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Does using EQ make me the antichrist?

Cookybiscuit
By Cookybiscuit
in Audio
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Posted

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

Is to some people.

PC Build in LTT Gallery - JBL J88 - Fostex T50RP (Modded) - Pioneer SE-A1000 vs audio-technica ATH-AD500X - Skullcandy Aviator  
audio-technica ATH-T400 - CHC Silverado and Laredo - Clip-On Headphone Roundup - Sony LinkBuds

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No, especially if you are using a bad headphone with very coloured sound, the you definately should! :) I'va had to listen to a pair of Sony's MDR-XB600, and it was terrible until I eq'd them, then i tolerated it for a few days :) 

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

lol I would assume with a lot of higher end monitors the enclosure is accounted for when they are designed to target a certain sound signature. 

muh specs 

Gaming and HTPC (reparations)- ASUS 1080, MSI X99A SLI Plus, 5820k- 4.5GHz @ 1.25v, asetek based 360mm AIO, RM 1000x, 16GB memory, 750D with front USB 2.0 replaced with 3.0  ports, 2 250GB 850 EVOs in Raid 0 (why not, only has games on it), some hard drives

Screens- Acer preditor XB241H (1080p, 144Hz Gsync), LG 1080p ultrawide, (all mounted) directly wired to TV in other room

Stuff- k70 with reds, steel series rival, g13, full desk covering mouse mat

All parts black

Workstation(desk)- 3770k, 970 reference, 16GB of some crucial memory, a motherboard of some kind I don't remember, Micomsoft SC-512N1-L/DVI, CM Storm Trooper (It's got a handle, can you handle that?), 240mm Asetek based AIO, Crucial M550 256GB (upgrade soon), some hard drives, disc drives, and hot swap bays

Screens- 3  ASUS VN248H-P IPS 1080p screens mounted on a stand, some old tv on the wall above it. 

Stuff- Epicgear defiant (solderless swappable switches), g600, moutned mic and other stuff. 

Laptop docking area- 2 1440p korean monitors mounted, one AHVA matte, one samsung PLS gloss (very annoying, yes). Trashy Razer blackwidow chroma...I mean like the J key doesn't click anymore. I got a model M i use on it to, but its time for a new keyboard. Some edgy Utechsmart mouse similar to g600. Hooked to laptop dock for both of my dell precision laptops. (not only docking area)

Shelf- i7-2600 non-k (has vt-d), 380t, some ASUS sandy itx board, intel quad nic. Currently hosts shared files, setting up as pfsense box in VM. Also acts as spare gaming PC with a 580 or whatever someone brings. Hooked into laptop dock area via usb switch

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lol I would assume with a lot of higher end monitors the enclosure is accounted for when they are designed to target a certain sound signature. 

 

It's usually specifically designed to help reach said sound signature. Especially true for closed headphones.

PC Build in LTT Gallery - JBL J88 - Fostex T50RP (Modded) - Pioneer SE-A1000 vs audio-technica ATH-AD500X - Skullcandy Aviator  
audio-technica ATH-T400 - CHC Silverado and Laredo - Clip-On Headphone Roundup - Sony LinkBuds

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It's usually specifically designed to help reach said sound signature. Especially true for closed headphones.

One of the reasons I prefer closed headphones other than the fact open headphones are face-speakers, I want my audio to be private. 

muh specs 

Gaming and HTPC (reparations)- ASUS 1080, MSI X99A SLI Plus, 5820k- 4.5GHz @ 1.25v, asetek based 360mm AIO, RM 1000x, 16GB memory, 750D with front USB 2.0 replaced with 3.0  ports, 2 250GB 850 EVOs in Raid 0 (why not, only has games on it), some hard drives

Screens- Acer preditor XB241H (1080p, 144Hz Gsync), LG 1080p ultrawide, (all mounted) directly wired to TV in other room

Stuff- k70 with reds, steel series rival, g13, full desk covering mouse mat

All parts black

Workstation(desk)- 3770k, 970 reference, 16GB of some crucial memory, a motherboard of some kind I don't remember, Micomsoft SC-512N1-L/DVI, CM Storm Trooper (It's got a handle, can you handle that?), 240mm Asetek based AIO, Crucial M550 256GB (upgrade soon), some hard drives, disc drives, and hot swap bays

Screens- 3  ASUS VN248H-P IPS 1080p screens mounted on a stand, some old tv on the wall above it. 

Stuff- Epicgear defiant (solderless swappable switches), g600, moutned mic and other stuff. 

Laptop docking area- 2 1440p korean monitors mounted, one AHVA matte, one samsung PLS gloss (very annoying, yes). Trashy Razer blackwidow chroma...I mean like the J key doesn't click anymore. I got a model M i use on it to, but its time for a new keyboard. Some edgy Utechsmart mouse similar to g600. Hooked to laptop dock for both of my dell precision laptops. (not only docking area)

Shelf- i7-2600 non-k (has vt-d), 380t, some ASUS sandy itx board, intel quad nic. Currently hosts shared files, setting up as pfsense box in VM. Also acts as spare gaming PC with a 580 or whatever someone brings. Hooked into laptop dock area via usb switch

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Flat headphones do make perfect sense if you're working in a studio.

