[IkSak]

Hi,

Would you be so kind to share with us a plot of EQ curve you ended up with?

Finally figured out how to EQ without adding distortion. Subtracting about 3 db from input does help.

Thanks to AFO's very smooth downward sloping frequency response from 300hz to 1.2k, it looks easy to EQ AFO by adding 3-4db smoothly up to 1.2k.
After adding a bit more balance, it sounds euphoric. Intimate, strong, full sounds. Best female vocals I ever heard. It seems to open soundstage as well quite a bit.
I still prefer EQed AFO over Ananda, but I need to spend more time with them.

 

[TSAVJason]

Finally figured out how to EQ without adding distortion. Subtracting about 3 db from input does help.

Thanks to AFO's very smooth downward sloping frequency response from 300hz to 1.2k, it looks easy to EQ AFO by adding 3-4db smoothly up to 1.2k.
After adding a bit more balance, it sounds euphoric. Intimate, strong, full sounds. Best female vocals I ever heard. It seems to open soundstage as well quite a bit.
I still prefer EQed AFO over Ananda, but I need to spend more time with them.

When using digital EQ’s it’s always best practice when you use 0/Zero as your highest sample to gain of any frequency or frequency group. So if you want more of something and it takes you above zero reference to get there, you should go the opposite way by reducing the frequencies you want less of leaving the frequencies you want more of but all under 0/Zero reference. Depending on your level preferences this may cause you to raise the volume control. Being the volume control is the final gain stage it will not add any distortion although the number referenced on your player may reflect a high number to reach the same level you were at prior to the adjustments.

 

[franz12]

Hi,

Would you be so kind to share with us a plot of EQ curve you ended up with?

It is still very similar to my previous post. I will do more experiments and post new one soon taking account @TSAVJason 's comments (Thanks!)

My reference is Innerfidelity's measurement as attached. As noted in the measurement, the basic principle is simple. Just counter downward sloping FR from 300 to 1.2k by adding 3-4 dbs smoothly peaked around 1.2k. Or you can subtract a few dbs around 150hz if you think its bass is too much. I guess this EQ makes AFO more resolving and midrange more liquid.

 

[tcellguy]

Curiosity got the better of me and I just received the AFOs. Initial impressions are highly favorable. Wow. Tons more air and mid bass vs. the AFC. I still love the neutrality and sub bass of the AFCs though. What a great pair of headphones.

Should I leave these playing music to burn in while I'm at work? If so what volume?

 

[IkSak]

Curiosity got the better of me and I just received the AFOs. Initial impressions are highly favorable. Wow. Tons more air and mid bass vs. the AFC. I still love the neutrality and sub bass of the AFCs though. What a great pair of headphones.

Should I leave these playing music to burn in while I'm at work? If so what volume?

They do improve with burn in. After some 50 hours the trebble settles. Just put some pink noise

 

[franz12]

Curiosity got the better of me and I just received the AFOs. Initial impressions are highly favorable. Wow. Tons more air and mid bass vs. the AFC. I still love the neutrality and sub bass of the AFCs though. What a great pair of headphones.

Should I leave these playing music to burn in while I'm at work? If so what volume?

About 50 hours of burn-in helps treble to settle down. If you think AFO's midrange is too warm, you might try EQ. I know that EQ might not be for everyone, but if you are willing to EQ midrange a little bit and it is done correctly, you can have both of the world. Warm, more neutral, and weighty sounds.
I am currently testing Ananda, but my AFO still wins most of head time as it sounds so heavenly now. I think AFO is particularly good for vocal music which I listen most of time.

 

[tcellguy]

OK thanks. If the treble is the only change with burn in then maybe I'll just burn in by listening over time. I'm kind of a treble head

How much do you EQ the mids?

 

[jinxy245]

It is still very similar to my previous post. I will do more experiments and post new one soon taking account @TSAVJason 's comments (Thanks!)

My reference is Innerfidelity's measurement as attached. As noted in the measurement, the basic principle is simple. Just counter downward sloping FR from 300 to 1.2k by adding 3-4 dbs smoothly peaked around 1.2k. Or you can subtract a few dbs around 150hz if you think its bass is too much. I guess this EQ makes AFO more resolving and midrange more liquid.

