One UI setting gives the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s thin speakers a free audio lift

The Galaxy Z Fold 8’s built-in speakers may sound lean out of the box, but Samsung’s equaliser offers a simple way to make them fuller without spending anything.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 may be a premium foldable, but its built-in speakers are still described as one of its weaker elements. Review coverage has repeatedly suggested that the handset can sound a little thin and lacking in body, even though it is designed as a flagship device for both productivity and entertainment. That is not entirely surprising. Foldables pack displays, hinges, batteries, cameras and speakers into a very tight chassis, so acoustic performance often involves compromise. According to Samsung’s own support material, the company expects users to adjust audio through One UI rather than rely on the default tuning alone.

The practical fix is already on the phone. Samsung’s One UI includes an equaliser within the sound settings, where users can choose from several presets or move to a custom profile. The adjustment can be found by opening Settings, then Sounds and vibration, then Sound quality and effects, and finally Equaliser. The important point is that the settings can be changed while music or video is playing, which makes it easier to hear how each preset alters the balance between bass, mids and treble. Samsung also keeps separate profiles for the device’s speakers and connected headphones, so changes made for one output do not carry over to the other.

Among the available options, the Dynamic preset appears to be the strongest starting point. Reports from SamMobile say it gives the Fold 8’s speakers a fuller and more lively presentation, which can help offset the phone’s otherwise lean default tuning. That does not mean it will suit every listener or every type of content. Music, films, podcasts and games place different demands on a speaker, and the best result will depend on personal taste as much as on the recording itself.

Not every preset is an improvement. Clear and Treble boost, in particular, can make the sound seem harsher and more artificial, especially when the speakers are already struggling to produce depth. That reflects a basic limitation of software equalisation: it can reshape frequencies, but it cannot turn small drivers into larger ones or create real low-end extension where the hardware cannot deliver it. In other words, the equaliser can improve perception, but it cannot remove the physical limits of the device.

That makes Samsung’s built-in audio controls more useful than they may first appear. The company’s support pages also point to other enhancements such as Dolby Atmos, UHQ upscaling and Adapt Sound, reinforcing the idea that audio on Galaxy phones is meant to be tuned rather than accepted as fixed. For Fold 8 owners dissatisfied with the standard speaker profile, the sensible approach is simple: play familiar content, try Balanced first, then test Dynamic and the other presets, and keep the setting that sounds most natural. It is a free adjustment, and for many users it may be enough to make the phone sound noticeably better.