[wind016]

I feel linear phase equalizers sound the best for music playback. I haven't tried LFF's suggestions though but  dang, some are really expensive =P

That's for the suggestions though, I will look into them too.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

I feel linear phase equalizers sound the best for music playback. I haven't tried LFF's suggestions though but  dang, some are really expensive =P

That's for the suggestions though, I will look into them too.

I wish you'd be able to try kX Audio driver's EQ, while it's not a curve but 10-band EQ you'd probably be amazed how well it works and that it's only got 10-bands hasn't stopped me from getting really nice results, I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's like using an amp when boosting the frequencies on it, no coloration/distortion/clipping or anything, it just makes it louder. I've tried like 20 or so EQs in total (VST EQs and media players etc) and none worked as great as kX Audio driver's did, neither the $500 or so VST EQs.
 
If you can easily find an old soundcard such as Audigy 2 ZS or any other Audigy card (Audigy 2 ZS is easiest to find tho and can be had like $15 or so used) to try it out, do it. It's much thanks to this EQ I don't feel the urge to buy more expensier headphones and can get very satisfying results with these lowcost ones I got.
 
I know boosting frequencies isn't supposed to work great unless you lower preamp but on kX Audio drivers I don't have to do it, in fact I usually get better results when boosting the whole range quite significantly and then just shape it according my prefers so that even the lowest point of the curve is above 0 level. It's difficult to explain the difference versus keeping the EQ settings around 0, but it's somewhat similar as adding some amp. The sound get more dynamic/full/weighty/speaker-like without any compromises in sound quality/detail, you just get "more" of everything so to speak (maybe more "forward"), more bass but also more mids and highs and no it doesn't sound the same if I simply boost the volume sliders without raising sliders on the EQ.
 
I do keep two different kind of EQ settings though, one minimalisticly EQ'd setting where sliders are kept as close to zero as possible and only adjusting the balance but also another setting where I greatly boost the whole range like I will give examples of below.
 
(note this is the settings I use on my parents comp with an Audigy 1 card whenever I go there for a visit where I happen to be at right now, with the Audigy 2 ZS card my settings are slightly different for same headphones as the different DACs have a bit different frequency response balance)
 
Sony XB500
 

 
Sennheiser HD212 Pro
 

 
Denon AH-D1100
 

 
This aggressive EQing isn't supposed to work great but it does on this EQ for some reason and my output volume capacity is also way higher. Will have to keep Windows 7 vol slider a bit lower in comparision to kX Audio driver's own sliders though to avoid distortion.
 
I mean what other EQs can you think of that settings like these actually would sound great/better than no EQing at all?

 

[Roller]

Quote:

I wish you'd be able to try kX Audio driver's EQ, while it's not a curve but 10-band EQ you'd probably be amazed how well it works and that it's only got 10-bands hasn't stopped me from getting really nice results, I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's like using an amp when boosting the frequencies on it, no coloration/distortion/clipping or anything, it just makes it louder. I've tried like 20 or so EQs in total (VST EQs and media players etc) and none worked as great as kX Audio driver's did, neither the $500 or so VST EQs.
 
If you can easily find an old soundcard such as Audigy 2 ZS or any other Audigy card (Audigy 2 ZS is easiest to find tho and can be had like $15 or so used) to try it out, do it. It's much thanks to this EQ I don't feel the urge to buy more expensier headphones and can get very satisfying results with these lowcost ones I got.
 
I know boosting frequencies isn't supposed to work great unless you lower preamp but on kX Audio drivers I don't have to do it, in fact I usually get better results when boosting the whole range quite significantly and then just shape it according my prefers so that even the lowest point of the curve is above 0 level. It's difficult to explain the difference versus keeping the EQ settings around 0, but it's somewhat similar as adding some amp. The sound get more dynamic/full/weighty/speaker-like without any compromises in sound quality/detail, you just get "more" of everything so to speak, more bass but also more mids and highs and no it doesn't sound the same if I simply boost the volume sliders without raising sliders on the EQ.
 
I mean what other EQs can you think of that settings like these actually would sound great/better than no EQing at all?
 
(note this is the settings I use on my parents comp with an Audigy 1 card whenever I go there for a visit where I happen to be at right now, with the Audigy 2 ZS card my settings are slightly different for same headphones as the different DACs have a bit different frequency response balance)
 
Sony XB500
 
Sennheiser HD212 Pro
 
Denon AH-D1100
 
This aggressive EQing isn't supposed to work great but it does on this EQ for some reason and my output volume capacity is also way higher. Will have to keep Windows 7 vol slider a bit lower in comparision to kX Audio driver's own sliders though to avoid distortion.

 
Unfortunately, the EMU10K2 chip does have a forced hardware resampling, which in that hardware generation meant a rather lousy job at it. The only proper workaround would be to feed the chip with content matching its destiny resampled format so the hardware would be skipped, and audio integrity would be maintained.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

Unfortunately, the EMU10K2 chip does have a forced hardware resampling, which in that hardware generation meant a rather lousy job at it. The only proper workaround would be to feed the chip with content matching its destiny resampled format so the hardware would be skipped, and audio integrity would be maintained.

