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(Solved) MacOS Big Sur “Apple Music” (Player Software) - USB to DAC - Equalizer delayed after pausing

mononoaware

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Setup: M1 Mac Mini>USB cable>SMSL SU-8 DAC

Is anyone else using Apple Music Application to playback using with Equalizer “on” after pausing experience a delay of 2-3 seconds before Equalizer actually enables?

You can test the Equalizer by cutting everything above 1khz by -12dB, or cutting everything by -12dB and hearing the difference in loudness.

First time you play a song it takes 2-3 seconds for the Equalizer to turn on (plays in default “flat” EQ for first 2-3 seconds).
Letting it play Equalizer stays on, playing playlist or even choosing new song in Library without pausing the Equalizer stays on.

But if you click pause, and start another song it happens again 2-3 seconds delay for Equalizer to turn on (have effect).

After reading some support “discussions” I suspect it is a bug. . .
 
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mononoaware

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According to this post on Apple support. . .
It seems to be an issue since 2019. . .

Nov 28, 2019 11:38 PM
You can add the “equalizer” column to your library, then select your entire library and apply your chosen eq setting to all of them.

However, each song will begin in the flat sound, then switch about a second or two in. It’s kind of annoying.

Also, it seems that any music played through the Apple Music streaming service cannot have any eq settings applied to them.

Apple, if you’re listening, please fix all of this. These details are what used to set you apart from your competitors. Now it seems you’re just fine joining them. Please listen to your customers.
 
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mononoaware

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The current issue of delayed Equalizer effect after pausing seems to be a “solution” for this problem.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252296393

Maybe iPhone is their best seller so it gets priority in updates/fixes. . .
 
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mononoaware

mononoaware

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I have decided to put up with 2-3 seconds of Equalizer delay every time I start listening.
At least the EQ stays constantly on as long as tracks are selected without pausing.

I looked up JRiver + JRemote again and for whatever cause it seems they stopped updating the JRemote App for quite awhile now.
Even if JRemote still functions well, I will be sticking with Apple Music + iTunes Remote option for now since it is free and has been flawless in connection, playback and integration with the M1 Mac Mini.
Hopefully Apple will solve the Equalizer bug in the future (how difficult can it be to ensure Equalizer starts before playback?).

Thread can be closed. Thanks.
 

DWPress

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You could invest in SoundSource which has it's own equalizer and can also do AU plugins. It will also allow you to route music to your DAC and the system alerts to the built in speaker in your Mini. I have an M1 Mini and can confirm it works great with no lag.
 
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mononoaware

mononoaware

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You could invest in SoundSource which has it's own equalizer and can also do AU plugins. It will also allow you to route music to your DAC and the system alerts to the built in speaker in your Mini. I have an M1 Mini and can confirm it works great with no lag.

Thanks but the feature I am looking for is a MacOS Application with a “companion” iOS App with which I can toggle/control EQ. . .

Seems like SoundSource does not have a companion App (I searched AppStore).
I am already able to route system sounds to M1 Mini speakers and Audio Player only to DAC via MacOS’s Audio Midi Settings.

There was one third-party MacOS Application that did support “EQ control” using iOS companion App, but it appeared to be “abandoned” with the last update being around 2013.
(I also remember overwhelming negative reviews complaining the Application did not work with their Logitech Bluetooth speaker, which was just a misunderstanding since they shared similar naming - unfortunately it appears these negative reviews simply killed its development)
 
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DWPress

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Not sure if this is appropriate for your audio chain but there is a iConvolver which is an iPhone/iPad app that can apply a filter to whatever's playing from your device. You'd need to create your EQ in REW and save it as a .wav convolution file like many of us do for home based DRC.
 
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mononoaware

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apply a filter to whatever's playing from your device.

From looking at iConvolver on the AppStore, it seems the filter applies to iOS playback.
I changed source to the Mac in order to get around storage limitations and other benefits.
I would have to go back and squeeze a limited portion of the audio archive on the iPhone/iPad (both 32GB models) to achieve the iConvolver filter.
(Which feels like going backwards)

I appreciate the suggestion, maybe someone else may benefit from it.
 
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