📝 Quick and cheap way to improve output audio quality on (some) Linux (distros)
This assumes you're using Pipewire for your audio demands. Also, YMMV, depending on your hardware and the codec and encoding parameters of your music files.
Currently, 99% the music I listen to is from Tidal, with the 16-bit and 44.1 kHz FLAC streaming option, and the configs at the bottom of this blog post are targeting this.
Without further ado, let's start with the tools ⚒️.
Easy Effects [1]
- Homepage: https://github.com/wwmm/easyeffects
- Flathub package: https://flathub.org/en/apps/com.github.wwmm.easyeffects
- License: GPL 3.0
JamesDSP
- Homepage: https://github.com/Audio4Linux/JDSP4Linux
- Flathub package: https://flathub.org/en/apps/me.timschneeberger.jdsp4linux
- License: GPL 3.0
I use some cheap stereo headphones (Esperanza EH240) that connect both via Bluetooth and a 3.5mm audio cable to my laptop. The specs are not impressive by any stretch, but it was a good purchase for what it cost:
- Frequency range: 20 – 20000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 105 dB
- Impedance: 32 Ω
With either of the above-listed applications, I can use some filters to give a bit more depth to the audio, making it a touch richer and less bland.
For several months, Easy Effects has been my tool of choice, with only two filters enabled for the output: the equalizer for the higher frequencies, and bass loudness for the lower frequencies. There's also an alternative to bass loudness named bass enhancer, but the previous works best with my headphones, IMO.
The application also has a preset functionality, and I use it to switch between them, depending on the music genre I'm listening to.
It needs to be noted that the preset switching and management needs to be done inside the app; you can't do it from the system tray icon. At least it would be nice to have the latest three used profiles; more, and the menu would have too much height, even with FullHD resolution.
Here's my current config.
Equalizer config – in pt-PT. Click on the image to view it in full size.
Equalizer config – in pt-PT. Click on the image to view it in full size.
Back when I used JamesDPS, the configs were somewhat similar. It's a different application, and the differences are more than a few, but it's easy to achieve a similar result.
If you don't have experience with this, IMHO it's best to have a more conservative approach when playing around with filters, as it's easy for the audio to start clipping (think of it as distorting). Don't worry, though, because each filter has a reset button.
[1] There's an alternative for PulseAudio, by the same author, named Pulse Effects (https://flathub.org/en/apps/com.github.wwmm.pulseeffects).