[joefig44]

I flatten the area between 6-10 KHz by 3-5 dB but I only need it for some female vocals. I try to listen without EQ whenever possible. This for HD 800 btw, for 800S you should not need any EQ at all.

Hmm... it sounds like a waste of the RME ADI-2's excellent parametric equalizer to not use it.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Hmm... it sounds like a waste of the RME ADI-2's excellent parametric equalizer to not use it.

It sounds dumb to use EQ when you don't need it. Do you add salt and pepper to all your food before tasting it? Why not? It's a waste not to use it...

Parametric EQ is about solving sonic problems and 99.9% of people using EQ causes more problems than they solve. We figured this out in the 1970s. And around and around it goes.

 

[joefig44]

It sounds dumb to use EQ when you don't need it. Do you add salt and pepper to all your food before tasting it? Why not? It's a waste not to use it...

Parametric EQ is about solving sonic problems and 99.9% of people using EQ causes more problems than they solve. We figured this out in the 1970s. And around and around it goes.

Ok, makes sense, I get it. Makes me wonder why I got a DAC with such heavy equalizer features when maybe I could have picked up a better quality one with less features but better stock sound.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Ok, makes sense, I get it. Makes me wonder why I got a DAC with such heavy equalizer features when maybe I could have picked up a better quality one with less features but better stock sound.

There isn't a clearly better quality DAC at the price and you don't need to change the stock sound.

RME is a pro audio company. The feature set is not really tilted to hifi users. Consider the EQ and most of the tweaks a bonus.

 

[joefig44]

There isn't a clearly better quality DAC at the price and you don't need to change the stock sound.

RME is a pro audio company. The feature set is not really tilted to hifi users. Consider the EQ and most of the tweaks a bonus.

Got it, thanks.

one last question: I presume it's best to run the RME on hi-power with my 800S?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Got it, thanks.

one last question: I presume it's best to run the RME on hi-power with my 800S?

Yes. I think the consensus is that there is no downside to use the high power setting generally, as long as you have enough usable range of volume control with the headphones, IEMs, or other device you're driving.

I have mine on high power and it is really not enough for my HD 600s and 800s but it does a great job with Fostex and Audeze headphones.