain a consistent volume across different audio sources. It prevents jarring volume spikes when switching between apps or songs [1]. This provides a smoother listening experience.
Audio Enhancement
Audio enhancement features boost certain frequencies to improve clarity. On iPhones, settings like “Late Night” compress dynamic range to make quiet parts louder and loud parts quieter for night listening. Android phones have similar audio enhancement presets to choose from [1].
Trying out these additional audio settings can further customize and enhance your phone’s sound beyond just the equalizer adjustments.
Restoring Defaults
If you make too many adjustments to the equalizer and want to start over with the default settings, there are a couple options:
First, you can reset all the sliders back to 0 or the midpoint. This will remove any custom tuning and return the frequency levels to normal. Just tap the “Reset” button in your equalizer app to quickly revert the sliders.
You can also select a default preset like “Flat” or “Normal” to restore the standard sound signature. The default presets are designed to sound balanced without any enhancements.
Finally, if adjusting the sliders or choosing a preset isn’t working, you may need to uninstall and reinstall your equalizer app. This will completely clear out any customized settings and bring back the original presets and slider levels. Just be sure to back up any presets you want to keep before uninstalling.
Resetting the equalizer can be useful if you want to start fresh and retune your audio profile from a neutral baseline. With a little trial and error, you can find the right combination of settings that match your preferences.