This Volume Control App for Mac Will Help You Use Your Headphones and Speakers More Effectively.
SoundSource , my favorite volume control app for Mac , has received a major update. Developer Rogue Amoeba recently released SoundSource 6 for Mac, which adds AirPlay device support, per-app equalizers, audio output device groups, and much more. It’s an incredibly well-made app packed with features, but my favorite is the ability to turn any random group of headphones and speakers into a multi-room audio system.
Multi-room audio with SoundSource 6
With SoundSource 6, you can create a group of audio output devices, including Bluetooth speakers, wired headphones, AirPods, AirPlay speakers, and literally any other audio device your Mac can connect to. You can then stream audio from any app to all of these devices simultaneously, creating the perfect multi-room audio system. I used this to simultaneously play Apple Music songs on my AirPods, Bluetooth speakers, a Mac speaker, and a HomePod. It’s a great way to play music throughout the house.
To get started, open the SoundSource app by clicking the icon in the menu bar and select an option from the drop-down menu next to the volume slider for any application. You’ll see a “Create Output Group” or “Edit Output Groups” button. Click this button and select “New Group.” You can now add as many audio devices to the group as you like.
In theory, you could use this device to connect multiple Bluetooth speakers from different brands for a more immersive movie experience, but in practice, latency makes the sound less than ideal. Even a slight delay in one speaker can ruin the immersive experience, but that’s not SoundSource’s fault. Creating a perfect surround sound system from multiple speakers of different brands using different audio output standards is no easy task. Given the existing limitations, SoundSource does an excellent job.
I’ve found that the multi-room audio feature works best when you listen to music through one speaker in each room. This way, the slight delay won’t bother you at all, and you can enjoy your music while doing your chores.
AirPlay support is great.
As a SoundSource user since 2017, I’ve always missed the ability to send audio to AirPlay devices. Until recently, Rogue Amoeba relegated this feature to another app , Airfoil . However, the latest version of SoundSource adds support for AirPlay devices, meaning you can finally use it to send audio from any app on your Mac to a HomePod, Apple TV, or other AirPlay-enabled device.
I use SoundSource to route audio from specific apps to specific speakers, and with AirPlay support, I can send music directly to my HomePod while limiting notification sounds from messaging apps to my Mac’s built-in speakers.
An equalizer for each application is very important.
I started using SoundSource because of its ability to set a custom volume level for each app on my Mac. I used this to reduce the volume of notifications from Messages and Slack while maintaining a higher volume for other apps. SoundSource 6 adds another layer to this feature by including a per-app equalizer, which lets you set different sound profiles for each app you use. It comes with nearly two dozen equalizer presets to choose from. You can choose one equalizer preset for music streaming apps and another for apps you use for watching movies. You can find this feature by clicking the right arrow button in the FX section of SoundSource.
Set a custom sound level for each device.
SoundSource also lets you set a custom volume level for each audio device connected to your Mac. This allows me to reduce the volume on a particularly loud Bluetooth speaker I own while keeping my Mac’s speakers slightly louder. The app also lets you set a maximum volume limit for each audio device, which is useful for two reasons: to prevent hearing loss when using headphones and to avoid damaging the speakers. I accidentally damaged a speaker by leaving it on at 100% volume for several hours outdoors, which is not what it was designed for. Since then, I avoid using the speakers at full volume, and you can use the maximum volume limit feature to avoid this.
To use this feature, open SoundSource and click the speaker icon in the upper-right corner. All your input and output devices will be displayed. Select any device and find the “Output” tab in the right panel. Here, adjust the “Maximum Volume” slider to a comfortable level.
Additional functions
SoundSource 6 has a ton of new features that make the update worth it. You can set the order of preferred devices to prevent your Mac from accidentally connecting to the wrong audio devices. I use this to set AirPods as my preferred speaker, followed by HomePod, my Mac’s native speakers, and my Bluetooth speaker last. The app also lets you add volume controls for individual apps to the menu bar, meaning you can adjust the volume in Chrome, Music, Spotify, or any other app without opening the main SoundSource window. This is great for when you only need to adjust the volume for one app.
There’s also a handy feature that allows SoundSource to switch your AirPods to “audio output only” mode, meaning every app will use your Mac’s built-in microphone for input and transmit audio to your AirPods. Rogue Amoeba claims this significantly improves the sound quality on AirPods.
This app has numerous usability improvements, which made my decision to purchase version 6 much easier. If you’ve never used SoundSource before, you’ll need to pay $49 for the app. There’s a free 20-minute trial, after which the sound quality degrades. Users upgrading from previous versions of SoundSource can get the updated version for $25.