Harman EQ For Audeze LCD-3 (Fazor)

[concorde1]

If I got an Audeze LCD-3 (Fazor) and requested its measured frequency response chart from Audeze, would it be possible to create a Harman Curve EQ for it based off the chart?

Does Audeze supply a "data containing" file (containing mathematical data points) or just a "printed" file (eg a PDF)? That is, can it be mathematically processed, or only inspected by eye?

Before I purchase, I want to ensure I can EQ the LCD-3F.

The oratory1990 LCD-3 preset doesn't mention anything about Fazor, so I'm not relying on it being relevant for current LCD-3's.

On another note, I only really want the LCD-3 over the LCD-2 for its look. I understand the LCD-2 (Fazor) has less unit-unit variation in frequency response, so would the LCD-2F be a better buy?

 

[oratory1990]

The LCD-3 I measured was indeed one with the Fazor (serial number 2821432)

 

[concorde1]

Thank you for that info!

 

[concorde1]

The LCD-3 I measured was indeed one with the Fazor (serial number 2821432)

Hi oratory1990, I acquired from Audeze the frequency response charts (Neumann KU 100) for my 2021 LCD-3 and the LCD-3 that you measured.

When I EQ my LCD-3 with your preset I think it doesn't sound quite neutral.

Is it possible to - although these are not GRAS measurements - adjust my EQ based on the difference between these two graphs? If so, could you possibly help me with it?

My LCD-3 is the top one, the LCD-3 you measured is below it. As you can see they are very different.

 

[staticV3]

@concorde1
Here are the two graphs from Audeze digitized and overlaid:


Here's the difference between them:


Here's oratory's KEMAR frequency reponse of his unit:


Apply the difference to that measurement and you get the theoretical frequency response of your unit on oratory's KEMAR:


I've plugged that into the AutoEQ script and attached the resulting EQ settings to this post. Results for both Harman AE/OE2018 and for the AutoEQ target (Harman minus 2dB bass) are provided. PEQ sample rate is 44.1KHz.

 

[concorde1]

I've plugged that into the AutoEQ script and attached the resulting EQ settings to this post. Results for both Harman AE/OE2018 and for the AutoEQ target (Harman minus 2dB bass) are provided. PEQ sample rate is 44.1KHz.

Thanks very much, highly appreciated. I like that you showed your working.

Just one thing, I notice in your attached image of the correction EQ there are a few dips in the equalized frequency response, but most critically the dip between 4 and 5 kHz. Is that significant? I'm surprised that is there after the script.

 

[staticV3]

Thanks very much, highly appreciated. I like that you showed your working.

Just one thing, I notice in your attached image of the correction EQ there are a few dips in the equalized frequency response, but most critically the dip between 4 and 5 kHz. Is that significant? I'm surprised that is there after the script.

it is not recommended to make deep, high Q corrections at high frequencies. That's why AutoEQ will not correct troughs there completely. It is by design.

 

[concorde1]

Interesting. I suppose this means my Audeze unit is inferior to the one Oratory measured. Well I'll probably just live with it

 

[concorde1]

I almost sold my LCD-3 but then realised the Oratory EQ's are different to the AutoEQ's using Oratory's data.

I therefore tried the LCD-3 Oratory EQ on his list of presets - it sounds fantastic! First time I've heard these headphones come to life.

 

[Blorg]

I almost sold my LCD-3 but then realised the Oratory EQ's are different to the AutoEQ's using Oratory's data.

I therefore tried the LCD-3 Oratory EQ on his list of presets - it sounds fantastic! First time I've heard these headphones come to life.

This is a common misconception and it's not clear enough in the various ways AutoEQ is presented. I also find this, his own EQ presets are a lot better than the AutoEQ presets.

 

[concorde1]

I almost sold my LCD-3 but then realised the Oratory EQ's are different to the AutoEQ's using Oratory's data.

I therefore tried the LCD-3 Oratory EQ on his list of presets - it sounds fantastic! First time I've heard these headphones come to life.

I'm a bit loopy and later decided it's not actually much better. I'm selling my LCD-3 sadly.

 

[Blorg]

I'm a bit loopy and later decided it's not actually much better. I'm selling my LCD-3 sadly.

I found with the LCD-X Oratory1990's preset needed quite a bit of tweaking to sound decent, with the straight preset it sounded much too forward/shouty in the upper mids. I'm used to Harman upper mids on over-ears, I have plenty of stuff (Arya, HD600, HD800S) that is even above target there. But Oratory straight on the LCD-X it was too much. Stock it's very muffled, but I needed to reduce the boost from the EQ.

With other headphones (Hifiman, Sennheiser, Focal) I find his presets generally sound pretty right stock but the LCD-X I needed to make quite a few changes.

Audeze I believe have quite a bit of batch to batch variance so the LCD-3 he measured may not correspond to your one.

Have you tried working on it with a tone generator? If you had your own measuring rig, that would be ideal, but most people don't. I do for IEMs, and it's a gamechanger. They are pricier for over-ears though and I have fewer of those and have them sounding pretty right already I think.

There is an extent to which if the headphone is that wonky (and the LCD-3 looks even worse than the LCD-X stock) if you can get some money back maybe just do that and buy a better tuned headphone (I recommend the Edition XS or Arya Stealth, Edition XS actually competes with $1,000-$2,000 headphones IMO).

 

[concorde1]

With other headphones (Hifiman, Sennheiser, Focal) I find his presets generally sound pretty right stock but the LCD-X I needed to make quite a few changes.

Yeah my Fostex TH900mk2 has always sounded amazing to me with the AutoEQ preset and Oratory preset.

Audeze I believe have quite a bit of batch to batch variance so the LCD-3 he measured may not correspond to your one.

Yeah, see above for the difference. Post #4 . Mine is the top graph, Oratory's is one directly below. Mine has a more messy response.

Have you tried working on it with a tone generator?

I've tried that method where I listen to different individual frequencies and level match them to my ear, and a plugin draws an EQ curve for that. It was not effective for me at all.

There is an extent to which if the headphone is that wonky (and the LCD-3 looks even worse than the LCD-X stock) if you can get some money back maybe just do that and buy a better tuned headphone (I recommend the Edition XS or Arya Stealth, Edition XS actually competes with $1,000-$2,000 headphones IMO).

Yeah, I'm thinking of the Audeze MM-500 (and EQing). But then who's to know if in 2023 they've sorted their unit-to-unit variation?

I'll have a look at Hifiman too I suppose. Or HD800S.

Budget is about 2000 USD for an open headphone that will last forever.

 

[Blorg]

My favorite all-rounder is the Arya Stealth, it's great. But don't discount the Edition XS which is like 95% of it at a fraction of the price. MM-500 does look better tuned than most Audeze, it could be a good option. I think I'd lean towards the Arya Stealth or Edition XS though. HE6SEV2 is also worth considering if it goes back down to the $399 sale price, and you have a powerful amp. HD800S is a great headphone but IMO less of an all-rounder, it is somewhat ethereal and airy and lacks punch and bass. Even after EQ, that puts in the bass but it's still somewhat diffuse sounding to me. Hifiman is the best bang for the buck by a long way I think, they have stuff around $300-500 that is the equal of $1,000-$2,000 from other brands. Edition XS is flat out better than the LCD-X, IMO.