Apple AirPods Pro 2 EQ settings for Mac

Wireless noise-cancelling earbuds, released in 2022 with a Lightning case and in 2023 with a USB-C case. Official specifications from Apple:

Chip

Apple H2

Bluetooth version

5.3

Variants

Lightning case (2022): A2931, A2699, A2698. USB-C case (2023): A3047, A3048, A3049

Noise control

Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Transparency, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness (the last two added with iOS 17)

Driver

Custom high-excursion driver, custom high dynamic range amplifier

Audio features

Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Adaptive EQ, Voice Isolation, Loud Sound Reduction

Microphones

Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone

Battery life

Up to 6 hours (5.5 with Spatial Audio); up to 30 hours with the case

Charging

MagSafe case: MagSafe, Apple Watch charger, Qi, or Lightning / USB-C; 5 minutes gives about 1 hour

Weight

5.3 g per earbud; case 50.8 g

Water resistance

IPX4 (Lightning model), IP54 (USB-C model), earbuds and case

Sources: Apple: AirPods Pro 2 (Lightning) tech specs, Apple: AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) tech specs, Apple: Use Adaptive Audio with your AirPods, Apple Newsroom: AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, Apple: Identify your AirPods.

Codec: AAC. AirPods connect to a Mac with Apple's AAC Bluetooth codec, just as they do with an iPhone, carrying the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz range. Apple notes that Bluetooth connections aren't lossless.

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 AirPods Pro 2 in stereo music mode.

One correction for both models. The Lightning and USB-C versions differ in the case port and dust rating; Apple lists the same H2 earbuds and audio hardware for both. The USB-C model's lossless mode only works with Apple Vision Pro, not a Mac.

Automatic switching. On macOS Sequoia and later, the AirPods move between your Mac and your other Apple devices on the same Apple Account by themselves; on macOS Sonoma, you click Connect in a notification.

Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness on a Mac. Choose Adaptive for your AirPods in Control Center, under Sound, and turn on Conversation Awareness there too.

Spatial Audio changes the sound. On Macs with Apple silicon, Spatial Audio (Fixed or Head Tracked, from the AirPods icon in the menu bar) processes the sound and shifts its balance. The measurement is of normal stereo, so set Spatial Audio to Off while you judge this correction.

Adaptive EQ is built in. Apple's Adaptive EQ runs inside the earbuds all the time and can't be turned off. The measurement already includes it, and TuningMac's correction is applied on top.

Noise control. macOS already switches them from the AirPods menu bar icon and System Settings, and TuningMac uses that same system control to put Off, Transparency, Adaptive and Noise Cancellation in its own menu, next to your EQ and volume. How it works

This correction comes from AutoEQ, based on HypetheSonics' measurements of the AirPods Pro 2. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the earbuds closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:

• Already close to AutoEQ's neutral target: every change stays within about 3 dB.
• Adds about 2 dB around 75 Hz and dips about 2 dB around 430 Hz.
• Adds about 3 dB near 2.4 kHz and 2.5 dB near 5.2 kHz for clearer voices.

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.

TuningMac's Advanced EQ imports this format directly. Copy the settings, then:

1. Open TuningMac ▸ Settings ▸ Advanced EQ with your AirPods Pro 2 connected.
2. Turn on Use Advanced EQ for AirPods Pro 2 (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
3. Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.

TuningMac saves it for your AirPods Pro 2 and loads it whenever they connect.

Preamp: -3.1 dB
Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain -1.2 dB Q 0.70
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 302 Hz Gain -1.7 dB Q 0.51
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 2374 Hz Gain 3.1 dB Q 2.32
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 75 Hz Gain 3.3 dB Q 1.05
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 5218 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 2.96
Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain -0.2 dB Q 0.70
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 6854 Hz Gain -0.6 dB Q 6.00
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 428 Hz Gain -0.6 dB Q 4.23
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 314 Hz Gain 0.4 dB Q 3.61
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 978 Hz Gain 0.4 dB Q 4.91

Preamp: −3.1 dB. It lowers the overall level so the boosts don't clip.

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 −2.0 dB.

Values in dB, at 31 Hz to 16 kHz. The parametric version above is more precise.