An awesome utility to improve audio in Windows 10

Microsoft has made some steady improvements to audio control in Windows over the years, but if you use multiple outputs, headsets, or digital-to-analogue converters then you probably already know that Windows 10 doesn’t handle them well. Thankfully, a third-party app has been trying to solve these issues recently and is getting a big update today.

Former Microsoft engineer Dave Amenta, developer David Golden (of MetroTwit fame), and Microsoft MVP Rafael Rivera have teamed up to create EarTrumpet. The team “created EarTrumpet back in 2015 to fill a number of gaps in the audio management experience on Windows 10,” explains Rafael Rivera. EarTrumpet includes features like the ability to control classic and modern app volumes individually, a quick switch between default audio devices, and even the ability to move apps between playback devices.

EarTrumpet 2.0 debuts today, and the team has also added multi-channel peak monitoring, keyboard shortcuts, and support for Windows 10’s light and dark modes. The whole app can replace the system tray sound icon (you can disable the default in Windows 10’s settings) and manage all the audio settings in Windows. I’ve been using the latest 2.0 update for the past week, and the latest features really make me question why Microsoft hasn’t built this directly into Windows 10. If three talented software developers can create a free app to do this, surely Microsoft and its thousands of Windows engineers can find a way to improve the audio experience in Windows 10.

The latest EarTrumpet update is available right now in the Microsoft Store, and it requires the recently released Windows 10 April 2018 Update.