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To make Apple Music sound bassier, adjust its EQ: on iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Apps > Music > EQ and choose a setting; on Mac, open Music’s equalizer and raise the lower-frequency sliders. Supported AirPods also offer a separate Custom EQ. These controls apply in their respective Apple Music or AirPods contexts—not necessarily to audio from every app.
Choose the bass control for your device
| Device or control | Where to find it | What you can adjust |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone or iPad | Settings > Apps > Music > EQ | Choose an equalization setting; Apple’s cited guides do not enumerate preset names. |
| Mac Music equalizer | Music app > Window > Equalizer | Choose a preset or move frequency sliders; turn the equalizer on to apply it. |
| Mac Sound Enhancer | Music > Settings > Playback | Enable Sound Enhancer and adjust its slider to modify bass and treble response and perceived stereo wideness. |
| Supported AirPods | AirPods settings > Audio & Routing > Equalizer > Custom | Adjust Low, Mid, and High sliders. Availability depends on AirPods model. |
Increase bass on iPhone or iPad
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps, then Music.
- Tap EQ and choose an equalization setting. Listen to a familiar track and change the setting if the result is not to your taste.
Apple’s current iPhone and iPad guides describe choosing an EQ setting but do not name the available presets in the cited material. Preset names and availability may vary with software version, so choose from the options actually shown on your device rather than looking for a guaranteed preset name. [Apple’s iPhone EQ instructions; Apple’s iPad guide]
Adjust bass manually on Mac
- Open the Music app.
- Choose Window > Equalizer.
- Select a preset or move the frequency sliders. To emphasize bass, raise the lower-frequency sliders gradually and listen for a fuller sound without muddying vocals or other instruments.
- Select On in the equalizer window. If it is off, the equalizer adjustments are not enabled.
Apple says the equalizer settings apply to all songs until changed, except songs that have their own equalizer presets. To keep a custom slider setup, use the equalizer’s preset pop-up menu to save a custom preset. See Apple’s Mac Music equalizer instructions.
Try Sound Enhancer as a separate option
In Music, open Music > Settings > Playback, enable Sound Enhancer, then adjust its slider. This is not the same as manually changing EQ bands: Apple describes Sound Enhancer as modifying bass and treble response to increase the perceived wideness of the stereo effect. Apple’s Mac Music guide.
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Use Custom EQ with supported AirPods
Apple documents a three-band Custom EQ for supported AirPods. Compatibility is model-dependent, and Apple’s cited guide does not enumerate compatible models; check whether the Equalizer controls appear for your AirPods.
- Wear and connect your AirPods to the device.
- On iPhone or iPad, open Settings and tap the AirPods name. On Mac, open System Settings and select the AirPods name.
- Choose Audio & Routing > Equalizer > Custom.
- Raise the Low slider gradually, adjusting Mid and High as needed to keep the overall sound balanced.
Apple says these EQ settings are stored on the AirPods and carry over to paired devices. Check Apple’s AirPods Custom EQ guide.
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- ULTIMATE OVER-EAR LISTENING EXPERIENCE—Powered by the H2 chip, AirPods Max 2 delivers improved high-fidelity audio with deep bass, expansive mids, and crisp highs for an unparalleled listening experience.
- TUNE OUT THE NOISE—Up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, fully immersing you in every sound.*
- HEAR THE WORLD AROUND YOU—Adaptive Audio automatically adjusts noise cancellation levels to suit your environment. Conversation Awareness lowers the volume of what’s playing to make it easy to talk to those around you.* And Transparency lets outside sounds in so you can interact with your surroundings.
- PERSONALIZED SPATIAL AUDIO—With sound tuned to your unique ear shape and dynamic head tracking, AirPods Max 2 delivers an immersive listening experience that surrounds you with theater-like sound.
- COMMUNICATE ACROSS LANGUAGES—Simply press and hold the listening mode button to activate Live Translation powered by Apple Intelligence,* which automatically translates the language someone is speaking into your preferred language.
What Sound Check does—and does not do
Sound Check is for volume normalization, not bass boosting. It adjusts playback loudness across tracks; it does not replace EQ or provide bass controls. Apple lists it separately from Music’s equalization settings. Apple’s Sound Check explanation.
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- ULTIMATE OVER-EAR LISTENING EXPERIENCE—Powered by the H2 chip, AirPods Max 2 delivers improved high-fidelity audio with deep bass, expansive mids, and crisp highs for an unparalleled listening experience.
- TUNE OUT THE NOISE—Up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, fully immersing you in every sound.*
- HEAR THE WORLD AROUND YOU—Adaptive Audio automatically adjusts noise cancellation levels to suit your environment. Conversation Awareness lowers the volume of what’s playing to make it easy to talk to those around you.* And Transparency lets outside sounds in so you can interact with your surroundings.
- PERSONALIZED SPATIAL AUDIO—With sound tuned to your unique ear shape and dynamic head tracking, AirPods Max 2 delivers an immersive listening experience that surrounds you with theater-like sound.
- COMMUNICATE ACROSS LANGUAGES—Simply press and hold the listening mode button to activate Live Translation powered by Apple Intelligence,* which automatically translates the language someone is speaking into your preferred language.
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If you cannot hear a bass change
- On Mac, confirm that On is selected in the equalizer window.
- Check that you changed the EQ for the app or device playing the music. The Apple Music controls described here should not be assumed to affect all audio from every app.
- If a Mac song has its own equalizer preset, Apple notes that it is an exception to the general setting applying to all songs.
- If you are using AirPods, check that your model exposes the Custom EQ controls and that the AirPods are connected.
- On iPhone or iPad, confirm you selected an option under Music’s EQ menu; Sound Check is a different setting.
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