Equalizer on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: how to turn on and adjust the sound for yourself

Why Redmi Note 9 doesn’t have a built-in equalizer and what to do about it

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 often face an unexpected problem: standard smartphone settings do not have a full equalizer for fine-tuning the sound. The reason lies in the policy of MIUI, Xiaomi's proprietary shell, where developers have removed this feature from the basic music player and system settings.

In fact, there are at least 4 ways to activate the equalizer: through hidden MIUI settings, third-party apps, engineering menus, or settings for individual audio players. Each method has its own nuances, from ease of use to the risk of resetting after a system update. In this article, we will discuss all options, including those that work on the Redmi Note 9 Pro and other models of the series.

It's important to understand that the sound quality depends not only on the equalizer settings, but also on the headphones or speakers used. TWS-Headphones for 500 rubles physically unable to play bass at the level of Sony WH-1000XM4, Even with perfect settings, but the right equalizer will help you unlock the potential of your audio technology by 100%.

Method 1: Built-in equalizer in the Music app (MIUI)

Despite the lack of a global equalizer in the system, Xiaomi's standard Music app hides the basic audio settings.

1. Open the Music app (Icon with Note).
2. Play any track you want.
3. Slap the icon. ⚙️ Settings in upper right corner.
4. Select the Equalizer option (may be called Sound Effects depending on the version of MIUI).

Here you will see 5 presets (Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classic, Voice) and the ability to manually adjust the strips.

• 🔊 Only 5 lanes instead of 10 in professional equalisers.
• 🔄 Settings are reset when you change the player (for example, when listening to music in Spotify or YouTube Music).
• 🎧 Does not work with Bluetooth headphones of some brands (for example, JBL Sennheiser).

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If your Music app doesn't have an Equator option, update it via Google Play or reinstall it. Sometimes the feature appears after the update.

You'll have to use third-party solutions to make the settings more flexible, but before you jump to them, check to see if there are additional options hidden in the engineering menu of your Redmi Note 9.

Method 2: Activate the Hidden Equalizer through the Engineering Menu (MTK)

The Redmi Note 9 is built on a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, which means it has a hidden engineering menu with advanced audio settings.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##36446337## (code for MTK-chip).
3. Go to the Hardware Testing → Audio section.

You'll find this menu:

• 🎛️ Full 10-band equalizer with frequency settings from 60 Hz to 16 kHz.
• 🔊 Volume control for each type of device (speaker, headphones, Bluetooth).
• 🎵 Settings DAC (digital-analog converter, which affect the purity of sound.

Important: changes in the engineering menu are applied globally and persist even after the smartphone is restarted. However, there is a risk of resetting after the MIUI update.

⚠️ Note: Do not change settings in Speaker Test or Receiver Test sections - this can cause hardware failures of speakers. For secure settings, use only the Equalizer tab.

Method 3: Third-party equalizer applications (best options for MIUI)

If the built-in methods don't work, Google Play apps come to the rescue, and we tested dozens of options and selected the 3 best ones for the Redmi Note 9:

For installation:

1. Download the selected application from Google Play.
2. Run it and give permission to change system settings.
3. Enable the option Audio Effects in the application settings.
4. Customize the equalizer bands to your preferences (e.g., boost bass by 3-5dB for EDM or mute high frequencies for jazz).

Run music in any player | Open the equalizer app | Make sure the indicator is active | Check the sound at different frequencies (bass/soprano) | Switch to Bluetooth device (if necessary)

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Note that some apps (like Spotify or YouTube Music) block external equalizers, which can be done by using the built-in equalizer of the streaming service itself (if any) or using Poweramp for local files.

Method 4: Set up an equalizer through a developer (ADB)

For advanced users, there is a method of activating the hidden system equalizer via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to access the settings that Xiaomi has disabled in the interface.

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Redmi Note 9: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version.

Settings → Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

ADB Tools

adb shell settings put global audio_effects_enabled 1

After the device is restarted, an additional option will appear in the sound settings, “Effects of sound with extended equalizer”, which does not work on all versions of MIUI, but on the Redmi Note 9 with firmware up to MIUI 13 gives a stable result.

⚠️ Attention: Wrong commands ADB If the sound is lost after the command is executed, return the settings with the command: adb shell settings put global. audio_effects_enabled 0

This is the riskiest, but also the most effective way to access a system equalizer that works with all apps, including Netflix and games.

Standard settings MIUI|Third-party annexes|Engineering menu|ADB (advanced)|I'm not setting the sound.-->

How to set up an equalizer for different genres of music

Just turning on the equalizer is not enough – you need to set it up correctly. Here are the basic presets for popular genres (values are indicated for the 10-band equalizer, where 0 dB is neutral):

• 🎸 Rock/Metal: 60 Hz: +4 dB (impact drums) 230 Hz: +2 dB (bass guitar) 900 Hz: -1 dB (remove dirt) 3 keto – 8 keto: +1 dB (guitar clarity)
• 🎤 Pop/Hip-Hop: 60 Hz: +5 dB (powerful basses) 1 kHz: +2 dB (vocals) 10 kHz: +1 dB (air)
• 🎻 Classic/Jazz: 100Hz: +1 dB (contrabass) 500 Hz – 2 kHz: 0 dB (neutral middles) 5 kHz – 10 kHz: +2 dB (string instruments)

To check the settings, use test tracks:

• 🔊 "Digital Emotions Bass Test – Low Frequency Testing.
• 🎶 "Sweep Tone – smooth transition over all frequencies.
• 🎵 "Pink Noise – uniform noise for calibration.

Remember that the over-extending of the bass (more) +6 dB) can cause sound distortion and overload of speakers, especially on cheap headphones. -3 db +4 dB.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When setting up the equalizer on the Redmi Note 9, users encounter typical errors.

If after all the manipulations the sound remains bad, the problem may be in the hardware:

• 🔌 Check the 3.5mm connector for oxidation (clean with alcohol).
• 🔊 Test the speakers on another device (for example, connect the headphones to the PC).
• 📱 Update the firmware to the latest version MIUI — Sometimes sound bugs are corrected in patches.

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If the equalizer does not apply to streaming services (Spotify, YouTube), use a local player (for example, Poweramp) or enable the option “System effects” in the settings of the equalizer application.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions