What Are The Best Equalizer Settings? (Ultimate Guide) (2023)

What Are the Best Equalizer Settings? As a die-hard music fan and audiophile, I have a lot of reservations about the equalizer. Perhaps the equalizer settings aren’t that important for the average person. But, if you’re anything like me, you’re probably curious about the best equalizer setting.

What Are The Best Equalizer Settings? (Ultimate Guide) (1)

This is why, in order to assist a fellow music enthusiast, I am providing the best equalizer settings available. I’ll go over equalizers in detail and show you how to get the best sounds out of them.

WHAT IS AN EQUALIZER (EQ)?

Every audio you’ve ever heard is a mash-up of different frequencies. A single audio clip can contain a wide range of frequencies. The human hearing frequency range is 20hz to 20000hz. So, technically, anything you can hear with your ears falls within that range.

An equalizer, on the other hand, is a medium that allows you to control the impact of those frequencies. To control the effect of those frequencies in the audio, you can increase or decrease the frequencies. With an example, this will become much clearer.

So, when you listen to music, it typically has three frequency ranges. Low frequencies are also classified as bass. Mid and high frequencies are also present. You can increase the bass in your song by using an equalizer to boost the lower frequencies. It has no effect on the fundamental audio file or its quality. It only adds the boosted effect to your headphones or speakers.

In a nutshell, an equalizer allows you to control the different frequency ranges of an audio file. And anyone must understand how to use the equalizer. Because knowing how to use it opens up new worlds of audio for you.

You will get the most out of your music experience once you have mastered the use of the equalizer. Certain songs, for example, benefit from increased bass, while others benefit from increased clarity. So, if you know how to use the equalizer to achieve the desired effect, you can get the perfect sound for any music you listen to.

What Are The Best Equalizer Settings? (Ultimate Guide) (4)

HOW TO USE AN EQUALIZER?

The thing is, using an equalizer isn’t difficult. Especially in today’s world, where an equalizer can be found in almost any audio device. They also have a digital equalizer that allows you to fine-tune the frequencies.

To use an equalizer, you must first go through the various frequencies that it contains. The frequency number or digits will also differ depending on the equalizer you use. There are also graphic equalizers that provide precise control over each frequency. In any case, a few basic frequency ranges are sufficient to achieve the best possible sound.

Here are the frequencies that you will typically hear in music or other audio. Remember that these are ranges, not actual numbers, so you may need to experiment a little to find accuracy.

  • 20hz – 60hz: Usually, these are the lowest frequencies you can hear in audio files. They typically come from the kick drums or such kinds of instruments.
  • 61hz – 200hz: These are sounds that you can get from bass and some other drums. They are also very low on the spectrum and have a deep, heavy sound.
  • 201hz – 600hz: This is the range where you get some other instruments added. For example, the lower notes of a guitar or a piano will typically be within this range. From a musician’s perspective, your chords mostly lie around this range.
  • 600hz – 3000hz: Here, it’s the mid-range of frequencies. You will find most of the vocal sounds here. Also, the mid to higher notes of your instruments lie within this range.
  • 3000hz – 8000hz: Within this range, you will get to hear the higher notes of your instruments. Also, some vocals seep through here if the song is sung in a higher key. So, you can expect some high vocals here as well.
  • 8000hz – 20000hz: Typically, you don’t get to see this frequency range in music or anything else. However, sometimes there might be noises that can go up to this range to create a certain effect. It’s not likely, but it can happen.
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For example, if you’re listening to a song with lyrics, you should try to get more clarity. You can accomplish this by slightly lowering the 20hz to 600hz ranges and then increasing the 600hz to 3000hz range. This will give you a boost in the vocals, allowing you to hear the lyrics clearly.

It is up to you to decide how to use the equalizer. Different musical genres have preferred equalizer settings. For example, because rock music is primarily about the drums and guitars, you will want to boost the lower and higher frequencies to achieve the best sound.

Overall, knowing the frequencies and the sounds associated with them is all that is required to use the equalizer. Once you’ve identified them, you’ll need to experiment with the numbers to find the perfect sound for you. And keep in mind that your perfect sound will not be the universal perfect sound. It differs from one person to the next.

SETTINGS EQUALIZER FOR BEST SOUND

Let me tell you something: there is no one true setting in an equalizer that produces the best possible sound. Different equalizer settings will make different music sound better. There are many factors that go into making music, and equalization is one of them. As a result, you must work your way through to get the best sound.

