How to Adjust Bass on Windows 11

Windows 11 doesn’t have a built-in equalizer, so there’s no single bass slider. On many PCs, you can still boost the bass: select Start > Settings > System > Sound > More sound settings, select your speakers or headphones on the Playback tab, select Properties, open the Enhancements tab, and check Bass Boost. Select Settings to choose how much. If there’s no Enhancements tab, your PC’s audio app or your speakers’ own controls are the place to adjust bass.

Applies to: Windows 11. Checked on September 30, 2026.

Before you start

Whether you have Bass Boost depends on your audio driver, not on Windows. Many built-in speakers and wired headphones show it. Some PCs replace the Enhancements tab with the maker’s own audio app, and Bluetooth headphones often have no enhancements at all.

Also make sure Audio enhancements are on for the device, or Bass Boost won’t do anything:

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
2. Under Output, select your speakers or headphones.
3. Set Audio enhancements to Device Default Effects.

Method 1: Turn on Bass Boost

1. In Settings > System > Sound, scroll down and select More sound settings. You can also select Advanced on the device’s properties page. See how to open the Sound Control Panel in Windows 11 for other ways.
2. On the Playback tab, select your speakers or headphones, then select Properties.
3. Open the Enhancements tab.
4. Make sure Disable all enhancements isn’t checked.
5. Check Bass Boost.
6. Select Apply, then OK.

The change applies the next time audio starts playing, so pause and restart your music or video to hear it.

Method 2: Choose how much bass

Bass Boost has two settings you can change.

1. On the Enhancements tab, select Bass Boost, then select Settings.
2. Frequency sets which low sounds are boosted. A lower number boosts deeper bass.
3. Boost Level sets how much louder those sounds get, in decibels (dB). Start low, such as 3 to 6 dB.
4. Select OK, then Apply.

A big boost on small laptop speakers usually sounds muddy or rattles. If you hear distortion, lower the boost level or turn down the volume.

Method 3: Use your PC’s audio app or your speakers

If your device has no Enhancements tab, the audio settings live somewhere else:

• Your PC maker’s audio app. Many laptops and desktops come with a sound app that has an equalizer or bass setting. Select Start, then All, and look for an app with “audio” or “sound” in its name.
• Your speakers or headphones. Many speakers have a bass knob, and many headphones have their own app with an equalizer.
• The app you’re playing in. Some music and video apps have an equalizer in their settings. It only affects that app.

Some guides suggest installing a separate equalizer program or swapping your audio driver. Swapping drivers needs administrator rights and can remove features your PC maker added, so we don’t cover it here.

How to turn the bass down

If music sounds boomy or your speakers rattle:

1. Open the device’s Properties > Enhancements tab, as in Method 1.
2. Uncheck Bass Boost, or lower its Boost Level.
3. If Loudness Equalization is checked, try turning it off too. It raises quiet sounds, which can make bass seem heavier. See how to turn on loudness equalization in Windows 11.
4. To turn off all processing, set Audio enhancements to Off in Settings > System > Sound > your device.

Also check the bass knob on your speakers and any bass setting in your PC maker’s audio app.

If Bass Boost doesn’t work

• There’s no Enhancements tab. Your driver doesn’t offer it. Use Method 3.
• Bass Boost isn’t in the list. Your driver offers other enhancements but not bass. Use Method 3.
• You can’t hear a difference. Restart playback, make sure Audio enhancements is on, and check that you changed the device you’re actually listening on.
• Bluetooth headphones don’t show it. That’s common. Use the headphones’ app.
• Sound stopped completely. Uncheck the enhancement you just turned on. If sound is still missing, see how to fix no sound in Windows 10; the steps are much the same in Windows 11.

Frequently asked questions

Does Windows 11 have an equalizer?

No. Windows 11 doesn’t include a system-wide equalizer. Bass Boost and Loudness Equalization in the Enhancements tab are the closest built-in options, and they depend on your audio driver.

Can I adjust treble in Windows 11?

Not with a built-in setting. Use your PC maker’s audio app, your headphones’ app, or an equalizer in the app you’re playing in.

Will Bass Boost damage my speakers?

Not at normal levels, but a high boost at full volume can make small speakers distort. Lower the boost level if you hear rattling.

Does Bass Boost apply to every app?

Yes. It changes the sound for everything playing through that device.

Next steps

To make everything louder, see how to make sound louder in Windows 10. If your speakers aren’t working, see how to turn on computer speakers in Windows 11.