Making an EQ profile from an FR chart

[Bernard23]

I'm after some expert help here in interpreting a couple of FR plots for a pair of Yamaha HPH MT8 headphones and developing an EQ profile as close to Harman as possible. I've got two FR plots and recognise the caveat that they are tested with likely different protocols so the data is not consistent, but, I've got to start somewhere. I'd rather a degree of known uncertainty than total blindness. I've attached two plots and an initial attempt at what I think would be a flat profile from the SoundID Reference plot. I'm really not sure what I'm doing, so any help would be appreciated.

 

[heraldo_jones]

Take a look at this documentation:
https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/wiki

Also here is a mesurement:
https://earphonesarchive.squig.link/headphones/?share=Yamaha_HPH-MT8_(center)

Ps. how do those headphones sound? Once I tried the MT5 and they sounded like crap.

 

[staticV3]

I'm after some expert help here in interpreting a couple of FR plots for a pair of Yamaha HPH MT8 headphones and developing an EQ profile as close to Harman as possible.

To EQ a headphone to Harman, you need GRAS or 5128 measurements in either raw form, or compensated to a known reference.

Your two graphs are neither of these things, so are not useful for Harman correction.

 

[Bernard23]

To EQ a headphone to Harman, you need GRAS or 5128 measurements in either raw form, or compensated to a known reference.

Your two graphs are neither of these things, so are not useful for Harman correction.

Thank you, that's useful to know, saves me wasting any more time on it.

Take a look at this documentation:
https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/wiki

Also here is a mesurement:
https://earphonesarchive.squig.link/headphones/?share=Yamaha_HPH-MT8_(center)

Ps. how do those headphones sound? Once I tried the MT5 and they sounded like crap.

Don't know yet, haven't tried them. About to do an A/B (sighted though) with the 620S. I have an Oratory EQ profile for the sennheisers, there's nothing online for the MT8s that i can find. I also had the MT5s which I picked up for £40, they're not crap, but needed EQ (again guesswork). My son has them and likes them a lot, though with aftermarket pads as the OE are uncomfortable.

 

[Bernard23]

Take a look at this documentation:
https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/wiki

Also here is a mesurement:
https://earphonesarchive.squig.link/headphones/?share=Yamaha_HPH-MT8_(center)

Ps. how do those headphones sound? Once I tried the MT5 and they sounded like crap.

I've looked (but not tried) jaakos method for the MT5, probably ran out of patience and mental capacity at the time.
The squiglink data is really useful, I can apply a Harman target of I've understood how to use it correctly and make an eq profile from that data. Thanks for sharing it.
Initial thoughts on them compared to the HD620S; better (more extended) bass, good dynamics, less spatial 3D (but still good for a closed back) and some odd things going on in upper mid / presence. As detailed as anything else I've got, bear in mind I prefer my £40 zero Red IEMs to the sennheisers but sometimes it's nice not to have things stuffed inside your ear hole. They're more comfortable than the 620s and they feel much better built in the choice of materials, less plastic more metal. We like metal.

 

[amirm]

As a starting point using manual method, what you are doing is fine. You then need to listen to varied content and adjust them either in amplitude, width (Q) or whether they are needed at all. This is what I do in all of my speaker/headphone reviews.

 

[Bernard23]

As a starting point using manual method, what you are doing is fine. You then need to listen to varied content and adjust them either in amplitude, width (Q) or whether they are needed at all. This is what I do in all of my speaker/headphone reviews.

I made that manual profile, and now just made an autoEQ profile using the squiglink data so that will be interesting to compare. I tend to adjust the bands above 5k ish for preference and ageing ears etc using 6 or 7 tracks I know really well (funnily enough the playlist is called Headphone Test). As a side comment, I often switch the PEQ on and off just to remind myself what it's doing, and sometimes I prefer the vanilla version, however I suspect that it's partly (mostly?) due to autogain volume adjustments, but for a couple of my IEMs I definitely prefer them a bit rougher and less refined. Just sounds more exciting.

 

[Bernard23]

Ps. how do those headphones sound? Once I tried the MT5 and they sounded like crap.

Quick update and as much to record my own thoughts, but pretty damn good, especially as I only paid £150 for them in as new used condition. I prefer my own manual eq profile so far, and think I already prefer them to the HD620S. More extended bass, exciting sound, enough detail and equally good spatial cues, more comfortable, better materials / construction feel, and much more sensitive so brain damage is possible even with my LGV30 phone. I can't measure anything else, be interested to see what their distortion performance is like. My only grumble is they do need eq, they sound a bit crap without it, which limits the devices I can use them on but that's really a minor gripe and can be mitigated with a bit of effort

Update: I've used them with my JDS Element 2 / Qobuz with no EQ and I really like them. There's a whiff of LCD-X about them in their ability to punch your face in if that's what you wish for, they don't absolutely need any EQ below 150Hz. Brain burn in means the slightly wayward mids become fine, as they are dynamic sounding, ie exciting and a bit in your face. I suspect that some of this is down to the pad thickness, or lack of it so the drivers are quite close to your ears, a bit like the classic Grado trick with the Hemps. For EDM with or without EQ they're a much more involving experience than the HD620S. I'm going to get some brainwavz pads that are deeper than the Yamaha pads (which are a very nice soft leather affair) so move the drivers further away from the ear. So far, it's £150 well invested. Right, time to go and wind up the Headfi massive with talk of EQ and Harman curves.