I recently splurged on a pair of more expensive (than I've had in the past) headphones, Beyerdynamic 660s. My question has to do with my 10 band equalizer. I've been having trouble getting settings that I like- the bass is either too boomy or too weak and I can't seem to get warm, non-sibilent vocals. Can anyone direct me on where my sliders should be (30hz to 16khz) for a good balance?
re Beyers range... I've had 880 and 990. On T1 currently. never used EQ. 880 was way too neutral with not enough bass. 990 had artificial bass hump at 100(ish)Hz. Too boomy. When I'm using other headphones (AT 9ES, Senn Momentum) with my portables I might slightly increase subbase frequencies (30Hz) leave mids flat and throw in a bit more highs 16kHz (just a notch). Bust mostly flat. Hope this helps.
Thanks Sergio, will give that a try.
I though audiophiles disapproved of equalizers?
If one is very familiar with an EQ and it is a high quality digital paragraphic EQ with infinite setting, one can make the most horrendous sounding production sound quite sweet. It takes many, many years of experience to be able to read and adjust such a device for optimum results though.Originally Posted by Dave (in MA)
I do not use headphones if I can avoid them. I have a Sony MDR-V6 set and they sound very nice on the rare occasions when I do use them.
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
yeah... beyers SQ signature is slightly biased towards increased highs (unlike Senns). So at first listens vocals, guitars etc might come out "screaming" and cymbals very upfront in the mix. That is until your ear/brain adjusts itself, or to rephrase, the burn in period has been completed. Usually Beyers are referred to as "analytical" cans.
I wish my wife would listen to prog, I have to wear headphones 100% of the time!
my neighbors (let alone wife) better be liking all that stuff by now. As I m using headphones only on special occasions. Experimented with latest Arcane on my wife (the 2nd CD only)... worked a treat. Just take it step by step.
Are you using a headphone amp, or directly out of the headphone out on your amp/receiver?
If not using a dedicated amp, I can guarantee better bass with one.
I am familiar with those cans, and have heard them with and without an amp.
And if there were a god, I think it very unlikely that he would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence - Russell
Simon - I listen through the receiver. Bass not an issue, vocals not very warm sounding...
As usual there are two sides - one says make corrections for speakers and the room and the other side says reproduce what was recorded without corrections
not possible... mixing engineer makes his preferred "corrections" and then mastering engineer makes his preferred "corrections"... usually, for my personal preferences, neither make the proper corrections.... with the exception of the first UK, RTF's Romantic Warrior and a small handful of other albums
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
I guess I should have said what was released instead of what was recorded - the point was one side says you can change things to suit your tastes and the other says reproduce what was released to the best of your ability. Neither side is right or wrong, just different approaches.
On the question of headphones I believe that you should find a pair that suits your tastes as there are a lot of different sounding headphones, everything from bass heavy to dry and analytical. I'm not sure why someone would buy a pair of headphones that they didn't like the way they sound and felt the need to change it. Especially since there are so many available in each price range.
chuckle...I have the opposite problem these days. She wants to hear it all!
When I do use headphones I go for the following:
Indoors - Shure SH840, with the hi-fi on a 'direct' setting which plays the music as it is, with no colourings. The Shures are very comfy and allow me to hear lots of detail while still offering up enough thump where its needed.
Outdoors sitting in the garden - usually a pair of Sony MDR1s hooked up to the mp3 player, all tracks at 320kbps, and played through a Fiio headphone amp. Nice wide soundstage and lots of clarity.
Commuting - Sennheiser Momentum phones as their slight bass emphasis helps counter the lower frequencies lost to background noise.
Flat.
One can SOMETIMES improve A FEW rotten recordings using an equalizer but more often all you're doing is boosting the distortion. Better to start with flat equipment that treats all frequencies equally, and avoid distorting the mix to try to overcome equipment shortcomings.
Buy a parametric EQ
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