Can this much EQ be damaging?

Physically damaging to the headphones? No. It would be pretty hard to damage a pair of headphones you're listening to with EQ without damaging your hearing too, if not totally impossible.

However, depending on what you're planning on using to apply the EQ, there are some other things you should be aware of. If you just have a device that has the ability to boost those frequencies, then fine, however if you're using some kind of program with a graphic EQ, the best way to achieve this would NOT be to boost those frequencies.  Rather, what you would want to do is reduce every other frequency except for those by however much you wanted to boost by. So for you, the 51-100Hz range would be at 0db the 101-170 would be at -1, 30-50 at -2 and everything else at -4. This method results in the same response curve, however it prevents your gear from the possibility of clipping the signal which would result in a loss of quality. (Also be wary of mentioning EQ too much, /some/ people believe applying any EQ at all is akin to blasphemy.) Good luck! 

Of course! I say if you don't want EQ, don't use it, if you do like to have a little fun and play with the sound a bit, no problem with me! It's great, just do what you like and have fun doing it. Glad to help

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngngray 

Physically damaging to the headphones? No. It would be pretty hard to damage a pair of headphones you're listening to with EQ without damaging your hearing too, if not totally impossible.

 

However, depending on what you're planning on using to apply the EQ, there are some other things you should be aware of. If you just have a device that has the ability to boost those frequencies, then fine, however if you're using some kind of program with a graphic EQ, the best way to achieve this would NOT be to boost those frequencies.  Rather, what you would want to do is reduce every other frequency except for those by however much you wanted to boost by. So for you, the 51-100Hz range would be at 0db the 101-170 would be at -1, 30-50 at -2 and everything else at -4. This method results in the same response curve, however it prevents your gear from the possibility of clipping the signal which would result in a loss of quality. (Also be wary of mentioning EQ too much, /some/ people believe applying any EQ at all is akin to blasphemy.) Good luck! 

Indeed, you don't want to hit the 0 dB clipping threshold while digitally EQing.

Once I heard there was a producer who decided to add this EQ for the final master of a new group's breakout album:

30-50hz: 2db

51-100hz:  4db

101-170hz:  3db

Unfortunately, everybody who listened to it had their headphones and speakers explode...

No really, what were you expecting?    The headphones don't know the difference.  If the levels aren't way too high, then they won't be damaged.  For most decent headphones, you will damage your ears from the music being too loud, before you damage the headphones.

Depending on how the EQ is implemented, you do want to cut rather than boost, to avoid digital clipping, as has been pointed out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-Dawk20 

I was just paranoid was all they're my main headphones and when I heard some popping on a track(that I forgot was 128kbps and needs to be replaced ) I freaked out. But now I know I was just being silly

 

 

My final EQ was this

 

0-50hz: -2db

51-100hz: 0db

101-170hz: -1db

171-200hz: -3db

200-300hz: -4db

300-500hz: -5db

501hz-20khz: -6db

 

 

Felt it sounded more balanced for the songs I used it for and gave me more range. Going to mess with them more though.

That popping you heard is a telltale sign of clipping, which very likely was caused by your EQ'ing.  Clipping from a file or a DAC (when it is bad) sounds horrible, although it by itself won't ever do any damage to headphones.

Speakers, however, are a different matter where amplifier clipping (not the file or signal from the DAC) often is the cause of tweeter failures.  Clipping causes higher frequency harmonics to be produced, temporarily greatly exceeding the power handling of the tweeter.  Dome (and cone) tweeters are more resilient (although definitely not invincible) to this sort of damage, but planar magnetic tweeters are known for the signal arcing across the traces of the diaphragm, burning it, and then shorting out.  Traditional coil dome and cone tweeters are more likely to overheat with sustained high level playback (this includes sustained amplifier clipping), melting the coil and shorting it.  A very, very high signal level would also cause the coil to rip out of its position, so that would obviously be very bad too.