Tidal Equalizer: How to Adjust Sound Quality on Any Device

By Dave Henry Posted on February 26, 2025

Many audiophiles choose Tidal because it delivers lossless, studio-quality music, making it one of the best streaming platforms for sound purity. However, while Tidal provides excellent audio quality, it may disappoint you if you want a built-in Tidal equalizer.

Because of this, many users look for ways to adjust their sound. Some prefer stronger bass, while others want clearer vocals or a more balanced sound. Online discussions show that many Tidal users are searching for equalizer solutions to customize their listening experience. But does Tidal have an equalizer? And how can you still adjust the sound while using Tidal? Let's explore.

tidal equalizer

Part 1. Does Tidal Have an Equalizer?

Tidal does not have a built-in equalizer. The reason is unclear, but it may be because Tidal focuses on providing high-quality, artist-intended sound. The platform wants users to hear music exactly as artists and sound engineers designed it. That means Tidal gives users less control over customizing the sound compared to some other streaming services, like Spotify, Amazon Music, and more.

1.1 What Is an Equalizer and How Does It Work?

An equalizer (EQ) is a tool that lets you adjust different sound frequencies. In simple terms, it helps you control the bass, mids, and treble in your music. If a song sounds too sharp, you can lower the high frequencies. If it lacks bass, you can boost the low frequencies.

Equalizers are commonly found in music production software, audio devices, and even some streaming services, giving users the ability to tailor the sound to their preferences or correct audio issues.

1.2 Why You Need an Equalizer for Tidal?

Different devices produce different sound quality. While Tidal offers high-quality audio, the sound you hear depends on your headphones, speakers, and device settings. Some devices may not fully bring out Tidal’s rich sound, making the music feel flat or lacking bass. Without an equalizer, you’re stuck with your device’s default sound. But with an equalizer, you can adjust the audio to match your preferences and improve your listening experience. More specifically, it helps you to (not limited to the following):

  1. Fix unbalanced sound: Not everyone listens to music on high-end speakers or studio-quality headphones. Some headphones or speakers may sound too sharp or lack bass. An EQ can adjust this.
  2. Personalize listening: Everyone has different sound preferences. Some enjoy deep bass, while others prefer crisp vocals. An EQ lets you customize the sound.
  3. Customize for music genres: You can adjust the sound to fit different types of music. For example, boost the bass for hip-hop or emphasize the mid-range for rock music.

Part 2. How to Use an Equalizer for Tidal on Any Device

While Tidal doesn't have a built-in equalizer, you can enhance your listening experience using third-party equalizer apps on various devices. Here's how to use equalizers with Tidal on While Tidal doesn't have a built-in equalizer, you can enhance your listening experience using third-party equalizer apps on various devices. Here's how to use equalizers with Tidal on Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac.

2.1 Best Equalizer for Tidal on Android

Poweramp Equalizer is a powerful audio processing app for Android devices, based on the popular Poweramp music player. It is famous for its customization options for EQ bands (up to 32), bass, treble, and tone controls, and more. While it doesn’t directly integrate with Tidal, it works by adjusting the audio output system-wide, meaning you can use it with any music app, including Tidal.

However, detecting a music streaming app on your phone may require a learning process as it requires some command-line fiddling. Poweramp Equalizer is not free, but it offers a 30-day free trial before charging about $5 for the premium version.

download poweramp equalizer

Key Features:

✔️ Supports Tidal and other streaming apps
✔️ Parametric and graphic equalizer for precise sound control
✔️ Bass boost and surround sound options
✔️ Works with wired and Bluetooth headphones
✔️ Custom presets for different audio setups

How to Use Poweramp Equalizer with Tidal:

  1. Download and install Poweramp Equalizer from the Google Play Store.
  2. Open the app and go to Settings > Equalizer > turn on “Enable Audio Processing.”
  3. In the settings, go to "Advanced Player Tracking" to and enable “Notification Listener Permission” for it to work with other apps.
  4. Open Tidal and start playing a song.
  5. Switch to Poweramp Equalizer and adjust the sound frequencies using the equalizer controls.

set up poweramp equalizer

Pros
Works with Tidal and most music apps
Offers deep customization for sound tuning
Supports Bluetooth and wired headphones
Cons
Not free
Requires a learning curve

2.2 Using an Equalizer for Tidal on iPhone

Hiby Music is a free high-quality music player specially designed for HiFi. It is not exclusive for iOS users but also available on Android and Windows. While it’s designed for playing local music, it also works as an equalizer for Tidal when using Bluetooth or AirPlay.

download hiby music

Key Features:

✔️ 10-band equalizer with advanced sound controls
✔️ Built-in equalizer with multiple presets
✔️ Supports Hi-Res audio formats
✔️ Free to use with no extra costs
✔️ User-friendly interface

How to Use HiBy Music with Tidal:

  1. Download HiBy Music from the App Store.
  2. In HiBy Music, enable HiBy link to connect with your device (an external speaker or headphone) for Tidal playback.
  3. In HiBy Music, tap profile icon > Equalizer, and adjust the parameters to your liking.
  4. Open Tidal and start playing music while keeping HiBy Music running in the background.
  5. The equalizer settings will apply to the Tidal output.

set up hiby equalizer

Pros
Free to use
Easy setup with Bluetooth and AirPlay
Supports Hi-Res audio
Cons
No direct integration with Tidal
Requires external audio devices for best results
Output device should be compatible with HiBy

2.3 Tidal Equalizer for Windows

Amarra is a suite of high-quality audio software designed to enhance the listening experience on music streaming services like Tidal and Qobuz. Primarily targeted at Windows and Mac platforms, Amarra is now also available for iOS devices and audio DACs.Best of all, it supports Tidal, which means that you can tweak the quality of Tidal's sound right out of Amarra!

