A Mac menu bar app that mixes surround audio into stereo. It can help when voices or sound effects are missing in games played through stereo speakers or headphones.
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Version 1.3 is in development. The current v1.2 download does not include the driver and recovery fixes described below. Live audio testing and Apple notarization for 1.3 are still pending.
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Interface previews for 1.3, shown with a sample output.
- Unzip a release and move
MacStereoFix.appto Applications. - Open the app and click its speaker icon in the menu bar.
- Click Install Audio Driver… and approve the macOS administrator prompt. Installation briefly interrupts all Mac audio, so finish calls and recordings first.
- Choose your speakers or headphones, then turn Force Stereo on.
- Allow microphone access when macOS asks. This lets the app read its virtual audio device; it does not select your physical microphone.
Start with your device at a low listening volume. Volume and Mute affect routed audio. Turning Force Stereo off returns to your device's normal volume.
Dialogue is included in the standard stereo mix. An optional Dialogue boost is available under Advanced and is off by default.
The app starts off each time you open it. Sleep, device disconnection, a routing error, or a manual output change stops routing. Select your output and turn it on again when you're ready.
MacStereoFix installs a virtual CoreAudio device and mixes its surround channels into two output channels. Apps that use the macOS default output follow this route; apps that choose their own output may bypass it. System alerts and protected media may behave differently.
The destination must have at least two output channels. Virtual and aggregate outputs and Bluetooth mono call modes are not supported. The app handles PCM audio; it does not decode Dolby or DTS bitstreams.
Audio is processed in memory on your Mac. There are no recordings, uploads, analytics, or ads. See Privacy for permission and storage details.
Open System Settings → Sound → Output and choose your normal speakers or headphones. Do not select MacStereoFix manually while its app is off.
- Permission denied: allow MacStereoFix in Privacy & Security → Microphone.
- Driver update has not loaded: restart the Mac.
- Bluetooth is in call mode: end the call or choose another stereo output.
- macOS cannot verify the app: download a signed, notarized release. Keep Gatekeeper and other macOS security settings enabled.
Choose Advanced → Uninstall…, then move the app to the Trash. Removing the driver requires administrator approval and briefly interrupts Mac audio.
Builds target macOS 13 and include Apple Silicon and Intel binaries. OS and device coverage is tracked in the release checklist.
Build instructions, tests, and release commands are in Development. Security issues can be reported privately.