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I don’t mind being an audiophile. Ever since the 1980s, when I bought the first equalizer for my car, I’ve always enjoyed tinkering with the sound to get the most out of whatever equipment I have.
Usually, I listen to vinyl while toying with words at my desk. But from time to time, I’ll head over to Spotify (to be purchased later) to find some new music. When listening to music through my computer, the sound isn’t nearly as rich and vibrant as it is coming from my turntable.
Too: How to Improve Spotify Streaming Audio Quality
However, there is a simple application that can be installed to give that sound a boost. This app is called EasyEffects and is PulseEffects’ successor, EasyEffects supports the new PulseAudio replacement, PipeWire – and includes all the right plugins you need to bring your digital sounds to life.
With EasyEffects you can adjust things like:
- mixing harmonics
- scope
- eq’s
- balance
- levels
In many cases, all you have to do is add/remove different plugins until you get the sound you want. Many plugins allow you to fine-tune the sound, but I’ve found that few of them are spot-on with their default settings.
Too: Best Record Player for Your Vinyl Collection
Of course, with sound it’s all about personal taste and that’s why I find EasyEffects such an important application for Linux.
Let’s install it and see how it is used.
How to install EasyEffects
what you’ll need: EasyEffects is available for most Linux distributions, so all you’ll need is a running instance of Linux and a user with sudo privileges. A good ear for sound is optional.
Log in to your desktop Linux instance and open the App Store. In the case of GNOME Desktop (and GNOME-based desktops), that app store is called Software. If you’re using KDE Plasma, it’s called Discover.
With your distribution’s App Store open, open the Search tool and type in EasyEffects. When the entry appears, click on it, and then click on the Install button to add the app to your desktop.
EasyEffects can be easily installed on Fedora Linux via the software app. Jack Wallen/ZDNet
Using EasyEffects
With EasyEffects installed, it’s time to put it to good use.
1. Open Easy Effects
Once the installation is complete, close the App Store and open EasyEffects from your desktop menu.
You can also pin EasyEffects Launcher to the panel used by your desktop for easy access. Jack Wallen/ZDNet
2. Start Adding Plugins
As I said before, it’s all going to be about your personal taste. With EasyEffects open, click the Add Effect button in the left sidebar. From the resulting popup menu, click the + associated with the plugin you want to add.
Too: Like listening to records? This Simple, Must-Have Sound-Enhancing Gadget
Each plugin will affect the sound in different ways, so it will take you some time to find the right combination of plugins to use. For me, I add Bass Enhancer, Crystallizer and Exciter plugins to really give the sound a life of its own.
It may take some time to get the right mix of plugins for your favorite genres. Jack Wallen/ZDNet
3. Save Preset
It is important. Once you have all the plugins you want to add and adjust, you’ll want to save it as a preset. This is because a combination of plugins may work for instrumental prog rock, but sound terrible with classical.
Too: The Best Speakers for Your Vinyl Collection (Plus Tips for Improving the Sound)
For this, you can create/name a preset for each genre of music you listen to (as well as podcasts or movies).
You can save as many presets as you want. Jack Wallen/ZDNet
After clicking on the Preset drop-down, name the new preset and click on the blue/white + to save it.
Also: These $169 Headphones Sound So Good You’d Think They’d Cost More
Congratulations, you’ve just significantly improved the sound on your Linux desktop machine. One thing to note, however, is that when you close EasyEffects, the sound will return to default. In other words, you’ll need to leave the app open if you want to keep enjoying the great sound.
