Home office headphone setup tweak - or just get new headphones?

[dyross]

Hi folks,

Another recommendation question, this one about my home office setup.

I currently have my work laptop plugged into an Audient iD14 mk2 that switches between my iLoud MTMs and HD 650s on a button press. Very nice feature.

When I use the HD 650s for production / mixing on my personal laptop, I can use Sonarworks for correction, which works great. But my work laptop is locked down in terms of installing software; there's no great software option for EQ'ing music going into my headphones. I end up missing the bass, which the 650s are lacking quite a bit. I'd love to EQ them a bit closer to Harman.

So, wondering if there's any clever solution for this? Unfortunately, the iD14 doesn't have any DSP that I could EQ the headphone channel with. Would something like the Qudelix 5k, inserted between the interface and the headphones, be a reasonable choice? Or would that be a ridiculous waste of the Audient's DAC? Are there other clever options here? Other interfaces that support onboard DSP better?

Or, should I just get different headphones for mixing vs. listening?

Thanks,
David

 

[msing539]

Do you need precise control? If not, have you considered something like a Lokius?

 

[dyross]

Do you need precise control? If not, have you considered something like a Lokius?

Lokius looks cool, but I think I would want something a bit more precise.

I guess the problem is that it either needs to be analog, or ADC the analog out of the Audient, which would be silly.

 

[msing539]

But my work laptop is locked down in terms of installing software

If that's the case then, have you considered just using another computer for audio? I remote into a headless mini PC.

 

[dyross]

If that's the case then, have you considered just using another computer for audio? I remote into a headless mini PC.

Yeah, I've started to consider that, but the issue is (and I'm being picky) - I want my zoom calls to also come through my studio monitors / headphones.

But curious to hear more about your headless setup.

 

[msing539]

Yeah, I've started to consider that, but the issue is (and I'm being picky) - I want my zoom calls to also come through my studio monitors / headphones.

But curious to hear more about your headless setup.

I run a Minix Z100-0db which is a fanless mini PC. Music is stored on a Synology NAS and I also stream Tidal. Both the Minix and my laptop, an Asus Strix Scar, are on the same wired network. And I just remote in using Windows 10 Asus > 11 Minix.

Power Conditioner
Minix > DDC > DAC > Lokius / Sys > Amp 1, 2, 3

When I do Zoom calls, I just plug my SHP9500 into the Asus.