WH-1000XM4 EQ
settings to start from
The best EQ for the XM4 is the one that suits your ears and your music. These curves give you a sensible first step, and you can set and save them from your Mac.
Short answer
The WH-1000XM4's equalizer has five bands (400 Hz, 1 kHz, 2.5 kHz, 6.3 kHz, 16 kHz) and Clear Bass, each from −10 to +10, stored in the headphones. A good way to find your setting:
- Start from Balanced: Clear Bass −2, 400 Hz −1, 1 kHz 0, 2.5 kHz +1, 6.3 kHz +1, 16 kHz +1.
- Want more punch? Raise Clear Bass. More detail? Raise 6.3 kHz and 16 kHz. Voices too far back? Raise 2.5 kHz.
- Set it on your Mac in Open Sound Connect (Sound, ⌘2) or in Sony | Sound Connect on your phone, and save it under My Curves.
Five starting curves for the XM4
Type these in as they are, then adjust by ear. They're editorial starting points, not a measurement of the XM4, and the right setting also depends on the fit of the ear pads and what you listen to.
| Curve | Clear Bass | 400 Hz | 1 kHz | 2.5 kHz | 6.3 kHz | 16 kHz | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | −2 | −1 | 0 | +1 | +1 | +1 | A slightly leaner, clearer everyday sound |
| Detail | 0 | −1 | 0 | +2 | +3 | +3 | Acoustic, jazz and classical, where you want to hear texture |
| Bass | +5 | +1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +2 | Electronic and hip-hop, with a small top lift so it doesn't turn dull |
| Voices | −4 | −2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | 0 | Podcasts, audiobooks, lectures and video |
| Quiet desk | +2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +2 | Music in the background while you work, at low volume |
The first four are also in the preset library, next to the values for the ten-band WH-1000XM6. Quiet desk is a lighter take on Bass: at low volume, the lowest and highest notes seem to fade first, so it lifts both a little.
What to change for the sound you want
| Band | What you hear there | Raise it if | Lower it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Bass | The deep low end: kick drum, bass guitar, rumble | Music feels thin or lacks punch | Bass covers the voices or feels boomy |
| 400 Hz | Warmth and body | Voices and guitars sound thin | Music sounds muddy or boxy |
| 1 kHz | The core of voices and instruments | Vocals sound hollow | Sound gets nasal |
| 2.5 kHz | Clarity and presence | Voices sit too far back | Loud music feels harsh |
| 6.3 kHz | Edge, cymbals, "s" sounds | Music sounds veiled | Sibilance stings |
| 16 kHz | Air and sparkle | The top end feels closed in | Hiss or brightness bothers you |
Move one band at a time, one or two steps, and compare with the same song. Large boosts on several bands at once mostly make everything louder rather than better; lowering the band that bothers you is often the cleaner fix.
Set it on your Mac
- With the XM4 connected to your Mac, open Open Sound Connect and press ⌘2 for Sound. (From My Device, ⌘1, the equalizer summary's Edit button goes to the same place.)
- The Equalizer card lists the presets the XM4 reports. Click one to hear it.
- For a curve from the table, drag Clear Bass (the slider on the left) and the five bands. Arrow keys move a focused slider one step. Each change goes to the headphones when you let go.
- If a Sony preset was selected, your first change moves the XM4 to Manual; the card tells you so. Flatten returns every band to 0.
- Choose Save Current under My Curves and name the curve, so you can apply it again with one click.
Day to day, the menu bar panel's preset picker and the Headphones → Equalizer menu switch presets without opening the window.
In Sony | Sound Connect on your phone
Sony's app (formerly Sony | Headphones Connect) has the same five bands and Clear Bass for the XM4. Open its equalizer, switch to a custom setting and enter the values. There's nothing to copy across: the curve is saved in the headphones, so the one you set on the phone is the one your Mac plays, and the other way round.
XM4 notes
- Mac and phone at the same time. With Connect to 2 Devices Simultaneously on (Wearing → Connectivity in the app), the XM4 can stay connected to your Mac and your phone. One curve in the headphones serves both.
- DSEE Extreme. The XM4 may warn that using the equalizer together with DSEE uses more battery. The app shows the message when the headphones send it; whether to keep both on is up to you. See DSEE on a Mac.
- Curves move between models. The XM2, XM3, XM4 and XM5 have the same layout, so your My Curves apply if you move to an XM5. The ten-band WH-1000XM6 needs new curves.
- Pair it with a scene. A scene can set your curve with noise canceling when the headphones connect to your Mac, and Voices with ambient sound when a video app opens.
The WH-1000XM4 page lists everything else the app can set on the XM4, and the equalizer feature page compares the bands across models.
Common
questions
What is the best EQ for the Sony WH-1000XM4?
There isn't one for everybody. Ears, fit and music differ, so the best setting is the one you arrive at from a starting curve such as Balanced, changing one band at a time.
Why did the XM4 switch to Manual when I moved a slider?
Sony's presets, like Bright or Vocal, are fixed. Editing one starts from the Manual preset instead, and the card on the Sound page says so before you change anything.
Can I use my XM4 curves on a WH-1000XM6?
No. The XM6 has ten bands and no separate Clear Bass, so the app won't apply a five-band curve to it. Start from the XM6's own starting curves.
Where to next
- Sony WH-1000XM4 App for MacSony WH-1000XM4 · Noise canceling, Ambient sound, Equalizer, DSEE Extreme, Speak-to-Chat, Two Devices, Scenes, Menu Bar. Open Sound Connect · macOS.
- EQ preset librarySix starting curves with exact values for the five-band models and the ten-band WH-1000XM6.
- Equalizer and Clear BassSony's presets, your own band curve and Clear Bass, set in the headphones from your 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.
Put your headphones
in the menu bar
macOS 15 or later · Apple silicon and Intel