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How to get the most out of the LG V40 ThinQ Sound Quality and Effects menu
June 26, 2025
By retaining the headphone jack, theLG V40is able to reproduce high-quality audio that takes advantage of the integrated Hi-FiDAC. Of course, listeners can still go wireless for the sake of convenience but at theexpense of audio quality. So how do you take full advantage of the audio features afforded by the V40? Let’s explore.
Internal adjustments on the LG V40
If hardware volume buttons fail, users can make adjustments from the Sound Quality and Effects menu. In a similar vein, the option to normalize volume is available, too. While Spotify offers this feature in its app, otherstreaming servicesdon’t. This preventative feature effectively mitigates jarring volume changes.
When working with cheaperearbudsorheadphones, the equalizer comes in handy. There’s a slew ofEQ presetsto choose from, and playing around with them forces a marked difference in audio characteristics.
While the pre-made options are convenient and effective, the custom option promotes more granular modifications — similarly to theSony WH-1000XM3app. Turning up the virtual knobs can result in unwanted distortion, though; instead, try lowering the knobs corresponding to the frequencies you want to be less prominent during playback.
External audio
This section is a bit more comprehensive and requires the LG V40 to be connected bywire. Doing so enables the Hi-Fi Quad DAC, whereas listeningwirelesslyonly permits 3D sound compensation.
DTS:X 3D Surround
This setting emulates a three-dimensional space, and listeners are given three options: wide, front, and side to side.
Take full advantage of the LG V40 Hi-Fi Quad DAC
First, let’s get a working definition of aDigital-Analog Converter (DAC): all it does is convert a digital signal to an analog one. That’s it!
The additional sound presets may seem curious. After all, we already discussed the EQ presets above. While it may seem that this is an overlooked redundancy, it’s not. Rather than adjusting the sound after it’s been processed, the DAC presets are applied during the conversion process and results in more accurate calibration. As depicted by the graphs, the actual frequency response is what’s being changed in the order of decibels.
What sounds good to your ears will differ from what sounds good to my ears. Not to mention that the sound quality is also dependent on what headphones are being used. That said, if you’re using a bass-heavy headset — say a pair ofBeats— then you may want to counteract things by enabling the “detailed” preset. Who knows, maybe you want to go the whole nine yards and listen with the “bass” preset active;it’s not like the studio sound is for everyone.
Digital filter options
This is pretty neat and a function I didn’t think I wanted. Being able to adjust the spectral delay can change the vibe of a song. LG’s descriptions describe how the short, sharp, and slow filters change the sound. If you’re going to use one of them, I suggest either short or sharp as slow causes an abrupt stop to instrumental resonances.
The balance option nested under the Sound Quality and Effects menu isn’t the same as the accessibility balance option, which allows for mono mode. Instead, the dials let users adjust the balance of each side within a 6dB range from 0dB to -6dB.
Enable developer settings to force specified Bluetooth codec use, sample rates, and bit depths
AllAndroid 8.0and newer phones can access developer settings. If your headphones can’t recognize that your phone supportshigh-quality codecs, you can use these settings to force recognition. The same can be applied to if your phone doesn’t recognize that your headphones support aptX for example.
Ultimately, whether you use one, none, or all of these settings, we wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to understand how each function operates. Now, stop reading and get to listening.
UP NEXT:5 things the LG V40 ThinQ cameras can do that the HUAWEI P20 Pro can’t
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