Your equalizer will be in a flat position at first. To get a proper equalizer setting, you’ll need to adjust different frequencies while listening to music. Another thing to keep in mind is that you will need high-quality headphones and speakers to get the best sound. Equalization works best when used in conjunction with a high-quality audio peripheral.

As I previously stated, the best sound setting in an equalizer will be determined by the song and genre you are listening to. So, play a song and open the equalizer, then experiment with the sliders or waves in the equalizer to find the best settings.

At the very least, you now know which frequency does what. From here on out, things shouldn’t be too difficult. However, to assist you even further, I have some basic settings that work very well in most cases. You can experiment with them to find the best sounds for your situation.

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BEST EQUALIZER SETTINGS FOR BASS

What Are The Best Equalizer Settings? (Ultimate Guide) (5)

Many people believe that increasing the decibel level will result in better sound. Increasing only the lower end of the frequency spectrum will not provide you with the desired bass sound. Simply increasing the bass will increase the volume of the frequencies, but it will also result in a decrease in sound quality.

This is why you must strike a balance here. You can do this if you want more bass on the sound while maintaining the quality.

Increase the sub-bass frequency by 6dB below 60hz. Then, keep the bass frequencies (60-200hz) between 0 and 6dB. The rest, on the other hand, can be kept flat or lowered to suit your needs.

BEST EQUALIZER SETTINGS FOR CAR

What Are The Best Equalizer Settings? (Ultimate Guide) (6)

There is no single best equalizer setting for a car because it depends on the music you listen to. However, most people prefer to have a heavy-sounding bass in their car audio. Keeping this in mind, you’ll want to make sure your car audio system has plenty of bass.

However, when changing the bass, don’t go overboard. Because your car isn’t the most open environment, too much bass can be harmful to your hearing. As a result, keep the changes to a minimum.

You should divide the frequencies into three sections here. Consider that bass from 20 to 200hz and boost it somewhere between 0 and 6db. You can either keep the mid and treble flat or reduce the decibel count. This should provide some balanced sound quality as well as some powerful bass.

BEST EQUALIZER SETTINGS FOR HOME THEATRE

What Are The Best Equalizer Settings? (Ultimate Guide) (7)

This is where you can turn up the bass for a more immersive experience. Because the majority of the time, the purpose of a home theater is to watch movies. When watching a movie in your home theater, you would expect an immersive surround sound experience. Only increasing the bass with the equalizer will ruin the experience.

So, the goal here is to strike a balance between clarity and bass. Most of the time, you should try to get the mid-range frequencies to their best level because the dialogue in movies is in those ranges. However, if you’re watching an action movie, you might want some bass power as well.

In the equalizer settings, you should not increase the sub-bass and bass frequencies by much, if at all. Keeping them flat, or even lowering them, is a better option in this case. Then, move on to the mid frequencies and boost them slightly, but not too much, as this can cause noise.

Also, keep the surround sound perfectly balanced; you don’t want overpowering sound from one side and no sound from the other.

BEST EQUALIZER SETTINGS FOR TV

The equalizer setting for television should be similar to that of your home theater. Except, if you don’t have a subwoofer connected, you might want to consider boosting the bass a little. Because you might not get the best bass experience from the shows if you don’t have a subwoofer.

So, if you don’t have a subwoofer, I recommend increasing the bass and sub-bass by 6db or more for the best tv equalizer settings. However, if you have one, keep it below 6dB. Then, for the mid and higher frequencies, you can go flat or slightly higher, but keep it within 6dB.

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BEST EQUALIZER SETTINGS FOR HEADPHONES

What Are The Best Equalizer Settings? (Ultimate Guide) (8)

You will need to make numerous adjustments to your headphones from time to time. Because you primarily use your headphones to listen to music. And different equalizer settings are required for different types of music.

Some music sounds better with more bass, while others sound better with more clarity. As a result, for a casual music listening experience, I recommend a balanced sound. You can have a boost in the sub-bass while keeping the bass section flat. The mid and high frequencies can then be boosted.

This will ensure that you have good sound quality for any music. After that, you can adjust the frequencies to suit your needs. Aside from all of this, you can also experiment with some presets that may already be available based on music genres.

BEST EQUALIZER SETTINGS FOR GAMING

What Are The Best Equalizer Settings? (Ultimate Guide) (9)

Audios now have a significant impact on the gaming community as well. Many shooter games rely heavily on audio cues such as enemy footsteps. And, to gain a competitive advantage, you can equalize your sound to better hear your opponents.

I strongly advise using a clarity-based sound for the best gaming equalizer settings. This will help you immensely in hearing those footsteps. So, simply increase the mid and high frequencies without affecting the bass frequencies. And that should suffice for you.

