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Train Your Ears alternatives for mix engineers.

Train Your Ears EQ Edition is a $50 plugin for EQ practice inside a DAW. It's a focused tool - focused enough that most engineers eventually want something it doesn't do. Five honest alternatives, including ours, that go beyond EQ, beyond the plugin host, or both.

Sign up freeCompare all five tools →See Reverie Mix pricing

Why people look for a Train Your Ears EQ Edition 2 alternative.

  • EQ-only is limiting.

    Mix decisions span compression, stereo image, phase, low-end cleanup, loudness, and mix-move diagnosis, with reverb decay coming soon. Train Your Ears doesn't cover any of those. A sharp EQ ear with no compressor ear gets you halfway.

  • You have to be in a DAW to practice.

    Train Your Ears runs as a VST / AU plugin or standalone host. Quick five-minute practice between meetings or on a coffee break means booting the DAW and routing audio first. Friction adds up.

  • No structured curriculum or progress tracking.

    It's a tool, not a course. There's no level progression, no scoring across sessions, no adaptive difficulty pushing you toward your weak frequencies. You're on your own to design the workout.

  • No mobile, no browser.

    Plugins don't run on phones, tablets, or in a browser tab. Mobile EQ drills on a train, in a queue, or between sessions aren't an option.

  • No curated mix library.

    You bring your own audio. Useful when you want to train on the project you're working on; less useful when you want fresh, varied finished mixes to keep ears from settling.

What to compare on.

Most ear-training comparisons stop at price and game count. Those aren't the dimensions that actually matter to a mix engineer's daily practice. Look at these instead.

  1. Material - synthesized tones or real mixes.

    Pink noise and isolated tones are easier to grade. Real mixes are what you actually work on. Some platforms train almost exclusively on the former.

  2. Difficulty granularity.

    How small can the difference between processed and unprocessed get? A 6 dB EQ boost is a different exercise from a 1 dB one. Coarse-only training plateaus fast.

  3. Stems vs. master only.

    Practicing EQ on a full mix is different from practicing EQ on an isolated kick. Multitrack stem isolation is rare and disproportionately useful.

  4. Mix-engineering scope.

    Critical listening for mix decisions is a narrower domain than general ear training (pitch, rhythm, melody). Decide what you actually want to train, then pick a tool that's deep there.

  5. Cost over time.

    A one-time EQ tool, a free browser tier, a $19.99/yr mobile subscription, and a $495 lifetime plan behave very differently over time. Math the actual horizon.

  6. Where it runs.

    Browser, DAW plugin, mobile, or pre-recorded course. The right form factor is the one that fits the time you actually have, not the one with the most features.

Quick comparison.

Skim this. The detailed sections below explain what each row actually means.

CompareReverie MixSoundGymTrain Your Ears EQ Edition 2QuiztonesGolden Ears (Dave Moulton)
PriceFree, or Pro at $12/mo or $120/yr$24.95/mo, $142/yr, or $495 lifetimeAround €49 / $50, one-time purchaseFree start; iOS Pro $4.99/mo or $19.99/yr; Mac $19.99 one-time$149.95 first year, then $19.95/yr renewal; student pricing available
Free tierPermanent. All available exercises (EQ, compressor attack, compressor release, stereo image, phase, low-end cleanup, loudness, mix-move diagnosis). Reverb decay is coming soon. 20 rounds per day.Limited. The daily workout (five quick games) plus access to a small subset of features. Most of the catalogue and the focused training mode require Pro.Demo download, not a permanent free tier.iOS is free to get started. Audio importing plus Hard and Expert quizzes require Quiztones Pro. Mac is paid one-time.No interactive free tier - this is course material, not an app.
Runs onAny modern browser. Desktop is more comfortable for canvas-precise games; everything works on a phone.Browser, with a desktop companion app.Standalone or as a plugin (VST / AU) inside any DAW.iOS and Mac. No Android or Windows version at this time.Streaming - listen on any device with a browser or audio player.
MaterialReal, finished mixes - drums, vocals, full bands. Not synthesized tones.Mix of synthesized loops and tracks; you can train with guitar, piano, drums, or full songs.Whatever audio you load - your own mixes, reference tracks, project material from sessions you're working on.Loops, single instruments, and tones. You can also import music from your device library to train against.Real musical examples, pink noise, and solo instruments, paired with hundreds of A/B comparisons and drills.
FocusMix decisions only. Every exercise maps to one thing an engineer reaches for in a session.Broad ear training - mix-engineering exercises sit alongside pitch, melody, and rhythm games.EQ ear training only - boost and cut detection at configurable Q.EQ-centered practice - tone, EQ, gain, boost, and cut quizzes across the spectrum.Frequencies, effects and processing, delays and decays, and master-frequency drills.
Multitrack stemsYesNoNoNoNo
Community / leaderboardsNoYesNoNoNo

The five options in detail.

