To Get Better Audio Quality From Wireless Headphones, These Are the 8 Settings I Change

6 hours ago 1

Whether you've got bat-like ears and audiophile tastes or you're starting to notice hearing decline and feel like you're missing a beat, your headphones offer more than meets the ear right out of the box. You might need to dig around a little in your headphone app or phone audio settings, but that can yield a treasure trove of hearable goodies you didn't know you couldn't live without.

Enhance your audio

Codecs determine the quality, stability and efficiency of the audio signal between your headphones and phone. It's the "language" transmitted by the Bluetooth wireless connection. Apple's hardware (iPhones, AirPods, etc.) favors AAC, which works quite well for most listeners, though it's not compatible with lossless or high-resolution audio — despite Apple Music's lossless audio streams. The Android crowd gets access to potentially better codecs like LDAC, LC3 and aptX Lossless, which can significantly boost audio quality compared to the default SBC codec.

Changing codecs in Android can differ slightly depending on manufacturer, but the general idea is to navigate to Settings > About Phone and tap on the build number seven times until you see Developer Options. There, you'll see Bluetooth audio codec options and you can choose the one you want. Audiophiles will want LDAC or aptX Lossless (not available on all models), while gamers and video buffs will appreciate the low latency of LC3 (also not universal yet). In Samsung's ecosystem, the Galaxy Wearable app offers Advanced Quality Options in the Sound Quality and Effects settings, giving you access to higher-resolution audio streaming.

Keep in mind that whichever codec you choose, both the source device and headphones must support it, and increasing audio stream quality can affect audio/video sync and battery life. Also, higher bitrate codecs like LDAC might reduce the range you can be from your phone before the audio cuts out.

The quiet part out loud

Acoustic music genres from jazz to classical tend to have a wide dynamic range, which means quiet sounds like the whispery piano/bass intro to Miles Davis' So What or the pianissimo finale to Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 can disappear, especially when listening in noisy environments. On iPhones, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Headphone Accommodations, scroll down just below the Tune Audio section, and move the slider to boost soft sounds.

Android users can do this via Google's Sound Amplifier app, which is preinstalled on many devices and easily downloadable for others. Head to Settings > Accessibility > Open Sound Amplifier and use the "Boost quiet sounds" slider to hear low-volume passages better.

Listen near and far

Many wireless earbuds and headphones offer conversation awareness (or detection) mode, which pauses or lowers media volume when you start talking to someone. But Apple's Conversation Boost feature takes it up a notch by using AirPods' head tracking abilities to figure out who you're talking to and boost their voice specifically. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual and activate Headphone Accommodations. Then select Transparency Mode, and turn on Conversation Boost. (Note that this only works for Apple headphones.)

Live Listen is another nifty Apple feature that lets you use your iPhone's mic to pick up sound and route it to your AirPods or Beats headphones. That can be useful in large lecture halls with subpar amplification, or as a baby monitor in a small house or apartment, or even if you're spying on people — but who would do that? Just go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Live Listen > then tap Start Live Listen. Android users can mimic this feature by opening the Sound Amplifier App or going to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Amplifier > Open Sound Amplifier. Then tap the Phone Mic option and press Play.

Samsung's Neck stretch reminders

While not audio-related, Samsung's "Neck stretch reminders" feature available in the Galaxy Buds Pro lineup detects if your head is bent downward for over 10 minutes. Enable it in the Galaxy Wearable app by going to Earbuds settings > Neck stretch reminders. It requires a brief, guided calibration, but it can make a huge difference in your overall well-being and should be a standard feature in all headphones.

Sound, personalized

Most adults experience some level of age-related hearing loss, which begins with high-frequency sounds like vocal sibilants (hiss-type noises). This can make it difficult to distinguish sounds in a noisy room or dialog in movies, and it can render music a little dull. Apple users can go to Settings > AirPods > Take a Hearing Test. Once you complete the test, you get a personalized audio profile that boosts specific frequencies for clearer music, calls and ambient sound. It also syncs your hearing data with the Apple Health app and can tell you if you need hearing aids.

If you're on iOS but don't have AirPods you can also download the Mimi Hearing Test, a free app that checks your ears and dynamically adjusts audio to your ears. Check out the "Hear the difference" feature to see, uh, hear, what you've been missing. It doesn't work with every earbud, but recent models from Bose, JBL, Skullcandy, Sony and more are supported.

The Adapt Sound feature on the Galaxy Wearable app basically does the same thing — just navigate to Earbuds settings > Accessibility > Adapt Sound. You can select a preset age-based profile or run a personalized hearing test to customize sound for your hearing.