luisdent
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
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Not directly maybe, but evening the frequency response unmasks details that were otherwise overshadowed by dips and peaks. The details become easier to hear and things become smoother and more accurate. So if you define resolution as the amount of fine detail you can hear, then yes eq can improve that. If you think of resolution as the physical limit of how much detail an iem can ever resolve, then no, eq can't help that.
Like the pfe112, eq can't decrese the distortion level, so it can only sound so good. But with an earphone that has good specs and capabilities, eq can definitely bring out details you didn't hear before...
Ok, but there's no way EX85 can match ER4S. Sorry, I just don't believe that and, no offense, but it seems pretty ridiculous to me. EX85 is a low end dynamic IEM. Do you think Sony really put a lot of effort into making it? I highly doubt it. You can EQ it to match any frequency response you want with the a great EQ, but I don't think it has the technical chops to compete at ER4S level. I have an EX85 actually - it came included with my Sony Walkman DAP that I bought a few years ago. It's OK sounding, but the bass is not very tight and quite bloated - a far cry from the super tight and detailed ER4 bass - while the mids and highs lack refinement and clarity even compared to a decent $100 headphone/IEM. To really believe I need to see some measurements for EX85 first. I bet it measures like a typical low end dynamic IEM with roller coaster frequency response, ugly looking square wave graphs, slow impulse response, etc. Again, no offense - I am not saying that you can't tell what good sound is, but I do think you went a too far with the EX85 claims. Maybe you are too easily influenced by placebo.
Believe what you will. First and foremost I never said it was an identical match for the er4s in any situation. But as far as frequency response goes, I personally think it is one of the most important aspects of any audio device whether it be speaker or earphone. If frequency response was perfectly flat with every device, than obviously the other specs would be larger determining factors. However, this is not the case.
I would take an eq'd ex85 over a non eq'd er4s. Plain and simple. With my eq, to my ears, the ex85 is just as revealing in details as the er4s. The bass bloat is completely removed by the eq, thus MAKING it tighter. People talk about tightness and speed and all this other stuff... While they are definitely related to specifications, etc. they are also very closely tied into the frequency response. When the bass is bloated and the treble reduced, the sound will be muffled and bass will sound slow and muddy. The treble affects the bass as much as the bass affects the bass. That may sound silly, but when someone plucks a note on a bass guitar it isn't just bass frequencies being produced. You have the transient attack of the string with all the associated high frequency noises, even if they aren't in large proportion to the bass, they are there, and they add something to the bass. The er4s has "tight" bass, not only because of the specifications, but also because the low frequencies are flat if not a bit recessed in the sub bass region. While the high frequencies are essentially more present. Therefore bass instruments sound "tight". The physical specifications also play a part in the sound as well, but don't underestimate frequency response.
No, you can't eq a crappy earphone to sound like the er4s. But the ex85 isn't a crappy earphone. Yes it is bass heavy, but by no means is it crappy. It's not far from the mh1 in my opinion. It has a bit more scooped out treble in areas, but nothing as bad as some of the more expensive earphones I've tried that have peaks and troughs I'm amazed people put up with. The ex85 specs are actually very good:
http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2012/04/sony-mdr-ex85.html
Distortion levels at least as good, if not better than the er4s. Good impulse response. Not the best ever, but by no means bad. Rin even notes that the resonance in the sibilant region is even less than the ex700 and ex1000. Are there some flaws? Sure, but you'd probably believe the pfe112 is a better earphone because it costs $180 new? I would take the ex85 eq'd hands down. The distortion is obvious in comparison to the ex85 and masks the openness and depth a good amount once they are both eq'd to be more neutral.
Needless to say, the eq brings the ex85 to a much more neutral level, which in my opinion is flatter than the er4s with no eq. I don't mind that other people might disagree, even if they've never heard it. That's there decision. I personally wouldn't close my mind to the possibility of something "cheap" sounding as good as something "expensive". Did you know that it used to retail for $90 when it was new? I wouldn't call that expensive, but it's not really cheap either. The hifiman re400 you like is $99. Is that junk because it's cheap? :-o
Here's a bit of detail as to what I hear comparing the two. The ex85 has better openness and overall balance when eq'd comparing it to the er4s not eq'd. Instruments stand in their own space more naturally and distinctly. They sound more "there" when you listen to where something would be in a room for instance. Now, if you apply eq to the er4s that's another story. Then they become closer in sound, but the er4s is a bit smoother and has a bit more resolving power in that the fine frequency response accuracy and specifications lend to a very smooth sound from low to high. The ex85 still does extremely well, but like the hifiman 272 even, it sounds drier and more airy. However, the original claim was that I liked it eq'd better than the er4s with no eq. And I stand by that.
I'm sure I won't convince you, because it sounds like your mind is already made up. You're welcome to try my eq. I made a post about it on my blog: http://handtokey.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-sony-ex85lp-story-and-custom-eq.html
I'm sure people will disagree, while some might be impressed at how a "cheap" iem can be improved with eq. Either way, your mind is a very powerful thing, and although people usually won't admit it, you can easily hear something because you think you do. Same goes for me. I've been wrong many times on listening to many things. But I'm not afraid to say I was wrong and I do a LOT of listening and comparing. And I'm aware of this effect, so I try to be as unbiased as I can. In doing so, I believe that I am hearing a very accurate and balanced iem when there is eq applied to the ex85. There are no major lacking specifications, and this is based on rin's graphs themselves. I only add a very small amount of bass, as I don't find his graphs compensate that area well. This is probably what it would sound like if goldenears had adjusted the bass as they do on their graphs. And again, i'm in no way downplaying the importance of good specifications and measurements. If anything people here probably know me as the guy that won't shut up about graphs and such. haha But everything has to be taken into account relatively speaking. And sometimes a little change in frequency response can make a bigger difference in sound compared to a little change in a square wave response for example. However, if the square wave response was horrible that might be another story.
Anyway, it is what it is. We all have different ears, different opinions, different tastes. All I can say is that I've been listening to the ex85 with eq for a while now and find it very enjoyable. Is it the best i've heard? No. One of the best? Yes. I'd probably put crown to the er4s with eq or the re272 without. They just have a slightly better upper hand when you total every little aspect of the sound. But the ex85 gets almost all the way there just by adding some eq. And that's also why I prefer the 272 to the er4s. It doesn't require any eq for me. With eq the er4s can sound right up there with the 272. But without it, well, you know the difference I've already described.
I'll stop hear as I'm sure no one wants to read this much anyway. What say you piano man?!
longest post evah
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Bwahaha. I gotta make you work for it! Gnarl, i'll send you mine.