Back in the day, any stereo amplifier or car radio worth its salt had to have a custom equalizer.

For me, it was the No. 1 feature.

I remember being giddy about installing some aftermarket car stereo that had equalizer sliders.

I’m sure it was a cheap and nasty unit, but it seemed a huge step up from the more common bass and treble controls that a lot of lesser sound gear had.

Plus, it had super-cool graphics effects that more than made up for what it lacked in sound quality.

My tweaks to the sound profile consisted mostly of pumping the bass, a preference that continues to this day.

I just tweaked the new custom equalizer on my AirPods Pro to do the same, and although it’d make audiophiles cringe, to my ears, it sounds a lot better.

Oddly, the new equalizer controls are somewhat buried in settings. Here’s where to find the AirPods’ new Custom EQ, along with some tips for setting it up.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • I usually skip AppleCare+, preferring to trust dumb luck, but this screen-replacement benefit for the upcoming iPhone Duo makes it look almost essential.

  • If you’re worried about what strangers can find out about you, here’s a guide to removing your personal data from the internet.

  • 🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: Marshall’s home speakers tend to get rave reviews, and the brand is discounting a range of models up to 50% off ahead of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days next week.

  • We had a lot of fun this week on the Cult of Mac podcast discussing John Ternus’ shakeup plans, Apple’s upcoming smart home hub, and the (very slightly) improved repairability of the AirPods 5. Here’s the video and audio.

  • Apple Arcade continues to grow with a couple of new additions this week: a cozy cat game and a not-cozy River City Survivors zombie shooter. Details here.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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Computers themselves, and software yet to be developed, will revolutionize the way we learn.

— Steve Jobs, 1985.

Today’s poll

Do you pump the bass, mids or treble?

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