I think aiming for an ideal out-of-box headphone tuning based on the recommendations of others is problematic in general (I’ve tried), and is by design a disorienting target, as everyone has their own listening preferences, driven by a multitude of factors—some of which are tangible while others are seemingly entirely arbitrary.
Harman made a valiant attempt at defining a tuning standard (in an industry that previously had little to no standards)—by implementing some manner of a well-controlled listening environment and qualifying preferences among a fairly robust sample size. With their most recent 2019 revision, they seem to have succeeded well enough to influence at least some manufacturers, as well as quite a few listeners through Oratory’s PEQ database. But I just bought a set of Dan Clark E3s, which are about as Harman-compliant as you’re likely to find, and I still had to add PEQ to augment the mid-bass—for my unique tastes.
I add across-the-board analog bass enhancement with my iFI Pro iCAN Signature amp, which I chose specifically based on my affinity for mid bass and punch. This is in part driven by the rock and similar “modern” genres I prefer; classical and jazz enthusiasts may find my EQ preferences excessive and distasteful. Perhaps another criterion that may have objective value is age; younger listeners may find a particularly bright headphone fatiguing, whereas a 54 year old like myself may find headphones with attenuated highs too muffled. But even then there are outliers.
Roon offers a great software solution for those seeking a high performance tuning solution, as their app for the Mac, PC and iPad has a full-featured PEQ engine as well as the option to upload convolution files that can be downloaded from Oratory’s database. I have created presets specific to each headphone in my collection.
Apple has also found a somewhat ingenious solution for their native AirPods Pro and Max (neither of which are slouches in terms of performance) by offering an audiogram app that performs home hearing testing (as a physician I can attest that it is quite well-done). The results are summarized in an EQ preset that adjusts the FRC based on the detected hearing limitations for each ear.
I very much enjoy listening to music with this setting, and the headphones themselves support a Spatial Audio option that works for all sources (although it shines the most for albums mixed and mastered in that format) that I personally think represents the future of how music will be commonly enjoyed in coming generations as a successor to stereo. A slew of Atmos mixes are being released on a daily basis, and mastering engineers are finally figuring out an approach to this that eschews gimmickry and focuses solely on immersion. It’s a long time coming, and I love it.
For what it’s worth, the one headphone I’ve found that I can listen to “out of the box” with only the analog bass boost employed is Hifiman’s HE1000 Stealth. Of note, I did not land on this choice from the advice of others; I bought a slew of very expensive headphones until I discovered a way of auditioning them at no cost (thank God for Amazon), and discovered my engame through trial, error, and patience. I think this is the only way to get it done. And I will say that I didn’t have to listen for long to recognize which one hit the spot—if I had to squint for too long to decide if I liked it, I sent it back. And I also had to lean into the inevitability of PEQ, and learn to see it as an asset.
This is what worked for me. Best of luck!
