Does using EQ make me the antichrist?

[Cookybiscuit]

I'm using HD650's and onboard audio, if I go into the Equalizer on Realtek HD Audio Manager and choose the 'Party' setting are audiophiles going to hunt me down and kill me?

 

Thanks.

[Decon]

I'm using HD650's and onboard audio, if I go into the Equalizer on Realtek HD Audio Manager and choose the 'Party' setting are audiophiles going to hunt me down and kill me?

 

Thanks.

yes, they will

[MattTheMayor]

I'm using HD650's and onboard audio, if I go into the Equalizer on Realtek HD Audio Manager and choose the 'Party' setting are audiophiles going to hunt me down and kill me?

 

Thanks.

wat

[LemonSpice]

depends make your own eq setting its easy

[Jade]

yes.

[Cookybiscuit]

Basically, does using EQ settings harm the listening experience in any way? Isn't using after effects sort of cheating since you're changing the characteristics of your headphones?

[Syntaxvgm]

I'm using HD650's and onboard audio, if I go into the Equalizer on Realtek HD Audio Manager and choose the 'Party' setting are audiophiles going to hunt me down and kill me?

 

Thanks.

I won't. 

Unfortunately for me with most studio monitors I've had, they were a bit too much on the highs and with certain genres of music I would change the EQ, but only in the music players. This sound signature I dislike on some types of music but I love for games and other media. I used to own MDR 7506's (almost exactly the same as V6's) for those slightly exaggerated highs specifically since i used to game more. Get headphones around the 100$ or less range and add bass via eq or even some types of headphones have have heavy loads and explosions distort the sound noticeably, and surrounding sounds are lost it seems. Plus it just sounds better that way to me. Maybe I'm weird. 

 

With normal sounds and games, no changes for me. 

For electronic and other similar types of music, no change

But for metal and some other types of music, I set a very aggressive v curve that I think really helps all of the sounds come through and make the music sound less flat. I tend to do this regardless of the headphone's sound signature. 

But that's just me, and I'm no an expert or a true audiophile. 

"Party" and the realtek audio manager both make me cringe. On quite a few realtek devices I've had, enabling their managing software had a noticeable drop in audio quality for me. Not everyone agrees with me, but I like to change the EQ on the individual application level, like in your music app or whatever, even if it leaves out youtube and stuff for me, I like the sound signature for chrome changes if that means non-music content will have that EQ change as well. 

[Oktyabr]

NO, they won't...

Using EQ is SMART!  Not everyone hears the same frequencies reproduced the same way and everyone has their personal preferences.  Plus using a software EQ is FREE!!!!  That makes much more sense to me than chasing different tubes, amps or dacs for their different character (read: coloration & distortion)... or god forbid, different headphones.  

[Cookybiscuit]

I won't. 

Unfortunately for me with most studio monitors I've had, they were a bit too much on the highs and with certain genres of music I would change the EQ, but only in the music players. This sound signature I dislike on some types of music but I love for games and other media. I used to own MDR 7506's (almost exactly the same as V6's) for those slightly exaggerated highs specifically since i used to game more. 

With normal sounds and games, no changes for me. 

For electronic and other similar types of music, no change

But for metal and some other types of music, I set a very aggressive v curve that I think really helps all of the sounds come through and make the music sound less flat. 

But that's just me, and I'm no an expert or a true audiophile. 

"Party" and the realtek audio manager both make me cringe. On quite a few realtek devices I've had, enabling their managing software had a noticeable drop in audio quality for me. 

Heh, I was just messing about flicking through the preset EQ options in Realtek and yeah, most of them sound god awful, but 'Party' on mine makes the bass stand out quite a bit more, when I set it to normal it sounds kind of muddy, which I find strange. I'd never really messed with it beforehand, maybe it depends on what headphones they are, I dunno.

[Timmy-P]

Using an EQ to tailor to your audio experience? It's YOUR headphones and YOUR ears, don't see why you can't.

[SirSquid]

As someone studding to be an audio engineer you should only use the EQ if your headphone are obviously out of tune (like if your lows are too low)

We can spend weeks EQing a track just right and it makes us sad when people use the EQ to mess everything up.

[SSL]

As someone studding to be an audio engineer you should only use the EQ if your headphone are obviously out of tune (like if your lows are too low)

We can spend weeks EQing a track just right and it makes us sad when people use the EQ to mess everything up.

 

Hate to break it to you, but a perfectly flat headphone is impossible, making this is a pointless thing to worry about.

 

That's to say nothing of how "messed up" most music has become due to dynamic range compression.

[ShearMe]

Nothing wrong with EQ to get the sound you enjoy. It's just a little silly to spend so much on a pair of headphones just to change how they sound. Cheaper headphones can EQ too.

[EmoRarity]

Does caring what other people think even matter? If you're happy, who cares.

[SSL]

Does caring what other people think even matter? If you're happy, who cares.

 

If you're the antichrist, who cares. Praise Satan.

[cragger89]

As a well versed "audiophile" myself, my best advice to you is just ignore what the snobs would say.

 

If you enjoy it, congratulations, you've found a sound you like. So many "audiophiles" I know refuse to use DSP or EQ and instead spend a lot of money and time, trying to find the correct gear which suits them and their room. I think it's ridiculous, personally. But whatever, it's all subject-able, isn't it.

[SSL]

As a well versed "audiophile" myself, my best advice to you is just ignore what the snobs would say.

 

If you enjoy it, congratulations, you've found a sound you like. So many "audiophiles" I know refuse to use DSP or EQ and instead spend a lot of money and time, trying to find the correct gear which suits them and their room. I think it's ridiculous, personally. But whatever, it's all subject-able, isn't it.

 

Some people just hate money, what can you do.

[amintha1992]

no...its your personal taste. 

 

audio fidelity and audio signature are completely different things. one is subjective and the other is not.

[cragger89]

Some people just hate money, what can you do.

 

Money is pesky shit.

[Whit3Rav3n]

Hate to break it to you, but a perfectly flat headphone is impossible, making this is a pointless thing to worry about.

 

That's to say nothing of how "messed up" most music has become due to dynamic range compression.

It is not something that would be desirable to achieve anyway.

[creatip123]

Let's try reversing it then.

 

Let's say, everybody, in every audio forum, say that EQ is the dumbest thing, nobody should ever use it, people who use EQ are the public enemy of all audio lovers, stuffs like that. Will you stop using your own EQ on your own headphone, from your own PC, listening with your own ear, even though you actually love the resulting sound of EQ-ing very much?

 

Just answer that, and you'll get your own answer instantly.

[SSL]

It is not something that would be desirable to achieve anyway.

 

Sure it would, if we're talking about speakers. The point is that "flat" is meaningless when it comes to headphones.

 

[Whit3Rav3n]

Sure it would, if we're talking about speakers. The point is that "flat" is meaningless when it comes to headphones.

 

Yes I meant flat headphones don´t make much sense.

[Whit3Rav3n]

Let's try reversing it then.

 

Let's say, everybody, in every audio forum, say that EQ is the dumbest thing, nobody should ever use it, people who use EQ are the public enemy of all audio lovers, stuffs like that. Will you stop using your own EQ on your own headphone, from your own PC, listening with your own ear, even though you actually love the resulting sound of EQ-ing very much?

 

Just answer that, and you'll get your own answer instantly.

These people ignore that an acoustical EQ like a speaker enclosure has the same effect as an electrical EQ. 

[creatip123]

These people ignore that an acoustical EQ like a speaker enclosure has the same effect as an electrical EQ. 

 

That was a hypothetical question, with a hypothetical condition actually....