Xiaomi Mi 8 is still one of the most popular flagships of the brand due to balanced performance and high-quality sound. However, the factory settings of the equalizer rarely satisfy music lovers: someone wants powerful bass for hip-hop, someone needs crystal clear vocals for jazz, and the gadget by default offers an averaged profile. In this article, we will examine all the ways to fine-tune the equalizer from standard MIUI tools to hidden chips and third-party applications.
It's important to understand that the sound on the Mi 8 is not just a matter of software settings, but also of hardware: the headphone model (or built-in speakers), the firmware version, and even the player you use. We've tested all the methods on the latest versions of MIUI 12.5-14 and have developed universal guidelines that work regardless of the shell. If you've never touched an equalizer, don't worry: the beginners section will help you get to the basics, and experienced users will find rare life hacks here.
Where is the equalizer on Xiaomi Mi 8: 3 ways to open the settings
The manufacturer has hidden the audio settings in a less obvious place, so many users are unaware of their existence.
- 🎵 Through Mi Music Player: Open the app, start playing the track → tap on the icon ⚙️ Settings in upper right corner → Choose the Equalizer.
- 🔊 Through System Settings: Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Sound quality → equalizer.
- 🎧 When connecting Bluetooth headphones: in the notification panel tap on the connected device → Sound settings → equalizer.
Note that some firmware may have a Sound Quality feature called Sound Effects or Sound Improvement. If you don't have an equalizer, check out the MIUI version: older builds (below MIUI 10) may not have this feature, so upgrading or installing a third-party player (which we'll talk about later) will help.
Standard Presets Equalizer: Which to Choose for Your Music Genre
By default, the Xiaomi Mi 8 offers 10 presets optimized for different genres, and their main advantage is that you don't have to understand the frequencies: you just need to choose the right profile. However, not all presets are equally useful: some of them can distort the sound or make it unnatural. We tested each and made a table with recommendations:
| preset | What genres are suitable for | Features of sound | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass. | Hip-hop, electronics, dubstep | Increases low frequencies (up to 250 Hz), medium-sized | ✅ Good for bass music, but can "buzz" on cheap headphones |
| Rock. | Rock, metal, hardcore | Raises medium and high frequencies (1-8 kHz), bass moderate | ✅ Optimal for guitar parts, but vocals can sound harsh |
| pop | Pop music, synth pop | Balanced profile with slight amplification of the average frequencies | ⚠️ Not suitable for all pop tracks - sometimes the vocals "sink" |
| Classic. | Classical music, jazz | Minimum changes, wide dynamic range | ✅ The Best Choice for Acoustic Instruments |
| Voice. | Podcasts, audiobooks, vocals | Increases frequencies of 2-5 kHz (speech range) | ✅ Perfect for conversational content but distorts music |
Important detail: Preset User saves the latest manual settings, but resets after rebooting the phone on some versions of MIUI. If you want to fix your profile - use third-party applications (more about this in the next section).
⚠️ Attention: Preset 3D It's a surround sound effect, but it can cause fatigue when you listen to it for a long time, and you don't recommend using it with earplugs, because it causes discomfort in your ears.
Manual equalizer setting: step-by-step instruction for perfect sound
If you don't like presets, you should start manually adjusting. The equalizer on the Xiaomi Mi 8 offers 5 adjustment bands (60 Hz, 230 Hz, 910 Hz, 3.6 kHz, 14 kHz), which is enough for a basic correction. Here's how to customize the sound to your preferences:
- Choose the sound source: plug in your headphones or play through the speakers. Equalizer settings are different for each device!
- Open the equalizer in one of the ways described above and select Preset User.
- Set up the lanes: 🔹 60Hz: responsible for subbasses (deep low frequencies). Raise carefully - there may be a hum. 🔹 230Hz: Medium bass (drums, bass guitar) Optimal range for amplification: +2…+4 dB. 🔹 910 Hz: lower middle (vocals, some instruments) and the reduction of this band makes the sound airier". 🔹 3.6 kHz: upper middle (sharpness of vocals, guitars) Excessive amplification leads to a "metallic" sound. 🔹 14 kHz: High frequencies (hisping, air) Raise only on high-quality headphones.
