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Help equalizing the Shure SRH1540

Feelas

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Producers don't know how it should sound when creating new tracks. Here, one can EQ until it sounds as expected compared to previous pairs of headphones or speakers.
I'm not sure whether the topic is about reproducing any previous experience, thus I regarded the situation as similar, but yes, you're right. Just throwing in five cents that it makes most sense to let yourself settle.
 

staticV3

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I'm not sure whether the topic is about reproducing any previous experience, thus I regarded the situation as similar, but yes, you're right. Just throwing in five cents that it makes most sense to let yourself settle.
If you allow yourself to get used to a certain sound signature, then every EQ will sound "worse" regardless of whether it's objectively better (read: closer to Harman) or not.
At least that's what makes sense to me
 

daftcombo

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I'm not sure whether the topic is about reproducing any previous experience, thus I regarded the situation as similar, but yes, you're right. Just throwing in five cents that it makes most sense to let yourself settle.
I agree that EQing can be endless when you don't know how it should sound. But OP will just get another pair.
I would EQ down the bass and not touch it anymore until I hear harsh treble or something. And go very gently each time (-0.5dB).
 

daftcombo

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If you allow yourself to get used to a certain sound signature, then every EQ will sound "worse" regardless of whether it's objectively better (read: closer to Harman) or not.
At least that's what makes sense to me
Not necessarily. Otherwise you would never have a Wow when demoing new speakers.
 

Feelas

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If you allow yourself to get used to a certain sound signature, then every EQ will sound "worse" regardless of whether it's objectively better (read: closer to Harman) or not.
At least that's what makes sense to me

Sadly I cannot provide any non-anecdotal evidence apart from the one study I mentioned, personally I need about two weeks to accomodate to a different FR. If not, the familiar "veiled" or "harsh", "non-3d" etc. explanations come into play. After that, apart from evident problems like drilling 10dB+ 5kHz+ range, the presentation gets more and more familiar and is considered the reference point. After all the amusing effects of "veil" and stuff subside you can delve into actual details which are (or are not) masked by the specific FR and the spatial feeling.

All in all, FR preference is mostly memory-based. As @daftcombo mentions, the "wow effect" is pretty much due to highlighting non-typical frequency ranges, which serves to lure you into thinking that the presentation is more detailed. That is, unless you spend two or three weeks and the cracks begin to show, where suddenly some details are masked in an unnatural way. Some non-highlighted elements should stay as the producer thought they will.

In case anyone is interested: one and two, somehow related. It's also interesting to note that it seems to be a one-time process, where you just "click" back into known FRs afterwards.
 
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daftcombo

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Sadly I cannot provide any non-anecdotal evidence apart from the one study I mentioned, personally I need about two weeks to accomodate to a different FR. If not, the familiar "veiled" or "harsh", "non-3d" etc. explanations come into play. After that, apart from evident problems like drilling 10dB+ 5kHz+ range, the presentation gets more and more familiar and is considered the reference point. After all the amusing effects of "veil" and stuff subside you can delve into actual details which are (or are not) masked by the specific FR and the spatial feeling.

All in all, FR preference is mostly memory-based. As @daftcombo mentions, the "wow effect" is pretty much due to highlighting non-typical frequency ranges, which serves to lure you into thinking that the presentation is more detailed. That is, unless you spend two or three weeks and the cracks begin to show, where suddenly some details are masked in an unnatural way. Some non-highlighted elements should stay as the producer thought they will.
If one is used to a weird FR and then listen to a neutral pair of speakers (Genelec 8030C for instance, to take an example both OP and I have at home), it is possible that new details come but mask nothing. I admit though that some tracks can be prefered with the former speakers.
 

