Bluetooth equalizer on Xiaomi: how to turn on and adjust the sound in headphones or column

Xiaomi smartphone users often face a problem: when connected to Bluetooth devices (earbursts, speakers, car audio system), the system equalizer stops working. The sound becomes flat, without the ability to adjust bass, high or medium frequencies. What is the reason? The reason is the limitations of the A2DP protocol, which transmits audio stream without processing on the smartphone side. But there is a solution!

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to enable equalizer on Xiaomi in a Bluetooth connection – from standard MIUI settings to third-party applications and tricks with the LDAC codec. You will learn why on some models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11) equalizer works only with wired headphones, and on others (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Mix Fold 3) – and wireless connection.

⚠️ Important: Setting up the equalizer over Bluetooth depends on the version MIUI, Smartphone models and the type of connected device, like Xiaomi with Android 13.+ and MIUI 14+ Extended audio control is available, and on older versions (MIUI 12 or below may require additional software installation.

Why doesn’t the equalizer work on Bluetooth on Xiaomi?

The main reason is the technical limitations of the A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) protocol. When transmitting audio over Bluetooth, the Xiaomi smartphone sends an audio stream to the receiver device (headphones, speakers) without processing to reduce delays and CPU load, which means that the system equalizer, which works at the OS level, simply does not have time to apply the settings to the sound.

Key factors affecting the work of the equalizer:

• 📱 Version. MIUI and Android: Starting with MIUI 14 (Android 13) Xiaomi adds audio processing support for some Bluetooth codecs (LDAC, On older versions, the equalizer is disabled by default.
• 🎧 Type of Bluetooth device: Headphones with support LDAC (Like Sony. WH-1000XM5) More often allow the use of an equalizer than budget models with SBC.
• 🔊 Developer Settings: The developer menu has the option to turn off Bluetooth’s absolute volume level, which can affect audio processing.
• 🔧 Third-party apps: Some players (such as Poweramp or Neutron Music Player) have an integrated equalizer that works independently of the system.

🔹 How to check which codec is used?

1. Connect the Bluetooth device to your smartphone.
2. Open Settings → Connected Devices → Cog settings next to the device name.
3. If you look at the audio codec, if you have an SBC, the equalizer probably won't work without settings.

Method 1: Incorporate a system equalizer into MIUI (for supported models)

If your Xiaomi runs MIUI 14+ (Android 13/14), try turning on the equalizer through standard settings.This method works on flagships (Xiaomi 13/14, Mix Fold) and some Redmi K series models.

📌 Instructions:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to the section Sound and vibration.
3. Select Sound Quality and Effects (Equalizer on some firmware).
4. Activate the Equalizer slider.
5. Choose a preset (such as Bass, Rock, Pop) or set up the sliders manually.
6. Go back and make sure that the sign at the bottom of the screen appears: Applied to Bluetooth.

⚠️ Note: On some smartphones (POCO X3, Redmi 9 system equalizer can only work with wired headphones. If there is no item Applied to Bluetooth, move on to the next method.

Update MIUI to the latest version

Reboot your smartphone after changing your settings

Check if your Bluetooth device supports LDAC/aptX codec

Turn off the energy-saving mode (it can block sound processing)-->

Method 2: Using third-party players with built-in equalizer

If the system equalizer doesn't work, the best solution is to install a third-party audio player with its own audio processing, which is an application that processes the audio stream before it is transmitted over Bluetooth, so the equalizer settings apply regardless of the A2DP protocol.

🎵 Top.-3 Player with Bluetooth equalizer support:

🔹 How to set up an equalizer in Poweramp:

1. Open the app and go to Settings → Audio → Equalizer.
2. Activate the slider Enable the equalizer.
3. Choose preset or adjust sliders manually (recommended settings for bass: +4 dB at 60 Hz, +2 dB at 250 Hz).
4. In the Exit section, select Bluetooth (A2DP).
5. Save the settings and start the playback.

