Looking for a Good System-Wide EQ for macOS (Apple Silicon)

[yelloguy]

I randomly came across this today: https://github.com/Wang-Yue/CamillaDSP-Monitor

Thought you might find that interesting - I have not tested it.

Thanks. I have switched to a raspberry pi lately. But I will keep this in mind when I use my mac.

 

[audiofun]

Thanks. I have switched to a raspberry pi lately. But I will keep this in mind when I use my mac.

As far as I know, the project has been cross platform since the start. It's only very recently (in commit 78a08e5) that the author dropped Python code and shifted to macOS only instead. Maybe you can try the version before that.

 

[yelloguy]

As far as I know, the project has been cross platform since the start. It's only very recently (in commit 78a08e5) that the author dropped Python code and shifted to macOS only instead. Maybe you can try the version before that.

The whole purpose of this project was the GUI. My setup is without a GUI. I use web UI for camilla dsp running on the rasp pi

 

[LesterHiggins]

Yes, Audio Hijack can be used for recording but due to its ability to route audio and host plugins it can be used for much more- I use to to route audio from my audio computer's (mac mini) various inputs: smart tv digital input, system input which includes audio from any app like youtube, and streaming audio from amazon music. There are blocks that allow you to create input switches from these different audio streams. From there, I use a room shaper block to do some room correction, then split the stream with crossover blocks into two frequency bands, I can then add individual speaker correction with convolution blocks, PEQ with equalizer blocks, delay, reverb, crosstalk, etc. with individual blocks/plug ins. Finally, i use plug in meters at the end of each audio chain. If you want EQ, you will need to have a way to route your audio stream(s) and a plug in container to access PEQ/EQ plug ins. By the way, I do not use Audio Hijack for recording. It is more flexible and powerful than Soundsource and it has worked on my mac mini without any issues. It is intuitive to use - I had it up and running in about an hour. There are thousands of filter, eq, etc. plug ins available for free.

I also have, and like, Audio Hijack. It's been great for routing audio to specific channels in an aggregate device and applying ... well, I won't repeat your list, you've already said it, LOL. But what is a "room shaper block?" I don't think I have that. Does it ever stress you out that it maintains that clock of how long it's been running? Man, it really gets to me every time I see that! It helped to use the hidden menu to hide the dock icon, then I usually forget it's running anyway.

 

[LesterHiggins]

Thanks! These are great suggestions, FabFilter Pro-Q is really good, I'm absolutely going to buy it. I really like miniDSP, but I no longer need it for crossover or delay (my room is 11x11' and I've been working on treating the space, then suddenly after I added some panels to the wall/windows behind me, my subwoofer just gets swallowed by a room mode, and I discovered I like my speakers more sans subwoofer), and I've been looking for a good, robust, reliable, PEQ app so I can sell my 2x4 HD and eliminate some cables. Setting it up in SoundSource or Audio Hijack is really straightforward, I'm very happy to have this recommendation, especially because it has undo controls, I can't tell you how many times I hosed my miniDSP PEQ by accidentally dragging the wrong band.

LOL past me: go to bed, you're drunk. I did not buy FabFilter, I did sell my 2x4HD, I do like a subwoofer, and I have three of them now.

 

[LesterHiggins]

I have to be missing something - I cannot figure out how to turn on the PEQ mode. There has to be one, right? There are settings for Q factor/octaves. Is there a reason it doesn't have a dock icon and let me cmd+tab to it? I like that it can do both channels together or separately, but the labels of "linked/stereo" there are probably confusing to most people, they're not intuitive English terms for that distinction, and it's an unnecessary extra click to hit stereo and then open the L and R buttons, why not just have 3 buttons, 1: L & R 2: L 3: R

 

[LesterHiggins]

Hi again, I just shipped version 1.3.0, it adds support for independent L/R EQ and REW import.
I also created a separate thread on the forum specifically looking for feedback on Equaliser here: [APP] Equaliser – free, open-source system-wide parametric EQ for macOS (Apple Silicon) – looking for feedback

Thanks for the feedback I have gotten so far, I appreciate it

I have to be missing something - I cannot figure out how to turn on the PEQ mode. There has to be one, right? There are settings for Q factor/octaves.

In Audio Routing, I really don't think of this app as the input, that's totally wrong, and just unnecessary, like I have the thing on, I don't need to see that piece again.

Is there a reason it doesn't have a dock icon and let me cmd+tab to it when another app is active?

I like that it can do both channels together or separately, but the labels of "linked/stereo" there are probably confusing to most people, they're not intuitive English terms for that distinction, and it's an unnecessary extra click to hit stereo and then open the L and R buttons, why not just have 3 buttons, 1: L & R 2: L 3: R

Oh, wait, woah there. Major problem. It uses the mic and the orange mic fireball is lit up while it's active. Nope. Instant delete. I was going to say "sorry, it sounds like I'm being a little harsh, but blah blah.." but no, not sorry, any app that makes that stupid obnoxious mic icon visible deserves to be told to get the f off my system without any punches being pulled.

