Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal EQ settings for Mac
Measured EQ correction for the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal, 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 7 dB of sub-bass and about 2 dB around 62–125 Hz.
- Adds about 7 dB around 1.2 kHz for midrange presence.
- Cuts about 6 dB around 2.5 kHz.
- Cuts about 7 dB around 4.9 kHz.
- Adds about 5 dB above 10 kHz for air.
Beoplay Portal at a glance
Wireless gaming headphones with ANC and Dolby Atmos, released in 2021. Official specifications from Bang & Olufsen:
- Driver
- 40 mm custom-designed dynamic
- ANC
- Adaptive noise cancellation with own-voice technology
- Bluetooth
- 5.1
- Battery
- Up to 24 h (Bluetooth); 12 h (USB-C)
- Weight
- 282 g
Sources: Bang & Olufsen: Beoplay Portal.
Using the Beoplay Portal with a Mac
Codec: AAC. The Beoplay Portal 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 Portal in stereo music mode.
Multipoint. Simultaneous Bluetooth + USB-C/Xbox connection for game audio and calls.
AAC on Mac The Beoplay Portal 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 slider on the headphones.
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 Rtings' measurements of the Beoplay Portal. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the headphones closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:
- Adds about 7 dB of sub-bass and about 2 dB around 62–125 Hz.
- Adds about 7 dB around 1.2 kHz for midrange presence.
- Cuts about 6 dB around 2.5 kHz.
- Cuts about 7 dB around 4.9 kHz.
- Adds about 5 dB above 10 kHz for air.
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 Portal connected.
- Turn on Use Advanced EQ for Beoplay Portal (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
- Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.
TuningMac saves it for your Beoplay Portal and loads it whenever they connect.
Preamp: -5.6 dB Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain 5.7 dB Q 0.70 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 74 Hz Gain -5.8 dB Q 0.40 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 1207 Hz Gain 7.3 dB Q 0.83 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 4850 Hz Gain -7.1 dB Q 0.53 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 2494 Hz Gain -5.6 dB Q 2.12 Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain 5.1 dB Q 0.70 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 7780 Hz Gain 2.3 dB Q 3.64 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 5556 Hz Gain 4.2 dB Q 4.60 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 3682 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 1.79 Filter 10: ON PK Fc 363 Hz Gain 0.3 dB Q 0.77
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Shelf | 105 Hz | +5.7 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Bell | 74 Hz | −5.8 dB | 0.40 |
| 3 | Bell | 1.21 kHz | +7.3 dB | 0.83 |
| 4 | Bell | 4.85 kHz | −7.1 dB | 0.53 |
| 5 | Bell | 2.49 kHz | −5.6 dB | 2.12 |
| 6 | High Shelf | 10 kHz | +5.1 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Bell | 7.78 kHz | +2.3 dB | 3.64 |
| 8 | Bell | 5.56 kHz | +4.2 dB | 4.60 |
| 9 | Bell | 3.68 kHz | +1.5 dB | 1.79 |
| 10 | Bell | 363 Hz | +0.3 dB | 0.77 |
Preamp: −5.6 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 −10.0 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 Portal use on a Mac?+
AAC. The Beoplay Portal 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 Portal?+
AutoEQ's correction, based on Rtings' measurements, adds about 7 dB of sub-bass, adds about 7 dB around 1.2 kHz, cuts about 7 dB around 4.9 kHz, adds about 5 dB of treble, with a preamp of -5.6 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 Portal 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 Portal'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 Portal 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 Rtings. Specifications from Bang & Olufsen's published specifications. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal is a trademark of Bang & Olufsen; TuningMac is not affiliated with Bang & Olufsen.