Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×

Accessories

Review: SoundID Brings Personalized Sound To Over 406 Headphones

Audio software lets you maximize your listening experience with personalized sound on your favorite headphones, including Beats Powerbeats Pro, Apple AirPods, Bose Frames Alto and more

Much like fingerprints or snowflakes, everyone has unique hearing preferences and capabilities. We recently had the chance to test out Sonarworks’ SoundID personalized sound profile software – first introduced at CES 2020 – and it left us extremely impressed with the improvement in our headphone sound quality.

“We believe every listener should have the ability to personalize their sound so they can enjoy their favorite music, podcasts, or even movies, exactly the way they like,” said Martins Popelis, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Sonarworks in a statement. “With new models from industry greats like Beats, Apple, Bose and Sennheiser, listeners can immerse themselves in personalized sound through SoundID and unlock the full power of their favorite cans.”

Using SoundID unlocks the full potential of your headphones, enabling you to rediscover favorite albums, stream movies with more engaging sound effects and enhance your gaming experience. SoundID claims it represents a paradigm shift in audio quality, moving away from the traditional one-size-fits-all approach, to personalizing sound for everyone as an individual – and we’d have to agree.

Setting up your personalized sound profile begins by using the app on your smartphone and choosing the headphones you’ll be listening through. We really like that you can make multiple profiles if you use multiple brands and types of headphones. This helps you get the best sound from your truly wireless earbuds without sacrificing the potential of your over-the-ear cans you use with your laptop or desktop.

Once headphones are selected, users go through a short series of sound setting tests while a song loops, and, not unlike what you do at an eye exam (which do you like better, A or B?), you choose between two options. Once the test is completed, SoundID presents you with your personalized listening profile. It was amazing to hear the difference as we turned the profile on and off, and we immediately loaded up a wide range of songs to test out the difference. The headphones used in our tests were Apple AirPods and Cleer’s Enduro 100.

Sonarworks’ SoundID recently updated their list of supported headphones with 20 new models, including headphones from leading industry brands such as Apple, Bose, Sennheiser, Shure, Beyerdynamic and Klipsch. This brings the total list of supported headphones to 406, with more in progress.

 

New SoundID supported headphones include:

  • Beats Powerbeats Pro
  • Apple AirPods Pro
  • Bose Frames Alto
  • Bose 700
  • Sennheiser HD 6XX
  • Sennheiser HD 58X
  • KZ ZS10 Pro
  • KZ ES4
  • KZ ZSN
  • KZ ZS10
  • TiN Audio T2 Pro
  • Shure SE846
  • RHA S500 Universal
  • RHA MA390 Universal
  • MEE audio M6 PRO
  • RHA MA750 Wireless
  • RHA T20
  • 1More Dual Driver ANC Pro
  • Marshall Monitor II A.N.C.
  • Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC
  • Klipsch T5 True Wireless
  • LG QuadBeat 3
  • LG EMB-LGE53

To view the full list, click here.

While SoundID is only usable as a desktop (or laptop) application at time of publishing, Sonarworks continues to focus on the evolution of personal sound and they say soon listeners will be able to take their SoundID anywhere life takes them – on their mobile devices, across streaming, social or music database platforms, and devices like tablets, ensuring a consistent personalized sound experience wherever you go. Currently, listeners can enjoy their SoundID profile with a free 30-day trial through SoundID Listen, a desktop application that brings personalized sound to anyone listening to their headphones on Mac or Windows.

Based on our incredible sound experience, we highly recommend trying out SoundID, especially if you use multiple types of headphones throughout the day and want to breathe new life into your daily musical experience, and we’re anxiously awaiting the release of the mobile device capabilities Sonarworks has in development.

For more information, visit sonarworks.com/soundid.

See also: How Things Work: Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones – What HiFi?

Featured

Close