Problem 1: your hearing is not the best anymore, everything sounds as if they are mumbling.
Problem 2: you need constantly the remote to adjust the sound between too loud and “I can´t hear a thing”
If you would use Linux, here is your help: https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid…=equalizer
It works very well and was for years my salvation.
But since you are here, you are using Windows.
For the best free Equalizer, use Equalizer APO with the Peace interface. It has a hearing test, where you can see with what frequences you have problems and then adjust the equalizer regading.
Peace makes ist quite simple to user Equalizer Apo.
https://equalizerapo.com/
https://sourceforge.net/projects/peace-e…extension/
To find a Loudness Conrol, so you do not need to change the volume constantly, is a bit challenging but WALE works quite well.
https://github.com/catright/Wale
Put everything on autostart and your audio experience will ger better instantly after the inital light learling curve and the setup.
In my case with a tinitus what wrecks my hearing I changed the Equalizer to boost 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz around 9-12 db and finally the people are talking clear again.
While watching Grimm there es an extreme hight dynamic range between soft conversations and fight or bar scenes.
I put WALE Target Level to 0.07 (-23.1db) and Limit Level to 012 (-18.4bd) after a few hours of trial…
So now a quiet conversation, the loud titel sequenz and laud action scenes are in a level that I barely need to touch the remote to adjust the volume.
This ia a setting what works for me and is very strong to compensate for my hearing problems.
For your inital test I would leafe the WALE steeting on standard to see if that is enough.
I also retired my powerful Onkyo amplifier and replaced it with a simple and cheap 2.1 Amplifier for 25 Euro what works quite well and more than loud enough,with a powerful bass from the subwoofer with only a simple 12V 2A power plug.
A 5.1 sounds quite nice if you hearing is fine, but with bad hearing you want to go back to stereo and a subwoofer.
(MakerHawk Bluetooth Amplifier Board HiFi Stereo 2.1 TPA3116D2 2X50W+100W 12V-24V Audio Power Amplifier Module Bass and Treble Control for Store Home Theater Speakers
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WANGCL 2 x 50 W + 100 W 2.1 Kanal Subwoofer Verstärker Board mit Höhen- und Basssteuerung, Dual TPA3116 Chip DC 12-24 V Bluetooth und AUX-Eingänge, DIY Wireless Lautsprecher, AMP Board)
This works well with my speakers and subwoofer since it has a 5 old fashioned potentiometers for seperate subwoofer frequence and power control and also for volume, treble and bass.
Combined with an Intel N95 Beelink mini PC (identical footprint as the amplifier) this makes for an easy to use and tiny footprint HC setup.
OK I hope my ramblings can help an oldtimer or two in the quest for a better sound.