• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Question on headroom & pre gain settings when using EQ

ishouldbeking

Active Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
119
Likes
179
Location
DC-adjacent
Hi there--longtime headphone nerd but only just getting into EQ. I picked up a Qudelix 5k to have a dedicated PEQ option across devices, and it's excellent. I'm now setting up a bunch of EQ profiles for my desktop monitors and various headphones, and I'm trying to figure out how to set the pre gain levels appropriately.

I don't have much of an ear for EQ on my own yet, so I'm relying on Oratory's EQ profiles for my headphones and some recommendations for my speakers that a user posted on here. Let's use my 6xx EQ profile as an example. I've set PEQ levels according to Oratory's profile, and he says to set pre gain at -10. Now, when you use EQ on the Qudelix 5k, it automatically applies a -6db headroom setting (with an option to choose -12db). In practice, even with just the -6db "headroom", my EQ profile is a bit quieter than with EQ switched off; if I add the recommended -10db pre gain, it's much, much quieter, and I then have to switch my JDS Atom into high gain mode to get to a decent listening level.

If the goal is just to be -10db overall per Oratory's profile, should I just add -4db at the pre gain stage (-4+ -6 = -10)? Or am I thinking about this incorrectly?
 
OP
ishouldbeking

ishouldbeking

Active Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
119
Likes
179
Location
DC-adjacent

Thanks!

Out of curiosity, what's the rationale for lowering gain overall when EQing? I can imagine how using EQ for an aggressive volume boost might lead to weirdness, but why not aim for unity gain or volume matching with the un-EQ'd source?
 

bobbooo

Major Contributor
Joined
Aug 30, 2019
Messages
1,479
Likes
2,079
Thanks!

Out of curiosity, what's the rationale for lowering gain overall when EQing? I can imagine how using EQ for an aggressive volume boost might lead to weirdness, but why not aim for unity gain or volume matching with the un-EQ'd source?

To prevent potential digital clipping caused by any positive-gain parts of the total EQ curve. If you want to do a level-matched A/B comparison with no EQ on the Qudelix 5K, just create a flat 'EQ' profile with the preamp set to the same value as the actual EQ profile you're using and you can switch between them at the tap of a finger in the app.
 
Last edited:
OP
ishouldbeking

ishouldbeking

Active Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
119
Likes
179
Location
DC-adjacent
To prevent potential digital clipping caused by any positive-gain parts of the total EQ curve. If you want to do a level-matched A/B comparison with no EQ on the Qudelix 5K, just create a flat 'EQ' profile with the preamp set to the same value as the actual EQ profile you're using and you can switch between them at the tap of a finger in the app.

Ah, that makes sense. Great idea re: the flat profile for level-matched comparisons.
 
Top Bottom