House of Marley Positive Vibration 2 Wireless EQ settings for Mac
Measured EQ correction for the House of Marley Positive Vibration 2 Wireless, 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 2.5 to 6 dB of bass below 80 Hz.
- Lowers 700 Hz to 1.3 kHz by about 2.5 to 4.5 dB, most near 1 to 1.3 kHz.
- Adds about 2.5 to 5 dB from 4.5 to 5.5 kHz.
- Turns the top treble down by about 2 to 4 dB from 12 kHz up.
Positive Vibration 2 at a glance
Wireless on-ear headphones. Official specifications from House of Marley:
- Driver
- 50 mm
- Bluetooth
- 4.1
- Battery
- Up to 12 h
- Wired
- 3.5 mm cable included
Using the Positive Vibration 2 with a Mac
Codec: AAC or SBC. House of Marley doesn't list which Bluetooth codecs the Positive Vibration 2 support. A Mac uses AAC when headphones offer it and SBC otherwise, and TuningMac's Device Info shows which one is in use.
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 Positive Vibration 2 in stereo music mode.
What the measurements show
This correction comes from AutoEQ, based on oratory1990's measurements of the Positive Vibration 2. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the headphones closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:
- Adds about 2.5 to 6 dB of bass below 80 Hz.
- Lowers 700 Hz to 1.3 kHz by about 2.5 to 4.5 dB, most near 1 to 1.3 kHz.
- Adds about 2.5 to 5 dB from 4.5 to 5.5 kHz.
- Turns the top treble down by about 2 to 4 dB from 12 kHz up.
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 Positive Vibration 2 connected.
- Turn on Use Advanced EQ for Positive Vibration 2 (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
- Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.
TuningMac saves it for your Positive Vibration 2 and loads it whenever they connect.
Preamp: -6.1 dB Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain 6.2 dB Q 0.70 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 1171 Hz Gain -5.7 dB Q 1.31 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 103 Hz Gain -3.1 dB Q 1.37 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 5301 Hz Gain 4.7 dB Q 4.05 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 2418 Hz Gain 2.8 dB Q 1.02 Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain -3.8 dB Q 0.70 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 8625 Hz Gain 3.9 dB Q 1.90 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 461 Hz Gain 1.4 dB Q 2.67 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 6462 Hz Gain -2.4 dB Q 6.00 Filter 10: ON PK Fc 729 Hz Gain -1.0 dB Q 3.09
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Shelf | 105 Hz | +6.2 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Bell | 1.17 kHz | −5.7 dB | 1.31 |
| 3 | Bell | 103 Hz | −3.1 dB | 1.37 |
| 4 | Bell | 5.3 kHz | +4.7 dB | 4.05 |
| 5 | Bell | 2.42 kHz | +2.8 dB | 1.02 |
| 6 | High Shelf | 10 kHz | −3.8 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Bell | 8.63 kHz | +3.9 dB | 1.90 |
| 8 | Bell | 461 Hz | +1.4 dB | 2.67 |
| 9 | Bell | 6.46 kHz | −2.4 dB | 6.00 |
| 10 | Bell | 729 Hz | −1.0 dB | 3.09 |
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 −8.0 dB.
Values in dB, at 31 Hz to 16 kHz. The parametric version above is more precise.
Questions
Which codec do the House of Marley Positive Vibration 2 use on a Mac?+
House of Marley doesn't list which Bluetooth codecs the Positive Vibration 2 support. A Mac uses AAC when headphones offer it and SBC otherwise, and TuningMac's Device Info shows which one is in use.
What are the best EQ settings for the House of Marley Positive Vibration 2?+
AutoEQ's correction, based on oratory1990's measurements, adds up to 6 dB of bass below 80 Hz, lowers 700 Hz to 1.3 kHz by up to 4.5 dB and adds up to 5 dB from 4.5 to 5.5 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 House of Marley Positive Vibration 2 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.
Should I turn off the EQ in House of Marley's app?+
For the most accurate result, yes. An equalizer set in House of Marley'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 Positive Vibration 2 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 House of Marley's published specifications. House of Marley Positive Vibration 2 Wireless is a trademark of House of Marley; TuningMac is not affiliated with House of Marley.