Some car owners heavily tune their amplifiers but leave the stereo settings untouched. In most cases, these folks are unaware of what are the best car stereo sound settings.
Little did they know that in addition to tuning the amplifier, configuring the stereo is almost as crucial.
To set your car stereo properly, you must adjust the bass, treble, highs, and midrange according to your preferred genre.
The article will begin with an overview of car stereos and equalizers. As we progress, you will learn what stereo settings are ideal and how to select them.
Let’s get started!
What Is a Car Stereo?
A car stereo is the central control panel of a vehicle’s audio system. The device plays music, receives audio signals, and provides power to other audio components.
At its base level, the stereo features:
- Amplifier
- Radio tuner
- CD player
- And speakers
The amplifier enhances audio signals, while the radio tuner receives radio signals from AM and FM stations.
Automobile stereos have made great strides in recent years. They have been upgraded with modern features like USB ports for playing portable media and Bluetooth connections for streaming wireless audio.
You can even operate some of them using a smartphone or tablet.
What Is an Equalizer on a Stereo?
An equalizer is an electronic device that allows you to adjust the sound of your car stereo system. You can use it to make subtle adjustments to sound for enhanced quality.
As far as adjustments go, you may add bass, boost the highs and mids, or alter the tone in other ways.
In order to configure the EQ, locate the small panel on your stereo system. It should have a knob or button that controls the level of specific frequencies.
Best Sound Settings for Your Stereo’s Equalizer
You might like a certain sound setting a lot, while others wouldn’t. Due to this, we provide a range of stereo sound settings below that are categorized by genre.
1. Jazz and Classical Genre
This is perhaps the only genre where boom sounds aren’t necessary. And why is that?
You see, the idea behind classical and jazz music is to have a sense of being right next to the musicians. To achieve this natural tone, no boom should be present.
Let’s examine how your EQ should be configured for that.
| Bass | Mids | Highs |
| -4 | +2 | +2 |
As a side note, classical and jazz both have a subjective appeal. You may not consider something classical even though others do.
Hence, we recommend adjusting the settings based on the output.
2. Heavy Bass Genre
A few subcategories fall under the heavy bass genre, such as:
- Hip hop
- Pop
- Rap
All of their content is dominated by low frequencies since they work with bass synthesizers. You must amp up the bass to make the most of low frequencies.
Another parameter to increase is the highs. Pop content never hits its peak if the high doesn’t reach a certain level.
As for the mid, raise it a little. Let’s review the overall settings.
| Bass | Mids | Highs |
| +4 | +2 | +4 |
3. Heavy Metal and Rock Genre
Many people mistakenly assume that bass is associated with metal and rock. However, the truth is a guitar is a major part of such compositions. So how do you make the guitar content stand out?
Guitars are usually centered around the frequency range. It means if you accentuate the mids, the guitar tone will come through.
Since we mentioned bass has no special connection with metal or rock, we won’t change it.
Regarding highs, that’s up to you, but we don’t recommend going too high.
Now let’s take a closer look at the settings.
| Bass | Mids | Highs |
| 0 | +4 | +2 |
4. Electronic Dance Music Genre
Similar to heavy bass, EDM has multiple subcategories, including:
- Brazilian bass
- Bass
- Deep house
- House
- Drum
Each genre has its own characteristics, making it difficult to select a single setting that suits them all.
The good news is that their content tends to be on the low end of the spectrum. It is because they frequently use 4/4 kick drums.
So, we could give you a setting that takes low-end content into account. Increase the highs slightly along with a good deal of low frequencies, such as:
| Bass | Mids | Highs |
| +4 | 0 | +2 |
5. Neutral Genre
We understand that many listeners don’t want genre-specific stereo settings. More importantly, some car owners have no idea what genre they enjoy.
For them, the neutral genre settings would be ideal, which means keeping all EQ settings as they are. Once you listen to the stereo, you can tweak each setting separately and alter it as you see fit.
Keep in mind that speakers perform differently depending on their specifications. Therefore, sometimes changing the equalizer settings will not give you the expected results.
