[mmd8x28]

I keep getting told EQing is bad. But, I keep finding myself disappointed when I turn the EQ off. Without EQ I'm blasted with midrange I don't personally like.

How do I get over this hate of midrange?

 

[El_Doug]

if you enjoy the EQ, I say keep using it!


if you really want to get over your hatred, just force yourself to listen to your music without EQ for a month. hopefully youll get used to the sound, and re-applying EQ will sound equally as foul

 

[Head Injury]

You don't like midrange? Midrange is where all the best instruments are!

You could buy a phone with recessed mids. Don't take my word for it because I haven't heard them, but Beyerdynamic DT series are supposed to have this, but opinions on them seem really split. Some love their midrange, others find them lacking.

 

[krmathis]

If you are pleased with the result I do not see the problem.
Enjoy your EQ.

 

[Shark_Jump]

Go for it.

In the real world the positives of eq'ing far outweigh the negatives.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmd8x28 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I keep getting told EQing is bad. But, I keep finding myself disappointed when I turn the EQ off. Without EQ I'm blasted with midrange I don't personally like. How do I get over this hate of midrange?

UnEq'd music can sound odd depending on the cans you're using.

I Eq'd my music until I got an HD650. Since then, I've not used an EQ much at all. So I'd say, it depends on your can. If you can find a set of headphones that fit the balance you prefer without using an EQ, it makes for a little rediscovery of how your music sounds. I can't fully explain what it is like when the EQ'ing is taken out of the mix.

 

[charlie0904]

EQ tunes the music you want it to be heard.

 

[leeperry]

show us your EQ curve

 

[3602]

Just don't use the iPod EQ.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3602 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just don't use the iPod EQ.

I can't agree with a open-shut piece of advice as that. When I used my Westone 3 IEMs, the 'treble boost' option worked a treat.

 

[mmd8x28]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeperry /img/forum/go_quote.gif show us your EQ curve

 

[aimlink]

^Wowza. That's a steep smile you got there.

I can't see you finding that sort of balance naturally coming from any system! If that's the sort of balance you like, then you'll need to keep EQ'ing your sound. If your hearing is OK, then you may have habituated your hearing into preferring that balance. A typical example of what I'm talking about is that when I listen to a Grado and go back to my HD650, the latter sound dark until my ears re-acclimatize. It's similar to claiming a room to be dark after coming out from bright sunlight. However, on remaining in the room, you're fine. It's never as bright as outside, but it's never fatiguing either and the lighting is enough. OTOH, if you have a visual problem then you'll likely need good lighting to compensate and will be more comfortable with a brighter ambiance than others may like.

OTOH, on seeing how the mids are suppressed, I'd think this has nothing to do with hearing issues, but just habituation.

 

[leeperry]

humm yeah, better get new headphones at this point....and I hope you attenuate the audio quite a lot, because w/ loud sound this would distort like mad.

 

[Kees]

Fletcher-Munson.
Loudness curve.
If the OP is used to listening to his music at relatively low volume, this would be the logical correction to keep it from sounding dull.
This is what the loudness button did on the old amps from the 70's and 80's.

 

[anetode]

All of the music you've used has already been EQ'd this way and that during mixing and mastering, so EQ is not only not bad, it is essential to getting a pleasant sound out of music. That said, tastes vary, and the smile-curve of bass & treble boost is fairly popular. Also what Kees said, Fletcher-Munson.

If you're trying to figure out what's causing a forward midrange, it may be your headphones or it may be your tube amp. One reason people like tubes is that due to a couple of issues including high output impedance, they can attenuate sound at both ends of the frequency spectrum. Your EQ could be correcting for that effect, but that's just one of the possibilities.