Ear Trumpet: Three Different Things With the Same Name
Searching "ear trumpet" turns up three unrelated things: a modern Windows volume-control app called EarTrumpet, a centuries-old acoustic hearing device also called an ear trumpet, and a boutique microphone brand called Ear Trumpet Labs. This page exists purely to help you land on the right one quickly.
None of these three are connected to each other beyond sharing a name, so if you arrived here looking for one specific thing, use the guide below to jump straight to it.
1. EarTrumpet — the Windows app
EarTrumpet (usually written as one word, no space) is a free, open-source volume-control application for Windows made by File-New-Project. It adds per-app volume sliders and audio device switching to the Windows system tray, going beyond what Windows' built-in Sound settings offer by default.
If you're here because you want to control the volume of individual apps on Windows, this is almost certainly what you're looking for — head to the main EarTrumpet page or go straight to EarTrumpet download.
2. The ear trumpet — a historical hearing device
Long before electronic hearing aids existed, an ear trumpet was a horn-shaped device — usually metal, wood, or shell — that a person held up to their ear to acoustically funnel and amplify sound. They were common from roughly the 17th century through the early 20th century, before vacuum-tube and later electronic hearing aids replaced them.
This historical device has nothing to do with the Windows software above beyond the shared name. If this is what you're researching, see what is an ear trumpet for a full explanation, or ear trumpet history for how the device evolved over time.
3. Ear Trumpet Labs — a microphone brand
Ear Trumpet Labs is a boutique manufacturer known for handmade condenser microphones, including a model called the Delphina, often used by acoustic musicians and singer-songwriters. It's a real, independently operated audio-equipment brand, but it is not connected to the EarTrumpet Windows app or to historical ear trumpets beyond the evocative name.
If you were searching for microphone gear rather than software or hearing-aid history, this brand is likely what you actually want — worth noting here only so you don't confuse it with the Windows app covered throughout the rest of this site.
Quick way to tell them apart
- Looking for volume control software on your PC? → EarTrumpet, the Windows app
- Researching old-fashioned hearing aids or antiques? → the historical ear trumpet
- Shopping for a condenser microphone? → Ear Trumpet Labs Delphina (a different company entirely)
Why this confusion happens
"Ear trumpet" as a phrase predates all of the above by centuries, describing the physical shape of an acoustic amplifying horn. The Windows app's developers picked the name because it evokes amplifying and directing sound, which is a fitting metaphor for a volume mixer, even though the app itself is entirely digital and has no connection to the physical antique object.
Frequently asked questions
Is the EarTrumpet Windows app related to the historical ear trumpet device?
No, they share only a name. EarTrumpet is modern volume-control software; the historical ear trumpet is a centuries-old physical hearing aid.
Is Ear Trumpet Labs the same company as the EarTrumpet software?
No, Ear Trumpet Labs is an independent microphone manufacturer unrelated to the EarTrumpet Windows app.
How do I know if I need the EarTrumpet app or something else?
If you want to control per-app volume on a Windows PC, you want the EarTrumpet app; for hearing-aid history or microphones, see the sections above.
Is 'EarTrumpet' spelled as one word or two?
The Windows app is typically styled as one word, "EarTrumpet," while the historical device and search terms are usually written as two words, "ear trumpet."
Looking for the Windows app? Go straight to EarTrumpet download.