Save the settings.
Ready.
Apply
To check the sound, use test tracks with a wide frequency range.
- 🎶 "BassBoostedMusic (YouTube) – for low frequency testing.
- 🎶 "Sweep Tone (20Hz – 20kHz) – to hear how the equalizer affects all ranges.
- 🎶 Live instrument tracks (e.g., Eagles version of "Hotel California") to evaluate the naturalness of sound.
Make sure the headphones are connected correctly |
Close background applications (they may affect sound)|
Turn it on. 70-80% objectively|
Use a high quality source (FLAC 320 kbps MP3)-->
Hidden Sound Settings: How to Enable Mi Sound Enhancer and Dolby Atmos
Few people know, but the Xiaomi Mi 8 supports additional sound effects that are not enabled by default.
1. Mi Sound Enhancer is Xiaomi's proprietary technology that improves sound detailing.
- Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Sound quality.
- Activate the Mi Sound Enhancer switch.
- Select a profile: 🎧 Headphones - for wired and Bluetooth audio equipment. 🔊 Speakers - for built-in speakers (the effect is less noticeable).
2. Dolby Atmos is surround sound technology, which is not available on all firmware. If you have MIUI 12+, try:
- Open Settings → Additional → Special features → Dolby Atmos.
- Select Music or Movie Mode depending on the content.
- Adjust the intensity of the effect with a slider.
Before installing third-party equalizers, turn off system in the MIUI settings to avoid conflicts. Also note that some applications (for example, ViPER4Android) require root rights or the Magisk module to work properly.
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If the sound is quieter after installing the third-party equalizer, check the volume limiter settings in the app. Often the default is distortion protection, which reduces the maximum volume.
Frequent Problems and Solutions: Why the Equalizer Doesn't Work
Sometimes the equalizer settings don't apply or the sound gets distorted, and here are the most common reasons and ways to fix them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The equalizer is reset after resetting | Mistake in MIUI cache or application conflict | Clear the cache Settings → Apps → Music → Storage → Clear the cache |
| No effect on change | Another sound effect is active (for example, Dolby) | Turn off all additional sound handlers in the settings |
| The sound got worse after the adjustment | Excessive increase in certain frequencies | Reset the settings to the factory and set up the lanes on new, starting with minimal changes |
| The equaliser doesn't open | Obsolete version of MIUI or regional restrictions | Update your firmware or install the latest version of Google Play Services |
If none of the methods did not help, try resetting the sound settings to the factory:
- Go to Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset sound settings.
- Confirm the action.
- Reboot the phone.
⚠️ Note: Some custom firmware (for example, LineageOS) has a system equalizer MIUI In this case, only installing a third-party player with its own equalizer will help.
Optimal equalizer settings for popular headphones
If you use headphones from well-known brands, here are the ready profiles we tested on the Xiaomi Mi 8:
- 🎧 Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD: 60 Hz: +3 dB 230 Hz: +1 dB 910 Hz: 0 dB 3.6 keto: -1 dB 14 keto: +2 DB Effect: eliminates the "dirty" of basses and adds air at high frequencies.
- 🎧 Sony WH-1000XM3/XM4: 60 Hz: +2 dB 230 Hz: -1 dB 910 Hz: +1 dB 3.6 keto: 0 dB 14 keto: +1 DB Effect: smooths out excess bass and improves vocal detail.
- 🎧 Apple AirPods (all models): 60 Hz: +4 dB 230 Hz: +2 dB 910 Hz: -2 dB 3.6 keto: +1 dB 14 keto: +3 DB Effect: Compensates for weak basses and adds brightness at high frequencies.
For the built-in speakers Xiaomi Mi 8 recommend the following setting:
- 60Hz: +1 dB (no more is worth it – a hum will appear)
- 230 Hz: +2 dB
- 910 Hz: 0 dB
- 3.6 kHz: +1 dB
- 14 kHz: +2 dB
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Equalizer settings are not just headphone-dependent, but also the genre of music, for example, classical music is better to reduce bass and increase the average frequencies, and electronics is the opposite.