The 5 Best Equalizer Apps for Android in 2023

Improve your Android's media and music for amazing sound

By
Jack Wallen
Jack Wallen
Jack Wallen
Writer
  • University of Indianapolis
  • Purdue University
  • University of Louisville
Jack Wallen is a former Lifewire writer, an award-winning writer for TechRepublic and Linux.com, and the voice of The Android Expert.
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Updated on January 8, 2023
Reviewed by
Christine Baker
Reviewed by Christine Baker
Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

If you happen to be an audiophile and you use an Android device, you’re in luck— there are plenty of tools that can help you achieve that sound nirvana. One such tool is the equalizer. With this tool, you can adjust various frequencies in order to get the perfect sound on your mobile device.

Here are some equalizer apps you can install from the Google Play Store.

01
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Easiest to Use: Equalizer FX

Equalizer FX app for Android
What We Like

  • Simple interface.


  • Effects can be customized.


  • Ads are unobtrusive.


  • Plenty of presets and the ability to add more.


What We Don't Like

  • Limited to 5 band EQ.


Equalizer FX offers a clean, no-frills interface that gets you immediate access to a 5-band EQ, effects, and profiles. There are three included effects:

  • Bass Boost
  • Virtualization
  • Loudness

You won’t hear much difference with the Virtualization effect unless you are wearing headphones (and even then, it’s a very subtle difference). Fortunately, the effects aren’t just On/Off. You can enable them and then adjust how much of the effect you want to add to your sound by moving the slider to the right or left. You’ll find quite a lot of EQ presets in the Profiles tab, as well as the ability to add new profiles. Equalizer FX is free and includes a bar of unobtrusive ads at the bottom of the window.

02
of 05

Put Some Bass in Your Speakers: Bass Boost and Equalizer

Bass Boost Equalizer app for Android
What We Like

  • Includes a home screen widget.


  • Some of the best presets on the market.


What We Don't Like

  • Must watch videos to remove ads.


Bass Boost and Equalizer is a 5 band EQ for Android that also allows you to boost the base as well as adjust a 3D effect for your music. This allows you to manually adjust the EQ, and also includes 16 presets to suit just about any style of music. Of all the EQ apps we’ve used on Android, we’d have to give the Bass Boost and Equalizer presets the nod for some of the best on the market.

The app also includes a widget, so you can gain quick access to sound control from the Android home screen. Bass Boost and Equalizer works with most music players available for Android. The free version of the app does include ads, but you can remove the ads by watching videos to collect coins (10 coins per video and you need 50 coins to remove the ads).

03
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Best Integration: Headphones Equalizer

Headphones Equalizer app for Android
What We Like

  • Integrates into your favorite music player.


  • Makes adjusting your sound simple.


What We Don't Like

  • Limited presets.


  • Limited to 5 band EQ.


Headphones Equalizer not only does an outstanding job of making adjusting your music simple, but it also integrates with whatever music player you are using, so you can control the music playing without having to exit the EQ app. You can adjust the volume, pause, go back, skip forward… all from within Headphones Equalizer.

Of course, the app also allows you to manually control a 5-band EQ as well as select from a few presets. Headphones Equalizer is free (without ads) and offers a paid version that unlocks a few added features.

04
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Best Media Player With a Built-In Equalizer: VLC for Android

VLC for Android app
What We Like

  • One of the best media players on the market.


  • 10 Band EQ.


What We Don't Like

  • 10 Band EQ can be awkward to adjust.


Although VLC is actually a media player (for both audio and video files), it does include a 10 band EQ. The built-in EQ can be easily adjusted and you can even select from one of eighteen presets. The EQ works well, but it is slightly awkward to use because it only displays 4 bands at a time (so you have to scroll to the left or right to adjust every band). This caveat is well worth making use of VLC’s built-in EQ. VLC is often considered to be one of the finest media players on the market.

Those hoping to use the VLC EQ for other music apps will find themselves disappointed, as it only works within the app itself.

The app is free, open-source, and contains no ads.

05
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Create Your Personalized Sound Profile: Neutralizer

Neutralizer app for Android
What We Like

  • Perfectly adjust sound to suit your hearing.


  • Works with most audio players.


What We Don't Like

  • Steep learning curve.


Neutralizer isn’t your typical Equalizer. What this app focuses on is building a sound profile based on your hearing. Instead of offering a standard EQ to adjust, Neutralizer uses a hearing test to adjust the sound based on your personal ability to hear certain frequencies. It’s complicated (and takes some time to learn), but it’s well worth the effort.

If you consider yourself an audiophile and understand how personal sound tastes can be, Neutralizer is the app for you. It is highly recommended that you do not use this with the built-in device speakers, but rather headphones. Neutralizer does work with most music players and allows you to add multiple profiles. A profile is added by adjusting the sound of each frequency until you can barely hear the tone. Once you’re done, save the profile and the sound you hear will be customized perfectly to your hearing.

The app is free, contains no ads, and does offer in-app purchases.

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