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A graphic Equaliser for music instead of hearing aids?

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AFAIK no hearing aids are much good at music reproduction so I’ve been experimenting with a graphic equaliser for serious music listening on headphones. My audiologist informed me my loss is pretty linear from above 500hz so I’ve been experimenting with boosted frequencies up to 6 Khz. No point in going beyond that as 6 khz is about the limit of hearing these days.:mad:

But I have found delving into graphic equalisers a bit puzzling as there is very little reviewing of them on the net and discussions are generally about their use for PA. not quality music listening. Most audio purists throw up their hands in horror at their use, something very silly as all sorts of gadgetry like this is used in making recordings in the first place.

There is varying praise for some of the Hi-fi units used in the 1980s and I have used a Pioneer from that era in a system here with some success. However I have drawn blanks on trying to discover any knowledgeable discussion on the many other units from that era. And I’m uncertain if some of these with limited controls are as effective as more modern 15 band or even 31 band graphic equalisers.

Anyone else experimented with graphic equalisers for serious music listening? And I’m wondering if a graphic equaliser and headphone might be better than ear hooks for TV viewing. More experimentation ahead!!

BTW last February (on advice from a poster here) I paid for an AUMEO personal equaliser for use with portable gear but it has not surfaced yet.

John

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I’ve been looking for a software stereo graphic equaliser for use with Android and Windows 10. All the software graphic equalisers I’ve seen just have one set of sliders that control the left and right channels together. As the frequency response of my ears is quite different I think I would benefit from an equaliser for each channel.
That AUMEO personal equaliser looks interesting.

Hi,

so far I´ve only used the graphic equalizer of Audacity with success. This works fine (as long as you attenuate the whole track before equalizing, you get distortion if you don´t).

All other software-eqs sounded bad.

As my hearing aids sound pretty good, I usually don´t make the effort.

In reply to @patgreen

@patgreen said:

That AUMEO personal equaliser looks interesting.

Ironically they contacted me late yesterday to check the address so 2 of them are finally on the way.

I had another music loving but hearing challenged friend in mind and that is why I bought two. However he is loathe to part with money so I might either keep them both for myself of offer them elsewhere. I’ll post up about them when they arrive and have been set. My audiologist kindly offered to set them up for me so I’ll take him up on that. But it could mean resetting or eliminating the two graphic equalisers I have in two systems now. I might move one graphic equaliser into another system used for listening to TV (I have an audio feed beside me where I sit) and use headphones rather than the fiddly ear hooks.

But of course the AUMEO units are designed for portables so will most likely be used there. I recently acquired a SONY ZX100 and can hear the improvement in AQ over the A series (which are very very good) so my hearing is not completely shot, just seriously challenged sometimes.

@louyo said:

Being a natural born cynic, it sounds like snake oil to me. :cool:
Sure raised a bunch of money on kickstarter.

Using acoustic reflexes like that is quite revolutionary - they are used for neo-natal screening now. I think there are a few % of people who don’t have them though.

Definitely not snake oil though.

Nura Headphones Adapt To You To Make Music Perfect1

VideoIn 2006 Steve Jobs said, “Music is so deep within all of us, but it’s easy to go for a day or a week or a month or a year without really listening to music.” I find that to be true. It just feels weird to not listen to music [...]

while it may not be snake oil I would not shell out $400. (base price) on any headset unless I was earing a living with them (but I am sure it would be worthwhile for others)

Don’t use analog GEQ for this. Their range is too low and their noise is unbearable.

With my Behringer DEQ249675 and Sennheiser HDA28026 headphones (:146dB) I have much better sound quality than my hearing aids are able to produce. Remember, hearing aids are no HiFi equipment.

Hi all,

https://sourceforge.net/p/equalizerapo/wiki/Documentation/52

I am currently using this open source app. I needed a means to get an EQ to sit in between Windows audio and my cisco softphone which I use on a daily basis
to speak with customers. Particularly calling customers who answer on cell phones / especially those from overseas. I can adjust the EQ on the fly.

Once installed you can selectively switch the audio device to integrate with, i. e, Bluetooth headset, Bluetooth headphones, Speakers/Headphones etc.

OK, so now age 85, I have had the need for hearing assistance since working as a technician for big guns during the Korean thing. Before Post Polio Sequale weakened my diaphragm and flattened my vocal folds I was a long time singer. My awareness of audio equipment has paid great rewards in my ability to determine the best route for me in equipment.

The has provided hearing aids now for some years, but I am certain the best aid for me would not be a standard hearing aid. That assistance would come in the form of an assisted listening device that included a six channel graphic equalizer (for each ear) that modified incoming sound as it went to a speaker system plus separate volume controls. That speaker system could be hearing aids that used the equalizers as input, or a set of good earphones.

Presently, if I go into a restaurant or other place where there is a good deal of conversational noise, I need to take my aids out, as the noise prevents me from conversing with my wife. I am capable of providing anyone seriously interested in producing such a product with a diagram showing what could be provided in such a system.

I meant the application was pretty revolutionary, if they can be applied to improve the listening experience at different levels of hearing impairment, even better.

@Um_bongo said:

I meant the application was pretty revolutionary, if they can be applied to improve the listening experience at different levels of hearing impairment, even better.

Agree. The question is whether the process actually does anything to enhance the music. I believe further investigation is necessary before assuming the enhanced mode is anything more than just a general music brightening filter that compliments the quality speaker hardware they’re selling.

Problem with equalizers is that the adjustment range is way too little to be good, unless little hearing loss. I’ve been experimenting with the apo with mixed success. The dynamic range is not enough. 16 bit audio has a dynamic range of 96 db, so when 40db adjustment is needed, 56 db headroom is left. You get distorted sound, or some compression.
For music I have a JBL 700 headphone, I use that with my oticon OPN1, put them -2 so they don’t feedback. and this way I can fully enjoy music while commuting in the train.
I tried some app eq but or they were not able to put in between all sources, to the output, or have other problems making them no joy to use.

Ditto chmod777 from way back a few posts above. I’ve quite enjoyed using it. Being able to eq left and right with my different ears works very well.
I don’t use the ’s when listening. I use headphones that don’t seem to color the sound so that I have that control of the sound.

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