1. A method performed by a portable device capable of playing media items, the method comprising: receiving a media item and n-band graphic equalizer setting values only associated with the received media item from a host device; and generating m filters to approximate the n-band graphic equalizer settings, where m is less than n, by: identifying more than m filter patterns, in a composite frequency response shape representing the n-band graphic equalizer setting values, each filter pattern corresponding to a predetermined filter type from a set of filter types; creating a plurality of identified filters by identifying a filter of the predetermined filter type for each of the more than m identified filter patterns; determining parameters for each identified filter such that the plurality of identified filters approximates the composite frequency response shape representing the n-band graphic equalizer setting values; assigning a weighting value to each of the plurality of filters, wherein each weighting value is assigned based upon how much of an impact the corresponding filter has on the composite frequency response shape; and limiting the number of the plurality of identified filters by selecting the m filters having the highest weighting values.