Two AirPods 5 features never made it to the stage on September 9. Apple’s tech specs list “Listen together”, which shares audio between two sets of AirPods, and Apple’s iOS 27 page lists Custom EQ, described as “adjusting the lows, mids, and highs in AirPods settings”.
Neither is exclusive to the new earbuds in Apple’s wording. Listen together sits in the software feature list for both AirPods 5 models, at $129 and $149, and Custom EQ is presented as an iOS 27 feature for AirPods rather than an AirPods 5 one. Our AirPods 5 announcement roundup covers the headline specs.
Key facts: Listen together and Custom EQ
| Item | What Apple says |
|---|---|
| Listen together | “Listen together” audio sharing between two AirPods sets, per Apple’s tech specs |
| Custom EQ | Adjust “the lows, mids, and highs in AirPods settings”, per Apple’s iOS 27 page |
| When Custom EQ arrives | With iOS 27, free, on Monday, September 14, 2026 |
| Which AirPods 5 model | Both; Apple lists the same software features for the $129 and $149 versions |
| Base requirement | An iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV or Apple Vision Pro on the latest OS |
| Apple Intelligence needed | No. Apple lists that only for Siri AI and Live Translation |
| Also on iPad | Apple’s iPadOS 27 page lists the same AirPods Custom EQ |
| AirPods 5 availability | Pre-order now, in stores Friday, September 18 |
What Listen together does
Apple’s tech specs put “Listen together” in the same software list as Voice Isolation, Live Listen and Find My with separation alerts, and describe it as audio sharing between two AirPods sets. In practice that is the shared-listening idea Apple has offered for years, now stated explicitly on an open-ear AirPods spec sheet.
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What Apple has not published is the mechanics: no steps, no note on whether the second set has to be AirPods 5, and no word on whether each listener controls their own volume or noise cancellation. Both AirPods 5 models list the feature, so the $20 step up to the Wireless Charging Case is not what decides it. The event recap has the rest of the September 9 announcements.
Custom EQ is an iOS 27 feature, not an AirPods 5 one
Custom EQ appears on Apple’s iOS 27 page under AirPods, alongside GymKit on iPhone, and the description is a single line about adjusting the lows, mids and highs in AirPods settings. Because it is an operating system feature, it should reach other AirPods models on iOS 27 as well, although Apple has not published a supported-model list.
Apple has not published a step guide either. These steps follow the paths Apple’s current AirPods support guides use to reach per-AirPods settings, and may differ once iOS 27 ships on September 14.
- Update the iPhone to iOS 27 when it arrives on Monday, September 14. Apple lists Custom EQ as part of that release.
- Wear the AirPods and confirm they are connected. Apple’s AirPods guides use that as the starting state for per-AirPods options.
- Open Settings and tap your AirPods name at the top of the screen, the route Apple’s guides use for AirPods settings.
- If the name is not shown, go to Settings, then Bluetooth, then the More Info button next to your AirPods, the path Apple documents for the Adaptive Audio controls.
- Look for the equalizer controls for lows, mids and highs, which is how Apple describes the feature.
If nothing appears, check that the AirPods firmware is current, since Apple lists the latest firmware as a requirement for other AirPods features, and remember that Apple’s published settings screens still document iOS 26.
Custom EQ is not the same as Adaptive EQ
| Setting | What Apple says it is | Manual or automatic |
|---|---|---|
| Custom EQ | Adjust the lows, mids and highs in AirPods settings (iOS 27) | Manual |
| Adaptive EQ | Listed on the AirPods 5 spec sheet as “next-generation Adaptive EQ”, with no further description | Automatic |
| Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking | Listed as an AirPods 5 audio feature | Automatic once set up |
| Adaptive Audio slider | Sets how much ambient noise is allowed through, in Settings, Bluetooth, More Info | Manual |
| Headphone levels and Headphone Accommodations | Listed among AirPods 5 software features | Manual |
The distinction matters for anyone expecting Custom EQ to replace the automatic tuning. Adaptive EQ is hardware-side and listed on the spec sheet for both AirPods 5 models; Custom EQ is a setting the operating system adds on top. Apple has not said whether the two interact, or whether a custom curve survives when Adaptive Audio changes listening mode.
What Apple has not said
- Which AirPods models can pair with a set of AirPods 5 for Listen together, or how a session starts.
- Whether each listener in a Listen together session keeps independent volume and noise control.
- How many bands Custom EQ offers beyond lows, mids and highs, or whether curves can be saved as presets.
- Whether Custom EQ settings sync across devices, and whether the feature also appears on macOS 27.
- Which older AirPods models get Custom EQ on iOS 27.
AirPods 5 are on pre-order now at $129, or $149 with the Wireless Charging Case, and reach stores on Friday, September 18. Custom EQ depends on iOS 27, which is free from Monday, September 14, so buyers who order on day one will have the software before the earbuds arrive; the same release brings Apple Intelligence features to iPhones on Apple’s supported list.
