[RPGWiZaRD]

Still in the search of a good hardware EQ option for my headphone usage. ^^ Would be cool if at least some manufacturer made one specifically made for heapdhones in mind without cramping on the adjustability too much (ie not too many reductions in configurable bands n such). Desktop sized is what I'm looking for though, don't need portability but my desk is already pretty crammed with stuff so smaller size is always a plus.

 

[obobskivich]

Still in the search of a good hardware EQ option for my headphone usage. ^^ Would be cool if at least some manufacturer made one specifically made for heapdhones in mind without cramping on the adjustability too much (ie not too many reductions in configurable bands n such). Desktop sized is what I'm looking for though, don't need portability but my desk is already pretty crammed with stuff so smaller size is always a plus.

Not sure of "specifically for headphones" but why not get a nice para-EQ from Behringer or somesuch, or use miniDSP with the EQ plugins?

Speaking of compact, Behringer does make this one:
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/FBQ800.aspx

 

[MLGrado]

'of coarse!'...... 
 
hmmm, sounds about right to me, speaking of digital EQ.  Surely an unintentional gaff, right??

 

[RRod]

Just as long as the anti-EQ people promise never to even lay eyes on something like the Smyth Realiser. If they think dropping the treble at 6-10k on the HD800s is sacrilege, I don't even want to know how they feel about cancelling out the headphone's response entirely so that a personalized HRIR/BRIR can be used with them.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Not sure of "specifically for headphones" but why not get a nice para-EQ from Behringer or somesuch, or use miniDSP with the EQ plugins?

Speaking of compact, Behringer does make this one:
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/FBQ800.aspx

9-band is on the low amount side of range. I've looked at the Behringers and the DEQ2496 looks very interesting but it has all kinds of inputs/outputs I don't have. I've got to hook it up by analog in/out to get my desired sound from the source. Guess I'd need to use 2x XLR to 3.5 mm stereo cables for input and output.

 

[obobskivich]

You could use digital too, or with ADCs, etc. Just passively hopping from SE consumer gear into balanced pro gear may work or it may not.

 

[choccoyote01]

Can a high-shelf on 90Hz with -6dB / -8dB damage the headphone (with moderate volume listening)?

 

[kiikasi]

Nah, it'll just clip if the membrane can travel far enough. Don't be scared if your headphones distort because of EQ, just worry if it's distorting because of excessive voltage and volume because the voice coil can actually end up melting. However, no phone or mp3 player has the power to do that haha

 

[choccoyote01]

However I'm using the CEntrance M8 which might have the power to do that

? Besides, didn't know reducing gain could cause clipping. I've only experienced clipping when boosting.

 

[p4s2p0]

I always use an EQ but am limited to presets on my sony ps vita combined with urbeats.

 

[zambz]

There are so many extremely advanced and awesome sounding parametric EQs in both the VST and AU format for PC and Mac, but then it's a matter of finding a way to use them (foobar2000, Audirava, Fidelify) or using something like Soundflower / AU Lab on the entire output.  I personally would not do this in the analog domain, if anything that would colour the sound further (more circuits, more noise .etc).
 
I recommend plugins by DMG Audio http://dmgaudio.com/products_equilibrium.php or FabFilter http://www.fabfilter.com/products/pro-q-2-equalizer-plug-in if you want to part with some cash.  But if not, TDR make an absolutely awesome free parametric EQ http://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-nova/.
 
Some of the aforementioned EQs offer a linear phase mode which should colour the original source the least while still applying the necessarily adjustments.  However, I think minimal phase EQing is not going to be an issue either.
 
Of course on Mac and PC, we also have APO Equilazer on PC (which I think is absolutely awesome),  Boom 2 for Mac (which is just okish) and Hear on Mac (haven't played with this much)
 
I personally think that EQing headphones is totally fine.  In an ideal world, the headphones you buy will be in the ballpark of the signature you want to help avoid making huge changes via EQ which can indeed sound a little unnatural if not done carefully.  Tyll has often mentioned using EQ in his videos to make certain headphones more enjoyable to listen to.

 

[Fegefeuer]

Doesn't EQ happen in the time domain thus changing positioning or the directionality of the sound? Might not matter too much for some music but for games and movies I noticed a change in imaging when applying EQ or even dynamic EQ like Creative's Crystallizer. For the worse. However that's a different field

 

[fjrabon]

my favorite are the people who refuse to ever use EQ out of some weird principle, but will stick duct tape to the inside of the cup to do something very coarsely and inaccurately that EQ can solve with a touch of a button precisely.  

 

[ktm]

EQ is the last step in getting good sound. When you find the right  headphone and amp, you then use EQ to get rid of whatever bothers you
about your set up. All headphones have some odd peaks or valleys in their sound. I was using a pc with foobar and the advanced EQ.
You can't fix everything with EQ, Too much of it and you screw up the sound more than fix it. But it isn't evil, just a tool with some limitations.
I recently went from a PC to Raspberry PI for my source, so no more Foobar EQ. I have got my amp/heaphones matched up well and
really don't miss not having the EQ option. I do still have the old school option of running off my classic Marantz. The headphone
out sounds pretty good, and I sometimes hook up a Stax adapter off of it for my SR-80's.

 

[fjrabon]

  EQ is the last step in getting good sound. When you find the right  headphone and amp, you then use EQ to get rid of whatever bothers you
about your set up. All headphones have some odd peaks or valleys in their sound. I was using a pc with foobar and the advanced EQ.
You can't fix everything with EQ, Too much of it and you screw up the sound more than fix it. But it isn't evil, just a tool with some limitations.
I recently went from a PC to Raspberry PI for my source, so no more Foobar EQ. I have got my amp/heaphones matched up well and
really don't miss not having the EQ option. I do still have the old school option of running off my classic Marantz. The headphone
out sounds pretty good, and I sometimes hook up a Stax adapter off of it for my SR-80's.

agree here.  I don't own any headphones where I feel like I "need" EQ.  Everything I own honestly I enjoy the sound straight out of my iPhone, no DAC, AMP and no EQ.  DAC/amp?EQ just takes it to that next level.  EQing also has more to do with how I hear than the headphone.  I have a mild 4kHz resonance in my inner ear, so dealing with that is a lot of how I EQ.  Also, dealing with dynamics' tendency for sub bass roll off, after getting used to flat planar bass is a big thing I do with EQ as well.
 
An aspect I haven't really seen talked about here is that not all headphones "take" EQing equally well.  The M50, for example, is notoriously hard to EQ.  It's like it ignores any EQ adjustments you make, and then right when you start to hear the effects of EQ, it causes it to become a muddled mess.