SoundDial vs Boom 3D

SoundDial vs Boom 3D at a glance

	SoundDial	Boom 3D
Price model	€14.99 one-time purchase, one-time, no subscription, no in-app purchases	Direct: one-time purchase. Mac App Store: free download with in-app lifetime packs
Prices (USD, checked 12 November 2026)	€14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store	Direct store, US checkout feed: $25.00, list price $49.99. US Mac App Store: Lifetime Discount Pack $19.99, Lifetime Base Pack $49.99
Where you buy it	Mac App Store	globaldelight.com and the Mac App Store
Try before buying	no free trial; refunds go through Apple	15-day trial on the direct version, no credit card
macOS	macOS 14.2 or later	macOS 11 or later
How it installs	Mac App Store app, sandboxed; does not install a virtual audio driver	Installs an audio driver; administrator password and restart not stated
Per-app volume	Yes, 0% to 200%, soft limiter above 100%	Yes (app volume controller); range not stated
Per-app mute	Yes, plus Control-Option-M to mute all apps	Yes, described on the App Store listing
Equalizer	Per app: 10 bands, 11 presets, plus left/right balance per app. Not system-wide	System-wide: 10-band or 31-band with presets and custom presets. Per-app EQ: not stated
Output device per app	Yes (Play Through)	Not stated
Lowering other apps during calls	Yes, on by default, 5% to 80%	Not stated
Profiles	Saved mixes (volume, mute, EQ, balance; not the output device)	Custom EQ presets; other profiles not stated
Shortcuts and automation	Global hotkeys, six Shortcuts actions, sounddial:// links	Boom Remote on iPhone and iPad; Shortcuts, hotkeys and URL commands not stated
Checked on	SoundDial 2.0	Vendor pages, 2026-11-12 (Boom 3D 2.3.2, 10 September 2026)

Why SoundDial is the better pick

• Control for each app. Volume, mute, a 10-band equalizer per app, left/right balance and an output device for every app, from the menu bar. Boom 3D's pages state per-app volume and mute; they do not state per-app EQ, balance or output.
• Calls are handled for you. During a Zoom, Teams, FaceTime or Discord call, other playing apps drop to 30% of their level by default and come back afterwards. Boom 3D's pages do not state call ducking. See lower music during calls.
• Installed by the App Store. SoundDial is bought and updated through the Mac App Store, €14.99 one-time purchase, no subscription, no in-app purchases. It does not install a virtual audio driver; its guided setup asks for one macOS audio permission and tests that it works.
• A macOS 14.2 menu-bar mixer with 34 app languages. Boom 3D's Mac App Store listing names 11 languages.
• Scriptable. Global hotkeys, Shortcuts actions and sounddial:// links work without opening a window. See automate volume with Shortcuts.

When Boom 3D fits better

• You want one equalizer for all system audio. Boom 3D has a 10-band or 31-band EQ with genre presets and custom presets. SoundDial's equalizer is per app only.
• You want headphone correction. Boom 3D lists Headphone EQ for 5,000+ models. SoundDial has none.
• You want spatial effects. Boom 3D lists 3D Surround and effects such as Spatial Stereo, Fidelity, Night Mode, Pitch and Ambience. SoundDial is stereo only and has no such effects.
• Your Mac is on macOS 13 or older. Boom 3D states macOS 11; SoundDial needs macOS 14.2.
• You want an iPhone remote. Boom 3D lists Boom Remote for iPhone and iPad.

How much does Boom 3D cost?

Global Delight sells Boom 3D through two channels, and the prices are not comparable with each other:

• Direct (globaldelight.com): the vendor's US checkout feed showed $25.00 USD with a list price of $49.99 USD on 12 November 2026. A Black Friday coupon code appears on the page; the feed showed no coupon applied. The vendor site shows prices by visitor region, so your price may differ.
• Mac App Store (US storefront, USD, 12 November 2026): the app is a free download, with in-app purchases of a Lifetime Discount Pack at $19.99 and a Lifetime Base Pack at $49.99.

