14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 is an operating system that’s supposed to be built entirely based on user feedback, or at least that’s what Microsoft says on every little occasion.
And while the platform has improved a lot in the last few years, it’s also no secret that some of the most requested features are yet to make their way to users.
Among them, there’s the tab support in File Explorer, which Microsoft at some point tested but eventually abandoned, as well as a more advanced volume controller that would allow users to manage settings per app.
Many say the volume control options in Windows are getting even worse, while others believe the existing implementation is just fine. All these people need to try out EarTrumpet.
While the name of the app might not suggest this at first glance, EarTrumpet is a volume controller app for Windows 10 whose main purpose is to replace the default audio management system in the OS completely. And you’ll see why after only a few minutes of use.
First and foremost, EarTrumpet is a Microsoft Store app. So yes, you can install it from the Microsoft Store, and yes, it works on Windows 10 in S Mode too – for starters, this is an OS version where installing Win32 software is not allowed.
In addition to being distributed through the Store, EarTrump looks and feels like a modern app. In other words, it perfectly blends into Windows 10, giving the whole experience a native touch that you wouldn’t otherwise expect from a third-party software solution.
When you launch EarTrumpet, the app runs in the system tray and uses the same icon as the default volume controller in Windows 10. While for some this approach could be confusing, it’s actually a pretty neat idea, as I said earlier, the app is supposed from the very beginning to replace the default volume controller anyway.
The main benefit that EarTrumpet brings to Windows 10 users is the audio control option per each app. Clicking the system tray icon of the app launches a flyout that looks exactly like the one designed by Microsoft in the OS, but on the other hand, it allows you to adjust the volume level per app.
Clicking the icon of an app mutes and unmutes it, and right-clicking the icon brings more settings in focus, letting you configure the playback device for each specific application. The app also uses acrylic, a nice visual touch that Microsoft has implemented in Windows 10 as part of the Fluent Design language.
Right-clicking the icon in the system tray launches a menu that once again looks like the one already available in Windows 10, but it also allows you to launch a dedicated volume mixer and access additional settings.
There’s not much to configure in EarTrumpet, and this is a good thing. An app like a volume controller needs to be a simple as possible, and EarTrumpet is specifically focused on the essentials without any other options that would only make the interface more cluttered.
For example, the app comes with hotkey support, so the settings screen allows users to set up shortcuts for launching the taskbar flyout, the mixer, or the settings. EarTrumpet can also switch to its legacy icon that sets the app apart from the default Windows 10 volume controller.
THE BOTTOM LINE
As you’ll see after trying it out for only a couple of minutes, EarTrumpet is the kind of app that should become a native feature of Windows 10.
With a look and feel cocktail that matches the operating system, EarTrumpet resolves one of the most frustrating issues about Windows 10: the lack of per app volume controls.
And the way it does the whole thing doesn’t require any significant refinements, as it uses a straightforward and familiar UI, with just the essential configuration settings and nothing more.
Probably the most surprising thing about EarTrumpet is that it’s offered at no cost, despite its skyrocketing popularity that would have allowed the developing team easily make some beer money.
