**Playing with Equalisers**

[djeire84]

I am an avid music lover and I hate it when the music isn't moving me so I play with equalisers to optimise my music experience. Thus far the best setting is the below custom setting. Have fun and be careful I like having my music volume to the max but be careful as your eardrum is sensitive please use headphones responsibly.

?ire

 

[Laura Knotek]

I typically never increase any frequency. If I want to enhance the bass, I'll reduce the midrange and treble. That's how I learned to use the equalizer on my stereo system I bought 29 years ago.

Most of my music is in .FLAC format, either purchased as downloads from HDtracks, or ripped from my personal CD collection using Exact Audio Copy for Windows.

 

[djeire84]

I typically never increase any frequency. If I want to enhance the bass, I'll reduce the midrange and treble. That's how I learned to use the equalizer on my stereo system I bought 29 years ago.

Most of my music is in .FLAC format, either purchased as downloads from HDtracks, or ripped from my personal CD collection using Exact Audio Copy for Windows.

Before I got into my tech full time I used to mix songs and such. Throughout time using windows media graphic equalisers and tuning Realtek sound card equaliser settings to sharpen those mid ranges, soften the treble and heighten the bass impact I have found that this pretty much is a standard club / dance / trance and techno setting. If your listening to pop or R&B then this may not be the right one for those tastes.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Before I got into my tech full time I used to mix songs and such. Throughout time using windows media graphic equalisers and tuning Realtek sound card equaliser settings to sharpen those mid ranges, soften the treble and heighten the bass impact I have found that this pretty much is a standard club / dance / trance and techno setting. If your listening to pop or R&B then this may not be the right one for those tastes.

I actually listen to progressive rock and jazz most of the time.

 

[Daniel Gilbert M]

What Laura said is right. Increasing the dB level in any frequency means, the more chance of you clipping the audio (distortion).
However the clipping of audio hasn't happened in Lumia so far because it has got a great amplifier and the volume is software limited internally.
Clipping also depends on how much your earphone can handle. EQ tuning depends on both the inbuild amp and the earphone you use.
So there is no general setup which works across all devices in the same way.
I learnt this while I was mixing recorded instrument tracks for my band few years ago.

I have a mix of FLAC files and MP3 files in my phone.
I have a Sennheiser HD 202 II and Philips 1405.

I use EQ for Philips 1405, the low quality earphone.
I use EQ for Sennheiser HD 202 II, while playing MP3.
I do not use EQ for Sennheiser HD 202 II while playing FLAC. (I do make exceptions at times when the bass is not enough)

Lossless audio is at its best when heard without using an EQ provided you have a good quality headphone or earphone with big drivers.

Also I use Virtual Surround only with the Sennheiser because with the cheap Philips, it sounds like crap.
Virtual Surround gives the depth of sound, like the sound is coming from real speakers at a fixed distance and sub-woofers thus enhancing the bass.

This is my EQ setup for my 640XL for all genres.(EQ setups for me vary by device and by type of earphone).
I put months of careful tuning, listening to all my tracks with both my earphone and headphone before coming to this.



All are in multiples of 3 since total of 12 positions, and to form a smooth wave as much as possible.

7 Band EQ is more than enough for a phone, but Lumia could have done with a 10 band.(not complaining)
More bands = more control over more frequencies = better chances of getting a smooth wave.
Also I wish the Bass frequency controls were like 40, 250 & 500. The mid should have been 1KHz because it is standard in almost all device. I do not care about the high's.

I don't know if anyone has noticed this or not but there is separate preset for speaker and headphone.
While you are unplugged, the custom preset gets saved for speakers.
While you are plugged in, the custom preset gets saved for headphones.

 

[Daniel Gilbert M]

progressive rock

Steven Wilson is in your playlist ? If not please do check his songs.

 

[Pete]

I'd agree with Daniel in saying (well paraphrasing) that you shouldn't really need equalizing settings if you have good equipment. It's rather like dining at a fine restaurant and asking for the salt/pepper/ketchup.

I just don't season my food when I go out to eat. I also don't use an equaliser. But then again, I have a dedicated DAP, I don't use my phone.

 

[djeire84]

I'd agree with Daniel in saying (well paraphrasing) that you shouldn't really need equalizing settings if you have good equipment. It's rather like dining at a fine restaurant and asking for the salt/pepper/ketchup.

I just don't season my food when I go out to eat. I also don't use an equaliser. But then again, I have a dedicated DAP, I don't use my phone.