WRAP UPBest Equalizer Settings

To summarize, there is no single best equalizer setting for your needs. Because there are so many variables to consider, and they are heavily influenced by personal preferences.

So, the best thing you can do is experiment with the equalizer and frequencies to find the best setting for you. Whether it’s for music, movies, or gaming, you’ll know which one is best for you.

And, if you’re not sure where to start, you can use my suggestions as a starting point and make changes from there.

FAQs Equalizer setting for sound

What is the best equalizer setting for sound?

The best equalizer setting is one that is either turned off or set to “flat,” which means that all dials are set to zero. Equalizers distort the original master recording’s sound. They can, however, be useful as a last resort when compensating for subpar speakers or headphones.

What is the best equalizer setting for bass?

The Best Bass Equalizer Setting Bass can be found between 20Hz and 200Hz. Hz, or Hertz, are the common unit of measurement used in all equalizers and are used to measure audio frequencies. Every musical note has a frequency associated with it.

Which is the best equalizer preset?

The “Perfect” EQ Settings: Unmasking the EQ
32 Hz: This is the lowest frequency selection on the EQ. …
64 Hz: This second bass frequency starts to become audible on decent speakers or subwoofers. …
125 Hz: Many small speakers, such as in your laptop, can just about handle this frequency for bass information.

Trina Oralde

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FAQs

What is the perfect equalizer setting? ›

The best equalizer setting is one that is turned off or one that is set to “flat”, meaning that all dials are set to zero. Equalizers distort the sound of the original master recording. However, they can be useful as a last-resort when compensating for poor speakers or headphones.

What is the best EQ setting for bass? ›

The Best Equalizer Setting For Bass. Bass exists between about 20Hz and 200Hz. Hz, or Hertz, measure audio frequencies, and are the common unit of measurement fused in all equalizers.

What should bass and treble be set? ›

Probably the most commonly known and notable equalizer setting. The bass mid and treble should be set at a ratio of 4:5 as a rule of thumb. Don't overdo your bass adjustments, or your music will be distorted.

What frequency is best for bass? ›

The best Hz for bass is between 60-250 Hz, as recommended by professionals. These ranges protect speakers from damage and ensure optimal safety and listening experience for you. Listening to bass at too low a frequency outside of this range can damage hearing.

How can I make my subs hit harder? ›

One of the most popular ways is to add filters or phase shifters to your subwoofer. You can also make minor upgrades to your subwoofer to make it hit harder. Change the small cone in front of the subwoofer, change the voice coil or get a new enclosure for the subwoofer.

What is the best frequency for bass boost? ›

When bass boost is increased, it is around a corner frequency somewhere between 100 and 140Hz. A corner frequency is the midway point between the low-frequency plateau and the high-frequency plateau.

Should treble be higher than bass? ›

While bass is on the lower end of the frequency range, treble is on the higher end. Many audio devices have an 'extra bass option', which basically lets you hear lower frequency sounds more prominently.

How do you equalize audio? ›

If you're starting to experiment with how to use equalizer in your production, here are some tried and true equalization strategies:
  1. Turn a Knob Until it Sounds Better. ...
  2. Additive EQ. ...
  3. Subtractive EQ. ...
  4. Exaggerate a frequency boost and sweep to find the worst sounding frequency, then cut that frequency. ...
  5. Solo a Track.

How do I make the equalizer sound clear? ›

How to Make Your Voice Sound Clear by Removing Muffled Audio and ...

How can I make my sound clearer? ›

How To Make Your Voice Sound Clear In Audacity - Tutorial #7

What effects make vocals sound better? ›

To make vocals sound better, start by editing – when editing, cut out background noise, use clip gain to balance dynamics, and even remove plosives or unwanted sibilance. Then you can introduce subtractive EQ, Compression, Additive EQ, Saturation, Exciters, and various forms of short and long reverb.

Is high treble good? ›

The Treble control changes the sensitivity of the system to these higher frequencies, so turning the treble up makes things sound brighter and more detailed. Turning them down will make them sound more mellow.

Are vocals treble or bass? ›

Treble is the high frequencies. Sounds like cymbals, higher pitched vocals. Stuff like that. Then as for emphasized, neutral, recessed, it's basically talking about how noticable those parts of the frequencies are in the sound signature.

What should bass mid and treble be set at in car? ›

Bass frequencies are generally between 60 to 120 hertz, mids between 400 to 2,500 hertz, and treble between 8,000 to 15,000 hertz.

