Topic: How to configure EQ precisely ?

Hi, I want to copy an Oratory1990 EQ curve for my headphones, and it needs to specify for each band if it's a PEAK, High Shelf, or Low Shelf.

It seems only the Band 1 and 5 are customizable that way in the Remote software (I'm using that exclusively instead of entering the unintuitive interface of the unit itself)?

How to set it up so that I can choose for each band, which one I want ?

Also, I assume the "Bass" and "Treble" band are low shelf and high shelf by default respectivetly ? If not, how to change that as well ?

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

The unit is what product exactly ?

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

Sorry I haven't specified it. It is Adi 2/4 pro SE

4 (edited by KaiS 2024-09-19 08:43:02)

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

chapitil wrote:

Sorry I haven't specified it. It is Adi 2/4 pro SE

The EQ is the same on all ADI-2 versions.


There is no way to exactly copy an Oratory1990, Crinacle, Auto Eq Project or other 10 band EQ into ADI-2.

But that’s even not necessary and all of these EQ presets have one thing in common:

The short version: they are wrong above 3 kHz.
Everything narrowband and all small corrections can simply be left away.
Tell me the ‘phones you intend to use and the EQ preset and I will crunch the numbers for you.

Or you choose from those presets that are already prepared for ADI-2:
https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wi … rme_adi-2/


Why, in detail - therefore you have to read the long version below.


Why are narrowband EQ corrections with foreign origin questionable and should be just left away?
ALL the measurement-based EQ curves from the internet are wrong above ca. 2-3 kHz, with very few single exceptions.


The measurement systems used do not supply data with a high enough VALID frequency resolution to justify narrow EQ bands.
You cannot EQ better than your measurement is.

One has to be aware of the limits of a measurement system to judge it’s results.
If you compensate above these limits you introduce errors, and leave the errors you want to compensate untouched.


• Even slight changes in headphone’s placement, on your head or the measurement coupler, yield totally different results for frequencies above ca. 2 kHz.
Which one to use then, and why?
Averaging various positions doesn’t help much, practically you don’t listen to an average, but a discrete positioning.

• The famous “Harman”- and other compensations are strongly smoothed, coarse approximations for a very certain setup, intentionally leaving out the fine details of the curve, therefore limit frequency dependent precision.

• People use Harman- or other compensations as if they were valid for other measurement rigs too, which they aren’t.

• Most compensations, except “Freefield” do use the room sound signals without any angular weighting.
That is more than 90% room sound!
Opposed to that the human brain does give a lot more weight to the direct sound from the source, above the room-reflected sounds.

• Your personal pinnae have different shapes, and therefore different HRTF (Head Related Transfer Function, angle dependent frequency response) than the measurement “ear”, coupler.

• Each human’s auditorial system permanently adapts to the sound colors it’s presented, like the eye adapts to light colors.
You have to “readjust” that from time to time with natural sounds to judge an artificial reproduction system.
The amount of ability for those adaptions is different for each individual, and there are limits.

• There are certain characteristics of a headphone or loudspeaker that are prominent and specific enough worth for correction, the famous 6 kHz peak of Sennheiser’s HD-800 comes into mind.
Even this one doesn’t annoy everybody.


Remark:
Didn ‘t you notice, all these Oratory, Auto EQ Project and most other Internet fine-tweak-EQ Setups simply sound like shit (sorry for the strong word) in the upper range?
Doesn't a simple Treble Shelf EQ or broadband Peak EQ, or a combination of both, adjusted to taste, give better results?

The measurements, BTW, can give a starting point for COARSE correction above 2 kHz, and below 2kHz measurements actually are quite valid, if your can achieve a good seal on your head.


Finally:
I do my EQs based on measurements on my own head, using my own compensation curve.
Even this is limited and has to be adjusted by taste over a period of several weeks or months at least.


Here’s a video on the topic:
Why it’s better to ignore the high Q, low gain filters above 2 kHz, see this video, specially from positions 7’30”, 9’25” and 12’35”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nq9ZGAYTwU&t=541s

5 (edited by chapitil 2024-09-19 22:31:43)

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

KaiS wrote:

Or you choose from those presets that are already prepared for ADI-2:
https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wi … rme_adi-2/

That's exactly what I'm using. Specifically for Stax L700.

But as you can see, sometimes it's set for a low shelf, peak, or high shelf filter (Specifically band 3 which should be high shelf). And I'm not sure how to configure those into the adi-2, which is what my original question was about.

