Your Sony equalizer,
on your Mac

How the equalizer works on a Mac

The equalizer isn't a Mac audio effect: it's part of the headphones' own sound processing. Open Sound Connect sends the preset or the band values over Sony's control connection, the headphones apply them and confirm, and the app shows what they confirmed. Nothing is processed on your Mac, so:

• it works the same in Music, Spotify, your browser and video apps;
• it doesn't add a virtual audio device or change your Mac's output;
• the setting stays in the headphones when you close the app or switch to your phone.

That's the opposite of a Mac equalizer app such as eqMac, which processes the Mac's audio before it's sent. Sony EQ vs eqMac compares the two, and do Sony EQ settings carry over? explains where each setting is saved.

Bands by model

The app shows the equalizer each pair of headphones reports, so the sliders match your model:

Clear Bass is Sony's separate low-bass control on the five-band models. In the app it's the first slider, set off to the left of the bands. On the XM6, the 31, 63 and 125 Hz bands do that job.

Presets, Manual and Custom

The preset list comes from the headphones, so it's the same list Sony's phone app shows for your model. On the five-band models it includes Bright, Excited, Mellow, Relaxed, Vocal, Treble Boost, Bass Boost and Speech, plus Manual and Custom. On the XM6 and XX, the app shows the presets those headphones report.

Sony's presets are fixed curves. If one is selected and you move a slider, the card's subtitle tells you editing switches to Manual, and your change is applied on the Manual preset in one step. Flatten sets every band to 0 on Manual, a neutral place to start.

Make and save your own curve

1. Open Sound (⌘2). The sliders draw the curve as you drag.
2. Drag a band, or click it and use the arrow keys to move one step at a time. The value goes to the headphones when you let go.
3. Under My Curves, choose Save Current and name the curve.
4. Click a saved curve to apply it later; Control-click it to delete it.

Saved curves are kept on your Mac, not in the headphones. A curve applies only to headphones with the same number of bands: a curve made on an XM4 works on an XM2, XM3 or XM5, but not on the ten-band XM6.

Need numbers to start from? The preset library has exact values for both layouts, and the model guides explain each band: WH-1000XM3, WH-1000XM4, WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM6.

Switch presets without the window

• Menu bar: the panel has a preset picker under the noise controls.
• Headphones menu: the Equalizer submenu lists the presets.
• My Device (⌘1): the equalizer summary shows the presets as chips, with Edit to jump to the full editor.
• Scenes: a scene can set a preset or a custom curve, including one from My Curves, along with noise control and DSEE, by click, shortcut, schedule or when an app opens.

Equalizer, DSEE and listening modes

• DSEE. Some headphones warn that using the equalizer together with DSEE uses more battery; the app shows that message when they send it. On the XM2 and XM3, Sony says DSEE HX works only with the equalizer off. See DSEE on a Mac.
• Listening modes. On the WH-1000XM6, the equalizer can be unavailable in some listening modes, such as Background Music. The card then says "The equalizer is unavailable in the current mode."
• Volume. The equalizer shapes the sound; it isn't a volume booster. For quiet audio, see Sony headphones too quiet on a Mac.

For a full listening setup, from the Mac's output to DSEE and noise canceling, read Sony headphone settings for music on a Mac.