Why does this graph look different from the one I have bookmarked from IF?

https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/MrSpeakersAeonFlowOpenonenotchwhitefilter.pdf

 

[franz12]

Why does this graph look different from the one I ave bookmarked from IF?

https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/MrSpeakersAeonFlowOpenonenotchwhitefilter.pdf

In fact, they are on the same page.
https://www.innerfidelity.com/conte...-open-planar-magnetic-headphones-measurements

OK thanks. If the treble is the only change with burn in then maybe I'll just burn in by listening over time. I'm kind of a treble head

How much do you EQ the mids?

I was countering the downward sloping FR from 0.3 to 1.2k by raising about 3.5db on my parametric digital EQ. Fortunately, EQing midrange was quite easy.
You can also gave some EQ to your AFC if you want more bass on it. I EQed EFC to give it more bass, and found it responds to EQ really well.

 

[jinxy245]

In fact, they are on the same page.

Yeah I saw that....wasn't clear (and forgot they were on the same page...my apologies)

I meant why the 2 graphs were so different... it doesn't look like different compensation. One slopes up from 1K to 4K the other seems to float down....just struck me as odd.

 

[RiseFall123]

About 50 hours of burn-in helps treble to settle down. If you think AFO's midrange is too warm, you might try EQ. I know that EQ might not be for everyone, but if you are willing to EQ midrange a little bit and it is done correctly, you can have both of the world. Warm, more neutral, and weighty sounds.
I am currently testing Ananda, but my AFO still wins most of head time as it sounds so heavenly now. I think AFO is particularly good for vocal music which I listen most of time.

I burnt-in mine with 5/6 days 24h with Duft Punk and Massive Attack. The treble improved and after I listened to them with the white one notch and the Chord Mojo dac. Bass and mids I think they are the same of the brand new headphones.

 

[BenevolentBob]

Could someone measure the inside dimensions of the ear hole of the pads? So the vertical and horizontal distances of where your ear fits in specifically, not of the whole pad.

Unfortunately they are not listed on the Mr Speakers website (unlike the Ether pads), and it seems very hard to find this data anywhere here or on other sites, just a lot of subjective impressions ("pretty roomy" etc) of them.

Would really appreciate if someone could take the time to measure this

 

[mrspeakers]

A good tip for many EQ is that if you want more bass, bring everything else down a little instead of lifting bass up, especially if adding EQ causes any audible distortoin.

 

[skyline315]

A good tip for many EQ is that if you want more bass, bring everything else down a little instead of lifting bass up, especially if adding EQ causes any audible distortoin.

MORE bass? On the AFO? People are strange

I think you nailed the bass on this one.

I've lived with these headphones for about 8 months now, and still have zero desire to "upgrade". A friend came over and auditioned these side by side with his headphones, and kept making the statement that his headphones were more tonally "correct".

I'm not entirely sure what tonally "correct" is, but okay. Sure.

However, his statement finally brought home what has drawn me to the AFO all this time. When I listened to his headphones, I felt like I was listening to a recording from a studio. And that's fine...there are some great recordings out there. The AFO, however, gets me out of the recording and puts me in a concert venue...a smoke-filled club more often than not. The intimacy that it brings makes everything feel like live music to some extent. This was especially driven home with bands that I've seen live. If I close my eyes and pretend that I'm living that experience again, the AFO gets me there better than anything else I've heard to date. On the heels of the AFO, going back to other headphones often leaves the music feeling...small.

There's still a place for that, obviously. My 650s remain a part of my rotation and I have no plans to change that. But, when I simply want to melt away into the music, the AFO is the clear choice.

Warm tonality that doesn't sacrifice resolution? Yes, please.

 

[IkSak]

The AFO, however, gets me out of the recording and puts me in a concert venue...a smoke-filled club more often than not

I think this pretty much summarizes what many people feel with the AFO. BTW, how's the pairing of the AFO with the Lyr3?