Sony WF-C500 EQ settings for Mac
Measured EQ correction for the Sony WF-C500, 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
- Trims the deepest bass below 60 Hz, by up to about 4 dB at 20 Hz.
- Leaves the mids close to flat up to 1.5 kHz.
- Cuts about 5 dB around 2.8 kHz and adds about 4.5 dB near 5 kHz, smoothing an uneven upper midrange.
- Trims the top treble slightly, by up to about 2 dB.
WF-C500 at a glance
Wireless earbuds, released in 2021. Official specifications from Sony:
- Bluetooth version
- 5.0
- Bluetooth codecs
- SBC, AAC
- Bluetooth profiles
- A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
- Bluetooth frequency range
- 20 Hz to 20 kHz (44.1 kHz sampling)
- Driver
- 5.8 mm, closed dynamic
- Battery life
- Up to 10 hours; 20 hours with the case
- Charging
- Earbuds about 2.5 hours, case about 3 hours; 10 minutes gives about 1 hour
- Multipoint
- None, one device at a time
- Range
- About 10 m, line of sight
- Weight
- About 5.4 g per earbud; case about 35 g
- Water resistance
- IPX4 (earbuds)
Sources: Sony Help Guide: specifications, Sony Help Guide: operating time, Sony WF-C500 specifications, Sony launch announcement.
Using the WF-C500 with a Mac
Codec: AAC. The WF-C500 support SBC and AAC, 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 WF-C500 in stereo music mode.
One device at a time. The WF-C500 don't support multipoint. Disconnect them from your phone before connecting to your Mac.
Battery on a Mac. Sony rates the WF-C500 at up to 10 hours over AAC, the codec a Mac uses.
What the measurements show
This correction comes from AutoEQ, based on oratory1990's measurements of the WF-C500. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the earbuds closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:
- Trims the deepest bass below 60 Hz, by up to about 4 dB at 20 Hz.
- Leaves the mids close to flat up to 1.5 kHz.
- Cuts about 5 dB around 2.8 kHz and adds about 4.5 dB near 5 kHz, smoothing an uneven upper midrange.
- Trims the top treble slightly, by up to about 2 dB.
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 WF-C500 connected.
- Turn on Use Advanced EQ for WF-C500 (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
- Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.
TuningMac saves it for your WF-C500 and loads it whenever they connect.
Preamp: -4.6 dB Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain -4.8 dB Q 0.70 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 2803 Hz Gain -5.3 dB Q 2.29 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 5036 Hz Gain 5.1 dB Q 2.47 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 77 Hz Gain 3.6 dB Q 0.68 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1938 Hz Gain -0.9 dB Q 1.60 Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain -1.8 dB Q 0.70 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 809 Hz Gain 2.1 dB Q 2.01 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 1281 Hz Gain -1.0 dB Q 2.36 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 7069 Hz Gain -1.6 dB Q 5.97 Filter 10: ON PK Fc 6011 Hz Gain 1.4 dB Q 6.00
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Shelf | 105 Hz | −4.8 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Bell | 2.8 kHz | −5.3 dB | 2.29 |
| 3 | Bell | 5.04 kHz | +5.1 dB | 2.47 |
| 4 | Bell | 77 Hz | +3.6 dB | 0.68 |
| 5 | Bell | 1.94 kHz | −0.9 dB | 1.60 |
| 6 | High Shelf | 10 kHz | −1.8 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Bell | 809 Hz | +2.1 dB | 2.01 |
| 8 | Bell | 1.28 kHz | −1.0 dB | 2.36 |
| 9 | Bell | 7.07 kHz | −1.6 dB | 5.97 |
| 10 | Bell | 6.01 kHz | +1.4 dB | 6.00 |
Preamp: −4.6 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 −1.0 dB.
Values in dB, at 31 Hz to 16 kHz. The parametric version above is more precise.
Questions
Which codec do the Sony WF-C500 use on a Mac?+
AAC. The WF-C500 support SBC and AAC, 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 Sony WF-C500?+
AutoEQ's correction, based on oratory1990's measurements, trims the deepest bass, cuts about 5 dB around 2.8 kHz and adds about 4.5 dB near 5 kHz, with a preamp of -4.6 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 Sony WF-C500 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.
Should I turn off the EQ in Sony's app?+
For the most accurate result, yes. An equalizer set in Sony'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 WF-C500 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 Sony's published specifications. Sony WF-C500 is a trademark of Sony; TuningMac is not affiliated with Sony.