AutoEQ

AutoEQ is a webbsite which contains an index of settings for equalisation that ‘correct’ the far‐from‐perfect replay of headphones and earphones.

That can be done?

HiFi people love measuring the frequency profiles of their far‐from‐perfect sound replay gear. Result is, the data for thousands of headphones/earphones is freely published on the web. This data can tell you where the headphone is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. With that information, the correction a headphone needs can be worked out, such as ‘this one needs less bass and more voice’.

Why don’t the manufacturers build headphones/earphones right to start with?

Headphones and earphones (and loudspeakers) are a simple idea and imperfect. That’s why there are thousands of different types on sale. And then, there’s more to sound replay then equalization.

Why don’t they build the corrections in?

Nobody is agreed how to do this—and people who produce music need different equalization. It’s only in the last fifteen years anyone has reached some agreement about standards for replay, and these standards are a long way from fully researched. Also, physically, how would equalization be built in? An equalization chip can be squeezed into a headphone, but not an earphone—and will you pay for it?

What’s this AutoEQ thing?

The various databases have been gathered into one large website. It’s called AutoEQ. Go there and see if your headphones/earphones are listed. If they are, you can download then apply a corrective equalizer setting.

The AutoEQ website is sophisticated. It can generate various formats from the many available headphone/earphone frequency sweeps. If you have an equalisation app, on any platform, it can probably generate a download for the app. It can also adapt the corrections to recreate various ‘ideal’ curves.

Is an AutoEQ correction any good?

At first headphone corrections were an ad‐hoc interest. Nowadays some Hi‐Fi enthusiasts think no modern digital system should be playing without headphone‐correction. Stick my neck out, it’s like spending half or same price again on your replay gear. But …downside. AutoEQ correction means running an equalizer app, which for many people is too much trouble.

Sounds interesting?

Nobody is saying this is perfect. To get technical, the corrective equalisations generated are set to standard curves, which is not for everyone. Harmon, who publish the most well‐known curve, themselves have published curve revisions for younger people which favour ‘bass’, and for older people which favour ‘treble’. Hi‐Fi people will want to tweak the curves for further purpose. But when all that is said, and debates wane… for the average listener an AutoEQ corrective equalisation will provide a startling change. And maybe a permanent upgrade.