EqLume vs FxSound
EqLume
github.comFxSound
fxsound.comSide by side
| Figure | EqLume | FxSound |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Audio Equalizer Software | 7.7 (#11) | 8.2 (#6) |
| Presets | It includes 21 genre presets, including hip-hop, EDM, rock, jazz, classical, and ambient. | Built-in presets cover general listening, music, voice, streaming video, gaming, light processing and bass boost, and users can create custom presets. |
| Privacy | Audio is processed in memory on the Mac and is not recorded to disk, uploaded, or shared with the developer or third parties. | The privacy policy says the website does not use cookies and does not sell or rent personal information. |
| Support | The project directs privacy questions and requests to its public GitHub issues page. | The privacy page directs users to the forum with questions, and the privacy policy says submitted information may be used to provide customer support. |
Plans
In their own words
EqLume
EqLume is a free system-wide equalizer for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 26.0 or later. It detects the genre of the current track and applies a matching EQ preset, with 21 presets that include hip-hop, EDM, rock, jazz, classical and ambient. The menu bar app shows a live spectrum analyzer and an EQ response curve. EqLume reads now-playing details from Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and supported browsers, and offers transport controls for Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music. It uses a Core Audio process tap to capture system audio without a virtual audio driver or kernel extension. Audio is processed in memory, not recorded to disk or uploaded. Track and artist names may be sent to MusicBrainz and Apple iTunes Search for lookups. The built-in 3.5 mm headphone output uses tuned correction; other outputs can be enabled per device, while built-in speakers are unprocessed. The Mac App Store version omits the optional on-device classifier.
FxSound
FxSound is a free Windows audio-processing application founded in 1999. It adjusts timbre, volume, spatial balance, and dynamics, with an equalizer, effects, and presets for shaping sound. The maker lists music, gaming, transcription, video, calls, and general listening as uses, and mentions Zoom calls. Audio routing and volume controls let users tailor output for their hardware. Windows downloads are offered for Intel/AMD x86/x64 and ARM64 systems. FxSound includes noise reduction, virtual surround, and equalizer controls, but no app-specific profiles. The maker says the project became free in 2022 and open-source in 2023. Its website does not use cookies or sell or rent personal information. Contact messages may contain details users provide and may support customer service. FxSound says contributors fund development, hosting, and maintenance, and invites donations. The listed plan is FxSound at free for Windows PCs.