Post by Rabbit on May 26, 2013 10:47:07 GMT
I have been playing around with an interesting idea (to me) recently to do with eq'ing.
In work situations, eq'ing has always been the norm so the characteristics of the headphones (for me) has always been manipulated to some extent by pros who know what they are doing. The result is that the basic characteristic of the headphones remain, but any 'perceived' deficiencies have been altered to improve things.
The result is that what could be regarded as a fat and lacking in treble headphone (like the DT150 for instance) becomes actually very good once it has been carefully eq'd. (and then they don't seem to lack treble!!)
I found an app for the Ipod called 'Accudio' which has been designed by 'Golden Ears' based on their measurements. It's really interesting in that once they have measured the headphone response, they designed the parameters in order to get each headphone to as flat a response as possible. Of course, there's no 'saving' some headphones but I tried it and it does seem to address deficiencies.
Also, I do realise that all heads/ears aren't the same so neutral to one isn't the same as someone else, but this is doing some 'right' things.
The problem with 'Accudio' is that you select a headphone from their list (only the ones they've tested unfortunately) and then select the sound that you want .... neutral or you can select a headphone that you like the sound of. (Which isn't neutral) The other problem apart from 'missing' headphones is that it only works with music from Itunes which is crap.
So, I got one headphone that I find both good and annoying sometimes - the old Sony V6. Great for pulling out noise from a recording and sharp as a razor. However, I am quite sensitive to top end sharpness; especially on 'ringy' headphones and the Sony rings nicely, somewhere in the high mids or lower treble. That's where it can become quite offensive imo. Many hate this headphone and I understand totally why.
First, I tried it with 'Accudio' and it is tamed!! Then I thought about other files which I can't access from the programme. I went into the Ipod menu and simply decreased the treble on the inbuilt eq. (Yes, I know that the Ipod eq can introduce lots of distortion when used to boost anything, but in this case it was a cut in top end)
The V6 becomes incredibly rich. I can now listen at louder levels and it sounds more 'normal'. OK, it's not neutral but it sounds a lot better to my ears. (More Senn like). Bass is hard hitting and the edge that they have at the top is way more under control. The mids of the V6 are really very good and sound pretty flat to me. Previously, the biggest problem with it is a peak somewhere in the top in spite of the extension (air part) being absent. So just accept that they aren't going to go right up there without perhaps even more harshness and roll the treble off in order to cut the peak up there (relatively to the bass) and they are surprisingly good.
The Ipod eq system is crude but it is working, so does anyone know of a software based eq that allows 'user settings' that are perhaps a little more fine than the Ipod ones? (They're just a list of presets)
The idea of eq kind of goes against the grain for me, being an old fashioned geezer, brought up on LP's, Linn/Naim setups with NO tone controls whatsoever. Never used them in fact. However, at work, USING them is the norm.
I am so stubborn that I have NEVER used the eq on the Ipods but in the case of the the V6, it has become a rather nice headphone, in spite of it's inbuilt lack of frequency extension (and I've cut it some more) just by doing some eq adjustment with it.
I have 'learned' to be stubborn about this over the years and never touched tone or eq controls, but over the past few days, my V6 has become a headphone that is truly worth listening to for pleasure rather than analysis.
So .... any decent software eq's available for ipods? The inbuilt one is too crude tbh.
Or dare I say it Frans ....... an amp with lots of power, output impedance adjustments and .......
.....................................an inbuilt eq?
Would that be a killer amp? Too expensive?
If too expensive, how about mild boosts and cuts in bass, mid and treble?
I can now see why the Americans (mostly) go on about the V6 as a studio headphone. The common usage of eq gets them to respond way better and they become a very 'big' sounding headphone.
It really surprises me how many of us as headphone fans, don't consider eq in a serious way and I have kind of shut it out due to my 60's education in hi fi thanks to magazines etc that I read as a kid.
In work situations, eq'ing has always been the norm so the characteristics of the headphones (for me) has always been manipulated to some extent by pros who know what they are doing. The result is that the basic characteristic of the headphones remain, but any 'perceived' deficiencies have been altered to improve things.
The result is that what could be regarded as a fat and lacking in treble headphone (like the DT150 for instance) becomes actually very good once it has been carefully eq'd. (and then they don't seem to lack treble!!)
I found an app for the Ipod called 'Accudio' which has been designed by 'Golden Ears' based on their measurements. It's really interesting in that once they have measured the headphone response, they designed the parameters in order to get each headphone to as flat a response as possible. Of course, there's no 'saving' some headphones but I tried it and it does seem to address deficiencies.
Also, I do realise that all heads/ears aren't the same so neutral to one isn't the same as someone else, but this is doing some 'right' things.
The problem with 'Accudio' is that you select a headphone from their list (only the ones they've tested unfortunately) and then select the sound that you want .... neutral or you can select a headphone that you like the sound of. (Which isn't neutral) The other problem apart from 'missing' headphones is that it only works with music from Itunes which is crap.
So, I got one headphone that I find both good and annoying sometimes - the old Sony V6. Great for pulling out noise from a recording and sharp as a razor. However, I am quite sensitive to top end sharpness; especially on 'ringy' headphones and the Sony rings nicely, somewhere in the high mids or lower treble. That's where it can become quite offensive imo. Many hate this headphone and I understand totally why.
First, I tried it with 'Accudio' and it is tamed!! Then I thought about other files which I can't access from the programme. I went into the Ipod menu and simply decreased the treble on the inbuilt eq. (Yes, I know that the Ipod eq can introduce lots of distortion when used to boost anything, but in this case it was a cut in top end)
The V6 becomes incredibly rich. I can now listen at louder levels and it sounds more 'normal'. OK, it's not neutral but it sounds a lot better to my ears. (More Senn like). Bass is hard hitting and the edge that they have at the top is way more under control. The mids of the V6 are really very good and sound pretty flat to me. Previously, the biggest problem with it is a peak somewhere in the top in spite of the extension (air part) being absent. So just accept that they aren't going to go right up there without perhaps even more harshness and roll the treble off in order to cut the peak up there (relatively to the bass) and they are surprisingly good.
The Ipod eq system is crude but it is working, so does anyone know of a software based eq that allows 'user settings' that are perhaps a little more fine than the Ipod ones? (They're just a list of presets)
The idea of eq kind of goes against the grain for me, being an old fashioned geezer, brought up on LP's, Linn/Naim setups with NO tone controls whatsoever. Never used them in fact. However, at work, USING them is the norm.
I am so stubborn that I have NEVER used the eq on the Ipods but in the case of the the V6, it has become a rather nice headphone, in spite of it's inbuilt lack of frequency extension (and I've cut it some more) just by doing some eq adjustment with it.
I have 'learned' to be stubborn about this over the years and never touched tone or eq controls, but over the past few days, my V6 has become a headphone that is truly worth listening to for pleasure rather than analysis.
So .... any decent software eq's available for ipods? The inbuilt one is too crude tbh.
Or dare I say it Frans ....... an amp with lots of power, output impedance adjustments and .......
.....................................an inbuilt eq?
Would that be a killer amp? Too expensive?
If too expensive, how about mild boosts and cuts in bass, mid and treble?
I can now see why the Americans (mostly) go on about the V6 as a studio headphone. The common usage of eq gets them to respond way better and they become a very 'big' sounding headphone.
It really surprises me how many of us as headphone fans, don't consider eq in a serious way and I have kind of shut it out due to my 60's education in hi fi thanks to magazines etc that I read as a kid.