1MORE Piston EQ settings for Mac
Measured EQ correction for the 1MORE Piston, the specs that matter, and what changes when you use them with a Mac. Copy the settings and apply them in one click.
The short answer
- Adds about 12 dB of bass shelf.
- Cuts about 8 dB of sub-bass.
- Adds about 5 dB around 1 kHz.
- Adds about 6 dB around 9 kHz.
Piston at a glance
Wired in-ear earphones with a single dynamic driver and aerospace-grade metal. Official specifications from 1MORE:
- Driver
- Dynamic, dual-layer diaphragm
- Impedance
- 32 ohms
- Frequency response
- 20 – 20,000 Hz
- Weight
- 14 g
Sources: 1MORE: Piston Classic product page.
Using the Piston with a Mac
Codec: AAC. The Piston support , and a Mac picks AAC, the better of the two. It carries the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz range at standard sample rates (44.1 or 48 kHz).
Calls sound worse than music. As soon as an app uses the earbuds' microphone (Zoom, FaceTime, a dictation shortcut), Bluetooth switches to hands-free mode, which has much lower audio quality. Pick your Mac's built-in microphone as the input to keep the Piston in stereo music mode.
Noise control. TuningMac can't switch 1MORE's noise cancelling modes yet, so use the button on the earbuds or 1MORE's app on your phone. The EQ, volume and output features all work.
What the measurements show
This correction comes from AutoEQ, based on crinacle's measurements of the Piston. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the earbuds closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:
- Adds about 12 dB of bass shelf.
- Cuts about 8 dB of sub-bass.
- Adds about 5 dB around 1 kHz.
- Adds about 6 dB around 9 kHz.
Fit, ear tips and your own ears all change what you hear, and neutral isn't everyone's favourite sound. Use this as a starting point, then adjust by ear.
Apply it in TuningMac (parametric EQ)
TuningMac's Advanced EQ imports this format directly. Copy the settings, then:
- Open TuningMac ▸ Settings ▸ Advanced EQ with your Piston connected.
- Turn on Use Advanced EQ for Piston (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
- Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.
TuningMac saves it for your Piston and loads it whenever they connect.
Preamp: -6.1 dB Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain 11.6 dB Q 0.70 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 51 Hz Gain -7.5 dB Q 0.34 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 1004 Hz Gain 5.2 dB Q 0.76 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 171 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 0.26 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 2449 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 2.21 Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 0.70 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 9345 Hz Gain 5.7 dB Q 2.49 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 5501 Hz Gain -4.0 dB Q 2.87 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 3551 Hz Gain 0.7 dB Q 2.21 Filter 10: ON PK Fc 2422 Hz Gain -0.5 dB Q 4.34
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Shelf | 105 Hz | +11.6 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Bell | 51 Hz | −7.5 dB | 0.34 |
| 3 | Bell | 1 kHz | +5.2 dB | 0.76 |
| 4 | Bell | 171 Hz | −3.4 dB | 0.26 |
| 5 | Bell | 2.45 kHz | +3.0 dB | 2.21 |
| 6 | High Shelf | 10 kHz | +1.5 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Bell | 9.35 kHz | +5.7 dB | 2.49 |
| 8 | Bell | 5.5 kHz | −4.0 dB | 2.87 |
| 9 | Bell | 3.55 kHz | +0.7 dB | 2.21 |
| 10 | Bell | 2.42 kHz | −0.5 dB | 4.34 |
Preamp: −6.1 dB. It lowers the overall level so the boosts don't clip.
Prefer simple sliders? The 10-band version
No Advanced EQ needed: AutoEQ also gives values for a standard 10-band equalizer, the same bands as TuningMac's main EQ. In the menu bar popover choose Custom, set each slider, and set the preamp to about −5.0 dB.
Values in dB, at 31 Hz to 16 kHz. The parametric version above is more precise.
Questions
Which codec do the 1MORE Piston use on a Mac?+
AAC. The Piston support , and a Mac picks AAC, the better of the two. It carries the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz range at standard sample rates.
What are the best EQ settings for the 1MORE Piston?+
AutoEQ's correction, based on crinacle's measurements, adds about 5 dB of bass, adds about 5 dB around 1 kHz, adds about 6 dB around 9 kHz, with a preamp of -6.1 dB. The exact values are on this page, ready to copy. Treat it as a neutral starting point and adjust to taste.
Why do my 1MORE Piston sound bad on calls on a Mac?+
When an app uses the earbuds' microphone, Bluetooth switches from stereo music mode to a hands-free call mode with much lower audio quality. To keep music quality during calls, choose your Mac's built-in microphone as the input instead. TuningMac's Input list does this in one click, and its Device Info shows which mode you're in.
Can I control the 1MORE Piston's noise cancelling from a Mac?+
Not yet. TuningMac can't switch 1MORE's noise cancelling modes yet, so use the button on the earbuds or 1MORE's app on your phone. The EQ, volume and output features all work.
Should I turn off the EQ in 1MORE's app?+
For the most accurate result, yes. An equalizer set in 1MORE's app is applied inside the earbuds, so it also affects your Mac and would add to this correction. TuningMac's EQ only changes sound from your Mac, so it won't affect your phone.
Tune your Piston on your Mac
Parametric and 10-band EQ, noise control and battery in the menu bar.
EQ data from AutoEQ by Jaakko Pasanen (MIT licence), measurement by crinacle. Specifications from 1MORE's published specifications. 1MORE Piston is a trademark of 1MORE; TuningMac is not affiliated with 1MORE.