One license covers up to four devices across platforms, per the vendor. SoundDial is €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store. Because the channels and currencies differ, compare what each includes, not the numbers.

Does Boom 3D install an audio driver?

Yes, per the vendor's release notes: they mention "driver installation" and a separate audio driver released for a Sonoma left-right balance issue. Whether it needs the administrator password, a restart or a particular macOS permission is not stated on the pages read. The vendor also warns that Boom 3D may not work while AirPlay and FaceTime are running.

SoundDial does not install a virtual audio driver. It is a sandboxed Mac App Store app whose only entitlement is audio input.

Boom 3D review: what the vendor states

Boom 3D is made by Global Delight Technologies. Version 2.3.2 is dated 10 September 2026. It lists an app volume controller, a 10-band or 31-band equalizer, Headphone EQ, 3D Surround, a player with 20,000+ radio stations and Boom Remote. The vendor says its monitoring is good "but not for professional editing" and that using it with external DACs "may affect sound quality". Recording, ducking, per-app output and menu-bar behaviour are not stated. These points come from the vendor's pages; the app was not run for this page.

Boom 3D vs Boom 2: what is the difference?

Boom 2 is a separate Mac App Store product from the same maker.

• Price model: a free download with a 7-day trial, then auto-renewing subscriptions (US Mac App Store, USD, 12 November 2026: 1 Year Premium Pack $16.99, 6 Months Premium Pack $11.99) or a Lifetime Pack at USD 39.99.
• macOS: 12.0 or later (Boom 3D: 11).
• Features listed: a 10 to 31-band EQ, Headphone EQ for 6,000+ models, a volume booster, Audio FX, stereo widening and balance, preset import and export. Per-app volume is not mentioned on its listing.
• Version: 1.7.23, dated 9 November 2026.
• Limit: the vendor says Boom 2 does not work while AirPlay and FaceTime are running, due to a macOS limitation.

If you searched for "Boom 2 Mac" to control individual apps, its listing does not mention that. SoundDial does it. Boom 2's direct-store price and its install method are not stated.

Which macOS does each need?

SoundDial: macOS 14.2 or later. Boom 3D: macOS 11 or later; older versions of Boom 3D are offered for macOS 10.10 to 10.13. Boom 2: macOS 12.0 or later.

Can I use both?

Boom 3D works on system audio and SoundDial adjusts each app. Neither vendor describes using them together, and it was not tested for this page. If sound is odd, quit one of them first.

How do I switch from Boom 3D to SoundDial?

1. Note your volume levels and the EQ settings you use most in Boom 3D.
2. Quit Boom 3D, so two tools don't adjust the same audio at once.
3. Get SoundDial from the Mac App Store and follow its guided setup, which grants and tests audio access.
4. Click SoundDial in the menu bar and set each app's volume, EQ and output.
5. Choose "Save current mix as a profile" to keep that setup for one click later.

SoundDial's EQ is per app, so set it on the apps you care about.

Who should pick which

• If you want separate volume, mute, EQ and output for each app, take SoundDial.
• If you want other apps lowered automatically during calls, take SoundDial.
• If you want a per-app mixer bought once on the Mac App Store, take SoundDial.
• If you want to see more options, read Compare or the Boom 3D alternative page.
• If you want one equalizer for everything you hear, headphone correction or 3D Surround, take Boom 3D.

How we compared

SoundDial's column comes from the app itself (see SoundDial facts). Boom 3D's column comes only from Global Delight's own pages and listings, checked on 2026-11-12: the Boom page, its features page, the help page, the update list, the Boom 3D and Boom 2 Mac App Store listings, and the vendor's checkout price feed for the US. "Not stated" means the vendor's pages do not say. Boom 3D and Boom 2 were not run for this page; their features are as the vendor describes them.