How do you get deep bass? ›

For deep bass, you're going to want to use a low-pass filter to cut out the higher frequencies of the bass notes, and then shape it with the filter and amplitude envelopes. Using the low-pass filter cutoff, we cut the higher frequencies out. Next, played with the filter resonance to add some depth and color.

How do I make my sub-bass deeper? ›

Try a different pattern that works with your track. Have the main frequency (the frequency that defines your sound or the one with most 'energy') of your sub-bass hit between 40-60 Hz. Make your kick hit about an octave higher, around 120 Hz. That way it won't interfere with your bass too much.

How can I make my bass more powerful? ›

To summarize:
  1. Limiting your bass – use a limiter or soft clipper on your bass to make the volume even and more powerful.
  2. Saturation and distortion – use these two effects to increase power and make the sound more pronounced.

What are the hardest hitting subs? ›

The hardest hitting subs would be the Rockford Rockford Fosgate Punch P3D4-10 10″ 1000 Watt Peak / 500 Watt RMS Dual 4 Ohm Car Subwoofer with Anodized Aluminum Cone and KICKER 44CWCS124 CompC 12 Inch competition 600 Watt 4 Ohm Single Voice Coil Car Audio Subwoofers with Polypropylene Cone and Polyurethane Surround.

Should amp be bigger than sub? ›

An amp need not be bigger than a sub as long as its capabilities evenly match the sub's specifications. However, it's always better to get an amp that puts out a bit more power than your sub, especially if it's a passive sub. If you have an active sub, you may not even need an external amp at all.

What is the best dB setting for a subwoofer? ›

We always recommend running room calibration first before fine tuning. After the process is complete, take a look at the subwoofer level within the AV receiver or pre/pro. In Denon, Marantz, and Onkyo AVRs, this value ranges from -12 to +12; in Pioneer and Yamaha AVRs, it's between -10 and +10.

Is 40hz good for bass? ›

below 40 hz? yes, quite necessary. below 30 is where it gets less important. 30-45ish would be what most would consider real subbass....you may not hear it with a standard computer speaker setup, but you roll off anything below 50, there will be something noticeably missing on the dancefloor.

What should midrange be set to? ›

Subwoofers: 70-80 Hz (low pass), the most essential purpose of a subwoofer crossover is to block midrange sounds. Car main speakers: 50-60 Hz, the most critical element in main speaker crossovers is to block low-end bass (frequencies 80 Hz and below) 2-way speakers: 3-3.5 kHz (high pass) Midrange: 1-3.5 kHz.

How do I set my car audio equalizer? ›

Tuning your car stereo - Head Unit Equalizer - YouTube

What does mid do on an equalizer? ›

Mid. Medium frequency boosts can be used to add emphasis to the sibilance of speech helping make it more intelligible. More sophisticated mid-range equalizers may add sweepable control of the centre frequency which can be tuned over the mid-range frequency band.

What is treble equalizer? ›

Adjusts the lower frequency sounds, such as bass, or a kick drum. Treble. Adjusts the higher frequency sounds, such as guitar or vocals. Balance. Adjusts the volume level on the left or right audio channel.

What is the most important role of the equalizer in mixing? ›

To begin with, the term EQ stands for “equalizer” so we have a pretty good idea of what its role is. The EQ exists to equal out the tone of each instrument. It's a tool to balance your audio out perfectly. And, as we established earlier, all you're doing in mixing is balancing.

What Hz is bass on equalizer? ›

An Overview Of EQ Frequencies

Bass ranges from 60Hz to approximately 250Hz. A lot of bass may sound nice, but it can also completely overpower the rest of your mix. As always, use with restraint. Low mids range from 250Hz to approximately 1500Hz.

How do I make my audio sound crisp? ›

To create crisp vocals, use a higher shelf, moderate saturation, then for your de-emphasis attenuate less than you originally amplified. This causes the saturators to work harder on high frequencies, resulting in a crisp sound and then balances out the spectrum so the effect isn't too aggressive.

How do you make crystal clear mix? ›

How To Make Crystal Clear Vocals Cut Thru The Mix Without Harshness

What EQ frequency is vocals? ›

So, what Hz do vocals occupy? Typically, the voiced speech of a typical adult male will have a fundamental frequency from 85 to 180Hz, and that of a typical adult female from 165 to 255Hz.