💡

Poweramp has Toncompensation, which automatically adjusts the sound to your headphones, and turn it on in the equalizer settings for better results.

Method 3: Configure the LDAC codec to work with the equalizer

The LDAC codec (developed by Sony) transmits audio with minimal loss and supports smartphone-side audio processing. If your Bluetooth device is LDAC compatible, you can force the codec to be enabled in the developer's settings.

🔧 How to turn it on LDAC Xiaomi:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find options: Bluetooth Codec → Select LDAC. LDAC Codec Quality → Set 990 kbit/s (Quality). Turn off the absolute volume level of Bluetooth → Turn on.

Reconnect the Bluetooth device.

⚠️ Attention: Compulsory inclusion LDAC may lead to:

• 🔋 Increased battery consumption (10-15% faster).
• 🎵 Stuttering sound if the device does not support high bitrate.
• 📶 Reduced range of Bluetooth (up to 5-7 meters).

Method 4: Equalizer applications for Bluetooth (Wavelet, Equalizer FX)

If the system equalizer doesn't work and you don't want to install a full player, you can use specialized equalizer applications, which intercept the audio stream at the system level and apply the settings before transferring over Bluetooth.

📊 The Best Equalizer Apps for Xiaomi:

• 🎛️ Wavelet - Supports LDAC/aptX, Has built-in profiles for popular headphones (AirPods, Sony, Bose).
• 🔊 Equalizer FX — Simple 5-band equalizer with presets.
• 🎧 Bass Booster – focuses on amplifying low frequencies (suitable for hip-hop and electronic music).

🔹 How to set up Wavelet:

1. Download Wavelet from Google Play.
2. When you first start, grant permissions to access Bluetooth media and settings.
3. Select AutoEQ → find the model of your headphones in the list (for example, Sony WH-1000XM4).
4. Activate the Enable slider in the top menu.
5. Go to the Equalizer tab and adjust the sliders if necessary.

Wavelet automatically applies equalizer settings to all apps, including Spotify, YouTube, and VLC, but may conflict with some players (for example, Poweramp has its own equalizer).

Method 5: Bypassing restrictions through ADB (for advanced users)

If none of the methods worked, you can try to enable audio processing via Bluetooth. ADB-This method requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and does not work on all Xiaomi models.

⚙️ Instructions:

1. Install ADB and Fastboot Tools on PC.
2. Enable USB debugging on your smartphone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 taps → For developers → USB debugging).
3. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and type in the terminal: adb shell settings put global bluetooth_a2dp_offload_disabled 1 This command disables hardware acceleration A2DP, Allows the OS to process sound programmatically.
4. Reboot your smartphone.

⚠️ Attention: After completing this command:

• The delay of sound (latency) may increase.
• Battery consumption will increase by 5-10%.
• On some devices, the sound will become quieter (resolved by increasing the volume in the Bluetooth settings).

🔄 To get it back, enter it:

adb shell settings put global bluetooth_a2dp_offload_disabled 0

Recommendations for setting up an equalizer for different genres of music

Even if you manage to turn on the Bluetooth equalizer, you need to set it up correctly. Here are the optimal presets for popular genres (dB values for 10-band equalizer):

🎹 Tips for fine-tuning:

• 🔇 If bass is "drummed" - reduce 60 Hz and add 100-150 Hz.
• 🎤 For vocals, raise 1–3 kHz (but no more) +3 dB, otherwise there will be a hissing).
• 🔊 If the sound is too metallic, lower 8-16 kHz by 1-2 dB.

💡

The Bluetooth equalizer on Xiaomi depends on a combination of three factors: the version of the MIUI, the codec supported, and the type of device connected. If the system settings don’t work, use third-party players (Poweramp, Neutron) or equalizer applications (Wavelet).

FAQ: Frequent questions about equalizer on Xiaomi over Bluetooth