How to Make Laptops Sound Better

Laptop internal speakers are generally not known for having the highest sound quality. Audio needs room to develop into a full sound, and as laptops have become smaller and thinner, laptop sound is an area in which compromises have been made. The small speakers used by laptops are the primary cause of the poor sound quality, and the fastest way to make a laptop sound better is always to buy improved external speakers. However, this makes a laptop less portable, lessening the appeal of owning one. If buying external speakers is not an option for you, enhance the sound of your laptop with a software solution such as SRS Audio Sandbox.

Instructions

1. Download SRS Audio Sandbox from the link in the "Resources" section of this article. Install the program. It will launch automatically, and a demo sound will play. Minimize the SRS Audio Sandbox window for now.

2. Click the Start button, then click "Control Panel." Double click "Sounds and Audio Devices" in Windows XP or "Sound" in Windows Vista and 7. You may need to click "Classic View" or "View by: Small icons" to see the appropriate option.

3. Confirm that the default audio device for playback is "SRS Labs Audio Sandbox." If it is, the program installed correctly. Close the window and return to the SRS Audio Sandbox window.

4. Begin playing a song in the audio player of your choice to test the sound quality.

5. Click the drop-down menu next to "Content" and select "Music." This optimizes the sound output for your computer to match the type of content that you are playing. Aside from Music, you may choose "Movie," "Games" and "Voice."

6. Click the drop-down menu next to "Speaker" and select "Laptop Speakers."

7. Click the button next to "Auto Tech" to highlight the "Technology" drop-down menu. Click the drop-down menu and select "WOW HD." WOW HD optimizes stereo sound for playback on 2-speakers systems such as laptops and headphones.

8. Click the "Advanced Controls" button to tweak the WOW HD settings. These settings allow you to adjust the level of perceived bass to compensate for the small speakers of the laptop, and adjust the size of the stereo field for better-defined sound. After doing this, you should find that the sound quality heard from your laptop is greatly enhanced.

Tips & Warnings

• SRS Audio Sandbox is commercial software, costing $24.99 as of 2009 after a 14-day free trial. If you are unhappy with SRS Audio Sandbox or would like to explore another option, try DFX Audio Enhancer (link in "Resources"), which costs $29.99.

References

• PC Authorities Website: How to Boost Your Laptop Audio

Resources

• SRS Audio Sandbox
• DFX Audio Enhancer