Feelas

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If one is used to a weird FR and then listen to a neutral pair of speakers (Genelec 8030C for instance, to take an example both OP and I have at home), it is possible that new details come but mask nothing. I admit though that some tracks can be prefered with the former speakers.
Yet if we disconnect the preference from the existence of detail then I think that the details-related verdict will be one-way towards the exemplary 8030Cs, yes?
 

daftcombo

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Yet if we disconnect the preference from the existence of detail then I think that the details-related verdict will be one-way towards the exemplary 8030Cs, yes?
Yes. As a lot of people, I also experienced tons of fake details with bright speakers which were fatiguing after some time. After 8030C, new details elsewhere than deep bass and at moderate volume would be a bad hint.
 

moosso

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Just signed up to post here.
I bought it recently and it's already my most favoured closed back, the alcantara earpads are so comfortable, the weight and clamping force is light, I could wear it all day.
The headband is a little stiff so I bought a fabric cover from geekria for it.

I do a lot of EQ for my headphones, but AutoEQ never worked for me, perhaps the measurement data did not matched to my actual listening, or the headphone did not response to EQ well, they are automatically generated so some may work well and others don't.
The oratory1990 presets work better, most of the time I just make a few adjustments based on his presets.

I use REW to generate the predicted frequence response after EQ, and use sweep wav file (20hz~20khz) from churchsoundcheck to confirm the frequence response is flat and smooth enough (gui frequence analyzer is needed to find where the dip and peak at, they may different to measurement data).

For SRH1540 I had to dump the new measurement data from oratory1990's pdf (the old data on AutoEQ repository is not accurate), AutoEQ contains a tool to generate frequence response based on pdf file, it's really useful.

After few hours I did make it really flat:

1540.png

The targat is oratory1990 optimum hifi target and I bring up a little bass for my preference.

Sadly, after several hours of testing, I decide to only keep the first 2 filters that bring the bass down, because the mid and the treble are already close to the target, leave those dip and peaks will make the sound more "enjyoable" to me.

------------

I also have a linux environment, for SRH1540 I set the parameters to RME ADI-2 because 2 bands are enough, but for other headphones I use ladspa with EqFA12p plugin to set the global equalization. (see https://www.bitlab.nl/page_id=540)
The EqFA12p plugin require 1/2 bandwith instead of Q, the correct formula should be "bw = ln(1 + 1/(2*Q^2) + sqrt(((2*Q^2 + 1) / Q^2 )^2 / 4 - 1)) / ln(2) / 2".
 
OP
q3cpma

q3cpma

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Just signed up to post here.
I bought it recently and it's already my most favoured closed back, the alcantara earpads are so comfortable, the weight and clamping force is light, I could wear it all day.
The headband is a little stiff so I bought a fabric cover from geekria for it.

I do a lot of EQ for my headphones, but AutoEQ never worked for me, perhaps the measurement data did not matched to my actual listening, or the headphone did not response to EQ well, they are automatically generated so some may work well and others don't.
The oratory1990 presets work better, most of the time I just make a few adjustments based on his presets.

I use REW to generate the predicted frequence response after EQ, and use sweep wav file (20hz~20khz) from churchsoundcheck to confirm the frequence response is flat and smooth enough (gui frequence analyzer is needed to find where the dip and peak at, they may different to measurement data).

For SRH1540 I had to dump the new measurement data from oratory1990's pdf (the old data on AutoEQ repository is not accurate), AutoEQ contains a tool to generate frequence response based on pdf file, it's really useful.

After few hours I did make it really flat:

View attachment 145580
The targat is oratory1990 optimum hifi target and I bring up a little bass for my preference.

Sadly, after several hours of testing, I decide to only keep the first 2 filters that bring the bass down, because the mid and the treble are already close to the target, leave those dip and peaks will make the sound more "enjyoable" to me.

