HEARS Perfection

HEARS Perfection Review: The Ultimate Plugin for Accurate Audio Monitoring

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by

Greg Kocis
in

As a music producer, I rely on my ears to make critical mixing decisions, but natural hearing differences, age-related frequency loss, or listening fatigue can skew what I hear. Enter HEARS Perfection, a groundbreaking plugin from Plugin Alliance and Brainworx that delivers personalized hearing correction for truly accurate monitoring. In this blog post, I’ll dive into how this plugin works, why it’s a game-changer for audio engineers and producers, and how it transformed my studio workflow. Plus, I’ve included a video walkthrough (embedded below) to show you exactly how to set it up in your DAW.

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What Is HEARS Perfection?

HEARS Perfection is a personalized hearing compensation plugin designed to create a flat, neutral listening environment tailored to your unique hearing profile. Unlike traditional EQs or room correction tools, this plugin uses a 5-minute built-in hearing test to identify frequency shortfalls in your left and right ears. It then applies real-time corrective EQ curves, focusing on critical mid and high frequencies where most hearing loss occurs. The result? You hear your mixes as they truly are, not as your ears perceive them.

Developed by Brainworx in collaboration with the HEARS team, this plugin is completely rewritten with a modern, intuitive GUI, improved stability, and full compatibility with major DAWs like Ableton, Logic Pro, and Pro Tools. It’s lightweight, optimized to run permanently on your master bus, and supports AAX Native, AU, and VST3 formats on macOS (12–15) and Windows (10–11).

How Does It Work?

Setting up HEARS Perfection is straightforward. As shown in my video below, I placed the plugin on my master channel, after all mastering plugins but before any room or speaker correction tools. The process starts with a quick hearing test:

  1. Run the 5-Minute Test: In a quiet environment, keep your monitors or headphones at a comfortable listening volume. The plugin plays a series of test tones at various frequencies and volumes, and you indicate whether you hear them by selecting “Yes” or “No” for each ear.
  2. Generate a Hearing Profile: Once the test is complete, HEARS Perfection creates custom EQ curves for your left and right ears. For example, I discovered my left ear has slightly less sensitivity than my right, which the plugin corrected automatically.
  3. Fine-Tune Your Experience: Adjust the intensity of the correction with the scalable compensation feature or link the gain for both channels. You can also solo left, right, mid, or side channels for precise monitoring.

The plugin includes a bypass safety reminder that plays a periodic sound to prevent accidental bounces with the correction active—crucial since the EQ adjustments are for your monitoring, not your final mix.

Watch my video walkthrough to see the setup process in action:

Key Features of HEARS Perfection

Here’s why I believe HEARS Perfection is a must-have for any serious producer or audio engineer:

  • Personalized Hearing Profiles: Tailors correction to your unique hearing, whether you’re using headphones, studio monitors, or any monitoring system.
  • Corrective EQ Curves: Targets mid and high frequencies to compensate for common hearing loss, ensuring a balanced stereo image.
  • Modern Design: Features a brand-new codebase, sleek GUI, and faster, more accurate hearing test for seamless integration.
  • Scalable Compensation: Adjust the intensity of correction for natural results, with linked gain controls for ease of use.
  • Advanced Monitoring Options: Solo left, right, mid, or side channels to focus on specific elements of your mix.
  • Bypass Safety Reminder: Prevents exporting tracks with the plugin active, preserving your mix for listeners.
  • Low CPU Usage: Optimized to run continuously on your master bus without taxing your system.
  • Versatile Profiles: Save multiple profiles for different headphones or speakers, perfect for varied studio setups.

Why It’s a Game-Changer

Before using HEARS Perfection, I often second-guessed my mixes, wondering if I was missing subtle frequencies. This plugin eliminated that doubt. By compensating for my hearing’s natural limitations, it gave me confidence that every mix decision was based on the true sound of my music. The ability to save profiles for different monitoring systems (like my studio monitors and headphones) was a huge plus, as was the lightweight CPU performance, which let me keep it active during long sessions.

One thought I had while testing (as mentioned in the video) was how cool it would be if this technology could be applied to music players like iTunes for casual listening. While HEARS Perfection is designed for studio use, its precision and ease of use make it a standout tool for professional mixing.

Try It Yourself

Plugin Alliance offers a 14-day free trial for HEARS Perfection, or you can access it through their subscription plan, which includes hundreds of other professional plugins. I highly recommend giving it a try to see how it elevates your mixing accuracy. Check it out at Plugin Alliance.

Note: The links to Plugin Alliance in this post are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through them. This helps support my content at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use or believe bring real value to producers and songwriters.

Final Thoughts

HEARS Perfection has become an essential part of my production workflow. Its ability to correct for hearing deficiencies in real time has improved the clarity and accuracy of my mixes, saving me time and reducing guesswork. Whether you’re a seasoned audio engineer or a bedroom producer, this plugin is a powerful tool for achieving professional-grade results.

Have you tried hearing correction plugins like HEARS Perfection? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe for more music production tips, plugin reviews, and studio gear guides!

Try HEARS Perfection Today!

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