 

[ASRid]

Hi,

I recently moved from Windows to macOS and I am trying to find a proper system-wide equalizer solution.

On Windows I used SoundFX, which worked great for my needs, but unfortunately it is not available on macOS. I tried using SoundSource, which seems well designed, but the trial limitation (periodic noise after some time unless you purchase a license) makes it difficult to evaluate long-term behavior in real use.

My setup:

• MacBook Pro with M1 Pro (Apple Silicon)
• Edifier M60 speakers connected to an external DAC
• Mostly used for music listening

What I am looking for is a clean, transparent system-wide EQ that:

• Works across all audio output, not just specific apps
• Has solid audio quality with no coloration or processing artifacts
• Is stable for daily use
• Ideally offers parametric EQ control (not just graphic EQ)
• Does not require complex routing setups unless absolutely necessary

Sound quality and reliability are more important to me than extra features.

I would really appreciate recommendations from people who have already gone through this transition and found a good macOS solution.

Regards.

I suggest you try the Mac program written in Swift for system wide equalization. It is called iQualize. Here is the author’s brief description:

macOS system-wide parametric EQ with real-time spectrum analyzer. Built in a day because it shouldn't need to exist. Native macOS system-wide parametric EQ — CATap, no virtual audio drivers, no Electron, no paywall.

Why not eqMac​

eqMac uses a virtual audio driver. iQualize uses a CATap — Apple's native system audio tap introduced in macOS 14. No driver to install. No driver to break. No driver to fight with Bluetooth. It just works.

Features​

Parametric EQ​

• Up to 31 bands with editable frequency (20 Hz – 20 kHz), gain, and bandwidth
• Q / Octave display toggle — switch between Q factor and octave bandwidth globally (Q is the default, octaves for musicians who think in bandwidth)
• 7 filter types per band: Bell (parametric), Low Shelf, High Shelf, Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass, and Notch
• Accurate biquad frequency response curve using Audio EQ Cookbook formulas, rendered as a translucent backdrop behind EQ sliders
• Per-band ghost fills, anchor dots with dB labels, and split boost/cut composite fill
• Axis labels and detailed frequency/dB grid overlay
• Catmull-Rom spline interpolation connecting slider knob positions (dashed gray line)
• Adjustable max gain range: ±6, ±12, ±18, or ±24 dB — or auto-scale to fit the current curve (up to ±24 dB)
• Input gain (±24 dB) — pre-EQ level control for proper gain staging
• Output gain (±24 dB) — post-EQ level control, applied before the peak limiter
• Dynamic peak limiter (AUPeakLimiter) — prevents digital clipping at 0 dBFS
• Smooth, glitch-free parameter updates — only changed values are written to the audio unit

Band Management​

• Add bands with + buttons on either side of the EQ — new band copies the leftmost or rightmost band
• Right-click context menu: Add Suggested Band finds the largest frequency gap and inserts a new band at the geometric midpoint
• Delete, or reorder via the right-click context menu (Move Left/Right)
• Minimum 1 band, maximum 31

Presets​

• Built-in presets: Flat, Bass Boost, Vocal Clarity, Loudness, Treble Boost, Podcast, Techno, Deep House, Hard Techno, Minimal, American Rap, German Rap
• Create, rename, overwrite, and delete custom presets
• Built-in presets auto-fork when edited (non-destructive)
• Unsaved changes indicator (asterisk in title)
• Import/export as .iqpreset JSON files with batch import and overwrite protection
• Quick switching from the menu bar or EQ window picker

Undo/Redo​

• Full undo/redo for all EQ modifications (gain, frequency, bandwidth, reorder, add, delete)
• Slider drags coalesced into single undo actions
• Cmd+Z / Cmd+Shift+Z

Keyboard & Scroll​

• Click a band or drag its slider to select it (accent-colored border indicator)
• Arrow Up/Down to adjust gain (±0.5 dB per step)
• Arrow Left/Right to adjust frequency (semitone steps)
• Tab / Shift+Tab to cycle between bands
• Scroll wheel over sliders to adjust gain
• Scroll wheel over frequency/Q inputs to adjust those values
• Cmd+B — toggle Bypass EQ (works from the EQ window or menu bar)
• Cmd+, — open Settings
• Rapid adjustments coalesced into single undo entries

Menu Bar​

• Open iQualize — first item in the menu for quick access
• Option+click the menu bar icon to open the EQ window directly (skips the menu)
• Presets submenu with checkmarks and active preset name in parent item — changes sync to the EQ window in real time
• Bypass EQ toggle (Cmd+B) — pass audio through unprocessed; while bypassed, the Post-EQ spectrum line and its color/fill controls are hidden/disabled (post-EQ would otherwise just mirror pre-EQ)
• Current output device display
• Help… (Cmd+?) — opens an in-app Help window rendering the README's Features section, with a "View latest on GitHub" link
• About iQualize — shows version and a "View on GitHub" button that opens the project page in your default browser

Settings​

Accessible via the gear icon in the EQ window, the Settings item in the menu bar, or Cmd+,.

