Anyone try Sonarworks Headphone Calibration?

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by The Alchemist, Dec 2, 2015.

  1. Scubadude

    Scubadude Almost "Made"

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    I got SW on their Black Friday sale and have since used it with DT990-600, HD600, HD650, HD800 and LCD2.2PF. I run the VST plugin on Jriver MC19 ... had some issues with presets not installing (had to get them from another subscriber) but apart from that the installation was quick and painless and it is running perfectly since.

    Have to agree that 100% flat correction kills the sound so I keep the wet/dry knob around 40% and choose a slight upwards tilt. This sufficiently evens out most nasties while maintaining the fundamental character of the cans in question.

    Playing around with different targets is a hoot ... have a laugh by making HD650's sound like Beats!
     
  2. gamerstudent

    gamerstudent Acquaintance

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    Background: Source is foobar --> Modi Multibit via optical out --> Jotunheim single ended out --> HD-6XX unmodded.

    I purchased sonar works with their sale. Initally I wasn't thrilled with it, as the real issue I had with the HD-6XX was the lack of sub-bass & bass response (coming from a set of HE-400). Then I got the 'no-limits' correction curve, played with it to what I like to hear, and added a slight tilt for more bass. All I can say is I really enjoy the sound that comes out with the HD-650 now. Not that it wasn't bad before, it was really missing low-end impact, and I found using sonarworks was the best way to achieve what I was looking for.
     
  3. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    Is there an updated code for January 2017 ? :)
     
  4. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    If I'd pulled something like this on January the distributors would murder my ass.
     
  5. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    In my business end of Jan means end of quarter which means: "two days to go, do whatever it takes".
    Point taken though, I'm just being cheap :)
     
  6. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    Just a quick update from my end from using Sonarworks with HD800 (Lynx AES16 - > Yggdrasil -> Mjolnir2).
    I removed the Superdupont Resonator mod during this test. I have to say that for me this software does achieve the same goal as with the mod, at least initial tests imply so, but I need more time.

    The one thing that I really like and want to live with for a longer period of time is the 'Mono Monitoring' feature. I have a large jazz collection, mainly from the 50's and 60's. Many of these recordings are hard-panned stereo; meaning you will for example have a single instrument recorded in the left channel. Right now I'm listening to Hank Mobley's great album 'Soul Station'. To hear that sax in the left ear only for about 75 minutes is just too painful and would force me to use the PEQ in Jriver to swap channels half-way through. This seems to solve the problem nicely. Is there a drawbacks? Haven't noticed any.
     
  7. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

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    If you're using JRiver, you could just use its Crossfeed function to make those hard panned recordings more bearable.
     
  8. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    I never managed to get the crossfeed in JRiver to work properly, I'll try again.
     
  9. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    It took me a while before I really was glad of the mono switch on the front of my favourite headamp. I think it was either the dodgy stereo version of Sgt Pepper's or some old Kinks tracks with monstrous hard panning that brought me up short.

    Given that it's usually in a chain with Jriver and Sonarworks, it does sound like I have options. Now, if only more DAPs made it just as easy...
     
  10. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    Agreed. Don't know how Sonarworks does it but it feels like depth and imaging is being kept instead of that "dead" feeling that I sometimes experience from mono.
    I know this might be a sensitive topic but so far I like it
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2017
  11. Rthomas

    Rthomas Friend

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    Just bought a brand new HD800 for $860 and tried it with Jriver + Sonarworks. (Modi Multibit - Mojo 2 chain)

    With my HD650 I could barely make out the difference with it enabled but there is a massive change in character of the HD800 with it.

    It was clear as day in 1 second and it makes the HD800 listenable! To my ears it sounds like I have a slightly brighter, clearer and more detailed/less warm HD650.

    I'm not experienced enough to tell you guys if the EQ is doing anything detrimental to the headphone but so far I have no regrets.

    Thank you @Ice-man for encouraging me to take the plunge and get the 800.

