Some more praise for AutoEQ.app - Headphone EQ correction - Restored an AKG K702

[OK1]

I've had an AKG K702 for 10 years approx. A gift for one of my decade based birthdays, which comes around again soon. The earpads had deteriorated, most likely cos of my own ineptitude. Anyway I ordered a replacement from Brainwavz, not realising they were based in Singapore. They were the Headphone Memory Foam Earpads - XL - Perforated Black. Unfortunately they do not couple with the earpad fittings of the K702, but are not really needed, cos the headband tension is enough to hold them in place without fixing them to the headphones.

Next I examined what AutoEQ.app could do. Fortuitously there is a measurement for the AKG K702, with the Brainwavs XL pads, and the default correction uses the Harman 2018 Over Ear target. I'm using the convolution output, to generate an impulse response file, which I use in Reaverb a native plugin in Reaper, on Windows, but this should work in any other convolution product or plugin, and deliver identical results. With a bit of gain matching implemented using the Wet parameter in Reaverb, with Dry input set to negative infinity.

My main earpieces are an Artti T10 planar magnetic IEM, which are obviously still more detailed. But this headphone correction using AutoEQ.app to generate the correction impulse response files, has been a wonderful experience. The end result obviously does not have that silky extended top end of the T10, but within the limitations of a dynamic driver headphone (restrained transient response, and what I suspect are dynamic drivers that are somewhat dated in technology, which may have been superseded by newer dynamic drivers), my AKG K702's are "restored". Emphasis on vocals is really nice, more balanced. Without this frequency correction, they sound a bit undefined, but definitely much clearer with the correction.

Vocals are really really really clear - almost clearer than on the Artti T10, but I think what's happening is that without the same level of clarity in the upper and lower frequencies, the mid range on the K702's sound more pronounced, and prominent. - Now they have a truly awesome vocal region. Not excessive, but definitely easily audible.

The Artti T10's destroy the K702's in aspects such as stereo placement, definition, resolution, transient response and the sense of just being there, a 3 dimensionality and realism that the K702's simply cannot dream of attaining. Not surprised the K702's are from a different era. But really happy I can continue to use the K702's as a non fatiguing yet clear reference, in a way that gives me probably a truer picture of the balance of music, without being distracted by the "insane" extension, and detail retrieval of the T10's which can draw my ears to every single whisper.

Fantastic - brought my K702's back to life. At least I can use these as a listening reference. Not bad. A happy day.

Massive thanks to all who contributed to making AutoEQ.app possible/

 

[OK1]

It’s great to learn that AutoEQ. To be honest the imag app was able to revitalize your AKG K702 headphones in a way. Considering all that and the thickness of the low-pitched audio the difference in sound quality has to be day and night. Further, I have received many positive remarks from several listeners who have used AutoEQ. it is show for the given app and the corrections it capable of making to frequency responses. I guess it is amazing that now you can use K702’s with less distortion and more clear sound. Are there other advantages which you can see apart from the better clarity in your voice?

I do not think broad EQ based correction, would have any significant improvement in distortion. So I think that the main advantage of the AutoEQ based correction is the removal of some of what I call the "woofiness" in the frequency

From the examples shown in AmirM's headphone and IEM reviews, it would take steep EQ curves to tame any major distortion issues, in a headphone.

So I think any serious distortion in a headphone design, will NOT be improved by EQ based correction.

Here are the relevant frequency curves - image below

From what I can deduce, in my case, there is a bit of bloat in the low end which is reduced by the EQ correction and a major dip in the lower mid range in the 800 hertz region is corrected. Also some high end sizzle is added by the correction. I find the high end sizzle a bit too much, after correction, is a bit too "hot", when I compare with listening to my other reference, an Artti T10 - which is also corrected by AutoEQ.

With AutoEQ, the improvements in the Artti T10 are NOT significant, cos the IEM is already pretty good sounding, without correction.

