hello yes… the X7 DAP has a digital output but it bypasses the onboard DAC / EQ functionality which I believe is standard on almost all DAPs.
Has anybody checked this out? Already a track list on Tidal and is Sony’s next hyped software/mastering technique.
Basically it is trying to master recordings to make them sound more 3D like. I’m going to listen to the track list and the Dua Lipa album that is on Tidal later today and see what it’s all about. Here is two links:
Tidal track list:
Just listened to the first track of the Dua Lipa album Genesis flip flopping between the Master version and the 360 version and the difference is pretty significant. Source was a MacBook Pro> Bifrost 2> ZMF Pendant> ZMF Verite C. I had to lower the volume quite a bit when toggling back to the 360 version, its considerably louder and brighter. Pretty interesting listening to the difference, it reminds me quite a bit of using the 3D switch on the Ifi Black Label, in the sense that it does change the sound stage, but I’m not sure it makes the music sound better, my initial thought is that it could be fatiguing. That being said it takes certain parts of the track that are already “holographic” due to the Verite/Pendant combo and spreads them out even further. I’ll have to spend some time listening to get a better take on this…
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There are a few good tracks on the tracklist that I’m interested in hearing tonight too.
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In this case, there may be 2 other possibilities:
A) Get an entry level audio interface, a DAW and enter the PRO world (VST realm);
B) Something like this nanoDIGI. Haven’t used myself but I think there’s an APP where you can EQ the signal.
In either way your chain will be: X7 digital out -> Device above (A or B) EQ'ed digital out-> Holo DAC digital in
Note I’m not claiming any of the above is the best for you though. Just sharing possibilities here. For myself, I use option (A) and/or Sonarworks.
Hope that helps. Cheers. 
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@Earmuffs - there are playlists on both Tidal and Qobuz with Sony 360 Reality tracks, they do sound good, guessing they put a lot of care into the mixes. Davis, Hancock, Bowie… What I’m not sure about is for the tracks included, are just those tracks or the entire albums mixed in that format?
This is nothing new. I heard simulated 3D tracks in the early 1990s (on a cassette tape). As far as I understand, it relies on modifying the source with cues to location and movement (e.g., the Doppler effect; frequency shifts and fall-offs, etc.). A similar fake 3D effect can be created with moving visual images on a display screen. The illusion disappears when an image is stationary.
As with all digital post-processing, the quality and value varies. If executed with care and in conjunction with the artist, it’ll likely sound good. At least not worse than the standard mix. If done without care, then it’ll be like early colorization of black-and-white movies and TV. That was rank commercialism, as the final output resembled childish crayon art. A few people liked the look, but many didn’t.
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I listened to the Tidal 360 Reality track for Dave Brubeck - Take Five vs Apple Music and could hear no difference. I thought maybe it was because it was an old recording so I tried Foo Fighters - Shame Shame next. Still no difference I could hear. Finally I tried Dua Lipa - Hotter Than Hell and STILL I could hear no difference.
Then I tried Dua Lipa - Hotter Than Hell 360 Reality vs Master on Tidal and very noticeable difference. Apparently Apple Music is getting the 360 Reality mixes from Sony as the default. Also as @Shelby_Steve reported the 360 Reality version is noticeable hotter on Tidal even with Loudness Normalization enabled.
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I was a little annoyed at how difficult it was to find 360 Reality Audio tracks on Tidal. It turns out that the desktop Tidal app does not have the menu in place to find 360 Reality Audio tracks. I assume a future update to the app will correct this.
BUT, in looking at the Tidal app on iOS, they have a new menu selection under EXPLORE. Just scroll to the bottom and select the 360 REALITY AUDIO button for a substantial list of albums you can select.
Spent some time last night with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio tracks on Tidal. Is it a gimmick? Yes it is, but I can remember when stereo sound was considered a gimmick to purists.
The first question is: do I like it? The answer is YES and NO. On some tracks it is wonderful, providing a real sense of intimacy with the performer, almost like being there. On others, it totally falls flat, sounding like normal RedBook audio. Like so many new “advances” in digital audio, it needs the steady hand of an excellent mastering engineer to bring out the best in the process. You can’t just run millions of tracks through a standard process and expect excellent results. [I am not saying that is how they do it.]
The second question: for the tracks that I like, does my brain get tired of being tricked into sensing that it is in the middle of a sphere with sounds coming at it from all directions? The jury is still out on this one. I will reserve judgement until I see more albums released.
There are no classical recordings that I can find. I hope they rectify that omission soon.
I was considering dropping Tidal and just keeping Qobuz, but this gives me an excuse to delay that decision.
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Using mostly Audirvana as a player on my MacBook Pro I’ve tried for some time the freeware version of TDR Audio Nova and now I’ve upgraded to the “Gentleman Edition” because of its 6 band equaliser and the Smart Ops functions.
I’m totally a newby in equalising and usually I use @Chrono eq profile as an holy book.
Nova plugin is to me really useful in order to understand how to properly do eq and the Smart Op function cames to help when a newby is lost. It analyses the incoming sound and suggests a series of equalitsations that you can choose. Very well made and worth the money. Plus 4 band eq version is free without limits of time. Very nice interface, clear and supports the live function in Audirvana so you can set things while music happens.
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AutoEQ got updated two weeks ago:
Author’s post on the new algorithm is here:
I’m definitely interested in testing out how the new EQ settings sound. But I’ll be honest, almost all of what Jaako said went over my head (other than ringing is bad, lol).
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Previously SoundSource worked as a host for Audio Units including many EQ plugins as well as a built in 10 band graphic EQ. Then it added parametric headphone EQ using AutoEQ presets. Version 5.3 now supports custom EQ presets:
This makes it a pretty cheap ($39) parametric EQ solution for Mac users.
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Not a math expert (or an software engineering expert, tho I am an Engineering student). But I will try to explain this in my own way.
To sum up what jakko said, “peak” in equalization that is born to solve the “dip” in the headphone response is bad since it introduces unwanted ringing effects. The new algorithm was made so that the equalized response will avoid this to happen. Here is a breakdown:
- Smooth out the equalized response using normal means.
- Scan the frequency response from left to right and from right to left to find the “slope” and beat it down.
2.1. From my assumption, the reason why you have to do this is that you don’t have a real way to detect “peak” and “dips” when it comes to programming. In other words, you have to come up with a way to do this.
In jakko case here, he scan the smoothed equalized response from 0Hz to 10000Hz and vice versa, doing the opposite. This is due to the fact that a “peak” occurs if both side of such “peak” has a steep slope.
2.2. You would notice that there is the green zone that he dubbed as “safe zone”. This just means that after scanning left and right, his algorithm will add those zone so that AutoEQ knows that it should not include these in the limiting process which happens right after. - Limit equalizing those peak, as it is what you want to avoid
Again, note that this is based on my assumption on how the algorithm works, and might not be correct.
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In a former life, I was a computer programmer (not a complete knuckle dragger). What he’s saying is sometimes issues with a FR in cans cause more issues when you EQ then (the dips). Detecting the dips and peaks in FR measurements in Python is trivial. What I don’t completely understand is what about the dips cause ringing (maybe has something to do with sympathetic resonances of parts of the headphones).
What I don’t completely understand is what about the dips cause ringing (maybe has something to do with sympathetic resonances of parts of the headphones).
Dips isn’t the reason why the headphone has ringing, peaks are, he never said anything about the dip in the Headphone FR causing ringing.
Dips in a headphone frequency response are a problem for equalization because a naive approach would “fix” them the by producing a narrow (high Q) spike in the equalizer frequency response at the same frequency.
Dips are also not very audible
He is detecting peaks in the equalized response, not in the headphone FR response.
Does anyone know of a program that allows you to draw an eq curve and then generates corresponding parametric eq settings?
Things get tricky when regions overlap or you need a shape that isn’t symmetrical.
Thanks!
I wrote a quick guide on how to simulate parametric EQ using Room EQ Wizard and grant you access to my measurement files: Simulate and Create Your Own EQ Settings for Headphones and IEMs
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Has anyone here used eq to try to make the storied dialogue of the movie Tenet clearer?
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I’d laugh but I’m too busy crying. That movie is confusing enough without this issue. My current solution is subtitles, but I am thinking about using EQ to improve dialogue. I’m thinking a 4-6db boost centered around 2khz.
Are you using a surround sound processor with Audyssey support, by chance?
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