mactooloud vs Fish Audio S2
Side-by-side comparison of features, pros & cons, pricing, and community votes (2026).
🏆 Fish Audio S2 leads with 345 upvotes
The per-app volume mixer macOS forgot to ship
mactooloud is an innovative macOS utility that transforms the way users manage audio across different applications. Unlike the built-in system volume control, which adjusts the overall sound level, mactooloud offers per-app volume mixing, giving users precise control over individual app volumes. This is especially useful for professionals and casual users who want to fine-tune their audio environment—whether reducing Chrome's noise without affecting Spotify or balancing multiple communication tools during a busy workday. Its seamless, native menu-bar integration ensures a smooth experience without the need for audio drivers, kernel extensions, or virtual devices, making it lightweight and easy to use. Additionally, features like Auto-Duck for automatically lowering music during calls, the Mystery Sound Finder for locating elusive noises, and Focus mode for isolating one app enhance productivity and usability. Compatible with macOS 14.4+ and available with a 7-day free trial, mactooloud is an essential tool for anyone looking to elevate their audio management on Mac.
Pros
- Per-app volume control for precise audio management
- No need for drivers, kernel extensions, or virtual devices
- Features like Auto-Duck, Mystery Sound Finder, and Focus mode enhance productivity
- Native menu-bar app with a lightweight footprint
- Compatible with macOS 14.4+ and offers a free trial
Cons
- Currently no votes on Product Hunt, indicating limited user feedback
- Potential learning curve for new users unfamiliar with advanced audio controls
- Features may be limited for users needing complex audio routing
Best for
- • Adjusting individual app volumes during multitasking or streaming
- • Automatically lowering background music during video calls or meetings
- • Locating and troubleshooting mysterious or distracting sounds
- • Creating focus modes by muting all but one essential app
Pricing: Pricing not verified
Real Expressive AI Voices
Fish Audio S2 is an open-source text-to-speech (TTS) platform that pushes the boundaries of voice synthesis with its expressive capabilities. Designed for developers, content creators, and AI enthusiasts, it enables users to generate highly natural and emotionally nuanced voices across over 80 languages. Unique features include the ability to incorporate natural language cues like [whisper] or [laughing nervously], facilitating more lifelike and contextually appropriate speech. Additionally, Fish Audio S2 supports multi-speaker dialogue generation in a single pass, making it a powerful tool for creating complex audio scenes effortlessly. Its open-source nature encourages customization and community-driven improvements, making it accessible for a wide range of creative and professional applications. Overall, Fish Audio S2 stands out for its blend of advanced expressiveness, multilingual support, and open accessibility, making it a compelling choice for those seeking realistic AI voices.
Pros
- Open-source, allowing for customization and community collaboration
- Supports over 80 languages, enabling global reach
- Highly expressive with natural language cues for emotional nuance
- Capable of generating multi-speaker dialogues in a single pass
- Free to use and adapt for various projects
Cons
- May require technical expertise to implement and customize
- Potentially limited out-of-the-box user interface for non-developers
- Performance and quality may vary depending on hardware and implementation
Best for
- • Creating realistic voiceovers for video content and animations
- • Developing conversational AI and virtual assistants with emotional depth
- • Generating dialogue for video games and interactive media
- • Producing multilingual audiobooks or podcasts
Pricing: As an open-source project, Fish Audio S2 is free to use and modify, with no associated licensing fees. Users can leverage the source code directly or contribute to its development, making it accessible for all levels of users from hobbyists to professionals.