Earbud target curve tests

[furyossa]

Any progress on earbuds target curve v1.6?

 

[Sam L]

Any progress on earbuds target curve v1.6?

The changes planned for 1.6 will be very subtle. I'm looking at various headphone graphs currently. The bass and mids will likely not change though.

 

[onedvt]

-7.3dB to start. Bump to -10dB if you see any clipping, though I've noticed with peace/apo that just cause the music is clipping doesn't mean there's any degradation in sound on some buds.

Perfect. Think I will stick to -10db for the added headroom(?). Think it's getting really close to the ideal sound I'm looking for on the Monk Lites. Not that I know how to make it sound better though . The 5k is a hell of a device. I have a loaner unit with the option of buying it later and have been on the fence about pulling the trigger as I already have the iFi iDSD, which functions similarly but is 4 times the size. Wired the iDSD is undoubtedly better sounding but the 5k is far more versatile and portable.

 

[Sam L]

Ok, here we go. This may sound a little exaggerated, but it's perfectly normal when you happen to feel goosebumps on the first listening
Do you know what you did? You have surpassed yourself. You brought the dead sounding earbuds back to life. BOOM!!!
I can't describe in words how bad they sounded before the correction. Like total garbage. I just don’t know how people praised them.
When they apply this correction they will know what I am talking about. When you turn up the volume, you start to feel pain, a distorted sound was unbearable.
I bought these earbuds last year as soon as they came out, they went through the burn-in process (> 40h) without any improvement,
and I didn’t listen to them for even 1 day in total. It is no longer worth talking about bad things so let's talk about good things.

First of all, you need to call the FAAEAL and let them know what you have achieved. Send them a file to hear how should sound flagship earbuds.
Man, seriously, no matter how they sound now, I’m not an expert at judging true sound quality, but I can honestly say the difference is HUGE.
Let's be honest, with this look and build quality they are definitely worth over $30 and with this sound quality (after correction) worth 3 times more.
It can rank easily with earphones in the price range of $100.
BTW...You made a much better correction here than with HE150Pro, maybe because HE150Pro already sounds good and not need too much correction.
If by any chance you have changed the target curve, try again with HE150 (female vocals are a bit thin).
Anyway...I used these PEQ files with Peace. For me personally, no compression is required, only preamp = -6dB.
In fact, I think it's better not to touch anything because compressing only restores the original bad sound.
I didn't notice any difference between the "neutral" and "bass" version. You can leave these "neutral" adjustments.
I was right when I said that this driver has great potential. The aluminum they used as a coating proved to be really good.
If I'm not mistaken, Meze Rai Solo used pure aluminum for the driver's diaphragm, but the technology itself is much more perfect.
They stated the following benefits of aluminum, which can be noticed on the Datura Pro model:
- Low total harmonic distortion
- Clear mid-range
- Outstanding reproduction of low frequencies
I hope that based on my description you can make a purchase decision.
I don't know if it's up to me, but it still feels like the vocals are a little thin. I guess it’s because I don’t use compression. My bad
That's all for now. I am really grateful for all the effort and help around “reviving” the natural sound of earbuds.

Just got the Datura Pro's. Completely agree with @furyossa, these transform insanely well with compensation. For $26, these are a phenomenal value.

I'm just 10 mins into listening to the Datura Pro's on v1.5 Bass version and they are easily one of the best sounding buds I've heard. The drivers handle 100% eq strength on wavelet with no distortion at all. Resolution across the entire FR is exemplary.

I have to try them out on peace/apo eventually.

 

[furyossa]

You see. Unbelievable
Now you understand why I reacted like that when I gave my impression.I didn't exaggerate at all.
Stock tuning is incredibly bad and gives an unpleasant impression. Burn-in will not help at all.
Whit your v1.5 Bass version this buds transform into "supercar".
The Al driver is very powerful, accepts equalization like a "boss", with no distortion and sharpness at all.

 

[Sam L]

You see. Unbelievable
Now you understand why I reacted like that when I gave my impression.I didn't exaggerate at all.
Stock tuning is incredibly bad and gives an unpleasant impression. Burn-in will not help at all.
Whit your v1.5 Bass version this buds transform into "supercar".
The Al driver is very powerful, accepts equalization like a "boss", with no distortion and sharpness at all.

I see now!

I can't believe we can get this level of sound quality for $26. Mindboggling. If people don't have this model, everyone should get one immediately.

**edit**
For new users reading this post, I'm not talking about the Datura Pro in it's stock tuning. It sounds like crap. But run this bud through wavelet or peace/apo compensation to v1.5 bass target and it turns into an end game bud.

 

[furyossa]

I see now!

I can't believe we can get this level of sound quality for $26. Mindboggling. If people don't have this model, everyone should get one immediately.