Reverie Mix is ours, so we list it first. The others are real alternatives you should consider - we'd rather you pick the right tool than the wrong subscription.

Us
reveriemix.com

Reverie Mix

Browser-based critical-listening practice for mix engineers and producers. Eight exercises are available on the free tier; reverb decay is coming soon. Pro adds unlimited daily rounds, Style filters, and deeper practice controls.

Price
Free, or Pro at $12/mo or $120/yr
Free tier
Permanent. All available exercises (EQ, compressor attack, compressor release, stereo image, phase, low-end cleanup, loudness, mix-move diagnosis). Reverb decay is coming soon. 20 rounds per day.
Runs on
Any modern browser. Desktop is more comfortable for canvas-precise games; everything works on a phone.
Best for
Mix engineers and producers who want short, deliberate critical-listening practice without a subscription tax or a leaderboard to chase.

Strengths

  • - Free tier covers every exercise - no upgrade required to access content.
  • - Pro adds unlimited daily rounds and Style filters for targeted practice.
  • - Multitrack stem isolation in Pro: practice on isolated kick, snare, bass, vocals, or any stem from a real mix.
  • - Subtler difficulty steps in Pro - train below the audible thresholds the default tier uses.
  • - Browser-only. No install, no plugin host, no DAW required.

Limitations

  • - Newer product - eight exercises today; reverb decay and more are in development.
  • - No community, leaderboards, or competitive features.
  • - No pitch or interval training - this is a critical-listening tool, not a generalist ear-training app.

Not ideal for - Pitch / interval / chord-recognition training, music theory, or rhythm games. Wrong tool - try a music-theory app instead.

Alternative
www.soundgym.co

SoundGym

The largest gamified ear-training platform. Twenty-one sound games covering EQ, compression, panning, reverb, plus pitch, beat, and rhythm work.

Price
$24.95/mo, $142/yr, or $495 lifetime
Free tier
Limited. The daily workout (five quick games) plus access to a small subset of features. Most of the catalogue and the focused training mode require Pro.
Runs on
Browser, with a desktop companion app.
Best for
Producers and engineers who want one platform for everything ear-related - including pitch and rhythm - and who get a real lift from leaderboards, duels, and badges.

Strengths

  • - Largest catalogue of any platform listed here - twenty-one sound games across many subdomains.
  • - Active community: SoundGym Spaces, Duels, BeatRaces, Olympics, friend leaderboards.
  • - Lifetime tier exists, which a few alternatives don't offer.

Limitations

  • - $24.95/mo is the most expensive subscription in this list.
  • - Free tier is restrictive - five games per day and the bulk of the catalogue locked.
  • - Breadth comes at the cost of depth in mix-specific exercises.
  • - No multitrack stem isolation.

Not ideal for - Engineers who only want mix-decision practice and find gamified daily streaks distracting rather than motivating.

Alternative
www.trainyourears.com

Train Your Ears EQ Edition 2

A native VST / AU plugin host. You drop in your own audio and the trainer applies hidden EQ moves you have to identify.

Price
Around €49 / $50, one-time purchase
Free tier
Demo download, not a permanent free tier.
Runs on
Standalone or as a plugin (VST / AU) inside any DAW.
Best for
Engineers who already live inside a DAW, want training audio to match the work they actually do, and prefer a one-time purchase.

Strengths

  • - One-time purchase, no subscription.
  • - Train on any audio you can load into a plugin host.
  • - Configurable filter Q, multiple bands, custom frequency ranges.

Limitations

  • - EQ only - nothing for compression, stereo, phase, loudness, or reverb.
  • - Requires a DAW or plugin host. Not a casual practice tool.
  • - No structured curriculum or progress tracking.

Not ideal for - Anyone wanting compressor, stereo, phase, or loudness practice - this is EQ-only.

Alternative
theproaudiofiles.com/quiztones/

Quiztones

Apple-native EQ ear training. Hundreds of quizzes built from frequency-altered loops, single instruments, and tones.

Price
Free start; iOS Pro $4.99/mo or $19.99/yr; Mac $19.99 one-time
Free tier
iOS is free to get started. Audio importing plus Hard and Expert quizzes require Quiztones Pro. Mac is paid one-time.
Runs on
iOS and Mac. No Android or Windows version at this time.
Best for
Apple-device practice. Engineers who want to drill EQ frequencies on an iPhone or Mac between sessions.

Strengths

  • - Massive quiz library - 450+ EQ quizzes.
  • - Train against music from your own device library.
  • - Native iOS and Mac apps - fits into time browser and DAW tools don't always reach.