• Audio: Peak Limiter toggle, Max Gain range (±6/12/18/24 dB), Auto Scale toggle
• Display: Pre-EQ / Post-EQ spectrum toggles, per-spectrum line color picker, per-spectrum Fill toggle with its own color picker, reset buttons to return to the dynamic system colors, Q / Octave bandwidth display toggle
• General: Theme (Auto / Light / Dark), Hide from Dock toggle, Start at Login toggle

Spectrum Analyzer​

• Dual real-time spectrum analyzer: pre-EQ (raw input) and post-EQ (processed output)
• Independent toggle checkboxes for pre-EQ and post-EQ display
• 2048-point FFT via Accelerate vDSP with Hann windowing and log-frequency binning
• Smooth Catmull-Rom spline rendering with peak hold lines
• Lock-free double-buffered audio-to-UI transfer for glitch-free 60fps updates
• Customizable line and fill colors per spectrum (Settings → Display) — defaults to cyan for pre-EQ, orange for post-EQ, both adapting to Light and Dark appearance; reset returns to the dynamic system color
• Per-spectrum fill toggle (off by default for pre-EQ, on for post-EQ) with its own color, independent from the line color
• Post-EQ spectrum auto-hides when EQ bypass is active (post-EQ would otherwise just mirror pre-EQ)
• Spectrum toggle states, fill toggles, and color choices persist across app restarts

Stereo Balance​

• L/R balance slider in the bottom bar, centered by default
• Snap-to-center with double-click reset
• Applied as per-channel gain in the audio render callback

System Integration​

• Automatic output device switching and reconnection
• Sleep/wake handling — pauses on sleep, resumes on wake
• Window state and all settings persist across launches
• Codesigned for stable TCC permissions across rebuilds
• Built with Swift Package Manager — no Xcode project needed

Architecture​

For the long version — why CATap, what fought back, and how the audio graph came together — read the blog post: Building iQualize - A System-Wide EQ That Doesn't Suck.

iQualize uses Core Audio Taps (CATap), introduced in macOS 14.2, to intercept system audio without a virtual audio device. Virtual devices (like BlackHole or eqMac's driver approach) create a secondary audio path — you lose system volume control, break some DRM-protected audio, and add latency. CATap captures the audio stream directly from the HAL, processes it in-process, and sends it to the output device.

You can find the program on Github. The latest release is version 0.32 Below is the URL for the program on Github.

GitHub - dariuscorvus/iqualize: macOS system-wide parametric EQ with real-time spectrum analyzer. Built in a day because it shouldn't need to exist. Native macOS system-wide parametric EQ — CATap, no virtual audio drivers, no Electron, no paywall.

macOS system-wide parametric EQ with real-time spectrum analyzer. Built in a day because it shouldn't need to exist. Native macOS system-wide parametric EQ — CATap, no virtual audio drivers, no...

github.com

Hi,

I recently moved from Windows to macOS and I am trying to find a proper system-wide equalizer solution.

On Windows I used SoundFX, which worked great for my needs, but unfortunately it is not available on macOS. I tried using SoundSource, which seems well designed, but the trial limitation (periodic noise after some time unless you purchase a license) makes it difficult to evaluate long-term behavior in real use.

My setup:

• MacBook Pro with M1 Pro (Apple Silicon)
• Edifier M60 speakers connected to an external DAC
• Mostly used for music listening

What I am looking for is a clean, transparent system-wide EQ that:

• Works across all audio output, not just specific apps
• Has solid audio quality with no coloration or processing artifacts
• Is stable for daily use
• Ideally offers parametric EQ control (not just graphic EQ)
• Does not require complex routing setups unless absolutely necessary

Sound quality and reliability are more important to me than extra features.

I would really appreciate recommendations from people who have already gone through this transition and found a good macOS solution.

Regards.

 

[shinbojan]

It seems that this app is exactly what I've wanted.
I've been testing it out today and it works pretty good.

 

[Protomize]

Thank you for the iQualize suggestion!!!

 

[ASRid]

Thank you for the iQualize suggesting!!!

