Either because the speakers of our computer do not give much more or that the file we are playing is recorded at a low volume, in Windows 10 we can make some adjustments to the system to improve the quality and volume of the sound. In the same way, we can use some third-party applications that will also help us for this purpose.
Improve sound playback from Windows 10 Settings
Windows 10 has the ability to make certain adjustments to improve sound reproduction and control the volume within the system. To do this we must access the Configuration by pressing the keyboard shortcut “Windows + I” and click on “System”.
In the next window, in the left column, select “Sound”. Now we will have the possibility to choose the sound output device, the volume controller and the option to use the sound troubleshooter in Windows 10. In this way, we can try to raise the system default volume or use the troubleshooter in case we have a problem with the equipment that prevents us from increasing the volume.
Use the volume mixer if the problem is with a finished application
In the event that the sound levels for a specific application may be low, it is possible to verify the volume levels individually using the Volume mixer. To open it, we must right-click on the speaker icon that we find in the system tray. A drop-down menu will appear where we will choose “Open volume mixer”.
Once this is done, a window will appear with all the software that we have open with their respective volume scales individually. Here we must ensure that each application has the highest volume. In case some bar is lower than the others, we can increase it to the maximum to achieve a higher volume of the sound when we use it.
Activate the Groove sound equalizer
In Windows 10 we can find a native application called Groove with which we can play music that we can configure to improve the sound of the system while we use it. To open it, you only need to type your name in the search bar next to the Start menu. Once open, its interface will appear from where we will have to access its «Settings» menu, by clicking on the gear-shaped icon, which we see located in the lower left part.
On the next screen, we look at the Playback section where we must select the Equalizer option. This will open a window from where we can increase the frequency levels of the audio in order to increase its volume.
Increase the maximum volume in VLC
In the case that we use VLC as our multimedia player we can increase your volume up to 300%as by default it only reaches up to 125% volume. Of course, we must bear in mind that the higher the volume, the greater the audio clipping, which can cause greater distortion. To do this we just have to open VLC and click on the “Tools” tab at the top and then on “Preferences”.
Next, click on the “All” option that we find in the lower left corner of the window. Now we open the Main Interfaces panel and click on «QT». On the right side we scroll down and find the “Maximum displayed volume” box, which we can change to a maximum of 300.
Programs to increase the sound volume of the PC
To help us increase the maximum volume and sound quality of our computer, we can use some third-party programs developed for this purpose. With them we can achieve a volume greater than the maximum that Windows 10 incorporates by default.
EqualizerAPO, set the computer’s equalizer
This free and open source program will allow us to have total control over the configuration of the equalizer of our PC, like increasing your maximum volume. For this it will only be necessary to download it from this link and install it on our computer. Once installed, a “Configuration” window will appear where we must select the devices that we would like to use with APO. We select the speakers and click on Ok.
Once this is done we must go to the EqualizerAPO installation directory:
C:/ Archivos de programa / EqualizerAPO / config
Next, we must open the config.txt file with Notepad and we will change the preamp number to a +10 dB maximum and we remove the rest of the text from the file. We save it and restart the PC so that the changes are saved.
FX Sound, turn up the maximum volume up to 200%
We are now talking about a program that will allow us to increase the sound volume that Windows 10 offers us by default. For this we will have the possibility of raising the volume level up to 200%, in addition to a wide variety of predefined modes to improve the sound quality. It incorporates a system of 20-band equalization with which to configure the sound to our liking, as well as an audio visualizer and different effects, among which the game mode stands out.
FX Sound has a free version that we can download directly from your Web page.
Boom 3D, turn up the max volume 150%
With this software we will be able to amplify the sound up to a maximum of 150% above that obtained in Windows 10. It also has options that will allow us to significantly improve the sound. It also has a surround sound system that allows us to enjoy our movies even more, as well as achieve more powerful bass while playing music. In addition, it incorporates a 31-band equalizer Thanks to its amplifier, it also benefits from the advantages of surround sound and allows us to apply a certain volume to each application.
We can download a free trial version of Boom 3D from here, and buy your license for 7.34 euros.
