Best Equalizer APO Settings: 20 Tested Presets (2026)

Finding the best Equalizer APO settings usually means trawling a 2018 Reddit thread or a wall of AutoEQ files. This page skips that. Below are 15 Equalizer APO presets by genre, headphone type, and situation, plus the 5 core presets from the main guide. Every value was auditioned on a Sennheiser HD 560S, a Sony WH-1000XM4, and Logitech Z200 speakers before it was published — these are the final tested numbers, not starting guesses.

Last tested: July, 2026 · Equalizer APO v1.4.2 · Peace v1.6.5.2

How to apply any Equalizer APO preset

Open C:\Program Files\EqualizerAPO\config\config.txt, delete everything in it, paste one preset, and save. The change is instant with no restart. Peace users can paste and hit refresh, or use the import button. Never stack two presets in one file — the boosts add together and clip. New to this? Do the 6-step setup first, and if you hear nothing at all, work through the 10 fixes before blaming a preset.

Best Equalizer APO settings by genre

Rock & metal — dense mixes, harsh cymbals

Preamp: -3.0 dB
Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 80 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 0.70
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 400 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 1.20
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 4200 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 2.00
Filter 4: ON HSC Fc 9000 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 0.70

Guitar-heavy mixes pile up around 400 Hz and get abrasive near 4 kHz where distorted guitars and cymbals overlap. Cut both, add a little body and air. The narrow Q 2.0 at 4.2 kHz takes the edge off without dulling the mix.

EDM & electronic — sub weight without boom

Preamp: -6.0 dB
Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 70 Hz Gain 5.5 dB Q 0.70
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 200 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 1.30
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 2.0 dB Q 1.00

The shelf sits lower than the homepage bass preset (70 Hz vs 105 Hz) so the boost stays in true sub-bass where synth basslines live, and the 200 Hz cut stops kicks from smearing into the mids. The 8 kHz lift keeps hats crisp.

Hip-hop & rap — 808s forward, vocals intact

Preamp: -5.5 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 45 Hz Gain 5.0 dB Q 0.90
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -2.5 dB Q 1.20
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 2500 Hz Gain 2.0 dB Q 1.00

A peaking filter at 45 Hz instead of a shelf: it targets the 808 fundamental specifically and leaves the 100–200 Hz region alone, which is what keeps this from turning muddy. The 2.5 kHz lift holds vocals above the low end.

Acoustic & vocal — singer-songwriter, folk, live

Preamp: -2.5 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 200 Hz Gain -1.5 dB Q 1.00
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 3000 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 1.20
Filter 3: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain 2.0 dB Q 0.70

Small moves only; acoustic recordings punish heavy EQ. A touch less body at 200 Hz, a touch more presence at 3 kHz, air on top. If it sounds EQ’d, back everything off by half.

Classical & jazz — dynamics preserved

Preamp: -1.5 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 300 Hz Gain -1.0 dB Q 1.00
Filter 2: ON HSC Fc 8000 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 0.70

These recordings are usually mixed well, so the preset is nearly flat: it only clears a little congestion at 300 Hz and opens the top. If you want more than this, the problem is probably your headphone; use a headphone-type preset instead.

Podcasts & audiobooks — speech first

Preamp: -3.5 dB
Filter 1: ON HP Fc 80 Hz Q 0.71
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 2800 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 1.10
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 7000 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 2.50

The high-pass at 80 Hz removes room rumble and plosive thumps entirely, the 2.8 kHz lift is pure intelligibility, and the narrow 7 kHz cut tames sibilance on cheap podcast mics. Voices, nothing else.

Presets by headphone type

Open-back neutral — HD 560S, HD 600 family, Sundara

Preamp: -3.5 dB
Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 90 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 0.70
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 3200 Hz Gain -1.5 dB Q 1.50

Open-backs roll off sub-bass by design; the shelf restores it. The small 3.2 kHz cut softens the presence peak most neutral cans share. Tested against my HD 560S, the reference unit for every preset on this site.

Closed-back V-shaped — most consumer closed-backs

Preamp: -2.0 dB
Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 150 Hz Gain -2.5 dB Q 0.70
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 1500 Hz Gain 2.0 dB Q 1.00
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 7500 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 1.80

Consumer tuning scoops the mids and spikes the treble. This reverses it: pull the bloated low shelf down, bring vocals back at 1.5 kHz, tame the 7.5 kHz spike. On a WH-1000XM4 this is the difference between fun and fatiguing.

IEMs with harsh treble — budget IEMs, sharp S sounds

Preamp: -1.5 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain -4.0 dB Q 3.00
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 5000 Hz Gain -1.5 dB Q 2.00

Budget IEM treble peaks are narrow, so the fix is narrow: a surgical Q 3.0 cut at 8 kHz. If sibilance persists, sweep Fc between 6 and 9 kHz while a bright track plays; the painful spot moves by ear canal.