Limitations

  • - EQ-centered - no compression, stereo, phase, or loudness practice.
  • - Apple-only - no Android or Windows version at this time.
  • - No multitrack stem isolation.

Not ideal for - Android / Windows users, browser-first workflows, or any non-EQ-centered exercise (compression, stereo, phase, loudness, reverb).

Alternative
goldenearsaudio.com

Golden Ears (Dave Moulton)

The audio-school staple - Dave Moulton's frequency and effects training course, now streamable by membership.

Price
$149.95 first year, then $19.95/yr renewal; student pricing available
Free tier
No interactive free tier - this is course material, not an app.
Runs on
Streaming - listen on any device with a browser or audio player.
Best for
Foundational, lecture-paced training. Audio engineering students, or anyone who wants Moulton's pedagogy and a structured course rather than gamified drills.

Strengths

  • - Long-running audio-school course with Dave Moulton's pedagogy.
  • - Comprehensive frequency curriculum - every octave, boost and cut.
  • - Covers frequencies, compression, distortion, stereophony, delay, and reverb as course material.

Limitations

  • - Not interactive. No scoring, adaptive difficulty, or progression beyond what's on the audio.
  • - Pre-recorded - you can't choose new material or generate fresh rounds.
  • - No mix-specific exercises like multitrack stem isolation.

Not ideal for - Anyone looking for interactive, scored, or competitive practice. This is a curriculum, not an app.

Pick by use case.

  • Mix engineer who wants cheap, focused critical-listening practice with stems.

    All available exercises with 20 free rounds per day; $12/mo for unlimited daily rounds, Style filters, stems, and finer steps.

    → Reverie Mix

  • Producer who wants gamification, leaderboards, and broad ear training including pitch and rhythm.

    Largest catalogue, active community, lifetime tier available.

    → SoundGym

  • Engineer who lives in the DAW and wants EQ training on their own audio, no subscription.

    $50 one-time, runs as a plugin, train on the project you're actually working on.

    → Train Your Ears EQ Edition

  • Mobile-first practice between sessions or on the train.

    iOS and Mac apps, 450+ EQ quizzes, free iOS start, and iOS Pro at $4.99/mo or $19.99/yr.

    → Quiztones

  • Audio-school context, foundational frequency curriculum, lecture-paced.

    Dave Moulton course material, streamed by membership, with student pricing available.

    → Golden Ears (Dave Moulton)

Questions.

What is the best Train Your Ears alternative for mix engineers?
Depends on what you want it to do that Train Your Ears doesn't. For browser-based, all-around mix-decision practice (EQ, compression, stereo, phase, low-end, loudness, and mix-move diagnosis, with reverb decay coming soon), Reverie Mix is the most direct alternative. For broader ear training including pitch and rhythm with leaderboards, SoundGym. For mobile EQ practice on your phone, Quiztones.
Is there a cheaper Train Your Ears alternative?
Train Your Ears EQ Edition is a one-time purchase around 49 EUR / $50, so cheaper depends on your time horizon. Reverie Mix has a permanent free tier with all available exercises and 20 rounds per day - strictly cheaper short-term. Reverie Mix Pro at $12/mo passes that one-time price after a few months. Quiztones starts free on iOS, then Pro is $4.99/mo or $19.99/yr. SoundGym is more expensive monthly at $24.95/mo. If you want EQ training and only EQ training for years, Train Your Ears is the cheapest long-term - but you're paying for less scope.
Does Reverie Mix work as a DAW plugin like Train Your Ears?
No. Reverie Mix runs in the browser. If your priority is in-DAW EQ training on your own audio with no internet required, Train Your Ears is the correct tool - that's its specialty. Reverie Mix is for when you want a wider scope of mix-decision exercises with no install.
Can I train on my own audio with Reverie Mix?
Not currently. Reverie Mix uses a curated library of finished mixes for every exercise - that's how we keep difficulty calibrated. Bring-your-own audio is the use case Train Your Ears is built for. If that's your priority, it's the right tool.
Is Train Your Ears EQ Edition worth it?
Yes, for what it does. EQ training inside your DAW on your own audio, one-time purchase, no subscription - that's a focused product and it's good at it. It's not the right tool if you want compression, stereo, phase, or loudness practice; if you want reverb decay once it opens; if you want a structured curriculum with scoring; or if you want browser or mobile access. Pick by use case, not by review score.

Try Reverie Mix.

Permanent free tier - all available exercises, 20 rounds per day, no card. Pro at $12/mo or $120/yr adds unlimited daily rounds, Style filters, multitrack stem isolation, and finer difficulty steps.

Sign up freeSee pricing