About AutoEq
An independent resource dedicated to helping audio enthusiasts get the most out of automatic headphone equalization.
If you own a pair of headphones, chances are they don’t reproduce sound perfectly flat. Every headphone has its own frequency response curve — peaks, dips, and coloring that shape what you hear. AutoEq exists to fix that, automatically.
Created by Finnish developer Jaakko Pasanen, AutoEq is an open-source tool that takes measured frequency response data for hundreds of headphone models and generates optimized equalizer settings to match a scientifically-derived target curve. The result? Your headphones sound closer to how music was actually mixed and mastered.
The Story Behind AutoEq
From a Python script to the go-to EQ resource for audiophiles worldwide.
The Beginning
Jaakko Pasanen started AutoEq as a personal Python project on GitHub. The idea was straightforward: take publicly available headphone measurements from sources like Innerfidelity and oratory1990, then compute parametric EQ filters that correct each model’s frequency response to a target curve.
Growing the Database
The repository expanded rapidly. Measurements from Crinacle, Rtings, and other trusted sources were added. The headphone database grew past 700 models. Reddit’s headphone community took notice, and AutoEq became a regular recommendation for anyone asking “how do I EQ my headphones?”
Multi-Platform Support
Export support expanded beyond Equalizer APO to include Peace, Wavelet (Android), EasyEffects (Linux), eqMac (macOS), and convolution filters. AutoEq presets were integrated directly into the Wavelet app, putting automatic EQ into millions of Android users’ hands.
The Web App & v4.0
Version 4.0 launched alongside autoeq.app, a full web application. Users no longer needed Python or command-line skills. Pick your headphone, choose a target, adjust bass and treble preferences, and download EQ settings — all from a browser. The repository crossed 15,000 GitHub stars.
A Community Standard
With 15,500+ stars, 2,500+ forks, and 18 contributors, AutoEq has become the default starting point for headphone equalization. It powers EQ presets in third-party apps, gets recommended daily on r/headphones, and continues to receive measurement updates from the community.
What AutoEq Does
Turning raw measurement data into ready-to-use equalizer settings.
Frequency Correction
AutoEq reads measured frequency response data for your specific headphone model and calculates the difference between that measurement and a scientifically validated target curve like the Harman target.
Parametric EQ Generation
It produces optimized parametric EQ filters with precise center frequencies, Q values, and gain adjustments. These aren’t rough approximations — the optimizer minimizes error across the full audible spectrum.
Multi-Format Export
Generated settings export to Equalizer APO, Peace, Wavelet, EasyEffects, eqMac, SoundSource, and raw convolution filters. Whatever EQ software you use, AutoEq has a format for it.
Custom Targets
While the Harman target is the default, you can choose different curves or build your own. Bass and treble shelf filters let you fine-tune the result to your personal taste.
AutoEq does not apply equalization directly. It generates configuration files that you load into a separate equalizer application on your platform of choice.
The Developer
Built and maintained by Jaakko Pasanen with help from the open-source community.
Jaakko Pasanen
Jaakko is a Finnish software developer and audio enthusiast who built AutoEq to solve his own problem: getting better sound from his headphones without spending hours tweaking EQ manually. What started as a personal tool turned into one of the most-used headphone EQ resources online.
The project is hosted on GitHub under the MIT license, meaning anyone can use, modify, and distribute it freely. Eighteen contributors have submitted code, and the wider community contributes measurement data and bug reports.
Why Users Rely on AutoEq
From budget earbuds to high-end cans, AutoEq brings measurable improvements.
Head over to any audio forum and you’ll find people recommending AutoEq as the first step after buying new headphones. The reason is simple: it works. Users consistently report that applying AutoEq presets makes their headphones sound noticeably better, especially models with pronounced peaks or recessed midrange.
Budget headphone owners see the biggest gains. A $30 pair of IEMs with a V-shaped frequency response can be corrected to sound surprisingly close to much more expensive alternatives. Professional users and music producers use AutoEq to flatten their monitoring headphones for mixing accuracy.
The common advice on r/headphones and Head-Fi is to use AutoEq as your starting point, then adjust by ear if needed. Compared to paid alternatives like Sonarworks SoundID Reference, AutoEq offers similar core functionality at zero cost, though it focuses purely on frequency response correction without time-domain processing.
About This Website
What autoeq.net is and what it is not.
autoeq.net is a fan-made, independent informational website. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Jaakko Pasanen or the official AutoEq project in any way.
We created this site because we believe AutoEq deserves a dedicated resource that goes beyond a GitHub README. Our goal is to help users — especially those who aren’t comfortable with command-line tools — discover AutoEq, understand how it works, and find the right download links and setup guides for their platform.
- We link to official sources for all downloads. We do not host or redistribute software files.
- We respect the developer’s intellectual property and the MIT license under which AutoEq is released.
- We encourage all users to support the official project by starring the GitHub repository, reporting issues, and contributing measurements.
- Our guides, tutorials, and FAQ content are written by audio enthusiasts to be practical and accurate.
Get in Touch
Questions about the site? We’d like to hear from you.
Have feedback or a question about this website? Visit our Contact page.
For official AutoEq support, bug reports, or feature requests, visit the GitHub Issues page.