How to completely disable the equalizer on Xiaomi: 3 proven ways

The equalizer on Xiaomi smartphones is a useful tool for fine-tuning the sound, but sometimes its settings can distort the playback of music, podcasts or videos. Users often face a situation where, after updating MIUI or installing third-party applications, the sound becomes unnatural: too loud basses, muffled high frequencies or unpleasant wheezing. In such cases, completely turning off the equalizer is the fastest way to return the factory sound quality.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to deactivate the equalizer on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices (including models on MIUI 12-15 and HyperOS). You’ll learn how to turn off the built-in audio settings, reset the settings to factory settings, and even delete the system equalizer files for power users.

Why Xiaomi’s equalizer can ruin the sound

Xiaomi’s built-in equalizer works at the system audio driver level, not a single app, which means that its settings affect all audio streams, from music to Spotify to notifications and calls.

• 🔊 Distorted basses – even at minimum volume, low frequencies “drum” or wheez (typical for Redmi Note models) 10/11 and POCO X3).
• 🎧 Unnatural high frequencies – hissing or whistling when played through headphones (especially noticeable on Xiaomi) 12/13 codeced).
• 📱 Different sound in apps – YouTube sound is normal, and in the VK Music – distorted (related to the conflict of the system and applied equalizer).
• 🔄 Spontaneous activation – after restarting or updating MIUI Equator settings are reset to default preset Pop or Rock.

The reason for most of these problems lies in aggressive sound processing by Xiaomi. The manufacturer by default includes low and high frequency amplification to make the sound seem “juicier”, but this often leads to the opposite effect – especially on cheap speakers or headphones. Turning off the equalizer returns “flat” sound without processing, which is often perceived as an improvement in quality.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T Pro or Redmi K50) The equalizer is integrated into the Qualcomm Aqstic processor. Disabling it can cause the sound in the headphones to disappear completely - check this in advance!

Method 1: Disable the equalizer through standard MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in sound settings, which are suitable for most models on MIUI 12-15 and HyperOS, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 and Xiaomi 14.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the section Sound and vibration (on some firmware - Sound).
3. Slip on the item Sound Quality or Equalizer (the name may vary).
4. At the top of the screen, select Preset Off or Disable.
5. If there is no such item, swipe left on the sliders of the equalizer to reset all frequencies by 0 dB.
6. Click Save or go back with the Back button.

On some devices (e.g., the POCO X4 Pro), the path may be different:

Settings → Additional settings → Sound → Equalizer

Start playing music.|Check the sound at different frequencies (bass, middle, high)|Open the equalizer again – the item “Off” should be selected."|Restart your phone and check again.-->

If the sound hasn't changed after these actions, the problem may be in conflict with the apps, for example, Spotify, VK Music or YouTube Music have their own equalizer settings that override the system settings.

• 🎵 Open the music application and find the Equalizer or Sound section in its settings.
• 🔕 Turn off all effects (e.g. Normalize Volume in Spotify or Equalizer in Spotify) VK Music).

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If the sound becomes too quiet after the equalizer is turned off, try turning on the Volume Amplifier option in the Sound and Vibration settings → Additional settings. This compensates for the lack of frequency amplification.

Method 2: Resetting the sound settings to the factory

If the equalizer doesn’t turn off via the menu or its settings have “flooded” after the update, a full audio profile reset will help.This method works on all Xiaomi devices, but requires caution – it will also reset individual volume settings for each type of notification.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5-7 times on the MIUI version until you become a developer!
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional settings → For developers.
4. Find the option Reset audio settings (or Reset audio settings in English firmware).
5. Confirm the reset and restart the device.

After the reboot, all equalizer settings, including custom presets, will be deleted, and this method is especially useful if:

• 🔄 The equalizer is automatically turned on after the update MIUI.
• 🎛️ The equalizer sliders "stick" and do not reset by 0 dB.
• 🔊 The sound is distorted even when the preset is selected off..

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI 14 Global) No audio reset option may be available, in which case use Method 3 or install custom recovery (TWRP) for manual removal of equalizer files.

