SoundPEATS Air5 Pro EQ settings for Mac
Measured EQ correction for the SoundPEATS Air5 Pro, 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 4 dB from the sub-bass, from 31 to 62 Hz.
- Cuts about 3 dB from the upper bass, around 250 Hz.
- Adds about 5 dB to the treble, from 4 to 8 kHz.
- Cuts about 7 dB from the top treble, around 16 kHz.
Air5 Pro at a glance
True wireless earbuds with adaptive ANC, LDAC and aptX Lossless. Official specifications from SoundPEATS:
- Driver
- 10 mm composite bio-diaphragm
- ANC
- Adaptive, up to 55 dB
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- Battery
- 7.5 h + 37 h total with the case
- Water resistance
- IPX5
- Weight
- 4.8 g per earbud
Sources: SOUNDPEATS: Air5 Pro.
Using the Air5 Pro with a Mac
Codec: AAC, not LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive or aptX Lossless. The Air5 Pro support SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless, but macOS doesn't support LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive or aptX Lossless. On a Mac they play over AAC, which carries the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz range at standard sample rates (44.1 or 48 kHz). The hi-res figures only apply to LDAC, which Macs don't support.
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 Air5 Pro in stereo music mode.
Multipoint. Connects to two devices at once.
Noise control. TuningMac can't switch SoundPEATS's noise cancelling modes yet, so use the button on the earbuds or SoundPEATS's app on your phone. The EQ, volume and output features all work.
What the measurements show
This correction comes from AutoEQ, based on Kazi's measurements of the Air5 Pro. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the earbuds closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:
- Cuts about 4 dB from the sub-bass, from 31 to 62 Hz.
- Cuts about 3 dB from the upper bass, around 250 Hz.
- Adds about 5 dB to the treble, from 4 to 8 kHz.
- Cuts about 7 dB from the top treble, around 16 kHz.
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 Air5 Pro connected.
- Turn on Use Advanced EQ for Air5 Pro (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
- Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.
TuningMac saves it for your Air5 Pro and loads it whenever they connect.
Preamp: -5.3 dB Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain -4.1 dB Q 0.70 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 322 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 1.79 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 5534 Hz Gain 4.6 dB Q 2.05 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 2807 Hz Gain 5.3 dB Q 2.25 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1678 Hz Gain -3.8 dB Q 2.64 Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain -4.0 dB Q 0.70 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 9041 Hz Gain 2.7 dB Q 2.95 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 156 Hz Gain 3.4 dB Q 3.28 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 23 Hz Gain -2.7 dB Q 0.18 Filter 10: ON PK Fc 37 Hz Gain 3.8 dB Q 1.04
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Shelf | 105 Hz | −4.1 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Bell | 322 Hz | −3.5 dB | 1.79 |
| 3 | Bell | 5.53 kHz | +4.6 dB | 2.05 |
| 4 | Bell | 2.81 kHz | +5.3 dB | 2.25 |
| 5 | Bell | 1.68 kHz | −3.8 dB | 2.64 |
| 6 | High Shelf | 10 kHz | −4.0 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Bell | 9.04 kHz | +2.7 dB | 2.95 |
| 8 | Bell | 156 Hz | +3.4 dB | 3.28 |
| 9 | Bell | 23 Hz | −2.7 dB | 0.18 |
| 10 | Bell | 37 Hz | +3.8 dB | 1.04 |
Preamp: −5.3 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 −5.0 dB.
Values in dB, at 31 Hz to 16 kHz. The parametric version above is more precise.
Questions
Does the SoundPEATS Air5 Pro use LDAC on a Mac?+
No. The Air5 Pro support SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless, but macOS doesn't support LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive or aptX Lossless, so on a Mac they play over AAC. That carries 20 Hz to 20 kHz audio at standard sample rates.
What are the best EQ settings for the SoundPEATS Air5 Pro?+
AutoEQ's correction, based on Kazi's measurements, cuts about 4 dB from 31 to 62 Hz, adds about 5 dB from 4 to 8 kHz, cuts about 7 dB around 16 kHz, with a preamp of -5.3 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 SoundPEATS Air5 Pro 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.
Can I control the SoundPEATS Air5 Pro's noise cancelling from a Mac?+
Not yet. TuningMac can't switch SoundPEATS's noise cancelling modes yet, so use the button on the earbuds or SoundPEATS's app on your phone. The EQ, volume and output features all work.
Should I turn off the EQ in SoundPEATS's app?+
For the most accurate result, yes. An equalizer set in SoundPEATS'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 Air5 Pro 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 Kazi. Specifications from SoundPEATS's published specifications. SoundPEATS Air5 Pro is a trademark of SoundPEATS; TuningMac is not affiliated with SoundPEATS.