download amarra on windows

Key Features:

✔️ Built-in Tidal integration for seamless playback
✔️ 16-band parametric equalizer for precise adjustments
✔️ Supports Hi-Res audio up to 192kHz
✔️ Works with external DACs and sound systems

How to Use Amarra Luxe with Tidal:

  1. Download and install Amarra Luxe from its official website.
  2. Open the app and log in to your Tidal account.
  3. Enable Amarra to scan your Tidal music library.
  4. Go to the equalizer settings and adjust the sound frequencies.
  5. Play your Tidal music directly through Amarra Luxe for the best experience.

amarra for tidal

Pros
Full Tidal integration
High-quality sound processing
Works with external audio equipment
Cons
Costs around $99
Requires a powerful computer for best performance

2.4 Tidal Equalizer on Mac

SoundSource is a Mac audio control app that lets you apply an equalizer to the output, input, and the audio coming from any app on your Mac computer. In this case, SoundSource is capable of controlling the sound effect of your Tidal music. With its system-wide audio enhancement, meaning you can adjust Tidal's sound in real-time.

download soundsource on mac

Key Features:

✔️ Works with all Mac apps, including Tidal
✔️ 10-band equalizer with fine-tuned adjustments
✔️ Volume boosting and audio effects
✔️ Low CPU usage

How to Use SoundSource with Tidal:

  1. Download and install SoundSource from Rogue Amoeba’s website.
  2. Open the app and select Tidal as the target application.
  3. soundsource application controls

  4. Enable the 10-Band EQ settings, choose the output device, and adjust the frequencies as needed.
  5. soundsource equalization

  6. Play your music on Tidal and enjoy customized sound settings.
Pros
Works directly with Tidal
Offers system-wide sound customization
Lightweight and easy to use
Cons
Requires $45 for a license key
Not available for Windows

Part 3. How to Play Tidal with Any Equalizer on Any Device [Best Solution]

The methods we discussed earlier can help you use an equalizer with Tidal on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices, but they come with limitations:

  1. Some apps require payment: Some apps are free to download but charge a fee for the full-featured version.
  2. Complicated setup: Some equalizers need additional settings or external connections to work with Tidal.
  3. Limited compatibility: Most equalizer apps do not integrate directly with Tidal, there may be some issues, such as tracks stopping or skipping unexpectedly.

So, is there a way to use any equalizer with Tidal without these issues? Yes! The best solution is to download Tidal music in DRM-free format, which allows you to play it on any equalizer software without restrictions.

Why Downloading Tidal Music Lets You Use Any EQ?

Tidal music is protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM), which means even if you download songs using the Tidal app, they are just cache files, not actual audio files.

These files can only be played within the Tidal app and cannot be imported into other software, including equalizer apps. Converting Tidal audio to standard formats like MP3, FLAC, or WAV allows you to:

🟢 Play Tidal music in any music player that supports equalizer adjustments.
🟢 Use any equalizer app without worrying about compatibility issues.
🟢 Listen offline without needing the Tidal app.

To do this, you need a professional and reliable music converter that can download and convert Tidal songs while keeping the original audio quality intact.

Best Way to Download Tidal Music for Flexible Playback

ViWizard Tidal Music Converter is a professional converter designed for Tidal users, both free and premium, to help download and convert Tidal songs, albums, playlists, into DRM-free audio formats in HiRes quality. Once converted, the tracks can be played without the Tidal app and added to any equalizer apps for full sound customization. It is also a good option if you prefer to listen to Tidal through your speaker but want some control over the audio quality settings for the optimal listening experience.

tidal music converter

Key Features of ViWizard Tidal Music Converter

Free Trial Free Trial

* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.

  • Download full songs, albums, playlists, and artists from Tidal without ads offline
  • Convert Tidal tracks in bulk at up to 35x faster speed
  • Export Tidal music to MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A, and M4B
  • Support various quality options up to a maximum of 24-bit, 192 kHz

Step 1Add Tidal Playlists

Download and install the right version of ViWizard Tidal Music Converter on your computer. To access the Tidal library, launch ViWizard and log into your Tidal account using the built-in Tidal web player. Next, search or navigate to your Tidal music playlists, then click the "Add Music" button in the bottom right corner. Choose the tracks to download.

add playlist to converting list

Step 2Choose Output Format

Click the menu button in the upper-right corner and select Preferences. Click the Conversion option and select the format for the exported Tidal music files. ViWizard supports MP3, AAC, FLAC (lossless), M4A, and other commonly used formats. Once you've made your selection, click OK to save the changes.

select output format

Step 3Convert and Download Tidal Playlists

Once you've selected the tracks to download, go to the conversion list. Next, click the "Convert" button and ViWizard will start to download the Tidal music in the configured format to your computer.

conversion

Step 4Import Tidal Songs to Any Equalizer Apps

Once the conversion is finished, open the output folder where you specified to save the converted Tidal tracks. You may now easily import them into any media player or equalization program for further customization. If you're using a smartphone, send the DRM-free Tidal music to it and then add it to any equalization app (taking HiBy Music Player as an example below).

hiby music equalizer

Part 4.Conclusion

Tidal may not have a built-in equalizer, but there are still ways to adjust your sound using third-party apps on Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac. While these apps can enhance your listening experience, they often come with limitations like payment requirements or complicated setups.

The best approach to have complete freedom over your music is to download Tidal songs as DRM-free files with ViWizard Tidal Music Converter, which you can then integrate into any equalization tool without restriction. This method allows you to enjoy personalized sound settings on any device, ensuring the finest possible audio experience.

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