Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jul 29, 2013 14:42:06 GMT
This is a FANTASTIC programme for Ipod Touch users. (Probably others too) If I could get this onto my Classic, I would for sure!!
Golden Ears measure headphone FR so they then work out the EQ settings in order to get the headphone as flat as possible. You can then download this file onto Accudio and you get a much flatter response from your headphones.
There are two versions (basically) a free version which allows you to use just one headphone and a pro version (which isn't expensive) in order to download and store the settings for all of your headphones as long as they have tested them and eq'd for this programme.
It is BRILLIANT.
I am using a K450 with my Ipod Touch. Normally, it's boomy and fat sounding. Through Accudio it sounds great. The boom is gone and the treble is most definitely there.
I swapped to the Creative Aurvana Live and dialled it in. FANTASTIC. It takes the bass lift away and cuts the harsh treble.
K601 from an amp - Took the edge down and raised the bass for me.
This is an excellent programme if you can access it on your player.
I am seriously considering a parametric EQ device. It makes such a massive difference to the headphones.
If you use a lot of headphones and have an Ipod Touch - it is the best I've seen for this.
I read a review on (sorry) the What Hi Fi site but it was written by Dale!! He thinks that it makes a sonic mess out of the headphone, but I really can't agree with this. I think that we are kind of programmed into raised mid bass and sparkly top. Many think that is a good sound, so I guess when they hear anything that's near flat, they're left 'underwhelmed'. I've tried the M50 with it and the bass hump is reduced and the treble is raised slightly - it makes them into a really nice headphone.
The K450 isn't quite as good in that respect. The programme makes it sound better but I don't think that it can get around the fact that the K450 FR is weird. There are so many humps and dips to iron out, but imo, it's an improved headphone with eq.
The funny thing is that all of them seem to become more 'transparent' by altering the response. I have no idea why, but they do seem more natural for sure.
If you don't like a flat response, you can select your headphone and then customise it with what you want and save that on the 'pro' version. I don't know what Dale was using but I think it's a gem of a programme that rescues a lot of cheaper headphones and brings them into the land of respectable while good headphones seem to improve a lot.
My Denon 1100 which is like mud just cleans up beautifully. The free version is worth a try and if like me, you use a multitude of headphones, then download all of the files that you need on the 'pro' version.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Jul 29, 2013 16:38:29 GMT
Nothing yet for my preferred portable music source, a Blackberry Playbook, but there is one for my 1st gen. iPod. Problem is that I cannot persuade it to accept my Apple ID password . I've looked around the options on the iPod and can't find any information on resetting or recovering the ID password - anybody got any ideas? TIA, Dave.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jul 29, 2013 16:59:53 GMT
Dave, this is a revelation to me!!! This programme is worth EVERY penny. They provide a mirror image of the headphone's measured response so therefore, it's near as flat as you can get.
I tried it with the K550 (thinking of you actually) It leaves the extension there, but something is slightly altered lower down in the treble so that it's less 'harsh'. Maybe a tad more bass. not a lot. The thing is, you don't notice until the music heavily uses the area that the headphone is 'weak' in. It's quite subtle but makes a difference for sure.
The V6 is a bargain with this. It sounds just ... delicious. It has a nice hefty bass and the treble sting is gone.... although the very top is still there. I had to use the V7506 download (which is basically the same headphone) and straight from my Ipod, it's unbelievably good.
I'm beginning to wonder about some of the cheaper headphones and eq. It's a different thing altogether. I really like the V6 with the Ipod via Accudio. In fact, all my headphones get improved!! How annoying is that? Some are more subtle than others.
You need to tell them you've forgotten the password and they ask for your email address Dave and then you have to reset it.
The trouble with Apple is that it has to contain a capital letter, a letter and a number and be at least 8 figures long. (That might jog your memory)
I wonder if it can be put onto a Classic?
It's one of the best things I've heard in ages. Dale is nuts!!!! He just doesn't like 'flat' (ish)
You suddenly start to find deep bass with no boom. Extended treble without harshness. It's then that you start to realise how much the headphones are adding in regions that you would blame the wrong part of the spectrum. For instance, you might think a headphone is too bassy, when in fact, the problem lies further up added to the deep bass that it already has. So if there is a hump in the mid upper bass, you perceive the headphone as way too bass. Leave the bass there and take out the hump and you still get clean, low bass and it's no longer muddy.
Some are really subtle but the overall listening experience is way up. Sony V6 is brilliant and it's a cheap headphone.
Funny thing is that there are no curves for the Portapro or PX100 which is a pity.
Can your Ipod run apps? If it can't, Accudio won't work.
The other nice thing is that Golden Ears give an estimate out of 5 as to how each headphone reacts. (Some not as good as others.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jul 29, 2013 18:51:26 GMT
Moved on to the Superlux HD681 Rev, using the HD681 settings and even that improves quite a bit.
You realise just how tizzy they are with a fat boom until it's eq'd. The effect when you first switch it in seems subtle. Then switch to normal and the headphone sounds quite poor by comparison.