 

[tidusjc]

I've had an AKG K702 for 10 years approx. A gift for one of my decade based birthdays, which comes around again soon. The earpads had deteriorated, most likely cos of my own ineptitude. Anyway I ordered a replacement from Brainwavz, not realising they were based in Singapore. They were the Headphone Memory Foam Earpads - XL - Perforated Black. Unfortunately they do not couple with the earpad fittings of the K702, but are not really needed, cos the headband tension is enough to hold them in place without fixing them to the headphones.

Next I examined what AutoEQ.app could do. Fortuitously there is a measurement for the AKG K702, with the Brainwavs XL pads, and the default correction uses the Harman 2018 Over Ear target. I'm using the convolution output, to generate an impulse response file, which I use in Reaverb a native plugin in Reaper, on Windows, but this should work in any other convolution product or plugin, and deliver identical results. With a bit of gain matching implemented using the Wet parameter in Reaverb, with Dry input set to negative infinity.

My main earpieces are an Artti T10 planar magnetic IEM, which are obviously still more detailed. But this headphone correction using AutoEQ.app to generate the correction impulse response files, has been a wonderful experience. The end result obviously does not have that silky extended top end of the T10, but within the limitations of a dynamic driver headphone (restrained transient response, and what I suspect are dynamic drivers that are somewhat dated in technology, which may have been superseded by newer dynamic drivers), my AKG K702's are "restored". Emphasis on vocals is really nice, more balanced. Without this frequency correction, they sound a bit undefined, but definitely much clearer with the correction.

Vocals are really really really clear - almost clearer than on the Artti T10, but I think what's happening is that without the same level of clarity in the upper and lower frequencies, the mid range on the K702's sound more pronounced, and prominent. - Now they have a truly awesome vocal region. Not excessive, but definitely easily audible.

The Artti T10's destroy the K702's in aspects such as stereo placement, definition, resolution, transient response and the sense of just being there, a 3 dimensionality and realism that the K702's simply cannot dream of attaining. Not surprised the K702's are from a different era. But really happy I can continue to use the K702's as a non fatiguing yet clear reference, in a way that gives me probably a truer picture of the balance of music, without being distracted by the "insane" extension, and detail retrieval of the T10's which can draw my ears to every single whisper.

Fantastic - brought my K702's back to life. At least I can use these as a listening reference. Not bad. A happy day.

Massive thanks to all who contributed to making AutoEQ.app possible/

hey, I am using my 702 with brainwavz XL sheepskin pad (ordered from amazon sg), I am glad I found the brainwavz XL AutoEQ setting too! really bring out the lush vocal and push it all the way front, don't get me wrong, I am enjoying the wide soundstage but I felt sometimes the vocal is push too far away for my taste in certain song.

The downside for this EQ I think too little bass as well

 

[OK1]

hey, I am using my 702 with brainwavz XL sheepskin pad (ordered from amazon sg), I am glad I found the brainwavz XL AutoEQ setting too! really bring out the lush vocal and push it all the way front, don't get me wrong, I am enjoying the wide soundstage but I felt sometimes the vocal is push too far away for my taste in certain song.

The downside for this EQ I think too little bass as well

Yes the end result, via AutoEQ, does not have too much bass. So in my case I have a 2nd layer of EQ, manually created in a parametric EQ, which tilts the bass up a bit and notches the high frequencies down a little bit.

Part of the reason, in my opinion is, the K702, naturally does not have much bass.

 

[tidusjc]

Yes the end result, via AutoEQ, does not have too much bass. So in my case I have a 2nd layer of EQ, manually created in a parametric EQ, which tilts the bass up a bit and notches the high frequencies down a little bit.

Part of the reason, in my opinion is, the K702, naturally does not have much bass.

do you mind sharing your 2nd layer of EQ and how do I apply a 2nd layer in PEACE GUI - APOequalizer?

 

[OK1]

do you mind sharing your 2nd layer of EQ and how do I apply a 2nd layer in PEACE GUI - APOequalizer?

It's just a tilt EQ, with a bass boost and a drop in the high frequencies, implemented using two bands of a parametric EQ. I use the in-built parametric EQ, in my DAW - Reaper.

I have posted the settings of the two bands (1 and 5), which are active. Bands 2,3, and 4 are disabled, which is why I have not posted their settings.