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Looking for a SoundID Reference Black Friday deal? Sonarworks' headphone calibration software is 50% off at $49 until Nov 8, 2026.
It corrects the sound of the headphones you already own, so you hear a flat, consistent response instead of each pair's own tilt.
The software ships with presets of more than 500 headphone calibration profiles. Load the one for your model and the frequency response target is set flat across the whole audible range.
The maker says that target is designed to emulate neutral-sounding speakers. In practice, that means one reference sound on headphones, speakers and across projects.
There are two ways to apply the correction:
The plugin suits live tracking, mixing and mastering, and it can be driven with MIDI mapping. The Systemwide app covers mixing, mastering and general playback.
The zero-latency mode is the one to dial in when you're recording through the plugin.
The maker also describes an individual calibration option for individually calibrated headphones. It is specified at +/-0.9dB accuracy across the audio spectrum and accounts for left and right channel differences between drivers.
The supported list is long and covers many of the brands producers work with, including AKG, Audio-Technica, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Shure, Focal, Audeze, Bose and Beats.
Popular studio models on it include the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and DT 990 Pro, Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 650, and Shure SRH840.
Sonarworks says the aim is mixes that translate to phones, laptops and earbuds, and that you can move between projects or setups without losing your reference.
Yes. The SoundID Reference Black Friday deal takes 50% off Sonarworks' headphone calibration software, bringing it to $49. The offer ends Nov 8, 2026.
It works as a plugin in any host that supports VST, AU or AAX. There is also a separate Systemwide app for Mac and Windows that applies the calibration to all audio sources on your computer.
You get presets of more than 500 headphone calibration profiles, the DAW plugin and the Systemwide app. Features include a Custom Target curve, 3 Filter Modes and a Translation Check library of 20 listening-environment simulations.
The filter modes cover this. Zero latency is the mode for live tracking, while the mixed and linear phase modes are the ones the maker says deliver the highest audio clarity for mixing and mastering.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.