WH-1000XM6 EQ,
all ten bands

The XM6 moved from five bands and Clear Bass to a ten-band equalizer. Here are values to start from, what each band changes, and how to set them on your Mac.

Applies toWH-1000XM6

Updated November 3, 2026

Short answer

The WH-1000XM6 has a ten-band equalizer: 31, 63, 125, 250 and 500 Hz, then 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 kHz, each from −6 to +6 in Open Sound Connect. There's no separate Clear Bass slider; the three lowest bands do that job. Two starting points:

Balanced: −1, −1, −1, −1, 0, 0, +1, +1, +1, +1 (31 Hz to 16 kHz).
Bass: +3, +3, +2, +1, 0, 0, 0, 0, +1, +1.

Set them on the Sound page (⌘2) on your Mac or in Sony | Sound Connect on your phone. If the app says the equalizer is unavailable, switch the listening mode back to Standard.

Starting curves for the WH-1000XM6

Values run from 31 Hz on the left to 16 kHz on the right. They're editorial starting points, not measurements of the XM6, so adjust them to your ears and music.

Curve	31	63	125	250	500	1k	2k	4k	8k	16k
Balanced	−1	−1	−1	−1	0	0	+1	+1	+1	+1
Bass	+3	+3	+2	+1	0	0	0	0	+1	+1
Detail	0	0	0	−1	−1	0	+1	+2	+2	+2
Voices	−3	−3	−2	−1	0	+1	+2	+2	+1	0
Relaxed	+1	+1	+1	+1	0	0	−1	−2	−2	−2

Balanced: a touch less bass and a touch more clarity for everyday listening.
Bass: more weight below 125 Hz for electronic, hip-hop and film, with a small top lift so it stays clear.
Detail: lifts 4 to 16 kHz and trims the low mids, for acoustic, jazz and classical.
Voices: cuts the low end and lifts 1 to 4 kHz, for podcasts, audiobooks and video.
Relaxed: softens the top and warms the bottom, for long sessions or bright recordings.

The preset library has the same curves next to their five-band versions for the older models. The XM6's range is −6 to +6 rather than −10 to +10, so use these ten-band values instead of converting a five-band curve.

What each XM6 band does

Bands	What you hear	Tip
31 and 63 Hz	Sub-bass: rumble, the floor of electronic music and film	Raise for a deeper feel; lower if it booms
125 Hz	Bass punch: kick drum, bass guitar	The main "more bass" band
250 and 500 Hz	Warmth and body	Lower a step if the sound is muddy or boxy
1 and 2 kHz	The core of voices and instruments	Raise 2 kHz to bring voices forward
4 kHz	Presence and edge	Too much sounds harsh; lower it first if music tires you
8 kHz	Cymbals and "s" sounds	Lower it for less sibilance
16 kHz	Air	Subtle; a step or two adds openness

With ten bands, it's easy to draw a curve that zigzags. Neighboring bands overlap, so smooth shapes usually sound more natural than sharp peaks.

Set the XM6 equalizer on a Mac

Connect the XM6 to your Mac in System Settings → Bluetooth and open Open Sound Connect.
Press ⌘2 for Sound. The Equalizer card shows the presets the XM6 reports and ten sliders.
Click a preset to hear it, or drag the sliders to enter a curve from the table. Focus a slider and use the arrow keys for one step at a time; the change is sent when you let go.
If a fixed preset is selected, the card says editing switches to Manual, and your change is applied there. Flatten sets all ten bands to 0.
Choose Save Current under My Curves to keep the curve on your Mac, and click it later to apply it.

The menu bar panel and Headphones → Equalizer switch presets without opening the window.

On your phone, with Sony | Sound Connect

The XM6 uses Sony | Sound Connect. Open the equalizer there, choose a custom setting and enter the same ten values. The curve is saved in the headphones, so it's the same whether you're listening on the Mac or the phone. See do Sony EQ settings carry over?

XM6 notes

"The equalizer is unavailable in the current mode." In some listening modes, such as Background Music, the XM6 reports the equalizer as unavailable and the app shows this message. Switch the listening mode back to Standard on My Device (⌘1) to use it again.
Presets come from the headphones. The app lists the presets your XM6 reports, with the names it sends, so the list matches what Sony's app shows for your firmware.
Five-band curves don't fit. Curves saved for an XM2 to XM5 have five bands and Clear Bass; the app won't apply them to the XM6 and says the curve doesn't match the headphones' bands. Use the ten-band values above instead.
LE Audio connection mode. If your XM6 shows LE Audio Connection Mode on the Wearing page, its Low Latency (EQ Restricted) option limits the equalizer, as the name says.
DSEE Extreme. The XM6 may warn that using the equalizer together with DSEE uses more battery. DSEE is turned off during calls. See DSEE on a Mac.

The WH-1000XM6 page lists everything else the app sets on the XM6, including listening modes, and the equalizer feature page compares it with the other 1000X models.

Common
questions

Where is Clear Bass on the WH-1000XM6?

The XM6's equalizer has no separate Clear Bass slider. Use the 31, 63 and 125 Hz bands for the low end instead, as the Bass curve above does.

Why does the XM6 equalizer only go from −6 to +6?

That's the range of the XM6's ten-band equalizer in Open Sound Connect. The five-band models use −10 to +10, which is why the XM6 has its own starting curves.

Why does the app say the XM6 equalizer is unavailable?

The headphones report it as unavailable in the current listening mode, such as Background Music. Switch the listening mode back to Standard on My Device to use the equalizer.

Where to next

Put your headphones
in the menu bar

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