Sony headphones on your Mac,
explained
Setup, connection problems, sound, calls and controls, with the fix first and the app where it helps.
Connection problems
- Sony headphones not connecting to MacPairing mode, a competing device, a stale pairing, the Mac's Bluetooth and resetting each model, in order.
- Connected, but no soundWhen the Mac says Connected but nothing plays: the output device, app settings, volume, other devices and reconnecting.
- Sony headphones keep disconnectingRange and interference, a second device, sleep, automatic power off and settings that reconnect, then the pairing itself.
- Stuttering or crackling on a MacFind out whether it's range, interference, the connection setting or the call mode, and fix it step by step.
- Sony headphones too quiet on a MacLow volume on a Mac: the system and app volume, the headphones' own control, balance, the equalizer and safe listening.
Sound and equalizer
- Settings for music on a MacA short checklist for listening to Spotify or Apple Music on a Mac with Sony headphones.
- WH-1000XM3 EQ settingsFour starting curves for the XM3's five bands and Clear Bass, what each slider does, and how to set them from a Mac.
- WH-1000XM4 EQ settingsFive starting curves for the XM4, what to raise or lower for the sound you want, and how to set them on a Mac.
- WH-1000XM5 EQ settingsStarting curves for the XM5's five bands and Clear Bass, how to build your own, and how to set it from a Mac.
- WH-1000XM6 EQ settingsFive starting curves for the XM6's ten-band equalizer, what each band does, and how to set it from a Mac.
- Do EQ settings carry over?Why the EQ you set on your phone also plays on your Mac, what stays behind, and how to change it from the Mac.
- DSEE on a MacDSEE HX, Extreme and Ultimate by model, when each one is active on a Mac, and where to turn it on.
Calls and meetings
- Meetings: Zoom, Teams, Meet, DiscordSpeaker and microphone settings for Zoom, Teams, Meet and Discord, plus a scene that sets up your headphones for calls.
- Microphone not working on a MacFix a Sony headphone mic that doesn't work on a Mac: input, permissions, the meeting app and the cable.
- Bad sound on callsWhy audio turns muffled when the headphones' mic is in use, and how to keep the good sound on calls.
Controls and automation
- Keyboard shortcutsEvery shortcut for noise control, scenes and pages in Open Sound Connect, and how the menu bar panel fits in.
- Headphones keep pausingFind out why music pauses by itself: Speak-to-Chat, wearing detection, the touch panel, a second device or macOS.
- Touch controls on a MacTurn the touch panel on or off, change what the button does, and fix gestures that don't respond on a Mac.
- Automatic power offWhy Sony headphones switch themselves off, and how to change Automatic Power Off from your Mac.
How it works
- LDAC, AAC and lossless on a MacWhich Bluetooth codecs a Mac uses with Sony headphones, why lossless needs a cable, and what an app can't change.
- USB-C and wired listeningWhy USB-C doesn't carry audio, how to use the 3.5 mm cable with a Mac, and what changes when you do.
- Firmware updates and your MacWhy Sony firmware updates need the phone app, how each 1000X model updates, and how to check your version on a Mac.
- How headphone control worksThe audio connection, the separate control channel, what the app sends and what stays local.
Features
- Equalizer and Clear BassSony's presets, your own band curve and Clear Bass, set in the headphones from your Mac.
- Noise canceling and ambient soundSwitch noise canceling, ambient sound and off from the menu bar or keyboard, with the ambient level and Focus on Voice.
- Speak-to-ChatTurn Speak-to-Chat off or tune it from your Mac, on the headphones or in Sony's app, and why it comes back on.
- Battery level on your MacYour headphones' battery percentage in the menu bar and the app, with warnings you choose.
- Scenes and automationSave your settings as scenes and apply them with a click, a shortcut, on connect, on a schedule or by app.
Tools and comparisons
- Sony headphone apps for MacSony's phone app, Open Sound Connect, SonyBridge and Overhead side by side: price, models, signing and features.
- Sony EQ vs eqMacHeadphone EQ versus a system-wide Mac equalizer: where each runs, what it affects and when to use which.
- Mac troubleshooterChoose a symptom and get the checks to try, in order, with a link to the full guide.
- EQ preset librarySix starting curves with exact values for the five-band models and the ten-band WH-1000XM6.
App support
- Allow Bluetooth accessThe one macOS permission the app needs, how to turn it back on, and how to reset it.
- Licenses and activationActivate with your key, manage two installations, move to a new Mac and use the app offline.
- Headphones connected but not detectedAudio works, but the app shows no headphones: permission, the control connection and what each screen means.