How do I make my mix sound professional? ›

How To Make My Mix Sound Professional: 10 Golden Rules
  1. 1) Do your Gain Staging. ...
  2. 2) Do your bus routing. ...
  3. 3) Compress in stages. ...
  4. 4) Filter out unwanted frequencies. ...
  5. 5) Use gear and/or plugins to give character. ...
  6. 6) Sort out the low end. ...
  7. 7) Do parallel compression. ...
  8. 8) Do your panning and spatializing.
Apr 20, 2016

How do I add energy to my vocals? ›

Mixing Vocals - How To Add Energy To A Dull Performance - YouTube

How can I thicken my vocals? ›

Use temporal, tuning, and low level compressing effects to create a vocal that sounds thick, and dense enough to cut through your mix. The idea is to create multiple reflections and voices, that can be combined with and augment the original signal.

Which EQ is best for iPhone? ›

5 Best EQ Apps for iPhone to Modify the Music to Suit Your Taste
  • Equalizer Fx: Bass Booster App.
  • Flacbox: FLAC Player Equalizer.
  • Boom: Bass Booster & Equalizer.
  • Equalizer+ Music amp & Podcast.
  • Evermusic Pro: offline music.
  • Conclusion.
Jan 4, 2022

What Hz is best for bass? ›

The best Hz for bass is between 60-250 Hz, as recommended by professionals. These ranges protect speakers from damage and ensure optimal safety and listening experience for you. Listening to bass at too low a frequency outside of this range can damage hearing.

What EQ should I use on my iPhone? ›

macrumors regular. If you really love EQ (and it does compensate for whatever earphones you're using and the ambient environment), I highly recommend the Equalizer by Audioforge Labs Inc. app. It does require you to play your music from inside the app, but it is the very best Parametric EQ on iOS, bar none.

Should treble be higher than bass? ›

While bass is on the lower end of the frequency range, treble is on the higher end. Many audio devices have an 'extra bass option', which basically lets you hear lower frequency sounds more prominently.

Which EQ setting is the loudest? ›

Adjust iPhone EQ

What you want is the Late Night setting, which jacks up the volume of quieter sounds, making the overall music louder. It's the easiest way to boost your music's loudness.

What is deep EQ? ›

Deep: Slightly raises bass and mids but lowers treble tones. Electronic: Raises the lowest tones, lowers mids, and slightly raises treble tones. Flat: Doesn't raise or lower any tones. Hip-Hop: Raises bass and lower mid-tones while lowering higher mid-tones and raising treble.

What is the best sounding EQ for Apple Music? ›

Equalizer+ is a great music equalizer app for iPhone and iPad and one of the best equalizer for Apple Music. The Equalizer+ Pro is its premium version which costs you $4.99 only.

How do you get deep bass? ›

For deep bass, you're going to want to use a low-pass filter to cut out the higher frequencies of the bass notes, and then shape it with the filter and amplitude envelopes. Using the low-pass filter cutoff, we cut the higher frequencies out. Next, played with the filter resonance to add some depth and color.

How do I make my sub-bass deeper? ›

Try a different pattern that works with your track. Have the main frequency (the frequency that defines your sound or the one with most 'energy') of your sub-bass hit between 40-60 Hz. Make your kick hit about an octave higher, around 120 Hz. That way it won't interfere with your bass too much.

How can I improve the sound quality on my iPhone? ›

How to improve headphone sound quality in iOS 15 on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
  1. Find the Accessibility settings.
  2. Open the Audio/Visual settings.
  3. Open the Headphone Accomodation settings.
  4. Enable Headphone Accomodations.
  5. Customise the sound of your headphones.
Nov 10, 2021

Does Late Night EQ make music louder? ›

The EQ setting called "Late Night" normalizes the sound on your Apple Music app by making quieter sounds closer in volume to the loudest sections. This will make your iPhone louder when playing Apple Music.

How do I make my Apple Music sound better? ›

On an Android phone, you can do this in the Apple Music app under settings > audio quality. From a computer, you can change this in the app by going to preferences > playback tab > audio quality.

Are vocals treble or bass? ›

Treble is the high frequencies. Sounds like cymbals, higher pitched vocals. Stuff like that. Then as for emphasized, neutral, recessed, it's basically talking about how noticable those parts of the frequencies are in the sound signature.

What should midrange be set to? ›

Subwoofers: 70-80 Hz (low pass), the most essential purpose of a subwoofer crossover is to block midrange sounds. Car main speakers: 50-60 Hz, the most critical element in main speaker crossovers is to block low-end bass (frequencies 80 Hz and below) 2-way speakers: 3-3.5 kHz (high pass) Midrange: 1-3.5 kHz.

Should I put treble all the way up? ›

The Treble control changes the sensitivity of the system to these higher frequencies, so turning the treble up makes things sound brighter and more detailed. Turning them down will make them sound more mellow.

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