Engadget guide outlines iPhone audio settings and hardware tips

The guide says the Settings app and individual app settings offer options ranging from noise cancellation to equalizers and lossless audio, and that the choices go beyond adjusting AirPods settings. For Apple Music, users can go to Settings > Apps > Music, tap Audio Quality and choose settings for mobile data, Wi-Fi and downloads. High Quality is described as the best balance of data and sound, while Lossless is worthwhile only with high-quality wired headphones. Spotify offers similar controls under the profile picture at Settings and privacy > Media quality. Free users can select Low, Normal or High, while Premium subscribers can also choose Very high or Lossless. For Wi-Fi streaming, Very High is described as good for most cases.

After enabling higher-quality streaming, the guide recommends looking at equalization settings, which boost or reduce certain frequencies. In Apple Music, EQ is found under the same Settings > Apps > Music menu, where users can pick from a list of music types; a custom EQ cannot be created in Apple Music. The guide says Sound Check normalizes volume across tracks, but listeners are mixed on it, with some claiming it reduces audio quality and others appreciating not having to adjust volume regularly. Users are advised to try it both on and off. For Spotify, equalizer options are found by tapping the profile icon, choosing Settings and privacy and selecting Playback. The equalizer can be enabled with a preset or by dragging dots for each frequency. The volume normalization slider is at the bottom of that page, and the guide says users who apply it should avoid choosing Loud for the best quality.

Lossless audio receives special attention. Apple Music and Spotify Premium subscribers can use lossless audio, which preserves all of the audio’s original data and produces what the guide describes as crisp sound equivalent to CD quality. In both quality menus, Lossless can be chosen separately for Wi-Fi, mobile data and downloads. The guide notes that this uses much more data and storage space than lossy options. Bluetooth does not support lossless, so even the best AirPods will not help. The AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3, USB-C AirPods Pro 2 and Powerbeats Pro 2 can support wireless lossless when paired with the Apple Vision Pro, though the guide calls this a niche case. Bluetooth speakers have the same limitation.

To get the best audio, the guide says users need one of the best DACs for Apple Music. A good digital-to-analog converter will properly carry the quality and texture of lossless audio. The budget-friendly FiiO KA11 is cited as providing what most people need at an affordable price. Apple Music also offers Hi-Res Lossless, studio-quality audio that uses even more data. Unless users have premium equipment, the guide says they probably do not need to bother with it.

The iPhone’s accessibility settings hold further audio optimization potential under Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual. There, users can toggle Phone Noise Cancellation, which is only available on iPhone 12 and earlier and removes traces of ambient noise. The Balance slider can adjust audio if sound is uneven across right and left channels. With supported Apple headphones, Headphone Accommodations allows users to adjust Frequencies, which boosts certain frequencies similar to EQ settings, or Soft sounds to amplify quieter sounds, making subtle environmental sounds and phone call audio more legible. The guide recommends experimenting with these settings while wearing headphones to find what sounds best.

For audio played from the phone’s speakers, the guide says that beyond fine-tuning settings for the user’s ears, there is not much else to do. It also states that having the right hardware is important for optimizing audio quality, because software cannot make an ultra-cheap speaker sound amazing. Even high-quality equipment can sound better by tweaking some options, so the guide advises looking at both software settings and hardware.