Submitted by Better_Box_2787 t3_ztwsl8 in headphones
Which target would you suggest for classical music? I often read that you probably want a "flat" frequency curve, does that actually means that every frequence is on 0? Or it refers to a neutral target like Harman?
I want to find what I like but first I would like to try what is advised, so thanks anyone for the help!
I would auto eq that target to the meausurements of my headphone
Personally, as both a bass head and someone who listens to classical about 90% of the time, I don't think flat is the way to go. I want a nice meaty bass shelf to represent the contrabass, percussion, and cellos - and some nice zing in the upper range to represent the high strings and woodwinds. So basically mildly V-shaped. Most classical music is heavily mastered towards mids anyway, so you can sacrifice a bit there in order to get a truly enveloping "concert hall" sound. IMHO, bass is sorely underrepresented and underrated in classical recordings and playback.
For IEMs I like my target but it actually depends on listening level. That is good for a moderate listening level but the louder I go the flatter I like it. So at louder listening levels I may only like 10Hz to peak at no more than +10dB or +5dB relative to 1KHz and I may only like 3KHz to peak at no more than +3dB or +0dB relative to 1KHz. Its all relative. Loudness compensation linked to volume control helps. The RME ADI-2 series and some receivers have this loudness control feature. This follows the equal-loudness contours of human hearing.
Is there an easy I could try your target in equaliser apo?
Is it basically Harman with a bass boost?
I don't know about "easy." You could try EQ'ing whatever you currently have by ear but that takes a lot of experience and practice. It helps to have a "711" coupler to make measurements. REW helps with modeling. I've EQ'd the $10 Panasonic RP-HJE125 to it for the most part. I've EQ'd the Soundcore Sport X10 to being pretty close. EQing 3KHz+ must be done by ear since it is not accurately measured by coupler and is anatomy and insertion depth dependent. Might take you 20+ bands but it CAN be done.
"flat" and "neutral" are 2 different things.
Classical music are acoustical instruments and most of them are in the mid range.
A headphone with a V-shaped frequency response I do think totally unsuited for classical. The thundering bass masks the midrange. That piercing treble you won't find in real life. Go to a concert hall and listen to a symphony orchestra. Notice that you can hear contra bass and kettle drums but also note the level is low. Like wise a Steinway. Very big but very soft on the bass.
Basically, use EQ to tune your headphone to obtain a neutral response.
What is neutral? Often the Harman or the Sennheiser response is mentioned. Harman did some excellent research. They even found out who didn't like their curve. Bass heads think the bass to soft. Woman think the bass to loud and people over 50 think so to.
Evidently, it is a preference. https://audiosolace.com/harman-target-curve-explained/
Best you can do is calibrating your hearing. Visit live performances, preferably in a hall with good acoustics. This wil be your reference.
My practice is a sober one. Using Etymotic ER4P I boost the 100 Hz band with2-3 dB. Using HD800 I do exactly the opposite.
"Flat" by measurement is not the same as "flat" by ear since human hearing is not linear.
If you want to EQ by ear and want a "flat" sound, basically what you want is equal loudness from 10Hz to 20KHz. IEMs are more capable of this than headphones in regards to distortion.
If you want a "flat" sound by measurement (dB SPL) (but doing it by ear) then there should be a gradual roll-off from 1KHz down to 10Hz, a -3dB dip around 1.5KHz, a rise to +3dB at 3.2KHz, then a gradual roll-off up to 20KHz.
I think a happy medium is somewhere in between. Most people like a bass boost and treble is subjective too. Listening level matters. Having a smooth response is key so no stabbing peaks or troughs.
Really just basically Harman 🙂
So I am using only a 10 band EQ, because that's what my device has. But as you can see in this image, since I have the Z1R, I actually tune the low end shelf down just a touch, then I've boosted a few areas of the higher range to bring a perception of more detail in strings/piccolos/triangles etc.
Because the Z1R is already quite bassy, to get the mild v-shape I am after, this EQ curve works with the head phone's native FR to achieve it.
toastyhoodie t1_j1ftsxi wrote
It depends on your headphone