Wavelet is an exceptional app that is available on Android and promises to improve the sound quality of your headphones. However, this is not the first time we are hearing about an app that is able to do that. Ever since the inception of Android, there have been countless apps and mods that have promised the same.
Although they have worked, most of them required root and some of them downright refused to function.
Although they have worked, most of them required root and some of them downright refused to function.
The situation with Wavelet is different as it happens to be an exception. Why? It has a lot to do with how the app is made.
Wavelet Can Tune Your Headphones to the Harmon Standard, Making Them Sound Better
The app is developed by a senior XDA member and there are a lot of technicalities that go behind this app. So, it is not just your run off the mill Android app that promises to improve the sound quality of the headphones.
The app itself is fairly to easy to understand. You have options such as Legacy Mode, AutoEq, Graphic equalizer, Bass boost, Reverberation, Virtualizer, Bass tuner, Limiter, and Channel balance. Normally, these terms are common for anyone who is an avid music listener. But if they confuse you, you can always refer to a detailed Wavelet guide on GitHub.
I am going to summarize things here so you can have a better understanding of what Wavelet is and how it works. The most important feature of this app happens to be AutoEq, and as the name suggests, it automatically tunes your headphones to sound better and gives them a flatter frequency response. The result is a much clearer sounding experience with better separation of all the frequencies.
At the time of writing, the app has an impressive database of over 2,700 headphones. The entire list is also available on GitHub.
All of this is impressive, but does it work? Well, the good news is that using this app is one of the easiest experiences I have had. I am currently using the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus paired with Poweramp as my music player and FiiO F9 Pro as my daily driver earphones. The app already had the profile for my earphones, and setting it up was easy.
Once you install the app from the Play Store. You simply have to play music on your preferred music player and then launch the app. If for some reason it does not support the music player, you will get the following screen.
However, all you need to do in such a situation is tap on the three dots on the top right corner and turn on legacy mode. Once you do that, this is how the main screen will appear.
From there, you just have to tap the three buttons next to AutoEq, find your headphone profile and select it. Once selected, just turn that toggle on and you're set. This is the tuning Wavelet did to my FiiO F9 Pro.
To an average consumer, it might look rudimentary, but if you understand audio and how tuning works, that is a pretty drastic change from the basic configuration. Do keep in mind that if you are using Poweramp, you will have to turn off DVC (Direct Volume Control).
What Difference Did it Make
For someone who is an avid music listener, understanding these granular details has become a lot easier. I have to be honest, at first, I did not notice much difference or any difference at all. I played Slipknot's Duality and it sounded the same. However, as I proceeded with my daily routine of playing more music, I started noticing the difference.
The headphones sound much better and the frequency response is much flatter. Not just that, there is a very prominent separation that makes the whole experience of listening to music a lot more immersive and enjoyable.
Wavelet is, for all intents and purposes, an app that is made for people who truly want to enjoy their listening experience. It is not made for the average consumer who will satisfy their musical requirements by just any music player or pair of earphones. The best thing about Wavelet is not that it works, but how easy and simple it is to use. You could be on your way to the office or school and install this app and get it to work and the results will be noticeable right away.
