Can audio equipment be equalized to sound the same? Or very near by adjusting frequencies?

[Westsounds]

Can audio equipment be equalized to sound the same using frequency adjustment? As many know we are listening to various changes in frequency that set tonal characteristics and presentations of the equipment of our preference. There's more to it obviously such as how the sound is projected, materials, distortion and mechanics sure but you could say frequency is a major part.

And this guy seems to think so as well.

And judging by the comments he may well be right.

This is about headphones here but it could apply to speakers or any audio equipment as well I'm sure in a similar fashion.

What do you think?

First and second parts are here.

 

[antcollinet]

You can't equalise distortion. If a device produces audible distortion, there is nothing you can do to eliminate that.

 

[escksu]

The answer is NO......You can only equalise within hardware limits.

 

[flyzipper]

No, if the goal is to make them all sound equal to the best.
Yes, if the goal is to make them all sound equal to the worst.

 

[Chrispy]

Somewhat too broad a spectrum of variables for one answer....

 

[Mnyb]

This discussion can basically only apply to transducers .

Electronics made today can have flat fr 20hz-20kHz and inaudible levels of distortion.
So if you think your DAC or amps needs eq , it’s broken .

I have to limited experience, only using a pair of ( equed ) HD 650 . And room EQ in my speaker system

But you have to start with decent performance to begin with and use it inside it’s designed spec or “comfort zone” .
Then EQ can improve stuff greatly and make things more similar to your target.

I can’t say if it can make them sound exactly the same , never had half a dozen quality headphones at hand .
But Very close seems reasonable for good headphones ? Why not ?

Speakers seems a harder case as dispersion characteristic room interactions and differences between direct and reflected sound vs your listening position. Possibly if you can use multiple subs and a good room eq system you can mitigate most of the problems under the transition frequency and then use acoustically well designed speakers Genelec,kef,revel like performance. Then you can get closer ? But how close ?

You can’t save bad stuff with corrective actions, you can make good stuff better imho .

 

[Mnyb]

Voted yes as “near” was option , and with decent headphones it seems reasonable?

 

[dlaloum]

Biggest differences in audio:

1) Room Setup
2) Speaker variation (dispersion pattern, distortions)
3) Frequency Response
4) Volume / Dynamic Peak capabilities (and variations in these abilities within a speakers frequency response!)

Yes EQ can tackle one of these aspects - and yes, different speakers can be made to sound VERY similar with EQ

 

[Westsounds]

Great points all. And yes speakers would be harder to eq given the number of other variables to throw into the mix but we are just talking a same sound and not completely identical. And as long as it's not beyond the units limits as @flyzipper and @escksu quite rightly allude to here.

And electronics I think are no different. And digital sources in theory shouldn't sound different if they are well designed but we know even those have tonal differences.

Distortion is another thing, it can sound bad or pleasing depending on ones preference. But I'm sure with very advanced software which goes further than just eq could get everything sounding exactly the same. But obviously, that is more than just eq, for the most part though I think eq is the bulk of the sound the rest just adds further tonality, character or whatever subjective term you can add

 

[dlaloum]

It's resonances that are the fly in the ointment - boxes are a primary culprit! - all those surfaces vibrating... broadcasting their own signature into the room... (at least that is the one that bothers me most! - which is why I like Panels, or Orbs ) - not possible to EQ that out!

If the room reflections are far enough from the main signal in time, our brain sorts them out ok... if the speakers are too close to reflecting surfaces - the neither our brain nor EQ system can sort it out - it requires room treatment (absorbent panels, curtains, etc...)

 

[solderdude]

And electronics I think are no different. And digital sources in theory shouldn't sound different if they are well designed but we know even those have tonal differences.

Electronics are very different from electro-mechanical devices these are magnitudes apart on every aspect.
Speakers also involve room acoustics.
Headphones also involve personal factors.

One can use EQ to come closer to a target, to make tonal balances more similar, to adjust tonality, to (partly) compensate for deficiencies.
For that last bit accurate measurements are paramount. Too bad they don't really exist so the best one can do is get somewhere close.

 

[Westsounds]

our brain sorts them out ok...

Another great point. Our brain does its own eq in a sense. You get used to a sound and it becomes what we just listen to. Throw a new component in a tonal difference becomes apparent and even makes the first reference sound right or wrong perhaps, again depending on ones own reference of what a thing (or reality perhaps) should sound like

All I know is the audio trade has been using this to their advantage forever to sell us things and make us believe the next new thing is what we need