However, many modern audio players and devices have some form of built-in audio equalizer.
The EQ could be as basic as a portable Bluetooth speaker with knobs to adjust bass and treble levels.
Or it could be more complicated, such as the graphic equalizers found in some music apps.
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They can boost or cut the decibel output of specific frequency bands.
They might also have digital displays controlled via remote.
While there are many types of audio equalizers, the two most common are graphic and parametric.
Here’s what you should know about them.
What Are Graphic Equalizers?
The number of individual controls can vary by make and model.
A ten-band equalizer has sliders for ten fixed frequenciestypically the ones mentioned above as well five more frequency bands.
More bands mean wider control over the frequency spectrum.
Each of the fixed frequencies can be boosted or cut to a maximum or minimum degree.
Depending on the make and model, the range could be +/- 6 dB or perhaps +/- 12 dB.
How Graphic Equalizers Are Unique
There is one important thing to understand about graphic equalizers.
When you adjust a slider, it also affects the neighboring frequencies.
Think about what happens when you poke a finger into a plastic wrap that’s covering a bowl.
As the finger presses down into the plastic, it creates a slope effect.
The areas closest to the finger are more affected by the sloping than areas further away.
Pushing harder also intensifies the sloping versus a light poke.
This same principle applies to how graphic equalizers handle frequency adjustments when boosting or cutting bands.
In a nutshell, graphic equalizers offer:
What Are Parametric Equalizers?
Parametric equalizers are more complex than graphic equalizers since you’re free to make additional adjustments beyond volume.
As such, parametric equalizers offersurgical precisionwhen it comes to affecting the overall sound.
Like the graphic equalizer, each frequency can be cut or boosted.
But while graphic equalizers have fixed frequencies, parametric equalizers can choose a center or primary frequency.
A narrow bandwidth might only affect frequencies as low as 25 Hz and as high as 35 Hz.
In a nutshell, parametric equalizers offer:
