How to Disable Audio Enhancements in Windows 11 or 10

Audio enhancements are effects such as bass boost or loudness equalization that Windows or your sound driver adds on top of the signal. They can make music and movies more lively, but they can also add distortion, echo or static. Here is how to switch them off, or back on, in Windows 11 and Windows 10, and what to try when the Enhancements tab is nowhere to be found.

Turn enhancements off in Windows 11 Settings

The route starts in Settings and ends in the same Sound window that Windows 10 uses. Some builds also list an on/off choice for the device on that page, so look for it before going further.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to System > Sound.
2. Under Output, select your speakers or headphones.
3. Scroll down and click More sound settings.
4. On the Playback tab, select the same device and click Properties; the next section covers the tabs inside.

Use the older Sound window instead

Open this window from the Playback tab, as above, or with a shortcut. Other routes are in the old Sound control panel steps. Where the setting sits depends on your driver; when it is not offered at all, it lives in the maker's own app instead. A major Windows update can put the setting back on, so check it again if your sound turns processed after one.

1. Press Win + R, type mmsys.cpl and press Enter.
2. On the Playback tab, right-click your speakers or headphones and choose Properties.
3. Open the Advanced tab. Under Signal Enhancements, clear Enable audio enhancements to turn the effects off, or tick it to turn them on.
4. On drivers that use the older layout, open the Enhancements tab and tick Disable all enhancements instead.
5. Click Apply, then OK.

Disable enhancements on Windows 10

The steps use the same older window, reached from the taskbar.

1. Right-click the volume icon next to the clock and choose Sounds.
2. Go to the Playback tab, right-click your default device and choose Properties.
3. Open the Enhancements tab (on some drivers it is called Advanced) and tick Disable all enhancements.
4. Click Apply, then OK.

When there is no Enhancements tab

A missing tab usually means the sound driver does not offer one, or that it keeps its effects in a program of its own. Search the Start menu for the app that came with your audio hardware (for instance Realtek Audio Console, Waves MaxxAudio or DTS Sound Unbound), then turn the effects off there. Some PCs have two layers, and the maker's software may have its own switch. Newer drivers also put the checkbox on the Advanced tab of the device properties, so look there first. If the driver itself seems broken, the audio driver fixes come first. To let Windows handle the effects, replace the vendor driver with the generic one. On a Realtek system it goes like this.

1. Press Win + X and choose Device Manager.
2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers, right-click Realtek High Definition Audio and choose Update driver.
3. Choose Browse my computer for driver software, then Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
4. Select High Definition Audio Device, click Next, confirm the prompt, then restart when asked.

Check that the sound services are running

If the tab is still gone, confirm the services behind Windows sound are healthy. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter. Find Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, and check that each one has the startup type Automatic and a status of Running. If one is stopped, use its right-click menu to Start it, reboot, and reopen the speaker properties.