People who use a 10 Band Fixed EQ on their HP's to get their preferred sound, what's your process?

[ADU]

Hi ADU, thanks for your info, very interesting. I have it set to 24bit, 48k, which I think is pretty good for dynamic range?

Yes. 24-bit should be good for the bit depth. Equalization (with a software-based digital EQ) requires some resampling of the audio information. So if the audio data is encoded at a bit depth of only 16-bits (or less), it's probably not such a bad idea to resample it to a greater depth of 24 bits, to ensure a better/smoother conversion.

The best sample rate depends somewhat on the content, and the limits of your audio device.

I use a 48 kHz sample rate, because I mostly use YouTube for watching and listening to music content. And the audio in that content is typically encoded at 48 kHz, using the Opus codec. To check the codec that your browser is using for YouTube content, right-click on any video, and select the "Stats for Nerds" option in the pop-up menu. If the codec in the Stats for Nerds says Opus, then the sample rate is most likely 48 kHz. If it's AAC, then it's probably 44.1 kHz. Most browsers should use the Opus encodes though.

48 kHz is also the highest rate that my audio device (a Samsung TV connected to my laptop via HDMI) allows though, and it's also the standard rate for digital video content generally.

Alot of streaming audio-only content is still encoded at the slightly lower rate of 44.1 kHz though. And if that is mostly the type of content you listen to, then there might be some benefits to still using the lower 44.1 kHz rate for your audio device.

If you use/listen to content encoded at both of these sample rates, and don't want to have to bother switching back and forth, then I'd probably use either the higher rate of 48 kHz. Or the rate that matches the content where the sound quality is most critical.

Your computer should have no problems converting one rate to the other. Converting between two such similar sample rates could have the potential to introduce some aliasing errors though. So that's why I'd generally recommend using the sample rate that best matches your content. (Chances are, you'd never even notice the aliasing errors that might result from such a conversion. But if you have the option to avoid them altogether, then why not take it?)

If your audio device supports a higher sample rate of 96 kHz, then that would also be another way to "break the tie" between the two lower rates. Because any aliasing errors would likely be imperceptible when converting either 44.1 or 48 kHz to a substantially higher rate, like 96 kHz.

If you start using much higher sample rates and bit depths though, that requires additional processing power. Which could have the potential to introduce some latency into the audio. Which might be a consideration if you do alot of gaming.

There is no reason to use a higher bit depth or sample rate than 24-bit/48 kHz from either a dynamic range or frequency response standpoint though. In those respects, both should be more than sufficient for a person with normal hearing.

 

[ADU]

There may be some other headphones that would make better models for the sound in the lower frequencies on the K702 than the ones that I used for the graph in my previous post btw. So I'll see if I can find a few better examples for that.

That particular grouping of headphones is probably not so bad as a general reference for the treble though. The AKG K371 really dips down too much in the upper frequencies above about 10 kHz though. And has very little air as a consquence. (The K371 might also be just a hair too punchy in the very lowest frequencies as well, even for a headphone that is well-extended in the sub-bass.)

 

[ADU]

You said that the 10-band EQ on your Soundblaster is "fixed" btw, 38yEj5SxGA. Does that meant that the frequencies cannot be changed or adjusted on any of the EQ bands?

 

[ADU]

Revised my post on bit depths and sample rates above. I was going by memory on the rates. And sample rates should have been listed as 48 and 44.1 kHz. I apologize for any confusion that may have caused. The rates should now be correct though.

 

[38yEj5SxGA]

You said that the 10-band EQ on your Soundblaster is "fixed" btw, 38yEj5SxGA. Does that meant that the frequencies cannot be changed or adjusted on any of the EQ bands?

Yeah it's the standard 31, 62 125, 250 etc. 9db of +/-, so 18db total.

 

[ziddy76]

SoundID method is interesting. A series of listening preference based on your preferred genre to create individualized EQ. Not a terrible idea.

 

[ADU]

This is something I also meant to post earlier, and I'm afraid I just forgot. But this is sort of how I kept track of my EQ settings for different songs to get more of an overview of how to EQ my headphones.

The 10 EQ bands are laid out as columns. And the decibel levels are shown on the lefthand side. The small Roman numerals on the table represent the recommended 10-band settings from Jaako's AutoEQ and Oratory1990 for my headphones (the 250-ohm Beyer DT-770). And the regular numbers (001, 002...) on the graph represent the best levels for individual tracks (all YouTube clips), based on my own listening tests. The names of the individual tracks are also listed at the bottom, along with my preferred values for each of the 10 bands for that particular track.

I also calculated an average dB level for each EQ band by simply adding all the preferred levels together for the tracks, and then dividing by the number of tracks. The average levels are indicated with an "AVG." on the table.

The values of both the AutoEQ and my own data are all normalized to 0 dB at 500 Hz btw. That was a somewhat arbitrary decision. But I wanted the data normalized somewhere in the middle of the frequency range, so I had a common reference point for the other settings. And that band was the closest.

After I started using a better EQ, where I had more controls to work with, some of the values began to change a bit from the ones above. So I wouldn't necessarily call all of the settings above the "ideal" ones for my headphones. My hearing also isn't too good in the higher frequencies, especially above about 14 kHz, so the 16 kHz setting was just a very rough guess. And I'm using somewhat higher values now on my HPs for the 13-20 kHz range, now that I have more controls for that area on my current setup. The above approach didn't work too bad though, imo.

The tracks were selected based on my own subjective evaluations of their sound quality, from listening to a wide variety of music. And I had intended to do alot more than just the four shown on the table above. But then I switched to a different EQ program that had alot more flexibility than just the 10 bands. And basically abandoned this approach.

The 10-band EQ I was using for the above was laid out in steps of +/-3 dBs on each band btw. So that's why all of my preferred settings are in steps of 1/2 that amplitude, or +/-1.5 dB. And nothing smaller. It was just easier for me to eyeball those increments on the EQ, rather using something like +/-1.0 or 0.5 dB steps, because of the way the dB units were laid out on the EQ.

My preferred settings in the bass also tended to be somewhat higher on average than the settings suggested by AutoEQ. Because the AutoEQ target is based on an approximately +4 dB bass boost, rather than the approximately +6 dB bass boost on the current Harman over-ear target. My settings were also a bit lower than the recommended settings in the upper mids at around 1 to 2 kHz. And I believe that is because the Harman target is maybe just a bit too bright and harsh-sounding in the 1.5 to 2.0 kHz range for a neutral response (at least for my ears anyway).

My settings for the 16 kHz band were also higher than all of the recommended Harman settings. Imo, that is because the Harman target is too rolled off (for the most part) in the higher treble frequencies.

 

[ADU]

This is all I'm actually using to EQ my DT-770's at the moment though, while I finish doing some more plotting with various loudspeaker sound power, and headphone curves. It's just a simple variable graphic EQ with two points at 20 Hz and 20 kHz, that adds a -5 dB tilt to the DT-770's frequency response (similar to the kind of thing Robbo99999 suggests here). Created in Equalizer APO's Configuration Editor (without Peace or Room EQ Wizard, neither of which I have installed on my system).

It's not really accurate enough for more critical uses, and a bit too elevated in the sub-bass. But it tames the higher frequencies to a good degree, and gives the headphones a little better of an overall tonal balance. Approximate raw response (which is different that diffuse field) with above slope applied...

This is what I would call a "better than nothing at all" type of EQ solution.

I will also sometimes adjust the level at 20k up or down a bit, depending on the content, which is fairly easy to do with Equalizer APO's graphic EQs.