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One of the best ways to be successful in Black Ops 6 is by using the best audio settings, so here’s how to optimize your sound and hear enemy footsteps more easily.

It’s a given that using the meta weapons in Call of Duty or locking in the optimal controller, mouse and keyboard, and PC settings gives you a big advantage, but having the best audio settings possible is equally important, as they allow you to locate enemies before you even see them.

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However, actually figuring out what settings to use can be a surprisingly difficult task, with Black Ops 6 offering all kinds of options for you to figure out. To save you the hassle, we’ve listed all of the best audio settings below that you’ll want to copy.

Best audio settings in BO6

Be sure to use gaming headphones before tweaking any audio settings, as this makes hearing footsteps much easier and is the most impactful change you can make.

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Even when using the best audio set-up without headphones, it will be harder to hear, with sounds from the game being muddled when using speakers. This is especially true for directional audio, which is key for locating enemy footsteps.

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Assuming you have a suitable pair of headphones, these are the best audio settings to use in Black Ops 6:

Volumes

OPTION	Best Setting
Master Game Volume	Preference
Gameplay Music Volume	0
Dialogue Volume	0
Effects Volume	100
Cinematic Music Volume	0

The main setting to check here is Effects Volume, which needs to be set as high as possible. At 100, this maximizes your ability to hear footsteps. We also recommend lowering Music, Dialogue, and Cinematic Music down to 0 to minimize other sounds getting in the way of hearing what matters most.

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Once these are all set correctly, feel free to tweak your Master Volume to whatever makes sense for your setup. For some devices, as low as 20 might make sense, while others will need to be turned all the way up. Slowly adjust it up until you feel your game is loud enough.

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Audio Device

OPTION	Best Setting
Speakers/Headphones Game Sound Device	Your desired audio output
Speaker Output	Stereo
Enhanced Headphone Mode	Off

The Enhanced Headphone Mode was controversial before launch, with its paid tier sparking pay-to-win concerns. Now that it’s available, it doesn’t seem like there was anything to worry about.

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At least for multiplayer, this setting actually sounds worse, with everything being somewhat muted compared to simply having it off. The paid tier is slightly better, but it’s not worth the $20 required to access. Most players are better off simply disabling this option entirely.

Global

OPTION	Best Setting
Audio Mix	Headphone Bass Boost
Mono Audio	Off
Mute Game When Minimized	Off
Mute Licensed Music	Off
Asymmetrical Hearing Compensation	Off
Configure Frequency Intensity	Leave as default

Your Audio MIx is the most important setting on this entire list, so you can’t afford to get it wrong. In most cases, Headphone Bass Boost will be your best option, as this amplifies low-end frequencies, which footsteps fall under. It’s worth trying out Home Theater too, which is very loud but makes hearing people easy enough.

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Otherwise, you’ll want to disable or ignore every other option in this category. That includes Configure Frequency Intensity, as this setting may seem useful at first but isn’t overly impactful in practice.

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Functionality

OPTION	Best Setting
Reduce Tinnitus Sound	On
Hit Marker Sound Effects	Default

Turning Reduce Tinnitus Sound on won’t give you any in-game benefits, but it’ll get rid of the high-pitched ringing in your ears when Flashbangs and Stun Grenades go off. It’s a nice setting to have enabled, especially on more chaotic modes like Nuketown 24/7 and Face Off.

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Voice Chat

OPTION	Best Setting
Voice Chat Volume	Adjust to what you find comfortable
Voice Chat	On
Proximity Chat	On
Body Shield Chat	On
Last Word Voice Chat	On
Game Chat Voice	All Lobby
Voice Chat Output Device	Your desired audio output

Most Voice Chat settings are entirely preference. If you don’t care about voice chat, simply disable and you don’t have to worry about this section. However, those who want to speak to other players should copy the above settings, as these provide the best experience when communicating with your team.

Microphone

OPTION	Best Setting
Microphone Level	Adjust using the ‘Test Microphone’ option to find the sweet spot
Microphone Mode	Push to Talk
Mute Yourself When Connecting to Channel	Off
Microphone Input Device	Your desired audio input

You’ll need to use the ‘Test Microphone’ option to adjust your Microphone Level. Ideally, you want most of the audio bar to be filled when speaking, but be mindful of making it too loud and deafening your teammates. Also, be sure to use Push to Talk and set it to an appropriate keybind to avoid speaking in-game when you don’t want to.

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How to enable Loudness Equalization on PC

1. Search Control Panel.
2. Select Sound settings.
3. Double-click on your headset.
4. Head into the ‘Enhancements’ tab.
5. Check the box next to ‘Loudness Equalization.’
6. Click ‘Apply’ to save the settings.

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Loudness Equalization is an audio feature on Windows that PC players can use to significantly increase footstep clarity. However, this particular audio enhancement is unavailable for PlayStation or Xbox users.

This is one of the most impactful options that you can use to hear footsteps easier. The differences between having Loudness Equalization enabled or disabled can be game-changing, especially if you play competitive modes like Ranked Play.

These audio settings will make it much easier to pick out the enemy’s footsteps in all game modes when playing Black Ops 6 and maximize your chance of success.

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For more on the game, check out our guides for The Tomb Zombies easter egg, how to craft the Ice Staff, the best Cypher 091 loadout, and how to check your Combat Record.