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PhoenixML t1_j60slhg wrote

I think it's absolutely fascinating how it can change the sound of your headphones. And makes me question what is the purpose of searching for the "perfect reproduction". Reproduction of what? The artist who didn't mix it? The producer with hearing loss? The mixing engineer who used speakers? The DAC or amp that has a slightly warmer or brighter signature compared to another DAC or amp? I'm a EQ believer: I can hear the difference!

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Toronto-Will t1_j61i83r wrote

I agree that it's silly to try and search out a "perfect reproduction" of someone else's idea of how a song should sound, but if you were to do that, it would probably be the mixing engineer, and Harman is basically designed to mimic the sound of speakers in a room. So that kind of fits.

I also think it makes some logical sense to use EQ to smooth out the things that makes a headphone weird (e.g. a massive spike at 8khz), because nobody would mix/master music on the assumption of a bizarre frequency pattern that is idiosyncratic of a particular Grado (for example). The Harman curve is the closest thing to a "normal" that there is. Then from there you can adjust to taste, like by boosting the bass. Or maybe by adding back some treble if that's what appealed to you about the Grado in the first place.

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acidtoyman t1_j61zvh5 wrote

I thought mixing engineers used speakers that were "flat", and Harman wasn't "flat"?

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Toronto-Will t1_j62zpr9 wrote

Harman isn’t flat because flat speakers don’t sound flat inside of a room. The resonance off the walls makes bass seem louder and absorbs some frequencies.

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717x t1_j620hcm wrote

EQ isn’t the end all for headphone tuning. Not even close lol. It’s also only good on certain headphones, especially planar dynamics that have remarkably low distortion. EQ also is more of a bandaid for things you want to fix, and an enhancer in other areas, rather than a complete overhaul.

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