Cheap earbuds — the pair in your drawer

Preamp: -4.5 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 150 Hz Gain 4.0 dB Q 1.00
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 800 Hz Gain -2.5 dB Q 1.30
Filter 3: ON HSC Fc 9000 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 0.70

Same physics as laptop speakers: tiny drivers cannot produce 40 Hz, so the bass lift goes where the driver actually works (150 Hz), the 800 Hz cut removes the plastic honk, and the top shelf files down the harshness.

Desk speakers & monitors — near-wall placement boom

Preamp: -1.0 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 120 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 1.60
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 60 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 2.00

Speakers near a wall get a low-end boost from the boundary; these two cuts approximate the correction. For a real fix, measure with Room EQ Wizard and load its export — Equalizer APO reads REW files directly.

Presets by situation

Night listening — quiet volume, sleeping housemates

Preamp: -4.0 dB
Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 100 Hz Gain 3.5 dB Q 0.70
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 3000 Hz Gain 2.0 dB Q 1.00
Filter 3: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 0.70

At low volume your ears lose bass and treble first (the equal-loudness effect), so quiet listening sounds thin. This adds back what low volume takes away. It will sound wrong at normal volume; that is expected.

Treble fatigue — long sessions, tired ears

Preamp: -1.0 dB
Filter 1: ON HSC Fc 6000 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 0.70
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 3500 Hz Gain -1.5 dB Q 1.50

When hours of listening start to hurt, the 3–8 kHz region is almost always the culprit. This pulls the whole top down gently. Less exciting, much longer sessions.

Old recordings — pre-1980 masters, thin transfers

Preamp: -4.0 dB
Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 100 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 0.70
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 3000 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 1.30
Filter 3: ON HSC Fc 8000 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 0.70

Old masters are often thin on the bottom and honky in the mids. Warmth back in, honk out, and a generous air shelf that old tape usually tolerates surprisingly well.

Voice calls & meetings — Zoom, Teams, Discord output

Preamp: -3.0 dB
Filter 1: ON HP Fc 100 Hz Q 0.71
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 2500 Hz Gain 3.5 dB Q 1.00
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 6500 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 2.00

Compressed call audio buries consonants. High-pass the rumble, push intelligibility at 2.5 kHz, notch the compression artifacts near 6.5 kHz. Pair it with a Device: line if you only want it on your headset.

Your exact headphone: AutoEQ configs for 500+ models

Generic presets get you 80% of the way. For the last 20%, the AutoEQ project publishes measurement-based corrections for over 500 specific headphones, and Equalizer APO reads them natively.

The 4 steps: open the AutoEQ results index on GitHub, find your exact model (revision matters — an HD 599 is not an HD 598), download the file ending in ParametricEQ.txt, then in Peace use the import button and select that file.

The .csv trap: the same folder contains a .csv file. That is raw measurement data, not a filter list, and Peace will refuse it. You want the .txt. If your model is missing entirely, start from the closest headphone-type preset above and tune by ear: cut harshness between 2–5 kHz, set your sub-bass, and cut boxiness between 300–500 Hz.

The 5 core Equalizer APO presets

Balanced, bass without mud, FPS footsteps, laptop speakers, and movie dialogue live on the main Equalizer APO guide, each with the testing notes and the footstep frequency data behind the FPS preset.

Equalizer APO presets: FAQ

What are the best Equalizer APO settings?

There is no single best setting; the right preset depends on your source and hardware. For general listening start with the Balanced preset, for bass-heavy music use the EDM or hip-hop preset, and for competitive games use the FPS footstep preset. Every preset on this page lists exact filter values and was tested on real headphones and speakers.

How do I apply an Equalizer APO preset?

Open config.txt in the Equalizer APO config folder, delete its contents, paste one preset, and save. It applies instantly with no restart. Peace users can paste and refresh, or import a file directly.

Can I combine two Equalizer APO presets?

No. Stacking two full presets makes both preamps and filter sets apply at once, the gains add together, and the signal clips. Delete the old preset before pasting a new one.

Why does my Equalizer APO preset do nothing?

The problem is almost always the install, not the preset — Equalizer APO is likely on the wrong audio device, or the “Install as” setting needs changing. Run the preamp test and the 10 fixes first.

Where do I find an Equalizer APO config for my exact headphone?

The AutoEQ project on GitHub publishes corrections for 500+ headphones. Download the ParametricEQ.txt for your model and import it in Peace. The .csv in the same folder is raw data and won’t import.