[nycbone]

I make good use of the built-in EQ on my Clip and have an actual graphic equalizer inserted between my sources and headphone amplifier. And have since I became involved in this hobby (early 80s - still using the same equalizer!).
 
EQ is essential to hearing music the way you want to hear it and having/using it would save a lot of Head-Fiers a lot of time, trouble and $.
 
Does the recording engineer know what suits your ears? No.
The headphone manufacturer? No.
Anyone else that manufactured anything in your signal chain? No.
 
Can it make a pair of crummy headphones sound good? Probably not.
Can it make a pair of decent headphones sound great? You betcha.
 
Constantly switching DACs, amps and headphones is a waste of resources. You can put together an inexpensive system that gets you 90% of the way there and make it nearly perfect (for YOUR ears) with an equalizer.
 
So... get a decent system, make it sound the way you want with an equalizer and spend your online time researching music.

 

[xnor]

Quote:

Constantly switching DACs, amps and headphones is a waste of resources. You can put together an inexpensive system that gets you 90% of the way there and make it nearly perfect (for YOUR ears) with an equalizer.
 
So... get a decent system, make it sound the way you want with an equalizer and spend your online time researching music.

 

 
 

 

[Nachash]

The foobar equalizer is amazing, i've changed media player for that.

 

[Young Spade]

Quote:

The foobar equalizer is amazing, i've changed media player for that.

That's great to hear. I'm using media monkey right now but as soon as I go through everything in my library and weed out all the stuff i don't like (which is going to take a LONG time unfortunately) I'll switch over to Foobar.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Many of the better media players can use plugins and there are various EQ plugins available.  You aren't necessarily stuck with the stock EQ.  For example, Foobar and J River Media Center can make use of VST plugins and there are numerous good EQs available.  WinAmp and MediaMonkey can use WinAmp plugins and there are a few EQ plugins available (Electri-Q being one).