Using standard settings |Reset audio profile |Manual deletion of files | Nothing helped-->

Method 3: Manually delete system equalizer files (for advanced ones)

If the first two methods didn't work, the radical option is to delete the system files that handle the sound, which requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights, and is only suitable for power users, and the wrong actions can lead to complete loss of sound!

Instructions for devices on MIUI 12-15:

1. Install TWRP Recovery or another custom recovery.
2. Download the Magisk module to turn off the equalizer (for example, Audio Modification Library).
3. Using TWRP or Magisk Manager, install the module and restart.
4. If there is no module, manually delete the files: /system/vendor/etc/audio_effects.conf /system/vendor/etc/audio_effects.xml /system/vendor/lib64/soundfx/libqcomvisualizer.so /system/vendor/lib64/soundfx/libqcomvoiceprocessing.so
5. Clear the Dalvik cache and restart the device.

For HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K70), the path to files may be different:

/system_ext/etc/audio_effects_hyperos.conf


/system_ext/lib64/audio.rfs.adsp

If the sound is completely lost after deleting the files, restore them from the backup or reflash the device. On some models (for example, Black Shark), the equalizer is hard sewn into the firmware, in which case only replacing the MIUI with a custom one (for example, LineageOS) will help.

Disabling the equalizer for specific applications

Sometimes the problem is not with the system equalizer, but with the settings of individual applications, such as YouTube, Netflix or Tidal can use their own sound effects that conflict with MIUI.

1. YouTube and YouTube Music

• 🎵 Open a video or track.
• 🔧 Slip on three points in the upper right corner. → Settings → equalizer.
• 🔕 Select Disable or Reset All Sliders to 0.

2. Spotify

• 🎧 Go to Settings. → Reproduction.
• 🔊 Turn off the options to normalize volume and improve sound quality.
• 🔄 In the Equator section, select Preset Flat (Flat).

3.VK Music/Boom

• 🎶 Open the player and tap the equalizer icon (or go to Settings). → Sound).
• 🔇 Select No Effects or Disable.
• 🔄 Restart the application.

If the problem persists, try clearing the app's cache:

Settings → Applications → [Application Name] → Storage → Clear the cache

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Even after you turn off the equalizer in the app, the MIUI system settings can continue to affect the sound. Always check for both sources of distortion!

Frequent errors when disabling the equalizer

Many users make the same mistakes when trying to disable the equalizer on Xiaomi, and here are the most common ones and how to avoid them:

1. Confused system and applied equalizer 🔹 Problem: Turn off the equalizer in Spotify, but do not check the system settings MIUI (vice versa). 🔹 Solution: Always disable both equalizers – both in the app and in your phone settings.
2. Do not reboot the device 🔹 Problem: After changes in the sound settings, the phone does not restart, which is why the changes do not apply. 🔹 Solution: Reboot is mandatory - especially after resetting your audio profile.
3. Use third-party "sound boosters» 🔹 Problem: Install applications like Equalizer FX Bass Booster that conflicts with the system equalizer. 🔹 Solution: Remove all third-party audio apps before disabling the system equalizer.
4. Do not check headphones/speakers 🔹 Problem: Blame the equalizer for bad sound, although the problem is in damaged headphones or phone speakers. 🔹 Solution: Check the sound on another device or with other headphones.

Another common mistake is ignoring updates: On some models (such as the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE), equalizer bugs are fixed in new versions of MIUI.

Settings → About the phone → System update

Alternatives: How to improve sound without equalizer

If you have turned off the equalizer but still don’t like the sound, try these distortion-free enhancements:

• 🎧 Use support headphones LDAC or aptX – they transmit sound without additional processing.
• 🔊 Enable Hi-Res Audio in Settings (if available): Settings → Sound. → Sound quality → High resolution.
• 📱 Install a player with minimal processing, such as Neutron Music Player or USB Audio Player PRO.
• 🔇 Turn off all sound effects in Settings → Additionally. → Sound effects.

For models with stereo speakers (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi K60 Pro) it will also help:

• 🔊 Turn on Dolby Atmos (if supported) – it works separately from the equalizer and does not distort the sound.
• 🎛️ Setting up left/right speaker balance in Settings → Special facilities → Audio settings.

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If you’re missing bass after turning off the equalizer, try low-pass passive-amplification headphones (like the Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD) – they physically amplify bass without software processing.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions