[TyTB]

Hello everyone,

In my quest to find a better pair of headphones, I started experimenting with some basic, crappy, pre-set, software-based EQ on my phone.

I noticed, of course, that beyond a certain amount of boost, the sound just falls apart into a muddied, distorted mess.

At the time, I was playing around with some Sennheiser HD800s in a store, and was applying a bass-boost preset to see if I could get the HD800s to sound like a pair of Hifiman Arya Organics. To my delight, I was. With a simple bass boost, they ended up sounding identical.

Then I tried the same with the very U-shaped Meze 109 Pros, and once again, with a U-shaped EQ preset, I was able to get the HD800s to sound the same.

However, one thing I never tried was the inverse -- taking a U-shaped headphone like the Meze 109 Pro, and making it flat, by DECREASING the treble and bass.

This got me wondering -- I know that you can't endlessly boost a given frequency in EQ without destroying the sound, but what about the inverse? Can you endlessly DECREASE the frequency in EQ? Or do you still somehow get a distortion if you drop a given frequency too much?

Any help is appreciated.

I'm asking this because I'm basically just trying to decide between the HD800s and the Meze 109 Pros at this point. I was able to get the HD800s to sound like the Meze by boosting bass+treble in the HD800s, but I foolishly forgot to try and make the Meze's sound like the HD800s by dropping bass+treble in the Meze. If I am in fact able to, then it seems like they're every bit as good, while being substantially cheaper. The question then becomes why bother getting the HD800s?

Thanks!

Oh, and bonus question -- I've been told that hardware-based EQ is drastically superior to software-based EQ. Is there any substance to this claim? Would just adding something like a Lokius EQ to an audio stack be sufficient?

 

[spittis]

I doubt you can make the Meze sound like the HD-800S with EQ, or I guess it depends on what you consider to be close enough. That said, you won't get distortion by lowering the gain of certain frequencies, they will just become inaudible when you lower enough.

Hardware EQ is not in any way superior to software EQ. Parametric software EQ like Equalizer APO + Peace plugin for Windows is free and more powerful (as in gives you more options) than most hardware solutions, not counting pro audio gear.

 

[RONJA MESCO]

EPIC TITLE!! I say dont use EQ at all.

 

[earmonger]

EQ will only take you so far. The sound also depends on the quality of the drivers and enclosures. Do they respond quickly or slowly--i.e., if deep bass notes are played quickly, are they articulated or do they blur together? Do they make instruments and voices sound natural or metallic or boomy? Do they emphasize some band of frequencies that's too narrow for EQ to fix?

You might take the exaggerated V shape out of the Mezes, but they are still likely to sound different from the Sennheisers. Otherwise some of us would just be EQing the heck out of budget gear.