**edit**
For new users reading this post, I'm not talking about the Datura Pro in it's stock tuning. It sounds like crap. But run this bud through wavelet or peace/apo compensation to v1.5 bass target and it turns into an end game bud.

And for peace/apo users, set preamp value to -6dB without any compression. Why without compression? You don't want to go back with the original tuning, trust me

 

[Sam L]

And for peace/apo users, set preamp value to -6dB without any compression. Why without compression? You don't want to go back with the original tuning, trust me

well, to be honest, at first I hit the compress button twice because the difference was too great. You'd need to hit compress 7 or 8 times to see it return to stock tuning. but you are absolutely right, stock tuning is trash. I'm trying not to be overly hyping the difference but seriously it is literally a "cinderella" (as furyossa described) transformation.

 

[furyossa]

well, to be honest, at first I hit the compress button twice because the difference was too great. You'd need to hit compress 7 or 8 times to see it return to stock tuning. but you are absolutely right, stock tuning is trash. I'm trying not to be overly hyping the difference but seriously it is literally a "cinderella" (as furyossa described) transformation.

What can I say, we have a winner

 

[mtl171]

Faaeal Datura Pro
version 1.5 bass and neutral editions

I do not have this bud in my possession, so I haven't given it a listen yet. @cenizas provided the graph for correction and @furyossa is giving it a test run before chiming in with his impressions. Thanks to both of them for their help.

The bass roll-off on this bud is pretty significant, so there might not be much difference at all between the bass and neutral versions for this model. Also, given that the correction curve is pretty extreme, depending on the driver quality, you might need to run this at 40% eq strength on wavelet. On peace/apo in windows that will equate to hitting the "compress" button 3 or 4 times.

FAAEL Datura Pro (with black foams)

I just got my datura pros after hearing it suggested by Sam L, furyossa, and Basking Shark for both mid focused. I honestly did not believe how bad the bass roll off would be. Geez, its seriously bad. Upper bass is light but fine, Mid bass is barely tolerable, but anything beneath that is nonexistent. Mids are definitely pronounced as expected, though the treble is the closest I've heard I've head to sibilant in any earbud/IEM/headphone. It's actually piercing with some higher pitched vocalist. Strings violin/guitars also have this weird twang (?) sound to them which just sounds off.

I followed furyossa's suggestion of using -6dB on EQ gain and am running the neutral tuning with TIDAL -> blackhole/hosting au -> MacBook Pro dac/amp. Overall I find the treble/mids is smoothed out a bit which make these wayyyyy more tolerable. It lacks the sparkle from the original but I would not say female vocals on thin. The bass is less then the Snow Lotus CE, though theres enough for me and does not feel deficient well done and punchy. Strings also sound much more natural. My only gripe with these buds is some distortion in the extreme highs though I doubt thats fault of the EQ.

I really like the results from this EQ and its probably the most extreme change I've experienced. It really does make these much more usable for all around listening while staying relatively close to the original characteristics of the earbuds. I would not change anything about the tuning though I can totally understand if people would like some more mid bass.

Edit: changed post EQ bass impressions

 

[Sam L]

FAAEL Datura Pro (with black foams)

I just got my datura pros after hearing it suggested by Sam L, furyossa, and Basking Shark for both mid focused. I honestly did not believe how bad the bass roll off would be. Geez, its seriously bad. Upper bass is light but fine, Mid bass is barely tolerable, but anything beneath that is nonexistent. Mids are definitely pronounced as expected, though the treble is the closest I've heard I've head to sibilant in any earbud/IEM/headphone. It's actually piercing with some higher pitched vocalist. Strings violin/guitars also have this weird twang (?) sound to them which just sounds off.

I followed furyossa's suggestion of using -6dB on EQ gain and am running the neutral tuning with TIDAL -> blackhole/hosting au -> MacBook Pro dac/amp. Overall I find the treble/mids is smoothed out a bit which make these wayyyyy more tolerable. It lacks the sparkle from the original but I would not say female vocals on thin. The bass is less then the Snow Lotus CE, though theres enough for me and its surprisingly well done and punchy. Strings also sound much more natural. My only gripe with these buds is some distortion in the extreme highs though I doubt thats fault of the EQ.

I really like the results from this EQ and its probably the most extreme change I've experienced. It really does make these much more usable for all around listening while staying relatively close to the original characteristics of the earbuds. I would not change anything about the tuning though I can totally understand if people would like some more mid bass.

Thank you for sharing your observations. You're doing a better job than I did in describing how deficient the default tuning is. I'm at an age where I don't hear or perceive much in the brilliance range and sadly, it takes alot for sibilance to come through where I'd be annoyed. But what you're describing I can corroborate at an intuitive level when I hear the default tuning on the Datura Pro's (DP).

