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Equalizer settings (mine) - Do you think my hearing is broken?

mononoaware

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So this is what my EQ setting on NW-A50 Series Walkman has looked like for the past few years and everything sounds “just right”, do you think my hearing is broken?

The one in image (Custom 1) is for over-ear headphones, but the saved IEM equalizer setting (Custom 2) looks identical except -2dB @ 60hz.

6799AA54-E3D4-4A06-AD1F-1ABFD729E47E.jpeg
 
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tomtoo

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How much db is this down at 6.3khz? That picture gives no information.
And what headphone is it?

If each line is a db, than i would say you are not a big fan of treble. Most times people that have hearing problems tend to boost the treble. Maybe you are just over sensibel to treble or you just dont like them? Or you have some bat genes? ;)
 
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DVDdoug

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So this is what my EQ setting on NW-A50 Series Walkman has looked like for the past few years and everything sounds “just right”, do you think my hearing is broken?
There are (at least) 3 reasons for EQ.

1. Correcting for speaker/headphone/room imperfections.
2. Adjusting for personal preference/taste.
3. Adjusting "bad" recordings.

...Also "loudness compensation" - Boosting the bass at low-levels to compensate for the fact that when we turn down the volume it sounds like the bass was turned-down more.
 
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mononoaware

mononoaware

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How much db is this down at 6.3khz? That picture gives no information.
And what headphone is it?

I assume each row is 1dB, so 10 rows = 10dB adjustment.
So at 6.3khz is -8dB (edit: corrected from -7dB).

I am using 1x headphones and 1x IEM, both exactly the same EQ except IEM is -2dB at 60hz compared to graph shown.
 
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tomtoo

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I assume each row is 1dB, so 10 rows = 10dB adjustment.
So at 6.3khz is -7dB.

I am using 1x headphones and 1x IEM, both exactly the same EQ except IEM is -2dB at 60hz compared to graph shown.


Its hard to say 7db down is a lot, but depending on the headphone and personal preferences i would not say its strange. Looks like upper bass i also not so much yours. Same with me. Would be cool if you could use a more precise eq. Just for interest.
 
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mononoaware

mononoaware

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If each line is a db, than i would say you are not a big fan of treble. Most times people that have hearing problems tend to boost the treble. Maybe you are just over sensibel to treble or you just dont like them? Or you have some bat genes? ;)

I think treble sounds natural with this EQ setting (cymbals, highest frequencies of vocals etc).
I don’t to go outdoors much. . . maybe this has something to do with it.
 
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mononoaware

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Its hard to say 7db down is a lot, but depending on the headphone and personal preferences i would not say its strange. Looks like upper bass i also not so much yours. Same with me. Would be cool if you could use a more precise eq. Just for interest.

Yes it is the built-in EQ from Sony A50 series Walkman.
It was one of the latest Walkman DAP which uses Sony proprietary software (all other recent models use Android OS = bad battery-life), so I accept the limited function of this EQ.
 
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tomtoo

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On regular(linear) speakers this curve would sound dull to me. And peaking around 1k makes things sound like a mouthpiece for me. But i dont know your headphones, and than there is personal taste, and this can differ a lot.
 
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mononoaware

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On regular(linear) speakers this curve would sound dull to me. And peaking around 1k makes things sound like a mouthpiece for me. But i dont know your headphones, and than there is personal taste, and this can differ a lot.

On speakers I imagine I prefer/have completely different curve.
In my experience I have been “adjusting” headphones EQ to replicate the speaker in room sound (in my case for speakers I prefer downwards sloping line response like most people).
 
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mononoaware

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Here is the frequency response for headphones and IEM.
(1/3 line = 200hz, 2/3 line = 2kHz)

32DB9D6B-229D-434E-A899-EBDB39793A3F.png


105E6E9E-0F51-473C-B0F5-4D1F80A824C0.png
 
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Robin L

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tomtoo

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So if the headphones a littel bit hot there and you prefer a littel bit less than average, we are there, nothing to worry, lets drink a beer. ;)
 
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mononoaware

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They're both hot at 6khz so it shouldn't come as a shock.

So the IEF Neutral Target shown (dotted grey line) is the equivalent of perceived "Neutral (Flat line)" on headphones correct?

Both headphones and IEM hug the IEF target quite tightly, so I thought that the EQ settings mean I prefer a neutral response with a -8dB dip/valley at 6.3kHz (which I thought might be unusual).
 
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mononoaware

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So if the headphones a littel bit hot there and you prefer a littel bit less than average, we are there, nothing to worry, lets drink a beer. ;)

Okay thanks. A bit less than average sure. I think I was mistakenly thinking 8dB to be a bigger deviation than it actually is.
(on Walkman EQ it is close to the limit, while visualising it on the measurement graphs shows its only slightly more than one row of deviation)

I think the assumption came from remembering reading somewhere that 6dB deviation translates to double/or half perceived SPL of sound.
 
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