Should I use equalizers?

[kurotoast]

I have akg-712 pro with Fiio K5 Pro and I wonder should I use an equalizer? I heard some people make them sound "better" but I have no experince with it so I'm not sure, I don't even know which software to use. I found stuff like this - https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq#usage and many other settings.

 

[Berwhale]

Yes. See here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ows-linux-macos-ios-ipados-and-android.18450/

I use EqualizerAPO + PEACE on Windows to EQ both spekears (measured and calculated with REW) and headphone (EQ based on Oratory1990's measurments)

I also EQ on Android using USB Audio Player Pro with the Toneboosters PEQ add-in.

Note that the jaakkopasanen site you link to calculates EQ based on Oratory1990's measurements (amongst others). This is not the same as Oratory1990's own EQ settings which he calculates himself and tunes by ear.

The list of Oratory1990's EQ presets are here: https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index/list_of_presets

Oratory1990's own explaination of the differences between his and Jaakkopasanen's is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory199...is_list_different_to_the_github_.2F_autoeq.3F

 

[kurotoast]

Thank you, I've tried both oratory1990 and jaakkopasanen for AKG-712 PRO and I prefer jaakkopasanen. oratory1990's setting for midrange 5700 Hz on -7,8 dB makes voices to sound muffed.

But maybe I did something wrong, here's my settings in PEACE, oratory1990 AKG-712 and jaakkopasanen for AKG-712 PRO:

 

[Berwhale]

I think 5700Hz might be a bit high for vocals. Have you tried playing around with band 3 as Oratory1990 suggests?

Of course, ultimately, it's all about what sounds best to you. If you've tried both EQ settings and the variations for preference that Oratory1990 suggests and your happy with Jaakkopasanen, then stick with that. However, I would also add that you should give your ears and brain time to adjust to the 'correct' settings. You might find that your preference changes after listening to each setting for a week with different types of music, rather than switching between them over a short timeframe.

 

[GaryH]

Thank you, I've tried both oratory1990 and jaakkopasanen for AKG-712 PRO and I prefer jaakkopasanen. oratory1990's setting for midrange 5700 Hz on -7,8 dB makes voices to sound muffed.

But maybe I did something wrong, here's my settings in PEACE, oratory1990 AKG-712 and jaakkopasanen for AKG-712 PRO:

Looks like you've copied the filters from the wrong pdf (Oratory's 'Optimum HiFi' preset which is lacking in the bass, and for this particular headphone happens to have less energy at 5700 Hz). Most people will prefer his default preset which EQs to the Harman target. Also looks like the gain is snapping to the nearest 0.5 dB. To change that go into Peace's settings, to the 'Sizes and Amounts settings' tab, then change the value next to 'Snap to dB gain' to 0.1 dB. And after you've entered in the filters for an EQ, you can check they're right by clicking the little green curve just under the 'Effects' button and making sure it matches with the 'EQ curve total' on Oratory's pdf.

As for the AutoEQ settings, again that's not the right preset. You're using the fixed-band EQ version, you want the parametric EQ. You're also using the EQ based on Rtings' measurements whose rig isn't fully industry standard so isn't as accurate. This is the one you want, based on Oratory's more accurate measurements. But I'd recommend Oratory's own EQ preset from his pdf above, as he generally uses lower-Q positive-gain filters to prevent possible audible filter 'ringing', and of course actually listens to the headphones when creating the EQ to check and fine-tune them.

 

[kurotoast]

Thank you, I fixed everything and it sounds good but now I don't know which one is better - no settings, Oratory's and AutoEQ all sound good but different and I'm not sure which one to choose.

 

[GaryH]

Thank you, I fixed everything and it sounds good but now I don't know which one is better - no settings, Oratory's and AutoEQ all sound good but different and I'm not sure which one to choose.

Well only you can know which one you prefer But Oratory's is most likely to bring the response to the Harman target while minimizing the possibility of audible filter 'ringing' (AutoEQ's also has a bit of an 8 kHz peak), the Harman target being close to the tonality of neutral speakers in a studio, and so close to what most recording artists / mixers / mastering engineers heard and intended their music to sound like. I'd keep it on Oratory's preset for a while, listen to a wide variety of music with it, then switch it off / to AutoEQ's and then you might hear the deficiencies in them.