DFX Audio Enhancer – Review

good
key review info
application features
  • 3D Surround Sound
  • (8 more, see all...)

Most users try to get a better sound from their computer when playing music by simply tinkering with the equalizer component and its presets in the audio player.

DFX Audio Enhancer is not too different from such a component, but its scope is much wider as it applies its audio improvement to the entire system, thus increasing the sound quality in any audio rendering application installed.

The audio boosting program is not free of charge; regularly, it can be purchased for $39.99 / €30.20, but at the moment, the developer offers it with a 25% discount for a limited time.

Before shelling out the money, you can test it for free, although there are plenty of limitations that could lead to the impression that DFX Audio Enhancer is not quite worth its salt.

The demo revision basically offers less than half of what the full version can deliver. Unfortunately, this is also the variant that we analyzed because our request for a review key was not answered through the support form.

Getting the program on the computer is not a difficult task, but you have to pay attention to the process unless you want to end up with third-party software on the system. The operation is also interrupted by Windows Security mechanism, which needs your consent to install a special driver for the application.

Additional screens include your agreement to share anonymous library statistics and providing your email in order to receive information about Max Recorder, the third-party program pushed through the installation process.

DFX Audio Enhancer’s interface is intuitive and straightforward. There are no complicated screens to deal with and most of the tweaking can be done in the main application window.

A spectrum analyzer shows the current sound output made by the playing audio. There are ten bands that represent the sound frequencies produced and based on these, you can refine the audio.

This is more useful for an audiophile that can detect even the smaller changes rather than the average user.

The audio can be improved by tinkering with the settings of five components: Fidelity, Ambience, 3D Surround, Dynamic Boost and Hyperbass. These can add more flavor to the audio by removing artifacts, adjusting it to the listening environment, minimizing the distortion levels or enriching it with bass sound.

Customization is done by simply dragging by a slide bar to levels zero to ten. However, five is the top level that can be reached with the demo version and 3D Surround is reserved for the paying customers.

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Additional customization is available by changing the processing mode, which includes a set of three profiles that have been designed to optimize sound for music and speech (useful for movies, broadcasts, radio, etc.).

There are two profiles for music, one more generic, covering most music styles and the other focused on modern styles.

All these options should already improve the sound coming from your computer, but DFX Audio Enhancer has functionality that goes deeper than this. It also provides a list with 39 presets configured for specific types of music (jazz, country, classical, chamber, folk, blues, rock, urban, techno, hip-hop) or for streamcasts and wider environments.

Enabling them is also restricted in the demo version of the product; nevertheless, they demonstrate its versatility.

Furthermore, you can create and save your own preset by adjusting the levels of the five components present in the main screen.

A very useful feature is the possibility to associate one of the presets with a specific song. This way, when the application detects the playback of the file, it immediately switches to the associated preset offering the best audio experience.

According to the documentation file, this feature should work with Windows Media Player, Winamp, foobar2000, iTunes, JetAudio and MediaMonkey. We tested it with the first three and it only worked with Windows Media Player. This may very well be another limitation of the demo, although we found nothing to support this idea.

DFX Audio Enhancer works in real time, which means that the entire audio stream is processed on the spot and a buffer is required for this. However, don’t think that this would affect audio/video synchronization.

A look at the advanced settings of the software puts all worries to rest because the maximum limit of the buffer that can be set is 100 milliseconds. The default level, however, is pinned to just 40 milliseconds.

The main window of the application also links to a music service through Explore button. You can use it to find new artists, watch videos or learn details about artists. Accessing it takes you to an online page and requires an account (you can use Facebook credentials).

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The Good

Working with the application does not require any experience at all. Simply adjust the levels of the sound boosting components and you are set.

There are plenty of presets available and more can be created by the users themselves. Presets can be changed automatically according to the playing song.

The Bad

The demo release is extremely restrictive and does not allow the user to properly test it. More advanced settings that would allow wider customization of the presets are not available.

The Truth

Even as a demo, DFX Audio Enhancer does make a difference as far as overall sound on the system is concerned. Processing is swift and the results are impressive.

user interface 3
features 3
ease of use 3
pricing / value 3


final rating 3
Editor's review
good
 
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Boost the sound of the entire computer with just a few clicks
Boost the sound of the entire computer with just a few clicks