Whether you’re focusing on the music or using it as a background to exercising, shopping, driving or even playing mobile games online, having good sound quality on your Android mobile phone is vital. And, if it isn’t, there are some quick ways to improve it. Before we get into the ways to improve the sound on your phone, here’s why good audio quality is a must.
The importance of good sound quality
Good sound quality on an Android device is a must, as it significantly enhances the overall experience of using your phone. Clear, immersive audio helps us to engage more deeply with whatever we are doing, whether it’s watching videos, listening to music, or gaming. In gaming, especially, sound cues provide important feedback, helping players react quickly and stay immersed in the game world. This is particularly true for gambling apps, including those increasingly popular platforms that support Ethereum gambling. Without good audio, the experience can feel flat and less engaging.
Gaming aside, though, good sound quality is important for the like of calls and video conferences, because we all need clear communication. It also heightens the enjoyment of podcasts and audiobooks, making it easier to focus and absorb content. And for those of us who use their Android devices for creative work like music production or video editing, accurate sound reproduction is essential to produce professional results. Ultimately, superior audio elevates all forms of media consumption, turning your device into a versatile entertainment and communication hub.
Clean it out
Sometimes, it’s best to start with the most simple things. Later on in this article, we will start getting a bit technical, but sometimes dealing with what might look like the most obvious thing could make a real difference in improving your Android device’s sound quality. Your problem with your phone’s sound could be nothing more than clogged up speakers. It’s quite easy to get old dust and dirt lodged in your speaker grills, and this can make your phone sound terrible. The first thing you will need to do is to get either an old toothbrush or a can of compressed air and carefully clean the phone’s speakers for bits of dirt and fluff. This can do wonders for your phone’s sound quality. The same approach can work with your headphones, too. So, if you’re listening to podcasts on anything from Ethereum gambling to obscure daytime soaps and it all goes muffled, you know what to try.
Equalize to level up
Maybe your problem with your Android’s sound quality is down to more than just your speakers or your headphones getting a bit dirty. You may find that what you’re listening to just doesn’t sound quite right. The bass could be too high or too low, the treble could either be overwhelming or cut out, or the middle range could just not be there at all. If this happens, you may need to make use of an equaliser. The good news is that it’s likely you will already have at least one of these on your phone. If, for instance, you have a Samsung phone, there’s an equalizer in the phone’s settings. If not, most music playing and streaming apps have one and you might even have an equalizer in your headphones app. Just change the equalizer’s settings to something that works for what you’re listening to, and the sound quality should get better.
Get wired, not tired
Bluetooth headphones are incredibly popular, and it is easy to see why. Offering a great deal of flexibility and ranges of styles and comfort, as well as prices from the super-cheap to the four-figure range, there is a wireless headphone out there for everyone. That said, your dedication to wireless headsets might just be holding you back. This is because, as a rule of thumb, wired headphones offer a better bang for your buck than wireless ones. One of the reasons for this is that wireless headphones need some element of audio compression to work, meaning listeners could miss out on subtle details that could make a piece of music that much better. While lossless listening can work with Bluetooth headphones, it needs to have the latest mobile technology so, unless you’re willing and able to upgrade to the latest Android phones on a regular basis, it might be worth giving traditional, wired headphones a try.
Become your own developer
Something that a certain subset of Android users like about the operating system is the idea that you, the user, can have a great deal of control over how you use your device. And it’s that concept of being your own developer that can help you improve your Android phone’s sound quality, especially if you are using Bluetooth to listen to something. If you go into your phone’s settings, click about phone and tap the build number a few times, you can open up the development options. If you do that, you can go in and change your Bluetooth audio codec selection. If, for example, you have a Sony phone or use the Japanese tech giant’s headphones, you might want to make use of LDAC. If, on the other hand, you have a Google Pixel phone, it might be worth trying AAC for your files. Either way, you can experiment a bit and see if you can find a better type of audio than the one you have now. However, you do need to be careful and make sure that your phone allows for the kind of Bluetooth Audio Codec that you want.
Swap your files
The next bit of advice could be very useful if you are listening to music that you’ve downloaded onto your phone. When MP3s were first introduced in July 1995, part of the challenge involved getting a file’s worth of music on a pretty small file. The reason that the file had to be pretty small is that computers in those days only had a small drive, much smaller than even a run-of-the-mill modern smartphone. Nowadays, though, there are far better options available in terms of sound quality. You might want to see if you can transfer your music downloads into a larger format or even just download files in the likes of FLAC to improve your listening experience.
Amplify to new heights
If you have a newer Samsung phone, there’s one way you can make how your Android device sounds better. The Korean company’s more high-end phones often have an option to let you listen through Dolby Atmos, which is a new type of surround sound. If you want to see whether this is the case for your phone – remember that some older, less powerful Samsungs won’t have it and that some high-end devices that aren’t made by Samsung might also give you Dolby Atmos – go into your audio settings and toggle Dolby Atmos on. Similarly, there is a setting called Sound Amplifier on most recent Google Pixel phones and some other Android devices, which lets you filter out unwanted sounds, boost both high and low frequencies and raise the volume of quiet sounds, and even change settings for each of your headphones’ ears. Not only that, but it also has a feature called conversation mode. This is particularly useful if you are making a phone call because then you’ll need to know what the other person is saying. It reduces background noises and lets you focus on the conversation, appropriately enough. Again, you will need to make sure your phone has Sound Amplifier, though.
