Support

Setup, fixes for the usual problems, and a way to reach a human.

First run

  1. Move macEQ to your Applications folder, then open it.
  2. macOS asks for Screen & System Audio Recording permission. Grant it — this is how macEQ receives system audio. It never records or saves anything; see the privacy policy.
  3. Quit and reopen macEQ after granting permission. macOS only hands the permission to a fresh launch.
  4. Turn on System EQ in the bottom bar. A short confirmation tone plays.
  5. Play something, then drag a slider. You should hear the change immediately.

Troubleshooting

No effect on the sound at all

  1. Check that System EQ is on and the power button is lit.
  2. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording and confirm macEQ is listed and enabled.
  3. If you just granted it, quit macEQ completely (⌘Q, not just the window) and reopen it.
  4. Confirm the audio is actually playing through the output device macEQ is watching — switch outputs and back in Control Center.
  5. Try a dramatic setting, like Bass Boost with the 32 Hz band at +12 dB. Subtle curves on quiet material are easy to miss.

It works in one app but not another

A few apps hold an exclusive audio session or output their own hardware stream, which bypasses the system tap. Quit that app, make sure macEQ is running first, then reopen it. If it still bypasses macEQ, send us the app's name using the form below.

Audio cuts out when switching to AirPods or a Bluetooth speaker

  1. Toggle System EQ off, switch the output device, then toggle it back on. macEQ rebinds to the new device.
  2. If the AirPods went into a call/headset mode, end the call or quit the app that grabbed the microphone, then reconnect.
  3. Forget and re-pair the device in System Settings › Bluetooth as a last resort.

Crackling, popping, or distortion

  1. Turn Volume Boost down toward 100%. Boosting a track that is already loud will clip.
  2. Pull back any bands sitting at +10 to +12 dB — several boosted bands stack up fast.
  3. Turn off Auto Level temporarily to rule out the leveler reacting to a heavily compressed track.
  4. Press Reset EQ for a clean flat curve, then rebuild your sound in smaller steps.

The sound is loud but muddy or harsh

Cut instead of boost. Rather than raising the bands you want, lower the ones you don't, then bring the master volume up. Try Night Mode for harshness and lower the 250 Hz band a few dB for mud.

My settings vanished

The EQ curve, spatial settings, and effects only persist as a group when you save them as a user preset. Tap Save Settings, give it a name, and it will appear under My Presets to restore in one tap.

Starting over completely

  1. Press Reset EQ.
  2. Turn off every spatial and effects toggle.
  3. Set Stereo Width to 100%, Channel Balance to center, Volume Boost to 100%, and Pitch to 0.
  4. Toggle System EQ off and on once.

Still stuck? Write to us

Tell us your macOS version, your output device, and what you were doing when it went wrong. The more specific, the faster the fix.

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