Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 EQ settings for Mac
Measured EQ correction for the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95, 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
- Cuts about 6 dB of sub-bass and about 4 dB around 62 Hz.
- Adds about 3 dB around 1.3 kHz for midrange presence.
- Adds about 6 dB around 5.3 kHz for detail.
- Cuts about 5 dB above 10 kHz to tame treble.
Beoplay H95 at a glance
Flagship wireless over-ear headphones with adaptive ANC, aluminium and lambskin, released in 2020. Official specifications from Bang & Olufsen:
- Driver
- 40 mm titanium-coated dynamic
- ANC
- Adaptive, with adjustable transparency
- Bluetooth
- 5.1
- Battery
- Up to 38 h (ANC on); 50 h (ANC off)
- Weight
- 323 g
Sources: Bang & Olufsen: Beoplay H95.
Using the Beoplay H95 with a Mac
Codec: AAC. The Beoplay H95 support SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive, 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 headphones' 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 Beoplay H95 in stereo music mode.
Multipoint. Connects to two devices at once via Bluetooth multipoint.
AAC on Mac The Beoplay H95 supports aptX Adaptive for Android. macOS doesn't support aptX, so on a Mac the headphones connect over AAC.
ANC not controllable TuningMac cannot change noise-control modes on Bang & Olufsen headphones. Use the Bang & Olufsen app or the ANC dial on the right ear cup.
Noise control. TuningMac can't switch Bang & Olufsen's noise cancelling modes yet, so use the button on the headphones or Bang & Olufsen's app on your phone. The EQ, volume and output features all work.
What the measurements show
This correction comes from AutoEQ, based on oratory1990's measurements of the Beoplay H95. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the headphones closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:
- Cuts about 6 dB of sub-bass and about 4 dB around 62 Hz.
- Adds about 3 dB around 1.3 kHz for midrange presence.
- Adds about 6 dB around 5.3 kHz for detail.
- Cuts about 5 dB above 10 kHz to tame treble.
Fit, ear pads 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 Beoplay H95 connected.
- Turn on Use Advanced EQ for Beoplay H95 (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
- Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.
TuningMac saves it for your Beoplay H95 and loads it whenever they connect.
Preamp: -3.6 dB Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain -3.1 dB Q 0.70 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 64 Hz Gain -2.2 dB Q 0.39 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 1281 Hz Gain 3.3 dB Q 1.37 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 5269 Hz Gain 6.3 dB Q 2.33 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 3432 Hz Gain -3.6 dB Q 2.75 Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain -5.2 dB Q 0.70 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 8277 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 4.97 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 780 Hz Gain 0.5 dB Q 3.44 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 231 Hz Gain 1.2 dB Q 0.48 Filter 10: ON PK Fc 7134 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 5.76
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Shelf | 105 Hz | −3.1 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Bell | 64 Hz | −2.2 dB | 0.39 |
| 3 | Bell | 1.28 kHz | +3.3 dB | 1.37 |
| 4 | Bell | 5.27 kHz | +6.3 dB | 2.33 |
| 5 | Bell | 3.43 kHz | −3.6 dB | 2.75 |
| 6 | High Shelf | 10 kHz | −5.2 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Bell | 8.28 kHz | −3.0 dB | 4.97 |
| 8 | Bell | 780 Hz | +0.5 dB | 3.44 |
| 9 | Bell | 231 Hz | +1.2 dB | 0.48 |
| 10 | Bell | 7.13 kHz | +1.5 dB | 5.76 |
Preamp: −3.6 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 −2.0 dB.
Values in dB, at 31 Hz to 16 kHz. The parametric version above is more precise.
Questions
Which codec do the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 use on a Mac?+
AAC. The Beoplay H95 support SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive, 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 Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95?+
AutoEQ's correction, based on oratory1990's measurements, cuts about 6 dB of sub-bass, adds about 3 dB around 1.3 kHz, adds about 6 dB around 5.3 kHz, cuts about 5 dB of treble, with a preamp of -3.6 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 Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 sound bad on calls on a Mac?+
When an app uses the headphones' 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 Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95's noise cancelling from a Mac?+
Not yet. TuningMac can't switch Bang & Olufsen's noise cancelling modes yet, so use the button on the headphones or Bang & Olufsen's app on your phone. The EQ, volume and output features all work.
Should I turn off the EQ in Bang & Olufsen's app?+
For the most accurate result, yes. An equalizer set in Bang & Olufsen's app is applied inside the headphones, 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 Beoplay H95 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 oratory1990. Specifications from Bang & Olufsen's published specifications. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 is a trademark of Bang & Olufsen; TuningMac is not affiliated with Bang & Olufsen.