What is best EQ tool on windows 11 for HD800s?

[AmalfiMan]

This new corsair gaming PC is my first time on a windows as I’m from macbooks.
I’m struggling with downloading the APO EQ. It will not work at all. It says something about using a Text editor blah blah blah.

Any recommendations for other EQ that is designed for DUMMIES like me? Doesn’t have to be free.

Specs:
HD800s headphone.
Dac is FIIO k9 pro ess via usb b.
Call of Duty Warzone gaming.
PC is corsair vengeance i7300 i9/3090 gpu, with best MSI mobo.

 

[Jimbob54]

EQ Software for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS/iPadOS and Android.

Any suggestions are welcome. Post suggestions here. I will gather the details and add them. Thanks. :D This will be organized as results come in. @sweetchaos made a guide for PEQ filter data input and operation. For crossover software go here. Windows: AutoEQ four easy steps to make your...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[AmalfiMan]

EQ Software for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS/iPadOS and Android.

Any suggestions are welcome. Post suggestions here. I will gather the details and add them. Thanks. :D This will be organized as results come in. @sweetchaos made a guide for PEQ filter data input and operation. For crossover software go here. Windows: AutoEQ four easy steps to make your...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Thx. Wow, which one to use? So much easier on iOS. Apple makes the decision for you.

 

[Jimbob54]

Thx. Wow, which one to use? So much easier on iOS. Apple makes the decision for you.

Cant help you there, sorry, as I use EAPO (should be no messing with text files. Follow instructions linked from that thread and download the Peace extension for the front end.

 

[AmalfiMan]

Cant help you there, sorry, as I use EAPO (should be no messing with text files. Follow instructions linked from that thread and download the Peace extension for the front end.

Ahh ok. Missing The peace thing. See, its not intuitive on pc. I had no idea.

 

[Berwhale]

Videos explaining the installation of eAPO and PEACE by the author of PEACE here: https://www.youtube.com/c/PeterVerbeek

 

[Jimbob54]

Ahh ok. Missing The peace thing. See, its not intuitive on pc. I had no idea.

You don't NEED peace, you can just use the EAPO own interface or some of the other extensions in that list for EAPO. But peace seems to be the most popular.

 

[Berwhale]

I use PEACE + eAPO because I can assign Windows hotkeys to multiple EQ settings (for multiple headphones and my monitors) and switch between these settings without opening eAPO or PEACE. It's also easier to import EQ generated by REW into PEACE (I don't think it's possible to import REW generated filters directly into eAPO, but it's been a couple of years since I tried).

 

[AmalfiMan]

Cant help you there, sorry, as I use EAPO (should be no messing with text files. Follow instructions linked from that thread and download the Peace extension for the front end.

Thanks. I finally got it working using FXsound. Simple 2 click install and ready to go.

 

[Jimbob54]

Thanks. I finally got it working using FXsound. Simple 2 click install and ready to go.

Never seen it but doesnt look like its a full parametric EQ? But if it works for you, so be it.

 

[Berwhale]

Apparently, FxSound can EQ the compression away ...

How does FxSound improve sound quality for music?​

Your music files, even ones labeled as "high quality", have some compromises. Some of the original data is removed to make the file a more manageable size. When you stream your music, even more 1's and 0's are cut out to make it fast to deliver. As such, your favorite songs become flat, dull, and lifeless.

This is where FxSound comes in. FxSound helps by giving you the highest possible audio passthrough and output. Then, with targeted EQ, you can bring up those compressed areas and return your music to its proper form.

 

[LightninBoy]

Apparently, FxSound can EQ the compression away ...

How does FxSound improve sound quality for music?​

Your music files, even ones labeled as "high quality", have some compromises. Some of the original data is removed to make the file a more manageable size. When you stream your music, even more 1's and 0's are cut out to make it fast to deliver. As such, your favorite songs become flat, dull, and lifeless.

This is where FxSound comes in. FxSound helps by giving you the highest possible audio passthrough and output. Then, with targeted EQ, you can bring up those compressed areas and return your music to its proper form.

Ugh. For the OPs sake, hope the product is better than their marketing.

 

[LightninBoy]

Ahh ok. Missing The peace thing. See, its not intuitive on pc. I had no idea.

The usability is not a PC thing, it's an open source / free software thing.

 

[threni]

Ugh. For the OPs sake, hope the product is better than their marketing.

I suspect the criteria was simply "must be easy to install".

TornadoGuard

xkcd.com

 

[AmalfiMan]

Ugh. For the OPs sake, hope the product is better than their marketing.

Works fine. Has a few options to tweak the eq balance just right.

 

[AmalfiMan]

I suspect the criteria was simply "must be easy to install".

TornadoGuard

xkcd.com

Lol. For 2022, things shouldn’t be complicated.

 

[ADU]

Don't know if this will help the OP. But I've posted quite a few tips on using EAPO's admittedly somewhat clunky, but also quite powerful imo, Configuration Editor. Most of the tips are related to using the graphic EQ filters. But you can use the interface to design parametric EQs too. It is quite flexible in that way (though not terribly intuitive to use at first).

Equalizer APO Questions & Discussion

https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/ Finally downloaded this to give it a try. But I have a couple questions that I'm hoping some others here can maybe shed some light on. So thought I'd start a new topic.

www.head-fi.org

I have not used the Peace interface.

 

[AmalfiMan]

Don't know if this will help the OP. But I've posted quite a few tips on using EAPO's admittedly somewhat clunky, but also quite powerful imo, Configuration Editor. Most of the tips are related to using the graphic EQ filters. But you can use the interface to design parametric EQs too. It is quite flexible in that way (though not terribly intuitive to use at first).

Equalizer APO Questions & Discussion

https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/ Finally downloaded this to give it a try. But I have a couple questions that I'm hoping some others here can maybe shed some light on. So thought I'd start a new topic.

www.head-fi.org

I have not used the Peace interface.

Since the FXSound was so easy to install and up and running within 2 minutes, I’m not motivated to mess with Apo. I’m spoiled with Macbooks, no fussy experience.

 

[ADU]

Since the FXSound was so easy to install and up and running within 2 minutes, I’m not motivated to mess with Apo. I’m spoiled with Macbooks, no fussy experience.

Understood.

 

[ADU]

Here is a diffuse field compensated graph of the HD800S's frequency response versus some other headphones with a fairly neutral-ish response, that might give you a few hints on where some EQ-ing could be useful. The HD800S is in dark purple.

I would not try to boost the bass all the way up to match the best extended headphones above. But it looks like the 800S could maybe come up a few dB in the 40 to 70 Hz range in the bass. And it might be just a tad warm in the lower mids/upper bass around 300 Hz or so.

Treble is a little bright above 5 kHz. And it looks like the upper mids could be a tad depressed, and maybe brought a bit more forward in the 1.5 kHz range. And possibly also just a bit around 3.25 kHz. YMMV on that.

The response on this headphone is not that far from neutral to begin with, except in the bass, where it's more rolled off (like most open-back headphones). So some of the above could be a little nitpicky.

The curves are all centered in the 500-1000 Hz range on the above graph btw. And centering them to a different frequency range (such as the treble) might give you a different impression of where adjustments need to be made.