Apple introduced AirPods almost a decade ago, but there was no way to customise the audio tuning. Users like you and me were stuck with the default sound profile that shipped out of the box for the longest time. But thankfully, with the iOS 27 update, Apple included a new custom equaliser for certain AirPods. In this guide, I will tell you all about how to enable and set cutom EQ settings for your AirPods.
How to Set Custom EQ in AirPods on iOS 27
The custom EQ feature is coming with iOS 27, featuring a basic 3-band equaliser letting you customise the LOW, MID and HIGH frequencies. It's not much, especially for us audiophiles, but at least now we have a native equaliser. Users brave enough to install the iOS 27 developer beta can enable and try out the new EQ settings by following these methods:
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone or iPad.
- Now, open the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to AirPods > Audio & Routing.
- Here, tap on Equaliser and select Custom.
- Drag the Low, Mid and High dots upwards or downwards to adjust the tuning based on your preference.
- If you have a song playing at the same time, its waveform will appear in the equaliser to help you adjust the EQ settings for that track accordingly.
- Simply go back to the previous screen to save your new AirPods EQ settings.
Which AirPods Support Custom EQ in iOS 27?
While we are glad that Apple finally introduced custom EQ settings in iOS 27, it seems that the feature is only available to a handful of newer AirPods. As older models are not supported in the ongoing iOS 27 beta. So, to clear out any confusion, here's a list of custom equaliser-supported AirPods:
- AirPods Max 2
- AirPods Pro 3
- AirPods 4
I hope Apple plans to add support for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max and AirPods 3 in later betas since many people like me still use them. If you're wondering whether your iPhone will get this feature, you can check out our iOS 27 eligible devices list and see if your model is supported.
Testing Sound Quality with Custom EQ in AirPods
I tried it on my friend's iPhone 17, and the difference in the sound is noticeable. I could hear more bass as I increased the LOW in the equaliser, and the same went for treble and vocals. It's not a night-and-day improvement but a subtle improvement over Apple's default sound profile.
I tried a few heavy metal tracks like "New Divide" by Linkin Park, and the vocals of the lead singer felt more profound after increasing the MIDS. The guitar solo stood out more when listening to Hotel California's 1994 live performance. Apple should add more EQ bands for finer audio tuning in later updates. But in my first impression, it is decent enough for regular users.
