Does OS X process sound in any way other than volume adjustment before outputting it?

Solution 1:

I believe the output is unmodified except for amplification. For specific settings, you might find the Audio MIDI Setup utility useful as it includes per-speaker amplification settings. As I'm not a big audiophile I can't attest to the specific settings you mention but that's where I would start to test things out.

Audio MIDI Setup utility screenshot