I am glad to hear you tried it. Make sure you get the latest 0.41.0 update. Darius has been very active in improving iQualize in the last couple of days.
He just added automatic app switching re-connection, implementation of Apple's Continuity feature for switching from AirPods to other mac devices, a brand new command line (CLI) interface for controlling settings and seeing the status of settings so you do not have to have the app displayed on the desktop. There is also a brand new feature that accesses the OPRA headphone equalization database through a built-in browser and imports the equalization parameters automatically. Go to Github for the latest version.

 

[ASRid]

It seems that this app is exactly what I've wanted.
I've been testing it out today and it works pretty good.

I am glad to hear you tried it. Make sure you get the latest 0.41.0 update. Darius has been very active in improving iQualize in the last couple of days.
He just added automatic app switching re-connection, implementation of Apple's Continuity feature for switching from AirPods to other mac devices, a brand new command line (CLI) interface for controlling settings and seeing the status of settings so you do not have to have the app displayed on the desktop. There is also a brand new feature that accesses the OPRA headphone equalization database through a built-in browser and imports the equalization parameters automatically. Go to Github for the latest version.

 

[Protomize]

I am glad to hear you tried it. Make sure you get the latest 0.41.0 update. Darius has been very active in improving iQualize in the last couple of days.
He just added automatic app switching re-connection, implementation of Apple's Continuity feature for switching from AirPods to other mac devices, a brand new command line (CLI) interface for controlling settings and seeing the status of settings so you do not have to have the app displayed on the desktop. There is also a brand new feature that accesses the OPRA headphone equalization database through a built-in browser and imports the equalization parameters automatically. Go to Github for the latest version.

Thanks again! He just release version 0.41.1 which I have installed now.

 

[ASRid]

Thanks again! He just release version 0.41.1 which I have installed now.

Today the author of iQualize was very busy today. Version 0.45 is now out. The OPRA headphone Equalization data is now available to import through the preset browser feature. Thousands of headphone EQ curves are in the OPRA database and are now importable with a click. Also iQualize now has the ability to pin an equalization profile to a specific audio device and you can customize the list of EQs available. So I can have a specific EQ curve automatically available for my headphones and another when I switch to the speakers attached to my computer, etc.

 

[goryu]

You might like my new app that my team developed. It's a MacOS app that lets you truly customize all your Mac's audio.

Its main features are:
- Creating multiple outputs (so you can output audio to multiple devices at once, like 2 speakers at once)
- Creating rules for app volumes, such as -> Safari opens -> Spotify decreases volume
- Creating presets
- Sync settings via your account
- Remote control with your phone

https://eqsonora.com/
It also allows you to write with an AI (via MCP, ollama or claude and openai APIs) and have the AI adjust all the audio perfectly, taking into account the music being played, the type and power of the speakers, etc...

You get 30 free minutes of use a day, then pay per month?

 

[antcollinet]

You might like my new app that my team developed. It's a MacOS app that lets you truly customize all your Mac's audio.

Its main features are:
- Creating multiple outputs (so you can output audio to multiple devices at once, like 2 speakers at once)
- Creating rules for app volumes, such as -> Safari opens -> Spotify decreases volume
- Creating presets
- Sync settings via your account
- Remote control with your phone

https://eqsonora.com/
It also allows you to write with an AI (via MCP, ollama or claude and openai APIs) and have the AI adjust all the audio perfectly, taking into account the music being played, the type and power of the speakers, etc...

You need to stop spamming the forum. Reported.

 

[mmi]

Good to know about Rogue Amoeba, they license their SDK commercially, eg to Discord and Twitch https://rogueamoeba.com/licensing/

Take from that what you will, what it says to me is this isn’t a random plugin, it’s a well supported and battle tested product with commercial guarantees behind it. I prefer paying for software, and wouldn’t trust anything else on MacOS.

 

[antcollinet]

I didn't spam, I just contributed by showing my app...

You have six posts. One is this, the other five are all pushing your paid app. You have made no other engagement with the forum. That is the very definition of spamming. You are not even promoting it in the correct area of the forum. Please see these rules you agreed to when you signed up.

Terms and rules

You must agree to these terms and rules before using the site.

www.audiosciencereview.com

And in particular these.

Rules for Audio Dealers, Manufacturers, Members with Commercial Interest. This includes any Guest Contributors/Reviewer with Commercial endorsement

Audio Science Review Rules for Dealers, Manufacturers, Reviewers and Members of Industry. We encourage participation from members of industry in the forum. So please feel welcome here. We expect you to post with highest levels of professionalism. You are representing an industry and it is...

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In particular:

he above is subject to proper participation in the forum, not just to come and sell things. If you have nothing to contribute otherwise, please do NOT post for-sale items. They will be deleted, and your membership may be terminated.

 

[ASRid]

You get 30 free minutes of use a day, then pay per month?

Thanks for the heads up