WH-1000XM5 custom EQ,
step by step

Starting curves for the WH-1000XM5

These are editorial starting points, not measurements of the XM5. Pick the row closest to what you want, listen for a day, then adjust.

Flat, Detail, Relaxed and Voices match the preset library, where you can also compare them with the ten-band versions for the WH-1000XM6.

How the five bands and Clear Bass fit together

Think of the sliders in three groups:

• The low end: Clear Bass. It's separate from the five bands and covers the bass below them. On the XM5 it's usually the cleanest way to add or remove bass, because it leaves voices alone.
• The middle: 400 Hz, 1 kHz and 2.5 kHz. 400 Hz is warmth (too much gets muddy), 1 kHz is the body of voices and instruments, 2.5 kHz is presence (too much gets harsh). Small moves here change the character of the sound most.
• The top: 6.3 kHz and 16 kHz. 6.3 kHz carries cymbals, consonants and "s" sounds; 16 kHz adds air. Lower 6.3 kHz first if sibilance bothers you.

A good routine: start at Flat, change one slider by two steps, listen to the same passage, and keep the change only if you'd miss it.

Build your curve on a Mac

1. Connect the XM5 to your Mac and open Open Sound Connect. Press ⌘2 for Sound.
2. Begin from a Sony preset if one is close to what you like: the Equalizer card lists those your XM5 reports, such as Bright, Mellow or Vocal. Click it to listen.
3. Nudge a slider. Because Sony's presets are fixed, the card tells you editing switches to Manual, and your change is applied there. Use the arrow keys on a focused slider for single steps; each change is sent when you let go.
4. To start from zero instead, choose Flatten.
5. When you like it, choose Save Current under My Curves and name it. Click the saved curve any time to apply it again.

Switch presets later from the menu bar panel, or from Headphones → Equalizer in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

With Sony | Sound Connect on your phone

In Sony's phone app, choose the XM5, open the equalizer and set a custom curve with the same values. You don't need to set it twice: the curve is stored in the headphones, so after you set it on the phone, your Mac plays it too, and vice versa. Curves saved in My Curves stay on your Mac; only the curve currently applied is in the headphones. More in do Sony EQ settings carry over?

XM5 notes

• Coming from an XM4 or XM3. The XM5 has the same five bands and Clear Bass, so curves you saved in My Curves for those models apply to the XM5 unchanged.
• DSEE Extreme. The XM5 may warn that using the equalizer together with DSEE uses more battery, and Sony's Help Guide says DSEE Extreme on Auto shortens battery life. If the headphones report that DSEE can't be used at the moment, for example during a call, the app disables the switch and says why. See DSEE on a Mac.
• Scenes. Save your curve in a scene with noise canceling and DSEE, and apply it by click, with a ⌃⌘ number shortcut or when your music app comes to the front.

The WH-1000XM5 page shows all the XM5 controls on a Mac, and the equalizer feature page explains how the equalizer differs on the other 1000X models.