Kiwi Ears AD1 EQ app for Android
Contour EQ is a free, open-source Android app that reads and writes the parametric EQ stored inside the Kiwi Ears AD1. The EQ is written into the dongle itself, so it works in every app and on every device you plug it into.
Stable 1.8.0
Install ContourWhat Contour does on the AD1
| Bands | Filter typesPKLSHSLPHPBPAP | Kept in the DAC | DAC settings in the app |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 bands | 1 EQ | DAC settings: EQ on/off, Global gain |
| Supported since | Contour 1.8.0 |
|---|---|
| USB ID (VID:PID) | 3302:20E3 |
| Chip / protocol | KT Micro |
| EQ | Read and write; every send is read back from the DAC once it is back on USB |
| Bands | 5 |
| Filter types | PEAK, LOW SHELF, HIGH SHELF |
| Gain | -12 to +12 dB (shelves -6 to +6 dB) |
| Q | 0.2 to 10 (shelves 0.7 to 1.0) |
| Frequency | 20 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Preamp | none |
| Where the EQ is kept | In the DAC's memory: one EQ, no slots. Contour saves it after each send, and the AD1 then drops off USB for about a second. It stays after unplugging. |
| DAC page | Since 1.8.0: the EQ switch (OFF / ON) and GLOBAL GAIN from -18 to +3 dB in 1.5 dB steps. Each change is saved and read back once the AD1 is back on USB. A send turns the EQ switch ON if it is OFF. |
| Tested | By the developer on hardware and on a test rig, November 2026, firmware 1.0.x. |
Using Contour with the AD1
- Keep the profile to 5 bands of PEAK, LOW SHELF or HIGH SHELF, with no preamp. A profile that does not fit can't be sent until you change it; the red line under HOLD TO SEND says what to change.
- Send it with HOLD TO SEND. A new AD1 ships with its EQ switched off, so the first send also switches it ON.
- After each send the AD1 drops off USB and comes back on its own, and Android may ask again for permission to use it. Allow it, and Contour reads every band back.
- Play at 48 kHz, the usual USB rate on Android. Like the JM12, the AD1 works out its filters as if the stream ran at 24 kHz, so Contour writes each frequency converted for a 48 kHz stream.
Everything else works the same on every DAC: How to use Contour.
Contour EQ and Kiwi Ears' web tool
Kiwi Ears' own tool for the AD1 is a web tool, the Kiwi Ears equalizer, which lists the AD1 and saves an EQ to the dongle's flash. The open-source devicePEQ web tool lists the AD1's USB ID in its WalkPlay catalog, but the AD1 speaks the KT Micro protocol of the JCally JM12, and devicePEQ has no handler for it. Contour offers PEAK, LOW SHELF and HIGH SHELF, the EQ switch and GLOBAL GAIN, the dongle's output level. Contour runs on the Android phone the dongle is plugged into, keeps your profiles in a library on the phone and needs no internet or account.
Questions about the AD1
Is there an EQ app for the Kiwi Ears AD1 on Android?
Yes. Contour EQ reads and writes the AD1's 5-band EQ from an Android phone, with PEAK, LOW SHELF and HIGH SHELF filters, and its DAC page sets the EQ switch and GLOBAL GAIN. It is free and open source (Apache 2.0). This is for the AD1 only: the AD1 Pro is a different dongle, with another chip and USB ID, and Contour does not support it.
Why does Android ask for USB permission after a send?
The AD1 saves the EQ and then leaves USB and comes back, so Android may treat it as a newly plugged device and ask again; on the test phone it asked after every send. Allow it each time, and Contour finishes the read-back.
Can Contour update the AD1's firmware?
No. Contour does not update firmware. It reads and writes the EQ, the EQ switch and GLOBAL GAIN. It was tested on an AD1 with firmware 1.0.x.
Can I make the AD1 louder?
Yes, with GLOBAL GAIN on the DAC page, from -18 to +3 dB in 1.5 dB steps.