[Whitigir]

Normally when using eq you would want to cut and not boost.

Definitely this! Especially with Digital EQ

 

[panasonicst60]

Definitely this! Especially with Digital EQ

I'm new here so I didn't really want to be a douchebag, but I couldn't help it with this one. Way too much boosting.

 

[crazyeyes]

So I've had my DX220 for about 9 hours now and it only has about 8 hours of burn in since I spent some time updating it and getting it setup. I am listening a bit with amp8 and my it04 and I have to say it sounds really good and I know it will only get better. Mango mode sounds great too.

 

[rutter]

Well, I am a new owner of a DX220 as of this afternoon. It is burning in as we speak. Based on this thread’s feedback, I expect that I will keep the DX220 and send my HiBy R6 Pro back to Amazon. Unfortunately, I can only afford to keep one of them.

Will be curious to see how you think the two compare.

Normally when using eq you would want to cut and not boost.

You want to cut what? Volume is supposed to be cut at the end, you don't just lower all the frequencies to achieve a boost at other frequencies. If there is no option to lower volume to avoid clipping/distortion that's another matter, lack of functionality on the side of the digital EQ rather than bad user behavior. There also appears to be a bug. When I apply +1 boosts to I think 1khz and 3.3khz on the 10-band EQ something unintended happens, like air getting sucked out and the soundstage being truncated somewhat.

 

[panasonicst60]

Will be curious to see how you think the two compare.



You want to cut what? Volume is supposed to be cut at the end, you don't just lower all the frequencies to achieve a boost at other frequencies. If there is no option to lower volume to avoid clipping/distortion that's another matter, lack of functionality on the side of the digital EQ rather than bad user behavior. There also appears to be a bug. When I apply +1 boosts to I think 1khz and 3.3khz on the 10-band EQ something unintended happens, like air getting sucked out and the soundstage being truncated somewhat.

All I have to say is this is basic knowledge. If you don't know this what do you know?

 

[rutter]

How would you literally equalize a headphone or iem to the Harman curve by only cutting frequencies? Do you know what the basic process of equalization is, why you're boosting or reducing frequencies? Check out an app called Sonarworks or go to their site for pictures and the lower volume to avoid clipping function I'm referring to. You boost and you reduce frequencies, then you use the highest value of your EQ to lower the volume. Not quite sure where this happens technically but it's how you avoid distortion. You don't just lower all frequencies.

 

[Benjamin6264]

How would you literally equalize a headphone or iem to the Harman curve by only cutting frequencies? Do you know what the basic process of equalization is, why you're boosting or reducing frequencies? Check out an app called Sonarworks or go to their site for pictures and the lower volume to avoid clipping function I'm referring to. You boost and you reduce frequencies, then you use the highest value of your EQ to lower the volume. Not quite sure where this happens technically but it's how you avoid distortion. You don't just lower all frequencies.

In doing so, you're basically only lowering frequencies (since the highest gain becomes 0), which is what prevents distortion.

If you want more bass, for example, you reduce mids and treble, and set your amp a little higher.

That said, I regularly use the positive gain on my Schiit Loki mini with great results.

 

[rutter]

In doing so, you're basically only lowering frequencies (since the highest gain becomes 0), which is what prevents distortion.

That's an interesting point. Possibly. You basically put the frequency response of the headphone or iem on top of the Harman curve and you boost and reduce where there is a difference between the two. The question is if lowering volume to avoid clipping is tantamount to just reproducing the Harman or target curve somewhere lower on the y axis. I don't know. I figured that the lowering of volume that does occur with the DX220 when you use EQ is to avoid distortion but as it doesn't appear to be dynamic (i.e. doesn't sound more or less depending on the highest value of the EQ) I don't know what it's for. Perhaps it is dynamic and I never bothered to test it.

That said, I regularly use the positive gain on my Schiit Loki mini with great results.

Sonarworks is so much better than that thing for literal equalization (although it depends on the headphone). The Loki is an expensive toy in my opinion (I briefly had it, three to four knobs and only single-ended connections), but if people find it effective and necessary so be it.

 

[Benjamin6264]

The question is if lowering volume to avoid clipping is tantamount to just reproducing the Harman or target curve somewhere lower on the y axis. I don't know.

That is my understanding.

 

[edwardsean]

How would you literally equalize a headphone or iem to the Harman curve by only cutting frequencies? Do you know what the basic process of equalization is, why you're boosting or reducing frequencies? Check out an app called Sonarworks or go to their site for pictures and the lower volume to avoid clipping function I'm referring to. You boost and you reduce frequencies, then you use the highest value of your EQ to lower the volume. Not quite sure where this happens technically but it's how you avoid distortion. You don't just lower all frequencies.

I want to avoid a lengthy debate on proper EQ technique, but I want to weigh in just so misinformation doesn’t spread.

