I stopped blaming my headphones after trying this Android equalizer app - Android Police

I've spent enough time wondering whether my headphones were not good enough. Some songs sounded muddy, others lacked detail, and I kept thinking a better pair might finally fix it.

Then I tried Wavelet, an Android equalizer app that can automatically tune your headphones using profiles for different models.

The difference made me wonder whether I had been blaming my headphones for a problem I could have fixed with a few software tweaks all along.

Musicolet is 'the' music player for audiophiles

Wavelet is more than an equalizer that changes the sound of whatever app you're using. It applies audio processing to your connected headphones rather than tying those adjustments to a single music app.

The app detects when you connect wired, Bluetooth, or USB headphones, or a DAC, and shows the controls relevant to that setup.

Wavelet can also remember settings for different headphones, so I don't have to redo everything whenever I switch to another pair. After I connect a pair I've already configured, the app can load its saved profile.

It also doesn't require root, and I don't have to keep changing settings in every music app. When Wavelet is active and detects a supported audio session, it processes audio in the background while I listen.

I thought Wavelet would be a straightforward equalizer that I could adjust myself. Then I opened AutoEq and found my headphones in its database.

Wavelet includes more than 5,000 headphone profiles, each based on measured frequency-response data and designed to compensate for the particular way that model sounds.

To use it, open AutoEq, tap the headphone model field, and search for your headphones. Turn on AutoEq and select the correct model. Wavelet applies the corresponding EQ profile instead of making you guess which frequencies to raise or lower.

Wavelet only shows the AutoEq feature when an audio device or headphones are connected.

This means I didn't need to understand what each EQ slider did to notice a difference. I could start with a profile designed for my headphones and then determine if I liked the outcome.

Wavelet's 9-band graphic equalizer lets me adjust different parts of the sound individually, so I can make small changes without needing to understand every technical detail.

To try it, tap Graphic equalizer and turn it on. You can start with one of the built-in presets or move the sliders yourself.

If the bass feels weak, for example, I can make a small adjustment to the lower-frequency bands rather than changing the entire sound. Wavelet also lets you use the EQ to compensate for headphones that aren't included in its AutoEq database.

I can play a song I know well, make a small adjustment, and immediately decide whether I actually like the change.

While AutoEq and the graphic equalizer initially caught my attention, Wavelet has a few other tools that are more practical than I expected.

The Bass Tuner was particularly interesting because it isn't only a basic bass boost. It lets me control the bass more precisely, including whether I want to emphasize the initial punch of a kick drum or the deeper, sustained rumble.

That makes it useful when I want more bass without making everything sound boomy.

There's also a Limiter, which can reduce sudden volume spikes. It's useful when you turn up the volume to hear quieter parts of a track and then run into louder sections. I don't need it for every listening session, but I can see why it would be useful in noisier environments.

The simplest one might be Channel Balance. It lets me adjust the left and right channels independently, which can be handy if one side of your headphones sounds slightly louder than the other.

I change these settings before installing any apps

I began using Wavelet because I believed my headphones were limiting the quality of my music. After using AutoEq, the graphic equalizer, and the app's other tools, I'm not so sure anymore.

What surprised me most was how much control I had over the sound without buying anything new or learning everything there is to know about audio. AutoEq gave me an easy starting point, while the graphic EQ let me make the smaller changes that suited my ears.

If you're already wondering whether your headphones need replacing, I'd try tuning them before spending money on another pair.