 

Dre Beats headphones (work of Satan) being used by producers terrifies me. They are engineered to have more bass out of the box, so by time the recording has been EQ'd on the desk, whilst using them to monitor said recording, it'd reach our devices with not enough bass. Of course, EQ will solve it, but I'd prefer record producers/studio engineers were doing things with tools meant for the job.

 

Flat EQ curves and flat equipment, inclusive of source/amplifier/speakers will lead to a fairly boring performance in most cases, but they do have their purpose.

 

 

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Flat EQ curves and flat equipment, inclusive of source/amplifier/speakers will lead to a fairly boring performance in most cases,

 

Debatable.

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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Debatable.

I prefer a flat as possible sound in most cases except for certain kinds of music, like metal. Just because it's flat doesn't mean it's not full sounding, some people get that misconception because lower end headphones need some EQ changes to not sound ...weak? is that the word?

The only reason I tend to like a v curve in metal is simply the way the music is recorded (usually not the best) and the instruments involved. 

muh specs 

Gaming and HTPC (reparations)- ASUS 1080, MSI X99A SLI Plus, 5820k- 4.5GHz @ 1.25v, asetek based 360mm AIO, RM 1000x, 16GB memory, 750D with front USB 2.0 replaced with 3.0  ports, 2 250GB 850 EVOs in Raid 0 (why not, only has games on it), some hard drives

Screens- Acer preditor XB241H (1080p, 144Hz Gsync), LG 1080p ultrawide, (all mounted) directly wired to TV in other room

Stuff- k70 with reds, steel series rival, g13, full desk covering mouse mat

All parts black

Workstation(desk)- 3770k, 970 reference, 16GB of some crucial memory, a motherboard of some kind I don't remember, Micomsoft SC-512N1-L/DVI, CM Storm Trooper (It's got a handle, can you handle that?), 240mm Asetek based AIO, Crucial M550 256GB (upgrade soon), some hard drives, disc drives, and hot swap bays

Screens- 3  ASUS VN248H-P IPS 1080p screens mounted on a stand, some old tv on the wall above it. 

Stuff- Epicgear defiant (solderless swappable switches), g600, moutned mic and other stuff. 

Laptop docking area- 2 1440p korean monitors mounted, one AHVA matte, one samsung PLS gloss (very annoying, yes). Trashy Razer blackwidow chroma...I mean like the J key doesn't click anymore. I got a model M i use on it to, but its time for a new keyboard. Some edgy Utechsmart mouse similar to g600. Hooked to laptop dock for both of my dell precision laptops. (not only docking area)

Shelf- i7-2600 non-k (has vt-d), 380t, some ASUS sandy itx board, intel quad nic. Currently hosts shared files, setting up as pfsense box in VM. Also acts as spare gaming PC with a 580 or whatever someone brings. Hooked into laptop dock area via usb switch

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Listen to a recording produced on flat/transparent equipment in a "flat" room and you will be surprised by how dull it can be.

 

Debatable, definitely.

 

 

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Listen to a recording produced on flat/transparent equipment in a "flat" room and you will be surprised by how dull it can be.

 

Debatable, definitely.

 

Yeah, by which reasoning real live music sounds dull.

 

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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Flat headphones do make perfect sense if you're working in a studio.

 

Dre Beats headphones (work of Satan) being used by producers terrifies me. They are engineered to have more bass out of the box, so by time the recording has been EQ'd on the desk, whilst using them to monitor said recording, it'd reach our devices with not enough bass. Of course, EQ will solve it, but I'd prefer record producers/studio engineers were doing things with tools meant for the job.

 

Flat EQ curves and flat equipment, inclusive of source/amplifier/speakers will lead to a fairly boring performance in most cases, but they do have their purpose.

Flat speakers make sense but not headphones. To recreate a natural soundstage headphones need to simulate the head rated transfer function. Your head and ears distorts signals coming from further away. To have the same sound signature as an istrument playing further away from you you need to take this effect into account.

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Flat speakers make sense but not headphones. To recreate a natural soundstage headphones need to simulate the head rated transfer function. Your head and ears distorts signals coming from further away. To have the same sound signature as an istrument playing further away from you you need to take this effect into account.

 

That just reinforces my stance further that the current crop of "producers" and engineers using headphones for final mastering is totally wrong.

 

 

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That just reinforces my stance further that the current crop of "producers" and engineers using headphones for final mastering is totally wrong.

Most headphone manufacturers take the head rated transfer function into account. While you can not achieve a perfectly flat response because this transfer function is different for every person you can get relavitely close to a neutral sound.

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Flat speakers make sense but not headphones. To recreate a natural soundstage headphones need to simulate the head rated transfer function. Your head and ears distorts signals coming from further away. To have the same sound signature as an istrument playing further away from you you need to take this effect into account.

 

So explain binaural recordings.

 

Audio Reference • Cutting the Crap • 7.1 Headphones? • Audio Interference Troubleshooting Guide
REVIEWS • HiFiMan HE-560 • Beyerdynamic T1 2. Generation • Schiit Bifrost 4490 • Schiit Valhalla 2
RECOMMENDATIONS • The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

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This thread has truly restored some faith/confidence in my mind that there are lots of people who take audio seriously.

 

Really, really enjoying this thread.

 

 

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So explain binaural recordings.

 

The hrtf is angle dependent. The headphones only simulate a normal front left and front right angle transfer function. Binaural recordings need to change the frequency response according to the position and distance. 

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