It just sounds more refined though Accudio.
So does one flattish headphone sound like another? ........ No. But without a doubt, every one of them becomes just easier on the ears and more 'even' sounding.
I hope that this application becomes more widespread and is used on other platforms because I would buy it for everything I have.
That's exactly why my DT150 sounds so different at home compared to work. They are eq's to as flat as they can get them so they are in effect, a completely different headphone.
Same with a simple piece of software on the Ipod Touch.
The worst so far has been the AKG K450, but they're all over the place as far as FR goes. They are really not good in that respect.
In most cases, the treble response seems to become more refined without losing anything in the range and the bass goes deep without any booming.
I really don't understand Dale's review. He can't like flat headphones I guess!!
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jul 29, 2013 22:09:57 GMT
Since there's no setting for a PX100, I set up my own by using Headroom's 'Build a Graph'. I put two graphs up for HD600 and PX100. By comparing, I downloaded the setting for an HD600 and just edited the settings according to the differnces between the two.
PX100 is no longer dark. I was surprised how little I needed to tweak. First I felt that I tweaked too much so I started to creep the settings back until I felt that it sounded roughly right.
Then I noticed the HD650 FR is more similar in the bass region, so I downloaded that and tweaked the treble a very small amount and it was possibly a little bit better than the HD600 setting tweaked.
So now I have a PX100 setting!!
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gommer
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Post by gommer on Jul 30, 2013 10:01:03 GMT
So, does this app mainly address the shortcomings of Apple products? Because what I read basically covers what I've been doing since the beginning with the Powaramp music player on Android. I had to tweak the EQ myself based on graphs by Frans though. The EQ in Poweramp is 10 band but not parametric, but it did make an impressive improvement nevertheless.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jul 30, 2013 10:13:34 GMT
I'm not tweaking based on Fran's graphs. I'm using the Headroom site graphs. You can then download a headphone from Golden Ears (Who made the programme) that comes close in response to the one you have (if it isn't listed) and then there is a section for you to tweak.
I found the PX100 FR graph similar to the HD650, so I used that as the basis - downloaded the HD650 and slightly tweaked the treble. You'd see why if you compared the graphs.
It addresses the shortcomings of many headphones. I'm taking the output from the dock to an amp but eq'ing based on Golden Ears measurements, which are pretty good.
They provide a 'mirror' image of the headphone that you are using as a download in order to counteract the actual measurements that they have taken, so it's a lot more accurate than using eq in Poweramp where you are guessing the settings.
Of course, eq'ing isn't perfect, but this is one of the best solutions I've seen. They have a database of 300 headphones or so and you can download the mirror image in order to counteract the headphone's weaknesses or lumps in FR.
My Sony V6 is way better. It slightly tweaks the K550. AKG 450 is ok. It's the weakest setting, but the 450 has a lot of problems and eq is only one of them. The Creative Aurvana is brilliant. The Denon D1100 is no longer a bloated mess. PX100 is now more open sounding. The Supoerlux without eq sounds very cheap and nasty, but with eq, it sounds really good.
So basically, the programme has individual settings for each headphone, in order to get them close to flat without overdoing things to destroy them as headphones - so they all retain their original sound but just sound better. There is no guesswork involved or estimating a 'best fit' with your own equaliser. It's very hard to equalise a headphone properly yourself. You can also then, emulate other headphones that you don't have, in order to get a 'feel' for their sound. I tried a Senn HD800 through a few headphones - it sounds a bit edgy to me.
It's a £2.50 app if you get the 'pro' version that makes most headphones improve. It only works on Ipods that can run apps.
The weird thing is that once they are eq'd to something smoother (with no guesswork involved), they are way easier on the ears and almost take on a new level of transparency as a result. Of course, the detail won't be improved but they do become something better.
The worst one for me so far has been the K450. But then again .... look at it's weird FR. It's a mess.
The PX200 II has a raised 'perceived' treble boost through Accudio! I thought it had enough up there, but looking at the graphs shows a dip which has obviously been put back, but also a slightly raised mid bass which has been flattened. So it's more thin sounding than as standard. I've modified it with just a touch more in the bass and for me, it's better. However, the headphone sound sig does take more of a back seat with this and when you switch it off, the headphone seems to cloud what you hear.
Once you know how much more bass you prefer, you can easily tweak all the settings with the same amount, so they're more consistent for you with regards to the bass.
The thing is that 'flat' will often be heard as a lack of bass since we are SO used to it being raised in most headphones.
I'm wondering about getting a reasonable eq for home stuff now tbh.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jul 31, 2013 20:04:45 GMT
Denon 2000 through Accudio today. The bloat is reduced and it becomes a really good listen. The differences are quite minor but with certain music, the subtleties emerge.
It just seems cleaner.
I am going to get an eq device and use the graphs from Golden Ears as the basis of adjustments I think. I know that using these things is not exactly a purist approach but to me, the headphones most definitely improve, with very little tweaking.
The cheaper headphones seem to need more and that is possible more detrimental with regards to dostortion etc., but good headphones seem to clean up with very little movement.
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