EQBase is a system-wide equalizer for macOS that processes audio in real time without requiring driver installation. It adds per-application volume control, output device switching, and parametric equalization on top of macOS’s limited native audio controls. (Freemium — Pro from $4.99/month)
The free tier includes a 10-band EQ, over 8,600 headphone correction profiles, volume key restoration for fixed-level outputs, auto-switching presets by device or app, and one-click system audio recording to common formats including FLAC and WAV. The menu bar interface provides level-matched A/B comparison for evaluating EQ changes.
The Pro subscription unlocks 24-band parametric EQ, room measurement with automatic correction, audio analysis tools (spectrogram, goniometer, correlation), per-app mixing, Audio Unit plugin hosting, spatial audio, crossfeed, and crosstalk cancellation. These capabilities extend EQBase’s role from a simple EQ tool to a full audio processing chain for the desktop.
A key design principle is zero added latency to the direct audio path; the app operates bit-perfect when all controls are set flat. This makes it suitable for production monitoring use cases where latency or signal degradation from EQ bypass would be unacceptable.
System requirements: macOS 14.4 (Sonoma) or later. Universal binary (Apple Silicon and Intel). No driver installation required.
Pricing: (Freemium — free tier available; Pro $4.99/month, $39.99/year, or $79.99 lifetime for 1 Mac)
Limitations: The free tier does not include parametric EQ or per-app mixing, which limits utility for users needing precise band control. The lifetime license covers only one Mac. Room measurement requires a measurement microphone not included with the app.
Alternatives: Boom 3D offers system-wide EQ with a simpler interface ($19.99 one-time or via Setapp). eqMac is a free, open-source system-wide equalizer. SoundSource from Rogue Amoeba provides per-app audio routing with EQ ($39, one-time).
Suitable for users who need precise audio output tuning, headphone correction profiles, or per-application volume control beyond what macOS provides natively.