    When I disabled Sonarworks it really makes me wonder how the hell they released the 800 with its stock tuning?!! o_O

    How is it possible that Axel who designed the HD600 and HD650 released the 800 with the original tuning?!

    Maybe it was meant to be a classical only can? I have no clue.

    Anyway my next step is buying a balanced cable. Will report back.

    Thank you @Hrodulf !
     
  12. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Probably not, strings sound weird as all hell on the stock 800.
     
  13. gamerstudent

    gamerstudent Acquaintance

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    Did you get the 'no limits' compensation curve? I found for the HD650, the stock calibration curve has a huge roll off in any correction starting at 40hz with zero correction being applied at 20hz.

    With the 'no limits' curve it will continue to apply a correction down to 20hz, and I find that makes a very noticeable difference compared to the regular curve. If you email sonarworks they can send you the 'no limits' profile for the HD650.
     
  14. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    Sonarworks update:

    version 3.2.12.3

    Supported Headphones in this version:

    Currently supported headphones
    AKG
    • AKG K141 MKII
    • AKG K240 Studio
    • AKG K271 MKII
    • AKG K701
    • AKG K702
    • AKG K712 Pro
    • AKG K812
    Sennheiser
    • Sennheiser HD25-II
    • Sennheiser HD25
    • Sennheiser HD25 Plus
    • Sennheiser HD25 Light
    • Sennheiser HD280 Pro
    • Sennheiser HD380
    • Sennheiser HD598
    • Sennheiser HD600
    • Sennheiser HD650
    • Sennheiser HD700
    • Sennheiser HD800
    • Sennheiser Surrounder <--- (I didn't seem to get this plugin with the latest version)
    Beyerdynamic
    • Beyerdynamic DT770 80 Ohm
    • Beyerdynamic DT770 250 Ohm
    • Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro
    • Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro
    • Beyerdynamic DT1770 250 Ohm
    • Beyerdynamic T1
    Audio-Technica
    • Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
    • Audio-Technica ATH-M40x
    • Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
    • Audio-Technica ATH-M70x
    • Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
    Focal
    • Focal Spirit Pro
    Shure
    • Shure SRH840
    • Shure SRH1840
    Sony
    • Sony MDR7506
    • Sony MDR7520
    AIAIAI
    • AIAIAI TMA1
    KRK
    • KRK KNS8400
    Superlux
    • Superlux HD681
    Blue
    • Blue Lola
    • Blue Mo-Fi
    Philips
    • Philips SPH9500
    Audeze
    • Audeze LCD-X
    • Audeze LCD-2 non-fazor
    Oppo
    • Oppo PM-3
    Yamaha
    • Yamaha HPH-MT220
     
  15. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Boo, still no MoistMan HE-560- though I can make them sound reasonably normal with a bit of EQ.

    I know there were some unit-to-unit variances due to shoddy QA, but is there any danger of this ever happening as an average model, @Hrodulf ?
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2017
  16. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    Can anyone comment on improvements from sending HD800's in for individual calibration service?
     
  17. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    Try asking on Head-fi or Gearslutz, more of our clients there.
     
  18. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    Just a quick search and copy from Gearslutz above. Not specifically in regards to HD800. I'll update below with additional results when found.
     
  19. DivineCurrent

    DivineCurrent New

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    I can only comment on the HD650 individual calibration. I bought a pre-calibrated pair from Sonarworks last July. The largest difference I hear when comparing the individual and average calibrations is the mid-range. It sounds pretty much perfect with the individual, but the difference is only very noticeable on certain songs. Although there are some genres where I can hardly tell a difference between calibrated and un-calibrated, believe or not classical is hard to tell a difference. I guess it's because the HD650 is already so close to the flat target curve that Sonarworks uses. But SW squeezes out the amazing performance the HD650 has, and I am overall impressed that I hardly ever use them without SW.
     
  20. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    I would love to see a few headphones on the SW list, but I know that it's expensive for them to add new profiles. But on my wish list would be ETHER Flow and Audioquest Nighthawk and Nightowl.
     

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