I’m sure there is nothing wrong with the iBasso parameteric EQ. @panasonicst60 is correct. You want to cut problem frequencies rather than try to boost lacking frequencies. This will give the cleanest and most natural result. You are more likely to boost frequencies if you are trying to create an artificial kind of special effect. This is just a basic general rule of EQ used by the engineers who make and master the music you love.

I also saw that EQ recommendation with all the boosting. I didn’t respond because, hey, if you like it, you like it. Do what’s fun and sounds good to you. As Paul says, enjoy the music. However, I would just suggest trying to cut the mids first before boosting everything else.

 

[dsrk]

So I spent some time this afternoon with PEQ and doing some comparisons to EQ and with neither engaged.

What I found is that one has to be very judicious in PEQ with how much boost you use, and obviously the other parameters as well, or you will get distortion. I listened to several tracks from the Alpine Official Reference Disc Car Audio Nationals II CD - all were WAV files, and a few other MP3 tracks from Led Zeppelin, LA Guns, and Krokus. When pushed to levels causing distortion it did appear that MP3 (128 Kbps) suffered more than the WAV files. Here are the EQ and PEQ settings I ended up comparing - originally for the PEQ I had Filter 1 (F1) at +7 dB with Q = 0.5 and F5 also at +7 dB and Q = 0.5 but that was way too much!

EQ Settings
33 +6, 63 +5, 100 +4, 330 +2, 630 +1, 1k +2, 3.3k +4, 6.3k +5, 10k +6, and 16k +5

PEQ Settings
F1 Peaking, 33Hz, +5 dB, Q = 0.3
F2 Peaking, 150Hz, +2 dB, Q = 0.5
F3 Peaking, 800 Hz, +1 dB, Q = 0.5
F4 Peaking, 4000 Hz, +3 dB, Q = 0.5
F5 Peaking, 10000 Hz, +5 dB, Q = 0.3
F6 Peaking, 16000 Hz, +4 dB, Q = 0.5

Volume level was about 125 for EQ and Flat and down to about 104 for PEQ. All listening was with my Sony MDR-EX650 T iem's and at these levels the distortion was low enough for me - more tweaking/fine tuning is obviously possible.

Curious if anyone else has experimented much with the PEQ yet? Please share if you have!

Enjoy,
Tim

Hi Tim,
Thank you so much.
This information is what I have been looking for. I use just a very little bass boost, so don't need to be worried about distortion I think.

 

[dsrk]

Normally when using eq you would want to cut and not boost.

It's not the case with everyone.
For me I just don't want to change the default sound except add just a little bass boost. If you ever used a Cowon, you will know what's the best implementation of an EQ.
The problem with the EQ on the DAPs that drop volume to avoid clipping or what ever is that you need to have two of the same DAPs to compare if the EQ is changing the sound to exactly what you want.

 

[vault108]

I want to avoid a lengthy debate on proper EQ technique, but I want to weigh in just so misinformation doesn’t spread.

I’m sure there is nothing wrong with the iBasso parameteric EQ. @panasonicst60 is correct. You want to cut problem frequencies rather than try to boost lacking frequencies. This will give the cleanest and most natural result. You are more likely to boost frequencies if you are trying to create an artificial kind of special effect. This is just a basic general rule of EQ used by the engineers who make and master the music you love.

I also saw that EQ recommendation with all the boosting. I didn’t respond because, hey, if you like it, you like it. Do what’s fun and sounds good to you. As Paul says, enjoy the music. However, I would just suggest trying to cut the mids first before boosting everything else.

I am going to disagree with here. There are problems with PEQ in the Mango Player. LPGT which has a dedicated Blackfin chip for sound processing has no sound distortion even if you boost up to 11dB. The sound is smooth. Mango player PEQ sound like Neutron player PEQ, which does have distortion with high gain.

When playing 24bit flac file with the same PEQ 5 filters settings I have on the LGPT, not only does it sound distorted a little, but the sound stutter in Mango player. With 16bit flac file, there is no sound stutter but slight sound distortion.

 

[jmills8]

I am going to disagree with here. There are problems with PEQ in the Mango Player. LPGT which has a dedicated Blackfin chip for sound processing has no sound distortion even if you boost up to 11dB. The sound is smooth. Mango player PEQ sound like Neutron player PEQ, which does have distortion with high gain.

When playing 24bit flac file with the same PEQ 5 filters settings I have on the LGPT, not only does it sound distorted a little, but the sound stutter in Mango player. With 16bit flac file, there is no sound stutter but slight sound distortion.

Then I would add the R6 eq causes distortion also the AKSP1000 eq causes distortion. Cowon has a very clean eq.

 

[rutter]

The problem with the EQ on the DAPs that drop volume to avoid clipping or what ever is that you need to have two of the same DAPs to compare if the EQ is changing the sound to exactly what you want.

All of the frequencies are affected by the same drop.