That said, Microsoft previously included a built-in sound equalizer in both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Using it, you could control the different frequency bands and their decibel levels according to your hearing preferences. However, Microsoft then removed this essential tool, and is no longer available. In this post, we are going to show you multiple ways to increase or decrease the volume as well as the bass so that your sounds are “just right.”
How to Increase or Decrease Volume in Windows
Adjusting the volume levels on a Windows PC is pretty straightforward. Most of us already know how to do it, but there are many options available to do so. Below, we have listed down all the possible methods to increase or decrease the volume levels on a Windows PC.
How to Increase or Decrease Volume in Windows Using the Keyboard Multimedia Buttons From the Quick Access Menu From Settings App From Volume Mixer Applet From the Sound Applet How to Increase or Decrease Bass in Windows Adjust Bass Level from the Sound Applet in Windows Using Third-Party Apps How to Open Equalizer in Windows How to Adjust Treble in Windows Closing Thoughts
Using the Keyboard Multimedia Buttons
The most efficient way of adjusting the output volume on a Windows PC is by using your keyboard. This way, you do not have to minimize any windows and you can increase or decrease the volume while staying inside your current window, even if it is in full-screen mode. Nowadays, keyboards come with multimedia tools built directly into the keyboard. You can find them somewhere on your keyboard, or as a subscript of a key which can be used by pressing down the Function key simultaneously. The location of the keys can be different for every manufacturer. Some keyboards even come with scrollbars to adjust the volume and other dedicated multimedia keys.
From the Quick Access Menu
Another quick way to adjust your output volume is from the Quick Access menu. Click on the Volume icon in the right corner of the taskbar to expand the volume settings. Here, move the slider in front of the speaker icon to the left to lower the volume, or to the right to increase it.
From Settings App
The Settings app is now the central hub for most configurations within the Windows operating system. There are multiple places from within the settings app where you can control the output volume level of your speaker and your headphone.
One way to adjust the output volume is from the Settings app » System » Sound. Here, adjust the slider in front of “Volume” to increase or decrease it. Adjust the volume from the main Sound menu Another way to do it is from the device’s properties. Go to Settings app » System » Sound » Output device and adjust the volume from there. Adjust the volume from the device’s properties Another way to adjust the output volume is by using the volume mixer. Using this method, you can control the volumes of the individual apps and the output device that they use. You can open the volume mixer by going to Settings app » System » Sound » Volume Mixer, or opening it by right-clicking the speaker icon in the taskbar. Open Volume Mixer from the taskbar
From Volume Mixer Applet
Before the Volume Mixer became a part o the Settings app, it used to be a standalone Control Panel applet. The applet is still available today which you can open simply by running a cmdlet in the Run Command box. You can open the volume mixer by going to Settings app » System » Sound » Volume Mixer, or opening it by right-clicking the speaker icon in the taskbar. This will open the Volume Mixer, from where you can control the output volume level of your PC as well as individual applications.
From the Sound Applet
If you really want to get into it, you can also adjust the volume level from the legacy Sound Control Panel applet. Of course, this applet is only to be used in case the other methods aren’t working for you, since the Sound applet is used for advanced configurations. Follow these steps to use the Sound applet to adjust your device’s volume: These are all the methods to adjust the volume levels on a Windows 11/10 computer. The device properties window will now open.
How to Increase or Decrease Bass in Windows
The bass is kind of the essence of the sound. Too much of it might damage your speakers or cause distortion, and too less of it might ruin the experience of the music. Hence, having just the right bass levels is essential, especially if you are an audiophile. Previously, you could adjust the bass levels using the built-in equalizer in Windows by adjusting the decibels for the lower frequency range. However, as mentioned earlier, this is no longer an option. Therefore, you are no longer left with many options to adjust the bass. Natively, in Windows, you can adjust the base levels from the legacy Sound Control Panel applet using the method given below.
Adjust Bass Level from the Sound Applet in Windows
Before we begin, we must inform you that the bass can be adjusted from the “Enhancements” tab inside the Sound applet. However, it is no longer available by default. Therefore, the steps given below include the steps to first make the “Enhancements” tab visible and then use it to adjust the bass level. Once the steps above have been performed, check to see if you have achieved the required bass levels. If not, keep making adjustments to the boost levels from the drop-down menu, or turn off Bass Boost completely if needed. The new driver available on your PC will now be installed. This concludes making the “Enhancements” tab available inside the Sound applet. Let us now continue to use this feature to adjust the bass levels. 50-75Hz is usually within the sub-bass range. 75-250HZ is the bass range. 250-500Hz is within the lower midrange. 500-600Hz is within the mid-range settings.
Using Third-Party Apps
Unfortunately, there is no other native method to adjust the system’s bass levels. However, you can use third-party apps and equalizers that will do the job for you. Here are our top 8 picks for equalizers that you can use on a Windows PC to manage how your sounds come out of your speakers or headphones.
How to Open Equalizer in Windows
We have found that Windows users are still looking to open the equalizer within the Windows OS. Let us inform you that the native equalizer has been discontinued in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Even upgrading to the latest Realtek Audio driver does not work anymore. Therefore, the short answer to the question “How to open the equalizer” is that you can’t anymore.
How to Adjust Treble in Windows
With the discontinuation of the equalizer, there is no longer a native method to adjust the treble in Windows either. If you want to adjust the output treble, you need to use a third-party app/equalizer. Here are our top 8 picks for equalizers that you can use on a Windows PC.
Closing Thoughts
Still not having the best sound experience? Try these methods to improve the sound quality of your output device and then check if you get what you needed. If you find that there is still a lot of distortion, then there might be something wrong with the hardware. Try updating your audio driver, and if the problem persists, have your device looked at by a professional for any hardware damage. We hope that his guide helped you in adjusting your sound settings to get the best audio output/
