How to set up an equalizer on Xiaomi: a complete guide for smartphones, headphones and speakers

Why Xiaomi’s Factory Sound Settings Are Not Good (and How to Fix It)

Have you ever noticed that your Xiaomi music sounds too flat? Bass are weak, singers' voices are lost in mixes, and when watching movies you have to add dialogue, but explosions are stunned? Because of the standard sound profile that the manufacturer adjusts to the "average" user. But your headphones, room acoustics and musical preferences are unique!

The good news is that Xiaomi devices, whether it’s a Redmi Note 12 smartphone, a Xiaomi Buds 4 wireless headphone, or a portable Mi Portable Speaker, have a powerful tool, a built-in equalizer, that can spot-correct frequency ranges, amplify basses, make vocals clearer, or even mimic the sound of a concert hall, and the key is knowing where to look for those settings and how to use them.

In this article, we will analyze: 1. Where is the equalizer in different Xiaomi devices (smartphones, headphones, speakers). 2. How to work with presets and create your own. 3. Optimal settings for music, movies and games. 4. Secret sound chips in MIUI, which is silent official documentation.

Where to find an equalizer on Xiaomi smartphones (all versions of MIUI)

Depending on the smartphone model and firmware version, the path to the equalizer may vary. Here are the current routes for MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS:

• 📱 Standard path: Settings → Sound and vibration → Equator: Works on most models (Redmi Note 11, POCO X5, Mi 11 and newer).
• 🎵 Through Player: Open Mi Music → Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Equator. This is where the settings only apply to this application.
• 🔊 For Bluetooth devices: Connect headphones/column → Settings → Connected devices → The name of your device. → Sound settings → equalizer.
• 🔧 If there is no Equalizer option: Update your firmware to the latest version or install a third-party player (such as Poweramp) where the equalizer is built in by default.

On some models (e.g., POCO F5), the equalizer may be hidden under the name Sound Effects or Sound Settings. If you don't find it, search in the settings (the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen).

Presets equalizer: when to use and how to choose

MIUI pre-installed 5-10 ready-made equalizer profiles, optimized for different scenarios, and here are their purpose and features:

An important nuance: presets in Xiaomi apply globally to all applications except those with an equalizer (for example, Spotify or YouTube Music). If the sound in the player and video sounds different, check the audio settings in each application separately.

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The Voice Preset is not only useful for podcasts, but also for improving the intelligibility of dialogue in English-language films, try it if you can't hear actors talking in the background of music.

Manual setting of the equalizer: step-by-step instructions

Ready presets are good, but the real magic starts when you create your profile. Here's how to do it right:

1. Select the sound source: Turn on a track you know well (preferably with a wide frequency range, such as Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody").
2. Reset settings: In the equalizer, click Reset or select Preset Flat (all sliders are at zero).
3. Set the frequencies: 🎛️ 60-250 Hz: Bass. Increase carefully, too high will lead to "drumbling». 🎤 250–2000 Hz: Medium frequencies (vocals, guitars) and a reduction here will make the sound "empty». 🔊 4000-16,000 Hz: High frequencies (plates, hissing) Excessive amplification fatigues hearing.

Save the profile:

Save.

Professional Lifehack: Use the A-tuning (3-5 dB amplification in the range 2000-5000 Hz) to compensate for the high-frequency losses in cheap headphones, which will make the sound more airy.

Listen to the track at different volumes (quiet/medium/loud)

Check if the sound is wheezing on the maximum bass.

Make sure the vocals don’t sink in the instruments.

Compare it to the “Flat” preset for objectivity-->

Optimal equalizer settings for different scenarios

You want to get your hands on the manual setup, here are some tips for popular tasks:

🎧 For music (by genre)

• 🎸 Rock/Metal: +4 dB per 100 Hz (bass guitar), +3 dB per 1000 Hz (guitar), +2 dB by 8000 Hz (plates).
• 🎤 Hip-hop/R&B: +5 db 60 Hz (drums), +2 db 2000 Hz (vocals), -1 db 5000 Hz (remove hissing).
• 🎹 Classic/Jazz: +2 dB per 250 Hz (contrabass), +1 dB per 4,000 Hz (violins), the rest flat.

🎬 For movies and TV series

• 🎬 Action/fiction: +3 db 80 Hz (explosion), +2 db 2000 Hz (dialogues), -2 db 10000 Hz (remove the whistle).
• 🗣️ Dramas/comedies: +4 dB per 1000–3000 Hz (speech), leave the rest unchanged.

🎮 For games.

• 🔫 Shooters (PUBG, Call of Duty): +5 db 1000–4000 Hz (steps, shots), -3 db 60 Hz (remove the hum).
• 🏆 Sports simulators: +2 dB by 250 Hz (crowd), +1 dB by 8,000 Hz (commentator).

Remember, these settings are just a starting point, always adjust them to your headphones and the acoustics of the room, for example, in a small room with furniture, bass will sound louder than in a large empty room.

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For games, it is critical not to overdo the basses - they drown out important sound signals (enemy steps, reloading weapons).

Secret Sound Chips in MIUI You Didn't Know About

Equalizer isn’t the only sound enhancement tool in Xiaomi, but here are hidden features that are rarely mentioned in the manuals:

• 🔇 Adaptive sound: In Settings → Special facilities → Sound enhancements turn on Adaptive sound.The system automatically balances volume between applications (e.g., mutes music when notified).
• 🎚️ Volume Normalization: In the same menu, activate Media Volume Alignment – this will remove the sharp volume drops between tracks.
• 🔊 Monosound: For people with hearing impairments in Settings → Special facilities → Sound is the option Monozook, which combines stereo channels into one.
• 🎧 LDAC Bluetooth: If your headphones support codec LDAC (For example, Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, select it in Settings → Connected devices → Sound settings → Sound quality for better detail.

Another little-known trick: if your smartphone has dual speakers (like in the case of the smartphone). POCO F4 GT or Xiaomi 13, enable Settings → Sound. → Sound effects are a Stereodynamics option, and it's going to create surround sound without the headphones.

Common Errors When Set Up the Equalizer (and How to Avoid Them)

Even experienced users sometimes make mistakes that spoil the sound, and this is what you can't do when you're working with an equalizer.

⚠️ Warning: Never set all sliders to maximum! This leads to clipping - a distortion of the sound when the signal is "cut off" due to overload. 3T Pro).

• 🚫 Ignore the acoustics of the room: In a small room with upholstered furniture, bass will sound louder than in a large hall.
• 🚫 Copy someone else's profile: Settings perfect for Sony headphones WH-1000XM5, Xiaomi Buds 4 will ruin the sound. Always test on your hardware.
• 🚫 Customize on the same track: A song with powerful bass (like The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army") and an acoustic ballad sound different. Check the settings on 3-5 tracks of different genres.
• 🚫 Forget volume: Equalizer works differently at low and high volume. Adjust the sound to the level you normally listen to music.

⚠️ Warning: If the sound becomes hoarse or intermittent after setting the equalizer, reset the settings and check the headphones on another device.This may indicate damage to the speakers, not a profile error.

Remember, there's no perfect equalizer setting, even audiophiles adjust their profiles to suit mood, time of day, and type of content. Don't be afraid to experiment!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions