Hi-Fi professional EQ settings

[Squiddie]

I did some measuring with a measuring microphone and tried to get the EQ as linear as it gets easily.

There is a lot more work required, but I'm posting what I have since it will (probably ) be better than random.



Red is reference audio file before stereo system.

Green is uncorrected/linear.

EQ used for "4CH0-23" (not plain treble or bass used):

80	-10	# doesn't get the job done, maybe give up down there
200	+8
500	0	
1k	-4	# might be a mistake
2k	+8	
5k	+8	
10k	+8

Now, this isn't all there is. Just going linear is not always the most enjoyable music experience. Bending the EQ strongly always introduces oddities that bring the speakers off their "natural" responses, and the EQ might or might not have phase issues. So in general you want to take this as a starting point and tweak it. It will be better than starting from randomly poking around.

In particular here is what I will do from here:

• As mentioned, the 80 Hz thing is drastic but doesn't get the job done. It is safe to bring it back up according to taste since it doesn't interfere much with the rest
• The 1k drop is the most drastic curve adjustment. Bringing it back up softly is a good thing to try
• The rest if EQ matching. Try adjusting every setting to 1/3rd or 1/2 of what it is right now from 0

Hope this helps.

 

[Squiddie]

Here is what I like now after measuring more:

"bass" (base, not in the EQ) at -10
80Hz           -9
200Hz       +10
500Hz          0
1000Hz        0
2000Hz       +6
5000Hz       +6
10000Hz     +6

 

[The_Dude]

Is this unique to the upgraded stereo? Mine says professional but I can only change bass and treble.

 

[Squiddie]

I'm not sure how this translate to the UK options. It is the higher stereo in the US.

On the same menu level where you find bass and treble there would be an entry point for a "EQ" sub-menu.

 

[KERMIT1970]

Is this unique to the upgraded stereo? Mine says professional but I can only change bass and treble.

It's only available with the upgraded system

 

[brawnyblue]

Is this unique to the upgraded stereo? Mine says professional but I can only change bass and treble.

It's only available with the upgraded system

It's for the E89 Hifi Professional DSP/Professional Speaker System/Option 677A

 

[Garvin]

I love Audiophiles and their scientific approach to these things. If there was a one size fits all then the OEM would dial it in. As it is there are old buggers such as myself whose personal audio reception system is severely degraded at higher frequencies so all this wonderful accurately measured audio response data is, how can I put it, quite irrelevant.

I just stick to adjusting the levels such that I like them safe in the knowledge that they are quite inappropriate for anyone else! I suggest everyone else should just do the same!

 

[Squiddie]

You generally can't expect to adjust EQs with 8 bands or more by ear. Having something measured as a suggestion what to try next beats randomly poking easily.

The other problem is that if you want to use both the multi-band EQ and also the bass/treble control then you have a very hard time by ear since you don't really know what "bass" and "treble" do, actually, which bands they overlap and how much.

 

[New2Zed]

Does anyone else find that the sound output from the rear speakers (standard professional system in M Sport model) disappointing, or am I just going deaf?

 

[Squiddie]

Does anyone else find that the sound output from the rear speakers (standard professional system in M Sport model) disappointing, or am I just going deaf?

I am overall very satisfied with the Hifi professional, even before EQ adjustments.

Before committing to lease the Z4, I spent more time reviewing the stereo than driving it. I walked away thinking the Hifi Professional in the Z4 is better than the Harman-Kardon in various Mercedes and BMWs, and the Bose in the Audi.

But people are different. I don't need massive bass. I want voices to be drawn accurately, and I want precise bass, and a guitar should be able to really rip it up. That's all in the mids, and the mid speakers in the HK sets stink.

For a person like me fewer speakers are also much better than more speakers.

 

[New2Zed]

Does anyone else find that the sound output from the rear speakers (standard professional system in M Sport model) disappointing, or am I just going deaf?

I am overall very satisfied with the Hifi professional, even before EQ adjustments.

Before committing to lease the Z4, I spent more time reviewing the stereo than driving it. I walked away thinking the Hifi Professional in the Z4 is better than the Harman-Kardon in various Mercedes and BMWs, and the Bose in the Audi.

But people are different. I don't need massive bass. I want voices to be drawn accurately, and I want precise bass, and a guitar should be able to really rip it up. That's all in the mids, and the mid speakers in the HK sets stink.

For a person like me fewer speakers are also much better than more speakers.

Then there's something wrong with mine then as the Bose system in my Alfa makes the BM one sound like a Dansette record player (bet you don't know what one of those is).

 

[Squiddie]

Does anyone else find that the sound output from the rear speakers (standard professional system in M Sport model) disappointing, or am I just going deaf?

I am overall very satisfied with the Hifi professional, even before EQ adjustments.

Before committing to lease the Z4, I spent more time reviewing the stereo than driving it. I walked away thinking the Hifi Professional in the Z4 is better than the Harman-Kardon in various Mercedes and BMWs, and the Bose in the Audi.

But people are different. I don't need massive bass. I want voices to be drawn accurately, and I want precise bass, and a guitar should be able to really rip it up. That's all in the mids, and the mid speakers in the HK sets stink.

For a person like me fewer speakers are also much better than more speakers.

Then there's something wrong with mine then as the Bose system in my Alfa makes the BM one sound like a Dansette record player (bet you don't know what one of those is).

"BM"?

Bose has a wide variety of car systems.

 

[Squiddie]

FWIW the second setting is too radical and only fun when you listen to your music very loud. I'm going back to #1.

It's a process, not a one-shot

 

[KERMIT1970]

Does anyone else find that the sound output from the rear speakers (standard professional system in M Sport model) disappointing, or am I just going deaf?

I think there's very little sound from the rear speakers. Most of the sound is from the front speakers. I have the upgraded system.

 

[RX-78]

Just tried your 1st setting. So far sounds great.

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a go for a couple of weeks and see if I like it

 

[billy_beemer]

I recall someone did this with the E85 stereo, usually the front channels are fairly flat on BMs - the rears however are heavily EQd..........

Have you tested the difference?

 

[Squiddie]

Billy, I think the rear speakers in the e89 professional are doing not much / are useless.

FWIW, here is what I am using today, after taking some of the measured things, toning them down and adjusting by taste:

- bass/treb -2 +3
- 0, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 2

It isn't perfect, can sound a bit cannie, but it does some things well. God punch for bass guitar. Many voices and guitars sound excellent, e.g. "Comfortably Numb" comes out great both with the singing and the lead guitar, and with the synth carpets, too.

As you can see, the EQ there isn't "centered" so more work required. By the time my lease is up I might have a satisfactory setting.

 

[KERMIT1970]

Just set mine up as your recommendations,my setting weren't far off that. did you have the surround on ?

 

[Squiddie]

No, I don't use surround.

When the weather gets warm here (maybe...) I'll do another round. I didn't even measure what that latest setting looks like on the scale.

I think the most important TODO item is to re-center the EQ (not have most bands above 0), and with some music it is too mid-heavy and can sound a bit cheap. On the other hand that is exactly what makes Dave Gilmour's Stratocaster really sing, SOMMV.

 

[billy_beemer]

Having the 11 speaker setup and no option to EQ things I've found the sound a tad boxy. I've found using an old iPod classic set to treble booster (hence reducing the kHz range that gives you those warm boxy tones) has made things much better, I also notced the treble down one notch on the head unit.

This weekend I intend to dynamat behind the subs to stop the booming and resonance, still not sure how to remove the trim but I'm sure its just a case of carefully remove bits until you can unscrew them !!!