The default music player that comes with the iPhone is fine for general listening. However, it doesn’t come with many features to enhance sound quality. One option to improve audio on the iPhone is to use the equalizer, but this tool is limited to a few presets. Unlock the potential of your songs and the iPhone hardware with an alternative music player from the App Store.

ONKYO HF Player

ONKYO HF Player is a great app to choose if you like tweaking. This app sports an excellent high-precision equalizer and comes with an upsampler and crossfader.

  • Frequently updated with improvements.

  • Premium version plays FLAC, DSD, WAV files, and more.

  • Free version includes a distracting banner ad.

  • Need an external digital-to-audio converter to play high-resolution files.

The equalizer ranges from 32 Hz to 32,000 Hz, which is more frequency bands than most apps. Either choose presets that have been created by professional musicians, or make your own customized ones. The multi-band equalizer screen makes it easy to shape the sound, all you do is drag points up and down on the screen. Then, save your custom EQ profile.

This app also has an upsampling feature which improves audio quality by converting songs to a higher sampling rate. The crossfading mode is also a nice addition to this audio enhancer which adds a smooth transition between songs instead of a sudden silent gap.

If you want more EQ control in how you shape audio, then ONKYO HF Player is a great free app to use.

jetAudio

jetAudio is another way to make music sound better on the iPhone. It’s simple to use and supports a huge variety of audio file formats, such as FLAC, OGG, MP3, WAV, TTA, M4A, and WV.

  • Really easy to use.

  • Lots of customizable options.

  • Displays ads unless you pay to remove them.

The app comes with around a dozen equalizer presets playback settings such as fade in/out, crossfade, ReplayGain, pitch correction, mono output, and more.

Here are some other features:

  • Adjust the left and right sound balance.Keep the screen on when playing music.Set fast forward and rewind intervals.Configure how the browser appears.Change the user interface settings.Create playlists.Save equalizer customizations.Stop or start a song based on a timer.Toggle lyrics on and off while listening to a song.Transfer files between a computer and a phone.

If you pay for the upgraded version, you’ll get 20-bands graphic equalizer, more themes for the player, no ads, and a few other user interface settings that you can change.

Headquake

If you want to instantly boost the quality of your iTunes library, then Headquake is one of the best free options, especially for older devices that can’t run newer apps from the App Store. The free version is surprisingly functional and doesn’t have a time limit like some apps.

  • Customize playback.

  • Compare enhanced effects with the default settings.

  • Great for older iPhones that can’t run modern apps.

  • Somewhat cluttered user interface.

  • No integration with other apps.

  • Hasn’t been updated since 2014.

Headquake uses Absolute 3D technology to enhance audio. This feature provides better quality sound that goes beyond simple EQ settings. The interface is easy to use and you can select the type of ear gear you have to optimize audio enhancement. Depending on what you select, the screen displays either a set of virtual speakers or slider bars. Both interfaces are easy to use and can be adjusted while songs are playing, to alter 3D audio in real-time.

Compared to Apple’s built-in music player, you can certainly hear the difference. The free version doesn’t remember any settings, but for a small upgrade fee, you can save settings for each of your songs and get rid of the ads, too.

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