Are these exact filters and Q values the same for the AirPods Max 2 (the 2026 latest version)?
Thanks for this!
As far as I can tell its the same for the AirPods Pro 2 and 3—which both have different frequency responses, but use the same EQ filters—so I assume AirPods Max 2 is also using the same filter values.
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I’m not entirely sure if the little dashes represent 1dB increments, but here’s where I landed for now with the APP3.
Yes, I reluctantly had to start using the APP3’s because they didn’t fit my wife’s ears and she liked my 2’s better. I personally feel the 2’s are superior in every way, but this EQ certainly helps level the playing field.
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They definitely, 100% do not represent 1dB steps. If they did, I’d be thrilled, though it’d still be hard to actually make use of that information bc of how imprecise the slider dragging is.
I think about it more in terms of percentage of adjustment. Eg. the treble filter has a 6dB negative gain range, so you’re cutting about 3dB of treble there.
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Thanks buddy! I need to cut more treble for sure, and a little more bass. I’ll keep listening and tinkering.
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After some further tinkering, I’ve settled on what’s sounds like a 2.5-3dB cut of the nether regions (I think?) and around a 3-4dB cut in the highs (ish?). I decided to leave the mid slider at default.
While this doesn’t fix all of my gripes with the APP3, it’s definitely better sounding to my ears. I’m so glad Apple finally implemented EQ, albeit quite basic.
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I’m honestly shocked this isn’t being discussed more within the audio community. Is it because people don’t want to subscribe to the developer betas for iOS, or perhaps don’t know how to?
Regardless, this beta implementation of EQ has transformed my APP3 into capable set of wireless earphones. They’re not endgame or anything, but the improvement to sound quality is substantial! I hope others are trying this!
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Can this new EQ get the AirPods Pro 3 closer to AirPods Pro 2 sound quality? Is it an almost-magic fix, like the Bose QC Ultra 2 where the sliders sit in exactly the right places and it feels like you’re switching off “store demo mode” and finally getting a solid listen just by quickly dropping the bass & treble sliders and then forgetting about it?
I’ve wanted to upgrade my Airpods Pro 2 for a while now for all the big quality-of-life perks (better battery life, ANC, IP rating, fit), but the sound quality downgrade has always put me off.
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I have the AP 3. For my non-audiophile purposes, the biggest issue I have with them is how speaking voices sound when IU play back Dolby Atmos TV and movies. They sound hollow and echoey–not as easy to understand. I’ll either switch off Atmos on my Apple TV+ or use Bose QC45 headphones, which don’t playback in Atmos.
I was able to use the EQ to get the 3’s quite close to the 2’s. There’s still differences, but I was pleased with how close I got it.
In my opinion, Apple did put the three frequency adjustments in good locations. Not quite as perfect as on the Bose QC Ultra 2, but still very good.
Also, something to note: I’ve found the APP3 to be worse fitting than the 2, not better. The new eartips are quite finicky and none of the sizes worked for me. I had to buy aftermarket tips for them to stay secure while working out. YMMV.
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My AP3s fit well out of the box, according to the “Acoustic Seal” test in iOS. However, if I wear them while talking, the frit changes and noise leaks in. Maybe I’ll try some of the other tips that came with it.
Yep, same issue here. I’m quite happy with my SednaEarfit Max tips now, though.
How much do I have to lift the slider for 2dB of gain? There are no numbers on the slider.
See my last post in the thread. Think of it in percentages based on the ranges discussed in the video. 50% is no adjustment, 0% is full cut, 100% is full boost; think of what percentage of the available gain range is equal to 2dB and try to match that as best as you can manually.
Yeah the fit I find is weird for me. It’s fine when I’m sitting and not moving but if I’m out for a jog they do sometimes audibly move around a little, I also flew recently and I found that when I moved my head I could definitely tell that the seal wasn’t perfect. No dealbreakers for fit, I’d say it’s still comfier than all but Sennheiser’s IEMs for me but still something to note
The AirBuds Pro 3 solved the too-loud-movie-theater problem for me. I have avoided theaters for a couple of years because the volume level has been so loud I feared for my (remaining) hearing. But I saw Coyote vs. Acme with my grandson recently and wore the AirBuds set to “Adaptive,” which reduced the volume when the audio went over about 80 db, which made the audio tolerable.
The movie was entertaining but too long for my taste.
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Hello Everyone, just wanted to share my personal findings with the AirPods Pro 3 and the new equaliser function released in iOS 27.
The Pro 3 are more V-shaped than the Pro 2, which is not ideal. Also the new equaliser’s function added by Apple with iOS 27 have the Bass LS is set too high at 150 Hz which can make the headphones sound hollow when this particular filter is used too aggressively. The Treble HS is perfectly designed and can be used freely.
I found that the using the ‘Dance’ EQ profile in Apple Music fixes the issue of the LS high frequency (Read more here on my contribution here on ASR: Apple Music EQ Presets, What are they doing? | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum )
This is the final results with both the ‘Dance’ EQ profile in Apple Music engaged AND the two shelf filters from the new iOS 27 equaliser function used to seriously cut the bass and the treble (-100% on the bass, -70% on the treble):
The idea of course is to tune the two shelf filters by ear, as the A/B function by swapping ‘Recommended’ and ‘Custom’ is incredible and perfectly level matched!
who wants to start as close as possible to the treble of the harman target should aim for -4 db (so the slider 70% of the way down). The bass slider should be really adjusted to taste.
TLDR; Use the ‘Dance’ Apple Music EQ filter before you start cutting the highs and the lows with the new iOS 27 equaliser function.
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The improvement to the fit with the APP3 is remarkable; it makes a huge difference.
And now that I can get a seal I can tell the bass is insane, especially (I assume) at low volume. -5 dB to the low is barely enough.
Yes the ‘Dance’ EQ profile is only active in Apple Music.
I indeed didn’t touch the mid slider at all.
I would like to play with a boost in the ear gain region (3-5KHz) that Apple does not like to fill in for some reason but I would need additional software for that so i didn’t bother (for now).