In that case, refer to your stereo’s manual to find a frequency response chart. It may explain the settings in detail so you know what to change.
Ways of Adjusting Car Stereo Sound Settings
The right stereo settings mean nothing if you don’t know how to use them. Thus, we have compiled a list of devices and described how to set stereo settings on each.
1. Internal Equalizer
Internal Equalizer refers to the Equalizer built into your car’s stereo. Two types of internal EQs exist. To change the sound settings, they use different methods. Let’s check them out.
- Single DIN Stereo
Most single DIN stereos allow you to access the Equalizer by pushing the volume button once or multiple times. Once you are in the settings, rotate the volume knob to customize.
If the volume knob does not bring up the Equalizer, look for a button with EQ written on it. When you press it, the EQ menu should appear.
- Double DIN Stereo
Another internal equalizer type is the double DIN stereo. It features an LCD display with a touchscreen.
As soon as the stereo turns on, you will see the settings option. Click on it and select the Equalizer.
2. External Equalizer
Not every car is equipped with an equalizer. Thus, car owners often purchase an external equalizer for their vehicles.
It is quite simple to set up an external EQ since most of them have sliders and knobs for tweaking the settings.
3. Smartphone
There are times when people pair their smartphones with their car’s stereo. And a car’s Equalizer may not work when a phone is connected to the stereo. Does this imply that you can’t set a specific EQ setting?
No, you actually can. All you have to do is make use of your smartphone’s Equalizer. Here’s how:
- For Android
Follow these instructions to change the EQ settings on your Android device.
- Navigate to Settings
- Select Sounds & Notifications
- Activate Audio Effects
- Click on Equalizer
- You can adjust the highs, mids, and bass here
- For iPhone
Although Android lets you customize each equalizer setting, iOS does not. The only option left for users is to rely on the preset values. You can get there by following these steps:
- To begin, go to Settings once again
- In the settings menu, select Music
- EQ will then appear. Simply click on it
- EQ will then appear. Simply click on it
- EQ will then appear. Simply click on it
- Choosing a preset would be the last step.
4. Spotify
If you have an iPhone and still want to tweak the equalizer settings, use a streaming app like Spotify. It lets you modify each setting individually. Here’s how you can do that:
- Launch the Spotify app
- At the top right of the screen, click the gear icon for Settings
- Select Playback
- Choose Equalizer from the menu
- Turn on the Equalizer
- Make adjustments to the Equalizer as you wish.
Reasons Why Stereo Sound Settings Matter
Here are the five reasons why it’s necessary to fine-tune the stereo settings.
1. Better Sound Quality
First and foremost, having the right stereo settings will improve sound quality. Poor audio setup can result in distorted or unclear sound.
Hence, you’ll hear crystal-clear audio if you tune your stereo correctly. Moreover, you won’t have to worry about distortion at high volumes.
2. Optimal Performance
Another advantage involves getting the most out of the audio. You probably already know that car stereo is designed to deliver a high-quality listening experience.
However, they are not pre-programmed to do so. Unless you set them up correctly, your sound system will not perform at its maximum potential.
3. Static Control
People often experience static or buzzing from stereos, which is extremely distracting at night. It happens due to improper stereo settings.
You can minimize static noise and improve your riding experience by fine-tuning the EQ settings.
4. Personalized Experience
The most valuable aspect of a good stereo setting is that it allows you to personalize your listening experience.
Every stereo produces its own sound, and every car owner has their own preferences. Adjusting the settings allows you to tailor the sound according to your tastes.
This could be tuning the bass and treble for a more vibrant sound or increasing the volume for a louder one.
5. Exceptional Bass
People seldom are not fond of heavy bass sounds. With appropriate stereo settings, you will be able to hear the deeper bass you desire.
This is not only pleasing to the ear but also highlights the low frequencies and renders the sound more immersive and powerful.
The correct equalization can also ensure a balance between mids, highs, and bass.
Final Words
As you can see in the article, different genres exist, and each call for its own stereo setting to sound good.
Thus, to find out what are the best car stereo sound settings, you must first decide on your favorite genre. Depending on your chosen genre, you will have to tweak the highs, mids, and bass.