[joker97]

Hi. I have 2 laptops one win 7 one win 8 and plugging my Fiio E17 as USB DAC/AMP.
 
I have played flac on WMP, VLC, Foobar and it sounds fine with no EQ enabled. If i EQ up the bass by anything more than 2dB on any of the programs on every system, the bass will distort really bad.
 
I have tried with any headphone, same result. I am playing at around 80-85dB.
 
So, is my Fiio E17 faulty or is there something else i'm missing?

 

[A_Man_Eating_Duck]

You're probably causing the bass to clip.

In the EQ don't increase the bass, decrease the other frequencies.

E.G.

Don't do this

 -
 +2dB --- --- 
 -
 0dB --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
 -
 -2dB
 -

Do this 

 -
 +2dB
 -
 0dB --- --- 
 -
 -2dB --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
 -

pardon the ****ty EQ illustration

 

[joker97]

Thank you I actually read about this and did it but it made other frequencies very muffled/veiled. Is that normal?

 

[A_Man_Eating_Duck]

How much dB are you adding to the bass when you do the method i suggested?

 

[joker97]

Lol I knew amount had something to do with it.
 
On my laptop's DSP it can add oodles of bass which is around 12dB.
 
What i'm doing now is 5dB on WMP and another 6 on my Fiio. This is not too bad. the 12dB completely killed the other frequencies.
 
What i don't understand is how the laptop's DSP can do it but i can't do the same with a USB DAC

 

[A_Man_Eating_Duck]

The laptop dsp would work the same as your fiios bass boost. It boosts the frequencies on the way out.

But what you were doing was clipping the frequencies on the way in so it would be distorted

Sent from my Nokia using Tapatalk

 

[joker97]

thanks. it sounds much more exciting with my DSP than the Fiio - at the expense of perfect (but boring) detail. good to know it's no the DAC/Amp

 

[jiiteepee]

Thank you I actually read about this and did it but it made other frequencies very muffled/veiled. Is that normal?

 
Yes it is normal when you use a graphic equalizer. Why, because of frequency response isn't flat anymore when gain is set to <> 0dB.
What duck eater suggested not to do is actually the only right way to go because of the method he then suggested effects just the way you said. Why ... just google some theory for graphics equalizer.
 
If you still want to use graphics equalizer, get one which has gain control for output .... to get best possible result, just switch to a parametric EQ, which has a separate gain control for output.
 
If you want to use the EQ as a global effect then I could suggest EqualizerAPO + fPEQGUI-10MC (does not work with ASIO, KS nor WASAPI in exclusive mode.).
You can also use VST plug-ins in Foobar through VST Adapter plug-in http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=Foobar2000:Components/VST_adapter
There are many good parametric EQ VST plugins even as a freeware listed at http://www.kvraudio.com/q.php?search=1&q=parametric+EQ
I would recommend http://www.kvraudio.com/product/nweq_by_wwaym for deep/soft bass boosting.

 

[joker97]

thank you. now i understand.
 
fiddled with foobar and some 3rd party 30 band EQ - my skull shaking under the LCD-2s ... with perfect clarity!