You might occasionally hear an imbalance in the left and right audio balance of a playback (output) device, like a speaker or headphones. You might need to manually change the left and right audio balance levels until it sounds best. In this article, we will go through how to adjust the left and right audio balance in Windows PC.
Why Does Audio Imbalance Occur in Windows PC?
1. An OS Update
A new Windows version upgrade may confuse any default settings you had previously set up on your PC. Thus, y our audio settings could get distorted after installing a new OS on your PC. Some customers have complained about audio imbalance after updating their PC to a new OS.
2. Special Audio Upgrades
Windows PCs already have specialized audio upgrades built in that are intended to make your audio devices sound better. The balance of the audio devices attached to your PC can occasionally mess up these special audio upgrades, even though they help increase sound quality.
3. Defective Speakers or Headphones
The audio imbalance may not always be the problem with your PC. Your audio equipment, like the speakers, may need a change because they may malfunction.
How to Adjust Left and Right Audio Balance in Windows
Although there may be a lot of causes for this problem, there are a few things you can do on Windows to change the left and right volume. There are three simple ways to adjust and balance the audio problem within Windows.
- Media Player Settings
- Windows Settings
- Control Panel
- Windows Registry (All & Single Users)
You will need to use an administrator account to execute the last suggestion. Also, take a registry backup and create a system restore point.
1] Media Player Settings
Some audio players have settings for balancing audio, and they take over the default Windows settings. You can go to the software’s general settings and check if it’s causing the imbalance. Adjusting the balance controls within the playback software can help resolve the issue.
2] Windows Settings
You can adjust the left and right audio balance via Windows Settings. This is how you go about it:
- Press the Windows key + I to open Settings
- Go to System > Sound
- In the Sound window, under Output, choose the device you want to adjust the audio balance.
- In the Properties window under Output settings, adjust the Left and Right channel audio using the slide bar next to it, and you are done!
Check if your PC audio sounds balanced.
3] Control Panel
You can balance the left and proper audio channels in the device’s properties in Control Panel.
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialogue box, and type mmsys.cpl into the text box and press Enter.
- It will open the Sound dialogue box in the Control Panel.
- In the Sound pop-up window, under the Playback tab, choose the device you want to change, and click the Properties button. You can also double-click on the device name to open its Properties.
- On the device’s Properties window, click the Levels tab and the Balance button.
- Adjust the Left and Right audio balance level until it sounds good to you for this device, and click OK when done.
4] Windows Registry (All & Single Users)
We will change the Registry Editor to achieve audio balance in this method. This is how you go about it:
- Press the Window key + I to open the Run dialogue box, type regedit.exe and press OK to open Registry Editor.
- Navigate to:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Bluetooth\Audio\AVRCP\CT
- Create a new key, REG_DWORD, with the name DisableAbsoluteVolume.
- Double-click on the key, and in the Edit String window, set its Value to 1 and press OK.
Restart your PC for changes to take effect.
Conclusion
So, I hope the three methods in this article help you adjust your Windows PC’s left and right audio balance. Whether the Enhanced audio feature is enabled on your system or not, balancing the sound of both sides should be the same. So, you can quickly fix the audio imbalance issue through Windows’ built-in features like Windows Settings, Control Panel, and Windows Registry. I hope this article helped you resolve the issues!
Have more questions about balancing audio on your Windows PC? Check out the frequently asked questions and their answers given below.
Is Stereo Audio Balanced?
Stereo audio can be either balanced or unbalanced, depending on how the audio signal is transmitted. If stereo uses a three-wire system (two signal wires and a ground wire), then it’s balanced, but if it uses a two-wire system (one signal wire and a ground wire) to transmit the audio signal, then it will become unbalanced. It’s important to note that just because audio is in stereo, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s balanced.
What Are Audio Enhancements? How to Configure It
Enhance audio is a function in Windows PCs that enhances sound quality. Choose the enhancements for your current speaker configuration in the Advance setting. Adjustments might not become effective until you start playback again.
To configure audio Enhancement, from Sound properties in Control Panel, click on the Playback tab for the type of device you want to enable or disable audio enhancements for. Select the sound device you want to enable or disable audio enhancements for.
Click on the Properties button. Click on the Enhancements or Advanced tab. Depending on the manufacturer, the setting to disable audio enhancements will either be on the Enhancements tab or the Advanced tab. Check or uncheck the available audio enhancements you want to enable or disable. Click OK.
