6 Ways to Get Better Audio Quality on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• You can quickly improve sound quality on Windows by enabling audio enhancement features.
• For an enhanced movie or gaming experience, consider enabling spatial sound.
• Try different equalizer settings and update the audio driver for better results.

Tip 1: Enable Audio Enhancements

Your Windows 11 PC has an audio enhancement feature that automatically improves sound quality. Hence, if you want better audio quality, this is the first thing you should enable.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and head to System > Sound.

Step 2: Scroll down to the Advanced section and click on All sound devices.

Step 3: Select your audio device from the list.

Step 4: Use the drop-down menu next to Audio enhancements and select Device Default Effects.

You’ll have to repeat the steps above for the audio input and output devices separately.

Tip 2: Enable Spatial Sound

Spatial sound on Windows offers an immersive audio experience by simulating a surround sound setup. It’s similar to a three-dimensional audio experience where the sound comes in from all directions. If you’re looking to enhance your movie or gaming experience on Windows, enabling spatial sound would help.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and head to System > Sound.

Step 2: Select your audio device.

Step 3: Use the drop-down menu next to Spatial audio and select Windows Sonic for Headphones.

You can also try different spatial audio formats, such as DTS Sound Unbound, Dolby Access, and more, by downloading them from the Microsoft Store.

Tip 3: Set Higher Sample Rate and Bit Depth

Another way to improve the sound quality on Windows is to bump up the sample rate and bit depth. This can also be useful if the audio is distorted.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app. Then, go to System > Sound.

Step 2: Click on your audio device to open its properties.

Step 3: Under Output settings, use the drop-down menu next to Format to set a higher sample rate and bit depth.

Step 4: Click the Test button to hear sample audio.

Tip 4: Change the Audio Profile Preset

Windows 11 also offers audio presets, such as Bass Boost, Loudness Equalization, Virtual Surround, etc. You can use different audio presets to achieve the best sound output possible.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and head to System > Sound.

Step 2: Scroll down to Advanced and click on More sound settings.

Step 3: Double-click on your audio device to open its properties.

Step 4: Switch to the Enhancements tab and find all the available sound effects with descriptions.

Step 5: Select your preferred sound effects and click Apply.

Tip 5: Try Different Equalizer Settings

Besides audio presets, Windows also offers a sound equalizer. Although it’s basic, you can use it to adjust the sound effects and emulate the frequency to your liking. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and head to System > Sound.

Step 2: Scroll down to Advanced and click on More sound settings.

Step 3: Double-click on your audio device to open its properties.

Step 4: Under the Enhancements tab, select Equalizer. Then, click the three-dot menu icon next to Settings to adjust the bands yourself.

Step 5: After tweaking the equalizer, click on Save. Then, enter a name for your preset and click OK.

Step 6: Click Apply to save changes.

Tip 6: Update Audio Drivers

Lastly, keep the audio drivers on your PC. Besides improving audio quality, updating drivers will keep you from running into audio issues on Windows 11.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + X and select Device Manager from the list.

Step 2: Double-click on Sound, video and game controllers to expand it. Right-click on your device and select Update driver.

From there, follow the on-screen prompts to finish updating the drivers.