------------

I also have a linux environment, for SRH1540 I set the parameters to RME ADI-2 because 2 bands are enough, but for other headphones I use ladspa with EqFA12p plugin to set the global equalization. (see https://www.bitlab.nl/page_id=540)
The EqFA12p plugin require 1/2 bandwith instead of Q, the correct formula should be "bw = ln(1 + 1/(2*Q^2) + sqrt(((2*Q^2 + 1) / Q^2 )^2 / 4 - 1)) / ln(2) / 2".
Thanks for your reply, hope the clamping force is enough for my taste. Seeing the almost flat LF, are you equalizing for a diffuse field target instead of the more "accepted" Harman 2018?
 

staticV3

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Thanks for your reply, hope the clamping force is enough for my taste. Seeing the almost flat LF, are you equalizing for a diffuse field target instead of the more "accepted" Harman 2018?
The oratory optimum hifi curve is a headphone version of B&K's optimum hifi curve published in 1974. It's very similar to Harman AE/OE 2018 except for the flat bass response.
Source
 
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moosso

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Yes the optimum hifi curve is harman 2018 with flatted bass and treble. The clamping force is enough for me (not tight as HD560s).

optimum_harman.png


After bring the bass down use 2 filters the response is like (my final decision):

1540_bass_only.png


I don't understand the diffuse curve, never used it before..., targeting diffuse will make the headphone sounds more like a speaker?
 

moosso

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For people who need it.

Shure SRH1540 oratory.txt is the FR file dump from newest oratory1990 measurement.

1540.png


Parameters target to optimum hifi:

Code:
Frequence: 32  Gain: -5.5 Q: 0.7
Frequence: 100 Gain: -7.5 Q: 0.8

Result:

1540_opt.png


Parameters target to optimum hifi with a little more bass (more close to typical open backs):

Code:
Frequence: 35  Gain: -3.5 Q: 0.7
Frequence: 105 Gain: -5.5 Q: 0.9

Result:

1540_opt_bass.png


Parameters target to harman 2018:

Code:
Frequence: 105 Gain: -6.0 Q: 0.8
Frequence: 200 Gain: -1.5 Q: 1.0

Result:

1540_harman.png
 

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  • Shure SRH1540 oratory.txt
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Jose Hidalgo

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It would be, but why? It'll probably be faster to switch on the computer; in fact, I'll use mpv to be able to switch the EQ parameters during the track.
Every time I see those EQ threads, I wonder : why aren't you guys using my free app already ? :facepalm:;) It has already several thousands of users : about 400 downloads per week, and I haven't made a lot of advertising yet.

Innerfidelity plots have always been incorrect as he used an incorrect compensation.
This 'target' will get you closer to reality (it is not an exact target)
comp-curve-if1.png
That, in EAPO's language, translates very easily as this :
GraphicEQ: 20 0; 1000 0; 20000 -12
So unless I'm wrong, using EAPO anybody can add this single line to any InnerFidelity preset and have it compensated. Maybe I should add it to a future version ? :)
 

solderdude

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The line is not the correct correction so you would still be 'off'
 

Jose Hidalgo

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Didn't you say it yourself already ?
This 'target' will get you closer to reality (it is not an exact target)
We may lack a 'perfect' correction, but you just wrote that it would take people 'closer to reality'. Which ultimately is all that matters.

So between a raw Inner Fidelity preset, and the same preset + that approximate (and easy) correction that arguably takes it 'closer to reality', why hesitate ?
Now if there's a more elaborate correction curve I'd be happy to know it, but so far I haven't found any.
 
OP
q3cpma

q3cpma

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Every time I see those EQ threads, I wonder : why aren't you guys using my free app already ? :facepalm:;) It has already several thousands of users : about 400 downloads per week, and I haven't made a lot of advertising yet.


That, in EAPO's language, translates very easily as this :

So unless I'm wrong, using EAPO anybody can add this single line to any InnerFidelity preset and have it compensated. Maybe I should add it to a future version ? :)
You seem to have missed that I'm a GNU/Linux user. And as a programmer, I prefer more powerful/programmable interfaces, if you will.
 

RogarTayler

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Is there anyone who can convert Oratory1990 (and others EQ) to text file for Equalizer Apo / Peace?
 

DarrylG

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