I do listen to a ton of classical music and fully agree that violins sound wonky at default tuning. The upper registers of the piano also comes across as harsh and shrill. But one of the biggest failures was the overall congestion and constricted soundstage. It was terrible.

I've not found a good solution for system wide PEQ for my macbook. The main problem being saving 40+ profiles. I tried backhole and the older soundflower options but gave up in the end because of the hassle of clicking on a number of things when switching back and forth between sources. When I am on my macbook, I'll be using 10 band GEQ settings for now. Much easier implementation for me.

For anyone else stumbling on this thread, reading about the Datura Pro's, keep in mind that these are $26 buds and when we say that the change is "extreme", it is simply shocking how much improvement there is. They have to be heard to be believed. $26, wow.


10 band EQ settings: Bass version
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 31 Hz Gain 6.9 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 62 Hz Gain 4.1 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain -4.3 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -6.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain 1.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 4.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain 0.2 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 4.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain 6.0 dB Q 1.41

Neutral version:
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 31 Hz Gain 7.5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 62 Hz Gain 1.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain -4.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -6.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain 1.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 4.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain 0.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 4.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain 6.0 dB Q 1.41

 

[somth5016]

10 band EQ settings: Bass version
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 31 Hz Gain 6.9 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 62 Hz Gain 4.1 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain -4.3 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -6.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain 1.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 4.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain 0.2 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 4.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain 6.0 dB Q 1.41

Neutral version:
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 31 Hz Gain 7.5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 62 Hz Gain 1.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain -4.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -6.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain 1.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 4.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain 0.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 4.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain 6.0 dB Q 1.41

I just try the Neutral version, and my Datura Pro sounds so much better. Thank you a lot for adding 10-band EQ settings, as I only own non-Android DAP.

 

[mtl171]

Thank you for sharing your observations. You're doing a better job than I did in describing how deficient the default tuning is. I'm at an age where I don't hear or perceive much in the brilliance range and sadly, it takes alot for sibilance to come through where I'd be annoyed. But what you're describing I can corroborate at an intuitive level when I hear the default tuning on the Datura Pro's (DP).

I do listen to a ton of classical music and fully agree that violins sound wonky at default tuning. The upper registers of the piano also comes across as harsh and shrill. But one of the biggest failures was the overall congestion and constricted soundstage. It was terrible.

I've not found a good solution for system wide PEQ for my macbook. The main problem being saving 40+ profiles. I tried backhole and the older soundflower options but gave up in the end because of the hassle of clicking on a number of things when switching back and forth between sources. When I am on my macbook, I'll be using 10 band GEQ settings for now. Much easier implementation for me.

For anyone else stumbling on this thread, reading about the Datura Pro's, keep in mind that these are $26 buds and when we say that the change is "extreme", it is simply shocking how much improvement there is. They have to be heard to be believed. $26, wow.


10 band EQ settings: Bass version
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 31 Hz Gain 6.9 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 62 Hz Gain 4.1 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain -4.3 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -6.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain 1.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 4.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain 0.2 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 4.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain 6.0 dB Q 1.41

Neutral version:
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 31 Hz Gain 7.5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 62 Hz Gain 1.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain -4.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -6.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain 1.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 4.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain 0.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 4.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain 6.0 dB Q 1.41

Its a shame that there's no better way to EQ in Mac OS. Blackhole + Hosting AU is pretty clunky and prone to not working, so I really appreciate the 10 band EQ settings. Thankfully I have a LG V20 coming the mail so hoping to use that as a DAP along with UAPP and Wavelet. Any other suggestions for Android specific music or EQ apps?

 

[furyossa]

Its a shame that there's no better way to EQ in Mac OS. Blackhole + Hosting AU is pretty clunky and prone to not working, so I really appreciate the 10 band EQ settings. Thankfully I have a LG V20 coming the mail so hoping to use that as a DAP along with UAPP and Wavelet. Any other suggestions for Android specific music or EQ apps?

Wavelet support only android 9 and up. I have LG G7 and Android 8 so UAPP works fine and U can purchase Parametric EQ for the same player by ToneBoosters.
For streaming services (Tidal, Deezer, Spotify, etc) I use the free app RE Equilizer.

 

[Sam L]

Its a shame that there's no better way to EQ in Mac OS. Blackhole + Hosting AU is pretty clunky and prone to not working, so I really appreciate the 10 band EQ settings. Thankfully I have a LG V20 coming the mail so hoping to use that as a DAP along with UAPP and Wavelet. Any other suggestions for Android specific music or EQ apps?

I miss my lg v20 dearly. The build was good and the external batteries were awesome. I'm actually thinking of dumping my Sony nw a105 and picking up the lg v20 again. Wavelet implements the eq files better than peace/apo does and is truly system-wide.. Some users are saying there are issues with UAPP working with wavelet if direct mode is on.