Unboxing new wireless headphones is exciting, but many people miss out on significant audio quality improvements by skipping the setup process. Modern headphones come with companion apps, EQ customisation, and settings that can dramatically enhance your listening experience—if you take the time to configure them. In this guide, we'll walk through the complete setup process to help you get the best possible sound from your new headphones, whether they're premium over-ears or budget-friendly earbuds.
Step 1: Download the Companion App
Almost every wireless headphone from major brands comes with a companion app that unlocks features not available through your phone's standard Bluetooth settings. These apps are free and available for both iOS and Android. Common companion apps include Sony Headphones Connect for Sony products, Bose Music for Bose products, Apple's built-in settings for AirPods and Beats, Sound+ for Samsung Galaxy Buds, and Jabra Sound+ for Jabra products.
Even if you think you'll never use advanced features, download the app—it's also where firmware updates are delivered, and keeping firmware current ensures optimal performance and security.
đź’ˇ Why Companion Apps Matter
Companion apps typically provide access to firmware updates that fix bugs and add features, EQ and sound customisation options, ANC level adjustment and transparency modes, touch control customisation, battery status and wear detection settings, and find-my-headphones features.
Step 2: Update the Firmware
Before doing anything else, check for firmware updates. Manufacturers regularly release updates that improve sound quality, fix bugs, enhance battery life, and add new features. Your brand-new headphones may have been manufactured months ago and could be running outdated software.
In most companion apps, you'll find firmware updates in the settings menu. The update process usually takes 10-15 minutes and requires your headphones to be charged and connected to your phone. Don't interrupt the update process—a failed firmware update can potentially brick your headphones.
Step 3: Find Your Perfect Fit
For Earbuds
Proper fit is crucial for both comfort and sound quality. Earbuds that don't seal properly will have weak bass, ineffective ANC, and may fall out during use. Most earbuds include multiple ear tip sizes—typically small, medium, and large—and sometimes foam alternatives.
To find your optimal fit, start with the medium tips that usually come pre-installed, then insert the earbud with a gentle twist until you feel a seal. Shake your head gently—tips that are too small will feel loose, while tips that are too big will feel uncomfortable or create pressure. Test both ears separately as many people need different sizes for each ear.
Many companion apps include a "fit test" feature that plays a tone and measures how much sound leaks out. This scientific approach takes the guesswork out of finding the right tips. If none of the included tips work well, consider third-party options like Comply foam tips or SpinFit silicone tips.
For Over-Ear Headphones
Adjust the headband so the cups sit centred on your ears without excessive pressure. The headband should rest on top of your head without the cups pulling down. If your headphones have rotating or tilting ear cups, adjust them so the cushions sit flat against your head, creating an even seal all around.
🔑 Key Takeaway
Time spent finding the perfect fit pays dividends every time you use your headphones. A proper seal can be the difference between headphones that sound mediocre and headphones that sound amazing.
Step 4: Configure Your Sound with EQ
Most companion apps include equaliser (EQ) settings that let you adjust the frequency balance to your preferences. This is where you can make the biggest improvements to how your headphones sound.
Starting with Presets
If you're new to EQ, start with the built-in presets. These are usually named after music genres or sound characteristics. Try different options such as bass boost for more low-end punch, treble boost for more detail and clarity, vocal for clearer speech and singing, and flat or neutral for uncoloured sound.
Listen to familiar music with each preset—songs you know well reveal changes more clearly than unfamiliar tracks. Find a preset that sounds pleasing as your starting point.
Custom EQ Adjustments
For more control, use the custom EQ settings. A typical graphic EQ shows 5-10 frequency bands you can boost or cut. General guidelines for customisation include boosting 60-100Hz for more bass punch, reducing 200-400Hz if sound feels "muddy" or "boomy," boosting 1-3kHz for vocal clarity, reducing 4-6kHz if vocals sound harsh or sibilant, and boosting 8-12kHz for more "air" and detail.
Make small adjustments (2-3 dB at a time) and listen carefully. It's easy to over-EQ and end up with worse sound than you started with. If you get lost, reset to flat and start over.
âś… EQ Best Practice
Rather than boosting frequencies you want more of, try cutting frequencies you want less of. This approach maintains headroom, reduces distortion, and often sounds more natural. If you want more bass, try cutting mids and treble slightly rather than boosting bass aggressively.
Step 5: Configure ANC and Transparency
If your headphones include Active Noise Cancellation, take time to explore the available modes. Most headphones offer multiple ANC levels. High or maximum ANC provides the most noise reduction but uses more battery, while low or adaptive ANC provides variable cancellation based on environment, saving battery in quieter settings.
Transparency mode lets outside sound through, useful for conversations or awareness. Some headphones offer enhanced transparency that amplifies environmental sounds. Find settings that work for your typical environments—commuting may need high ANC, while working from home might be fine with adaptive mode.
Step 6: Optimise Your Source Audio
Your headphones can only sound as good as the audio you feed them. Optimising your source improves the final result.
Streaming Quality Settings
Check your streaming app's quality settings. Most services default to lower quality to save data. Spotify offers up to 320 kbps with Premium (check Settings, then Audio Quality), Apple Music offers lossless and high-resolution options, YouTube Music offers high quality audio in settings, and Amazon Music offers HD and Ultra HD tiers.
Higher quality settings use more data, so you may want different settings for Wi-Fi versus mobile data. Most apps let you configure this independently.
Bluetooth Codec Selection
On Android devices, you can select which Bluetooth audio codec to use. Access this in Developer Options under Bluetooth Audio Codec. Choose the highest quality codec supported by both your phone and headphones—typically LDAC, aptX HD, or AAC in order of preference. On iOS, you can't manually select codecs, but the system automatically negotiates the best available option.
Step 7: Customise Controls
Modern headphones offer customisable touch or button controls. Setting these up to match your usage patterns makes daily use much smoother. Consider which functions you use most often: play/pause, volume control, track skip, ANC toggle, voice assistant, or transparency mode.
For earbuds, you often have limited controls per side, so prioritise carefully. Many people set one earbud for playback controls and the other for ANC/transparency switching. For over-ear headphones with more button options, you have more flexibility to assign dedicated buttons to specific functions.
Step 8: Set Up Multipoint (If Available)
Multipoint connectivity lets your headphones connect to two devices simultaneously—typically your phone and laptop. This means you can take a call on your phone while watching a video on your laptop, without manually switching connections.
Enable multipoint in your companion app if your headphones support it, then pair with both devices. The headphones will automatically route audio from whichever device is currently playing, with phone calls typically taking priority. Note that multipoint can slightly reduce audio quality on some headphones as it limits codec options.
Step 9: Enable Wear Detection
Many headphones include sensors that detect when you're wearing them. When enabled, audio automatically pauses when you remove the headphones and resumes when you put them back on. This feature saves battery, prevents you from missing audio when removing headphones briefly, and is generally worth enabling unless you find it triggering incorrectly.
Final Checks
Once you've completed setup, do a final check with music you know well. Listen for bass response that seems appropriate for your preferences, clear and present vocals without harshness, detail in high frequencies without fatigue, balanced overall sound, and effective noise cancellation in typical environments.
If something seems off, revisit the relevant setup step. Don't be afraid to experiment with EQ settings over time as your ears adjust to the new headphones. What sounds perfect today may warrant tweaking next week as you become more familiar with your new audio companions.
Taking these setup steps transforms new headphones from good to great. The few minutes invested upfront pay off every time you press play, ensuring you hear your music exactly the way you want to.