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Ghost in MW3
Image via Activision
Category:
CoD

Best Modern Warfare 3 audio settings

Listen up, we've got some settings for you.
Image of Matt Porter
Matt Porter
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Published: Nov 10, 2023 08:04 am

Everyone knows you need to see enemies to eliminate them in Call of Duty, but your sight isn’t the only important sense in the heat of battle. Hearing opponents is crucial, and we have the best MW3 audio settings to help you do just that.

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Have you ever been killed by an enemy who seemed to know you were coming around the corner? Or had an opponent who spun around the moment you entered the room? Odds are they heard you coming, and it’s why your audio settings are so important.

Best MW3 sound settings

Volumes

  • Audio Mix: Headphones Bass Boost
  • Speaker Output: Stereo

First things first, ditch the speakers and get a set of headphones on your ears. With them on, you’ll be able to tell which direction footsteps are coming from, giving you an edge over your opponents.

After that, select Headphones Bass Boost as your audio mix. I find that it helps make footsteps even louder, which is especially useful in the heat of battle with gunfire everywhere.

  • Master Volume: 70
  • Gameplay Music Volume: 40
  • Dialogue Volume: 70
  • Effects Volume: 84
  • Voice Chat Volume: 50
  • Cinematic Music Volume: 50

Really, these are all going to be your personal preferences, but these are my volumes for the game. I like to keep a little music volume for the main menus so it’s not completely silent, and I keep the voice chat a little higher just in case there is somebody I want to talk to.

MW3 volume settings, showing Master Volume at 70, Gameplay Music Volume at 40, Dialogue Volume at 70, Effects Volume at 84, Voice Chat Volume at 50, and Cinematic Music Volume at 50.
Listen up! Screenshot by Dot Esports

Voice chat

  • Voice Chat: On
  • Game Voice Channel: Party Only
  • Last Words Voice Chat: On

I don’t know about anyone else, but I love hearing my enemies scream in frustration when I kill them, so Last Words Voice Chat stays on in my house.

Subtitles

  • Subtitles: Default
    • Campaign: On
    • Multiplayer: Off
    • Zombies: Off
  • Subtitles Size: Default
  • Subtitles Background Opacity: 0

Functionality

  • Mono Sound: Off
  • Reduce Tinnitus Sound: Off
  • War Tracks As A Passenger: Off
  • Juggernaut Music: On
  • Hitmarker Sound Effects: Classic
  • Mute Game When Minimized: Off

Again, some of these are personal preferences, but I like the classic hitmarker noise a lot more than the Modern Warfare one, so I changed to it almost immediately.

Mute game when minimized is a PC-exclusive setting, but I keep it turned off. When I tab out, I need to hear what’s happening in the game so I know when to tab back in, like at the start of a match.

Now that you have your audio in check, make sure you’re giving yourself all the advantages with our guide to the best MW3 controller settings.

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Author
Image of Matt Porter
Matt Porter
Associate Editor. Matt has been writing about Call of Duty for almost 10 years, with bylines at Gfinity, Dexerto, and a spell as CharlieIntel's editor. Matt is experienced in all things CoD, including multiplayer, Warzone, and esports.