The honest answer
A different EQ for each speaker costs you sync.
SoundFerry applies one equalizer to the whole group. That is a decision, not an omission, and this page explains the mechanism so you can judge it — then shows what to do instead, which usually works better anyway.
The mechanism, in one page
AirPlay 2 keeps speakers together by giving every receiver in a session the same playback timeline. One sender says "play this sample at this instant"; every receiver buffers until that instant arrives. That is the whole trick, and it is why a group of HomePods sounds like one system.
The timeline belongs to the session, and a session carries one stream. So the moment two speakers need different audio, they need different streams, which means different sessions, which meansdifferent timelines. Nothing forces two timelines to agree.
You would not hear it as a tone problem. You would hear it as an echo in the hallway between the kitchen and the living room, growing over the course of a song. That is the exact failure SoundFerry exists to avoid, so it does not offer the trade.
The same reasoning rules out the obvious workaround of running one engine per speaker. Separate engines start at separate moments and negotiate separate sessions; they drift against each other for the same reason.
Where per-room correction actually lives
Most speakers already have their own EQ, applied inside the device after it receives audio — so it stacks with SoundFerry's rather than fighting it.
| Speaker | Has its own | Where |
|---|---|---|
| SonosTrueplay measures the actual room with an iPhone microphone. It is applied inside the speaker after it receives audio, so it stacks on top of anything SoundFerry does. | Bass, treble, loudness and Trueplay room correction | Sonos app → the room → EQ |
| WiiMThe most capable device-side EQ of the three. If one room needs its own curve, this is the room to give it one. | 10-band EQ, presets and room correction | WiiM Home app → device → EQ |
| HomePodApple applies its own correction and dynamic processing and gives you no controls at all. Adjust its level rather than its tone. | Nothing exposed | — |
| Apple TV / receiverAn AV receiver behind an Apple TV usually has full room correction and per-channel trims — often the best-equipped room in the house. | Whatever the amplifier offers | The receiver's own setup |
Or use two groups
SoundFerry saves as many groups as you like, and each carries its own sound settings. A Listening room group with the WiiM alone can be tuned quite differently from a Whole house group — recall either in a click.
That covers the genuine case where two rooms want opposite curves. It does not let them play at the same time with different curves, and nothing will.
Questions
Can SoundFerry apply a different EQ to each AirPlay speaker?
No. It applies one EQ to the group, and that is a deliberate design decision rather than a missing feature.
Why not? It sounds like it should be easy.
SoundFerry sends the same audio to multiple network outputs and provides per-speaker synchronization delay adjustments. Check timing on your own device and network configuration.
What you would hear is the thing the whole product exists to prevent: a slap-back echo as you walk between rooms. Staying in sync is the reason SoundFerry exists, so it does not trade it away for tone controls.
Could you not run several engines, one per speaker?
You can, and it does not help. Separate instances start at separate moments and negotiate separate timing sessions, so they drift relative to one another. The synchronisation is a property of one session addressing many receivers, not something that can be reassembled from many sessions afterwards.
So what do I actually do about a boomy kitchen?
Fix it at the speaker. Sonos, WiiM and most receivers all have their own EQ or room correction applied inside the device, after it receives audio — so it stacks with SoundFerry's rather than fighting it. The table above says which control lives where.
Shape the shared stream for the most honest speaker in the group, then correct each room locally.
What if two rooms need genuinely opposite curves?
Then run them as two groups at different times, or accept that one is corrected at the device. SoundFerry lets you save as many groups as you like — Listening room and Whole house can carry different sound settings and be recalled in a click.
Will per-speaker EQ ever be added?
SoundFerry routes Mac system audio through a virtual speaker instead of relying on player-specific integration. Check that the player uses the Mac system output.
What does the equalizer actually do?
Group-wide EQ, dynamics and reverb process the shared audio before it reaches the speakers. The same processing applies to every selected output.
Do the speakers actually stay in sync?
SoundFerry manages playback across selected speakers. Timing depends on the devices and network; SoundFerry provides per-speaker delay adjustment. Try your speaker combination before purchasing. No fixed synchronization accuracy is guaranteed.
How much is it, and is it a subscription?
19 USD buys a perpetual license for version 1.x. Updates such as 1.0 to 1.1 are included. Version 2.x requires a separate purchase, with pricing not yet decided. There is no subscription. Other currencies are converted from the USD price.
What is in the free trial?
The trial lasts seven days and requires no payment card. An internet connection is required to start it, after restarting the app, and every 12 hours during use. The server manages expiry; changing the Mac clock does not extend it. Purchased licenses are verified offline.
One EQ for the whole output group.
Free for 7 days. $19 once if the trade suits you.
- One-time purchase, no subscription
- Free updates within 1.x
- macOS 14+, Apple silicon