[JES]

I was in the same boat years ago. There were no popular tutorials and actual quality EQ data. Only GEQ (graphic equalization) which was rather challenging to get right.

PEQ (Parametric equalization) is something else entirely, with the quality data available from sources like AutoEQ, it's easy to set up, use and play with, thanks to the multitude of software available that supports PEQ.

The functions behind PEQ are able to generate complex EQ curves with just a few parameters, and the data from AutoEQ are based on quality measurements. For example oratory1990 measures headphones pre and post PEQ (with Harman response as target, in most cases, LCD2C here).

Also agree with @Neweymatt , more expensive headphones are supposed to be more technically capable, but that doesn't mean their tonality can't be improved to taste. Good new is that more technically capable headphones will take equalization better, with less distortion. The fact that one is able to precisely change the "source" digitally, only adds to the fidelity of the end result, as opposed to physical mods or quirky out of the box tonality.

Of course not every headphone will sound good equalized to Harman. For example to my ears the Clear equalized to Harman (either Innerfidelity or oratory1990 data) sounds sterile and boring. On the other hand the LCD2C are saved by it (although I do boost the bass a little higher than Harman ).

Good post with good links.

I've been EQing my equipment since the 70s. I can't imagine not tweaking. Having such tools and resources readily available is luxurious.

 

[dsrk]

EQing is a feature and sometimes it is very useful. There is no perfect headphone/earphone/DAC/DAP.
You like a device but it has a few quirks..there comes the modding/tweaking.

Finding a device closer to your preferences, modding it or tweaking it to your perfection is a very good thing than spending your lifetime finding that ultimate gear IMO.

 

[roskodan]

Is Parametric eq adjust based on some set parameter? In mathematical term parametric analysis means there's pre-set distribution.
I'm just wondering if it came from the same concept.

Filter parameters are calculated from the measured headphone frequency response and target curve (like Harman). One could choose a different measurement or target curve and have AutoEQ calculate the resulting filter parameters to use with PEQ software.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I don't EQ my LCD2C either but there appears to be some discussion on this thread about the "need" to do so. I guess I was beginning to think that I'm missing something by not EQ'ing. So I was interested in seeing how LCD2C owners are EQ'ing them seeing how the RME DAC has the parametric EQ function.

Some people just can't stop pushing buttons and twisting knobs. I saw this in the 1970s when a lot of low-end setups weren't considered complete without 20 band graphic equalizer.

From my point of view, EQ is to solve specific sonic problems. I almost never use it. Don't feel left out, you're not missing anything except a huge waste of time to make things worse.

 

[roskodan]

Did you try headphones in the 1970s? Did you try headphones in the 2010s? Noticed any improvements? Well, welcome to the 2020s, the era of easy hi-fi headphone equalization to taste.

 

[gikigill]

I assure you that the person mastering the tracks used EQ liberally.

And I mean very liberally.

 

[roskodan]

I mean, when the manufacturer provides and encourages using DSP/EQ to... and I quote...

For professional applications, Reveal can allow mixing and/or mastering in virtually any location while ensuring your work will translate well to most any system. For Audiophiles, Reveal gives another “flavor” to be chosen by the listener and adds value to your Audeze headphones.

 

[Neweymatt]

I mean, when the manufacturer provides and encourages using DSP/EQ to... and I quote...

Yeah, this Is why I got curious about EQ for the LCD2C in the first place, as I wasn’t sure I wanted to shell out for Reveal+ , figured I'd see what I could get using EQ on the Mac..

 

[roskodan]

Yeah, and I'll add that from the release of the LCD2 , like ten years ago, to this day Audeze headphones are still unbeaten for performance in many aspects, like lowest distortion, responding great to EQ, arguably the best bass and mids. Even ASR review praised them for having virtually zero distortion.

Been listening to a lot of jazz since I got the LCD2C, albeit EQ-ed (haters gonna hate ), there is something about jazz and planar headphones, Audeze in particular, creating the right atmosphere.

 

[Ruprit]

Yeah, this Is why I got curious about EQ for the LCD2C in the first place, as I wasn’t sure I wanted to shell out for Reveal+ , figured I'd see what I could get using EQ on the Mac..

It's amazingly buggy but you can load the free version of Reveal into Equalizer APO.

 

[OldSchoolGamer]

It’s not free, but I’ve been using SoundSource (https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/) with the free reveal plug-in.
Works great and isnt buggy. SoundSource is a useful bit of software for Mac anyway - Let’s you divert your audio to different outputs by application. I use it so that Zoom calls come out of my laptop speakers, but music gets routed to my headphones.

 

[539465]

It’s not free, but I’ve been using SoundSource (https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/) with the free reveal plug-in.
Works great and isnt buggy. SoundSource is a useful bit of software for Mac anyway - Let’s you divert your audio to different outputs by application. I use it so that Zoom calls come out of my laptop speakers, but music gets routed to my headphones.

they have this free for windows called eartrumpet in Microsoft store, useful feature, both OS need this and iphone needs EQ for all sounds like this stuff is not that hard

 

[OldSchoolGamer]

they have this free for windows called eartrumpet in Microsoft store, useful feature, both OS need this and iphone needs EQ for all sounds like this stuff is not that hard

Yes, it's definitely one of those things that you'd think would be built into the OS, but MacOS is lacking here. SoundSource adds this functionality nicely but also lets you apply audio effects (like the reveal plug-in) on an application basis which I find really useful. You can also add various filters and other effects. There's probably other ways of achieving the same thing (possibly for free), but I stumbled across this app and it does just what I need without any messing around so was worth the cost to me.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

We don't want it built into the OS. That's the whole point of ASIO rather than Windows audio. As soon as the OS provides EQ or gets in the way of the signal you break bitperfect.

 

[roskodan]

I have a feeling we have two distinct and opposite camps in here. I could bet that if Head-Fi had a poll of what's more important between having "bit perfect" or DSP capability, the vast majority would choose "bit perfect". Even tho no one can tell the difference between lossless audio codecs and high bit rate lossy mp3 compression.

If one cares only about avoiding OS sound APIs (aka Windows sound / DirectSound), there are many DSP, and even free PEQ, that do work under ASIO, WASAPI, KernelStreaming and other "bit perfect" sound APIs (also for Linux, OS X). For example, I have MathAudio components for foobar2000.