How to set up an equalizer for Xiaomi wireless headphones: the full guide 2026

Xiaomi’s wireless headphones, from the budget Redmi Buds 4 to the flagship Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro, offer users flexible audio settings through a built-in equalizer. However, many owners face problems: sound seems “empty”, the bass is weak, and high frequencies cut the ear, often due to the wrong equalizer settings or using standard presets that do not take into account the specific features of a particular model.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to customize the equalizer for Xiaomi headphones, from built-in MIUI tools to third-party applications like Wavelet or Poweramp. You will learn how to choose the best settings for music genres, avoid sound distortion and even create a unique profile for your Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro with regard to their hardware features (for example, support for LDAC codecs or AAC).

Why are Xiaomi’s standard equalizer settings not suitable?

The manufacturer puts in Xiaomi headphones universal presets equalizer, designed for the “average” user, but these settings rarely take into account:

• 🎵 Genre features of music: bass for hip-hop requires amplification of 60-100 Hz, while for classics, the average frequencies (250-2000 Hz) are important).
• 🔊 Hardware speaker limitations: Budget models (Redmi Buds 3 Lite) are physically unable to reproduce ultra-low frequencies below 40 Hz.
• 🎧 Individual preferences: someone likes a warm sound with an emphasis on medium frequencies, and someone needs an analytical feed with clear high frequencies.
• 📱 Features of the sound source: Xiaomi smartphones on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 support LDAC, This allows for a wider frequency range than through SBC.

Moreover, the built-in equalizer in the Mi Music app or Bluetooth Settings is often limited to 5-7 bands, whereas fine-tuning requires at least a 10-band equalizer, which leads users to either get distorted sound (due to over-amplification of certain frequencies) or refuse customization altogether.

Ways to adjust the equalizer for Xiaomi headphones

There are four main ways to set up the equalizer for Xiaomi wireless headphones, each with its pros and cons:

For most users, the best solution would be to combine the built-in MIUI equalizer (for basic settings) and the Poweramp app (for fine calibration for specific tracks). If you want global audio customization (including YouTube, games and calls), you’ll have to use Wavelet or analogues — but you’ll need technical skills.

💡

Before setting the equalizer, check which audio codec your headphones use. Go to Settings → Bluetooth → Cog sign next to the headphones → Sound quality. The best choice is AAC (for iOS) or LDAC (for Android).

Step-by-step setting up the equalizer through MIUI (without third-party applications)

This method is suitable for all Xiaomi headphones connected to a smartphone on MIUI 12-14. Instructions are relevant for models Redmi Buds 4, Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro, FlipBuds Pro and others.

1. Connect the headphones to your smartphone over Bluetooth and make sure they are identified by the system as an Audio Device (not just a headset for calls).
2. Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Sound quality and effects → Equalizer.
3. Select a preset (such as Bass, Rock or Pop) or click Custom to manually adjust.
4. Adjust sliders manually.Recommended starting values for popular genres: 🎸 Rock/Metal: +3 db 100 Hz (bass), +2 db 1–2 kHz (guitar), -1 db 8 kHz (high-slice section). 🎤 Vocals/Pop: +2 db 250 Hz (warmth), +1 db 5 kHz (clearness of voice). 🎻 Classics/Jazz: A straight line with easy ascent to 50 Hz (+1 dB 10 keto (+1 dB).

Save the settings and test the sound on a familiar track. Notice the absence of wheezing or distortion - if they appear, reduce the gain at problem frequencies.

Make sure your headphones are connected in Music mode (not Calls)|

Check the current audio codec (optimally AAC or LDAC) |

Test settings on a track with a wide frequency range (e.g. "Bohemian Rhapsody")|

Turn down the volume to 70% before the test (to avoid clipping)-->

Important: the built-in MIUI equalizer only applies to music played through standard apps (Mi Music, Google Play Music). For YouTube, Spotify or games, it does not work - you will need third-party solutions.

Set up the equalizer through the Mi Music app

The Mi Music app (pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones) offers a more flexible equalizer than the system one, with 7 bands instead of 5 available, and the ability to save your own presets.

To set up the equalizer:

1. Open Mi Music and play any track.
2. Put the badge on. ⚙️ Settings in the lower right corner of the player.
3. Select the Equator and go to the User tab.
4. Adjust the sliders. For the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro headphones with LDAC support, we recommend the following starting settings: 60 Hz: +2 dB 170 Hz: +1 dB 310 Hz: 0 dB 1 kHz: +1 dB 3 kHz: -1 dB 6 kHz: +1 dB 14 kHz: +2 dB This configuration will emphasize bass and high frequencies without distorting vocals.
5. Save the preset under a unique name (e.g. Xiaomi LDAC Bass).

The advantage of Mi Music is that you can tie presets to specific playlists, for example, for the playlist "Training" you can create a profile with enhanced bass, and for "Jazz in the evening" - with an emphasis on medium frequencies.

💡

The equalizer in Mi Music only works for music played through this app. For global settings (YouTube, games, Spotify), use Poweramp or Wavelet.

Advanced customization via Poweramp (for audiophiles)

Poweramp is one of the most powerful music listening apps on Android, and its equalizer is even suitable for professional audio calibration, with a 10-band equalizer with the ability to fine-tune each band, as well as support for LDAC, aptX HD and other Hi-Res codecs.

To set up the equalizer in Poweramp:

1. Install Poweramp from Google Play (there is a free trial).
2. Connect Xiaomi headphones and open the app. Go to Settings → Audio → Equalizer.
3. Activate the equalizer and select the number of bands (recommended 10).
4. Adjust the frequencies according to the table below (values for headphones Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro): Frequency (Hz) Rock / Metal Electronics Classic / Jazz 31 +3 dB +4 dB 0 dB 62 +2 dB +3 dB +1 dB 125 0 dB +1 dB +1 dB 500 -1 dB 0 dB +2 dB 3 keto +1 dB +2 dB 0 dB
5. Turn on the Autonormalization option to avoid clipping at high volume.
6. Save the preset and apply it to the right playlists.

Poweramp also allows you to adjust Preamps to compensate for weak signals at certain frequencies, for example, for Redmi Buds 4 headphones, you can add +2 dB to the Preamp to increase the overall volume without distortion.

💡

Poweramp has a Tone Compensation feature that automatically adjusts the sound to age-related hearing patterns, activate it if you think high frequencies are too quiet.

Global audio tuning via Wavelet (for all applications)

If you need to configure an equalizer for all the sounds on the system (including YouTube, games, calls), you will need Wavelet. It works at the audio driver level and applies settings to the entire audio output. However, to fully work, you may need to unlock the bootloader or root rights (on some MIUI firmware).

Instructions for setting:

1. Install Wavelet from Google Play.
2. Open the app and provide all the permissions you request (including access to Audio modifications).
3. Select the Global Equalizer and activate it.
4. Customize the bands according to your preferences. for Xiaomi Buds headphones 5 Pro LDAC recommend: 90 Hz: +3 dB 230 Hz: +1 dB 900 Hz: 0 dB 2,3 keto: -1 dB 6 keto: +1 dB 14 keto: +2 dB
5. Activate Auto EQ (if available for your headphone model) – it automatically adjusts the sound to their hardware features.
6. Turn on the Bitrate monitor to track the current audio codec and avoid switching to SBC (which degrades quality).

After reset, reconnect the headphones.