6 (edited by KaiS 2024-09-19 23:50:01)

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

chapitil wrote:
KaiS wrote:

Or you choose from those presets that are already prepared for ADI-2:
https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wi … rme_adi-2/

That's exactly what I'm using. Specifically for Stax L700, Harman Target

But as you can see, sometimes it's set for a low shelf, peak, or high shelf filter (Specifically band 3 which should be high shelf). And I'm not sure how to configure those into the adi-2, which is what my original question was about.

As you might already have noticed, bass and treble bands can be integrated into the EQ, (option “load with EQ”) creating a 7-band EQ.
Bass and treble are shelf only, so should be used for this, band 7 and 8 in the Oratory1990 preset.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cenqrtj92ykxr … 9.pdf?dl=0

EQ bands 1 and 5 can be set to peak, shelf  or hi-/low-pass.
So RME band 5 should be used for Oratory1990 band 3

The final EQ for STAX SR-L700 in RME order is like this:

RME ADI-2 Oratory1990 Harman Target EQ for STAX SR-L700

BB: Gain  +5.5 dB  F   105 Hz  Q 0.7 Low Shelf
B1: Gain  –4.0 dB  F    85 Hz  Q 1.4 Peak
B2: Gain  –5.5 dB  F 1.17 kHz  Q 2.0 Peak
B3: Gain  –2.0 dB  F  2.7 kHz  Q 6.0 Peak
B4: Gain  –6.5 dB  F  5.8 kHz  Q 3.0 Peak
B5: Gain  +2.5 dB  F  1.5 kHz  Q 0.7 Hi Shelf
BT: Gain  –2.0 dB  F 10.0 kHz  Q 0.7 Hi Shelf

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

Thanks a bunch ! That answers it exactly. I didn't think of using band 5 as band 3, just tried to copy it blindly without thinking...

Btw, which setting is preferred for the "advanced settings filter". Do you always use Sharp or should you try something else ?
Usually I'm working with 192khz files.

8 (edited by KaiS 2024-09-20 00:42:32)

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

chapitil wrote:

Thanks a bunch ! That answers it exactly. I didn't think of using band 5 as band 3, just tried to copy it blindly without thinking...

Btw, which setting is preferred for the "advanced settings filter". Do you always use Sharp or should you try something else ?
Usually I'm working with 192khz files.

With 192 kHz sample rate it absolutely makes no difference.
The filter simply is way out of the audible band.

Only for 44.1 and 48 kHz I have preferences:
On my silver-face ADI-2 Pro “Slow”-filter is my favorite for DA-conversion.
On ADI-2/4 Pro SE I prefer SD-LD, as it’s “Slow” has a different shape and sound (ESS converter chip, vs AKM).

9 (edited by chapitil 2024-09-20 00:35:14)

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

Thanks, that's helpful !

Should I consider it the same way for recording, AD conversion, with filters ? Doesn't make a difference between Sharp, Slow etc when using 192kHz? I read a paper that said theoretically as you move up the sample rates, you should use slower and slower filters, because the impulse response is more accurate and there is no preringing, but I'm not sure about all of this. I don't know what I'm talking about here.

What should be preferred ? (slightly off topic, sorry about that)

10 (edited by KaiS 2024-09-20 00:57:21)

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

chapitil wrote:

Thanks, that's helpful !

Should I consider it the same way for recording, AD conversion, with filters ? Doesn't make a difference between Sharp, Slow etc when using 192kHz? I read a paper that said theoretically as you move up the sample rates, you should use slower and slower filters, because the impulse response is more accurate and there is no preringing, but I'm not sure about all of this. I don't know what I'm talking about here.

What should be preferred ? (slightly off topic, sorry about that)

It’s the same for AD-conversion:
At 192 kHz the filter is way out of the audible band.

IMO it simply doesn’t matter, at least I don’t hear the slightest difference, how hard I ever try.

Even at 44.1 kHz the differences aren’t night and day, but enough to be worth to be considered.

The filters have different optimizations between the parameters frequency response, impulse response and aliasing artifacts.
NOS (@44.1 kHz) i.e. is most extreme in favor of impulse response, but aliasing suffers audibly.
So called “audiophiles” seem to like these kind of noise, making NOS popular with them.
But these people like a lot of strange things …

NOS BTW is great for certain measurement purposes, if impulse response is what is under examination.
ADI-2 Pro makes a great measurement frontend.

Re: How to configure EQ precisely ?

Ok thanks for the informative reply.