Audigy 2 is fairly decent, Audigy 1 cards are pretty lousy at it though, I can easily notice the quality difference between the Audigy 1 and Audigy 2 ZS card. I've compared my Audigy 2 ZS to an X-Fi XtremeMusic and much preferred Audigy 2 ZS + kX Audio drivers. I will wait and see how the ONKYO SE-300PCIE card turns out like but currently I got no intensions of swapping out the Audigy 2 ZS card, thanks to all the nice DSP plugins I can tweak the sound exactly as I want it (surround/reverb/EQing etc) and will easily bring me better end result than better hardware components without this nice software implementation does (*cough* crappy Creative drivers).
 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

sorry doublepost
 
 

 

[Roller]

Quote:

Audigy 2 is fairly decent, Audigy 1 cards are pretty lousy at it though, I can easily notice the quality difference between the Audigy 1 and Audigy 2 ZS card. I've compared my Audigy 2 ZS to an X-Fi XtremeMusic and much preferred Audigy 2 ZS + kX Audio drivers. I will wait and see how the ONKYO SE-300PCIE card turns out like but currently I got no intensions of swapping out the Audigy 2 ZS card, thanks to all the nice DSP plugins I can tweak the sound exactly as I want it (surround/reverb/EQing etc) and will easily bring me better end result than better hardware components without this nice software implementation does (*cough* crappy Creative drivers).
 

True, Audigy 2 did improve quite a bit over the first generation. Still, the terrible hardware resampler is still there, and you really have to do software resampling to avoid it. So, easy to fix.
Agreed on wanting to see how the Onkyo X-Fi card will work out, looks yummy

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Here's one last screenie just for the lulz of what's possible with this EQ (correction: EQs, you can use up to 3 instances of them at same time and maybe more if I'd disable some other DSPs) if you'd like to mimick the sound of being next-door to a night club or sticking your ears next to the bassport of a 12 or 15" sub for example (you'd be suprised how similar it sounds but it's still free of clipping just have to keep vol sliders at very low setting tho to not break the headphones xD). Not many EQs would allow +/- 36 and then to make a comparision against for example iTunes EQ when I adjust +2 on this EQ it pretty much corresponds to being +6 dB on iTunes EQ in the sense how drastic the difference is, ofc there's no comparision of which EQ is working better.
 
If we're talking EQs that don't distort, the 10 band EQ in kX Audio drivers is hard to beat.
 

 
 

 

[rjaudio]

My question is why are you all EQ'ing anyway?  It really shouldn't be necessary especially with higher end cans and amps.....

 

 

[wind016]

 
Quote:

My question is why are you all EQ'ing anyway?  It really shouldn't be necessary especially with higher end cans and amps.....

 

That would be the wrong impression that one would think when you pay more. None of the higher end cans are perfect. Definitely none of them are neutral though very few come scary close IMO, such as the STAX O2 MK1(my opinion). Some people use tube amps to make it neutral or sound good their ears. Others use high end EQs. After hearing gear at meets and equipment that I bought, I firmly believe the best approach is through high end EQ. Tube amps always smear the details a bit while good EQs IME can keep the details clear while sounding like the tube amp.
 
RPGWizard, I agree that hardware EQ is the best approach I've had so far, at least from what I heard from my Cowon J3. If I go the hardware route, I'd like to get the very best sound card I can though. Any ideas? I suppose Head-fi would be a bad place to research professional sound cards with good EQs (if they exist?)
 

 

[rjaudio]

Wind016, which EQ's are you referring to that are high end?  And to answer your question, there is no professional audio interface or PCI card that has good EQ.

 

 

[wind016]

 
Quote:

Wind016, which EQ's are you referring to that are high end?  And to answer your question, there is no professional audio interface or PCI card that has good EQ.

 

PSP Neon HR, which I'm using, but LFF's suggestions might be better. Still haven't heard a DSP sound better than Cowon BBE's hardware EQ. I suppose there is no need for professionals to attempt EQing an entire mix, but I would think some one would make one.

 

[rjaudio]

We professionals EQ entire mixes all the time, it's called Mastering. 

 

[wind016]

 
Quote:

We professionals EQ entire mixes all the time, it's called Mastering. 

 
EQing the finished result, I mean.
 

 

[rjaudio]

Yes, that's what I mean to.  After the mix engineer finishes mixing, he sends the stereo mixes off to a mastering engineer to put the final touches on everything.  Do a quick google search on mastering.......

 

 

[wind016]

Quote:

Yes, that's what I mean to.  After the mix engineer finishes mixing, he sends the stereo mixes off to a mastering engineer to put the final touches on everything.  Do a quick google search on mastering.......

 

What EQs would you recommend for that?