Lurar for MAC
Free, open-source menu bar headphone EQ for Mac: system-wide 10-band parametric EQ with the AutoEq catalog built in and no virtual audio driver.
Lurar Overview
Lurar is a menu bar equalizer for headphone listening. It takes the audio of every app on your Mac through Apple's Core Audio Process Tap, runs it through a 10-band parametric EQ tuned to your headphones, and plays the result on the output device or DAC you choose. Presets come from the AutoEq catalog, which you can browse and search by brand inside the app, and an editor lets you tune every band yourself with a live spectrum analyzer and a clip meter.
Lurar is made by Linus Sjöberg and is free and open source under the MIT license, with no account and no telemetry; its only network destination is the AutoEq catalog on GitHub, and only when you browse or refresh it. Unlike many system-wide equalizers it installs no virtual audio driver or kernel extension and does not add a device to Sound Settings. Version 0.11.1 fixes two problems in reading the process tap. Lurar needs macOS 14.2 or later and runs on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs; the build is signed and notarized. The first time you switch the engine on, macOS asks for Audio Capture permission. Apps that use exclusive (hog) mode, such as some hi-res music players, cannot be equalized, and Rogue Amoeba's ARK driver can intercept the audio before Lurar sees it.
Key Features
Lurar corrects your headphones for every app on the Mac.
- System-wide EQ: works on audio from any app that uses Core Audio.
- 10-band parametric EQ: a low shelf, eight peaks and a high shelf.
- AutoEq catalog: browse and enable presets for your headphones from the menu bar.
- Preset editor: live changes, a spectrum analyzer, and forks of built-in presets with the original kept as a reference curve.
- A/B compare: switch between two presets, sighted or blind and loudness-matched.
- Crossfeed and loudness compensation: Bauer-style crossfeed and ISO 226:2003 equal-loudness compensation.
- Per-device memory: remembers the last preset for each output and suggests presets for new devices.
- Extras: per-app exclusion, a hold-to-bypass hotkey and iCloud preset sync.
What’s New in Version 0.11.1
Lurar 0.11.1 fixes how the app reads the process tap.
- It no longer falls back to a sub-device's input when the tap has no audio buffer
- It skips the output device's own inputs when reading the process tap
Lurar FAQ
Is Lurar free?
Yes. Lurar is free and open source under the MIT license, with no account and no paid tier.
Which macOS version does Lurar need?
macOS 14.2 or later, because it uses Apple's Core Audio Process Tap, which arrived in that version. It runs on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Does Lurar install a virtual audio driver?
No. It installs no driver or kernel extension and adds no device to Sound Settings. macOS routes the audio through its own Process Tap, and Lurar plays the equalized sound on the output you pick in its menu.
Where do the headphone presets come from?
From the AutoEq catalog, with measurements such as those by Oratory1990 and Crinacle. You can search it by brand in the app and enable presets for your own headphones. Lurar also ships a Flat preset.
Can I make my own EQ preset?
Yes. The editor has ten bands with live preview. Editing a built-in preset makes your own copy and keeps the original as a dashed reference curve; New preset starts from scratch.
Does Lurar turn on the orange microphone indicator?
No. It asks for Audio Capture permission once, but the way it reads the audio does not light the orange microphone indicator.
Why does one of my music apps not get equalized?
Apps that use exclusive (hog) mode bypass the macOS mixer and cannot be tapped. Turn exclusive mode off in that app. Rogue Amoeba's ARK driver, used by SoundSource, Audio Hijack and Loopback, can also intercept the audio.
Does Lurar send any data?
No analytics or telemetry. Its only network destination is the AutoEq catalog on GitHub, and only when you browse or refresh the catalog.
Can I install Lurar with Homebrew?
Yes. Run brew install --cask lsjoberg/lurar/lurar. It installs the same signed and notarized build, and updates still arrive inside the app.
Where does the Lurar download on lurar.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official Lurar website at https://lurar.app/. lurar.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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