If the equalisers weren't ment to be customizable then the option wouldn't be there. I am very particular on the type of sound I want. I have sony earbuds and the sound is amazing on them and with the customized equaliser its making my ?30 ($40) earbuds feel like they are worth hundreds of euro / dollars.

**Edit** yes having good equipment does have some advantage but to maximize the equipment they can be aided with equalisers. Dj's wear really good headphones but they too mix and sample tracks and amplify the bass, sharpen mids and enhance trebles. Its just the way its done. I suppose playing with equalisers isn't really for novices. You just build your ear around your sound over time so it isn't an overnight thing.

 

[djeire84]

However the clipping of audio hasn't happened in Lumia so far because it has got a great amplifier and the volume is software limited internally.
I learnt this while I was mixing recorded instrument tracks for my band few years ago.

View attachment 127299

I tested your setup and it is good I just needed the bass more punchy as I listen to dance music. Band music and jazz music are so different to Trance, Techno and house.
Jazz you don't need too much bass as mostly they use the mid ranges and treble the bass is just secondary even tertiary.
Rock music has the same principle as the guitar is the most dominant.

Im happy with my setup. It comes from years and years of playing with equalisers. My favourite program was Winamp the equalisers there are insane. Since 1998 I have been mixing music so its not a thing I have done first time. I know what works for my genre and what doesn't.

 

[tushardhingra]

I'll try it

 

[djeire84]

I'll try it

Do and make sure you have virtual surround off. The only thing you need this for is if your watching movies when you need it. Virtual surround makes the songs too much echo.

 

[cracgor]

I tested your setup and it is good I just needed the bass more punchy as I listen to dance music. Band music and jazz music are so different to Trance, Techno and house.
Jazz you don't need too much bass as mostly they use the mid ranges and treble the bass is just secondary even tertiary.
Rock music has the same principle as the guitar is the most dominant.

Im happy with my setup. It comes from years and years of playing with equalisers. My favourite program was Winamp the equalisers there are insane. Since 1998 I have been mixing music so its not a thing I have done first time. I know what works for my genre and what doesn't.

Don't tell Jaco!

 

[djeire84]

Don't tell Jaco!

What lol??

 

[Laura Knotek]

What lol?? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaco_Pastorius

 

[djeire84]

He looks like a rocker a bit like the 60s.

 

[Daniel Gilbert M]

LOL too bad I was 6 years old @1998

But you got too much echo when turning on virtual surround ?
It has a little bit of reverb to simulate a small room, but not that much noticeable.
The purpose of that is to give you the depth of sound.
It widens the left and the right channel. (stereo widening effect)
Plus it enhances the bass. (this small reverb). You will feel like its coming from a real sub.
It will take time to get adjusted to listening with virtual surround on.
Also virtual surround works properly on high bitrate files only.

But I have to say this. Everyone's ear are not tuned in the same way to perceive different frequencies, amplitudes and reverb. So as they say, YMMV.

Hey if you use winamp please do check this DSP out. Stereo Tool 7.23 - WinampHeritage.com Tonnes of controls.

Happy mixing

 

[djeire84]

LOL too bad I was 6 years old @1998

But you got too much echo when turning on virtual surround ?
It has a little bit of reverb to simulate a small room, but not that much noticeable.
The purpose of that is to give you the depth of sound.
It widens the left and the right channel. (stereo widening effect)
Plus it enhances the bass. (this small reverb). You will feel like its coming from a real sub.
It will take time to get adjusted to listening with virtual surround on.
Also virtual surround works properly on high bitrate files only.

But I have to say this. Everyone's ear are not tuned in the same way to perceive different frequencies, amplitudes and reverb. So as they say, YMMV.

Hey if you use winamp please do check this DSP out. Stereo Tool 7.23 - WinampHeritage.com Tonnes of controls.

Happy mixing

I do use the virtual surround when watching movies and video on my phone and omg it is amazing, in action movies its like the bullets are actually flying past my head brilliant for that. But music wise I don't have it on.

Ill check it out thanks for the tip. In 1998 I was 13 lol. Your a baby yet lucky u lol

 

[djeire84]

Please post your equaliser settings here to help your fellow users and also u could put the music you have set it to. Lets have fun people

 

[djeire84]

Just a little bump for this fun thread.

 

[Derausgewanderte]

with the Bose QuietComfort 20 noise cancelling earphones I always ended up with a flat equalizer. On my L830 I used the Dolby settings which I liked.


This is only a subset of music on my SDCard, which occupies about 40Gb on the card.