# Grell OAE-1 Open Back Headphone **URL:** \ **Category:** Headphones\ **Created:** [May 16, 2024, 6:10pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420 "2024-05-16T18:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Luke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/luke/32/59913_2.png) [@Luke](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Luke)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 10:20pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/61 "2024-12-24T22:20:16Z")
> [@Spearthrower\_Owl](#): > > the EQ you’ve applied It’s the EQ I applied. I always 2 layer my EQ though, first I flatten the response, then I add back a bit of flavor and seasoning to taste. Yeah honestly my EQ applied doesn’t look that dissimilar to the difference between Harman and what some rigs have measured. ---
**Author:** ![Spearthrower\_Owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Spearthrower\_Owl](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Spearthrower_Owl)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/62 "2024-12-24T22:58:24Z")
Makes perfect sense as the second layer, as you described. Very nice, cheers ---
**Author:** ![AudioTool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiotool/32/14289_2.png) [@AudioTool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/AudioTool)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 3:41pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/63 "2025-01-22T15:41:04Z")
A few days ago removed the felt from in front of the drivers. The timbre is more normal for sure, but sibilance is noticeable now. I’m afraid it’s now too bright for me. And I don’t think the frontal positioning is intact for me. Or at least it seems less. But to truly A/B would require another set. Luckily I know someone local who has another pair so that should actually happen sometime in the coming weeks. I also tried using [http://owliophile.com/](http://owliophile.com/) to EQ the treble but I didn’t have much success. I could hear a dip around 6.5khz and 7.5khz but the rest sounded fine. Attempting to smooth those two areas using EQ resulted in scratchy treble similar to using Listener’s EQ preset. Frankly the main result of listening to all of those sine sweeps was triggering my tinnitus. It seems I may be too old to EQ using this technique. 😢 ---
**Author:** ![Luke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/luke/32/59913_2.png) [@Luke](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Luke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/64 "2025-01-22T16:04:24Z")
> [@AudioTool](#): > > sibilance is noticeable now. I’m afraid it’s now too bright for me. > [@AudioTool](#): > > I could hear a dip around 6.5khz and 7.5khz but the rest sounded fine ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/8/9/891e49f4304287af153be42ce9548e5f68fee48b.png) With 1000hz as my anchor, I cut about 10db on average from 6500-16000hz, with some variations as seen on the graph. This is my EQ graph so what I’m hearing without EQ and felt pads is inverse of that. You said you heard a dip at 6-8k? Because for me without EQ and felt pads, I heard a dip at 6200hz, a giant piercing spike at 6600hz (+18db) or so and also at 12250hz (+17db), and generally way too much energy from 6500-16000hz. Turn your volume down for the sweeps and try both slower (4000-15000hz at 30 seconds) and faster (4000-15000hz at 5 seconds) with no EQ on. Just as a reference, A/Bing against the Dan Clark E3 which is pretty close to Harman without any EQ, I got my OAE1 to sound damn near identical in tonality using my EQ. But your mileage will vary and we’ve got different HRTF. ---
**Author:** ![Luke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/luke/32/59913_2.png) [@Luke](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Luke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/65 "2025-01-22T16:16:23Z")
![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/b/6/b6bc40af657d5aed30b255303b7073ae7d0ca852.jpeg) One other data point for you to consider. On the rig there’s no spike like what I heard, and it corresponds more to what you heard. However in either case, there’s a huge excess amount of upper treble. So you should consider putting in a severe high shelf at 12000hz and roll it off by like 10-20db. Another thing to try is using the pink noise alternating tone feature on Owliophile, set 4000hz as the anchor, and compare it against 5500-9000hz. I wouldn’t go beyond 9000hz though, as our hearing sensitive drops off dramatically beyond that point. As seen on the Harman curve, you should notice a gradual decrease in sound level, but since you’re a human and not a rig, according to the Fletcher Munson curve you have decreasing sensitivity from 4000-9000hz ![Fletcher-Munson-Curve-Explained-Using-Equal-Loudness-Contour-to-Mix-1-1080x773](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/0/f/0f9b9643fcf852a50537551d95d34b2555a90109.png) Which means approximately your ideal EQ setting should make the alternating tones test from 4000-9000hz roughly equal in sound power, with some tapering off at 7000hz +. You could try this with headphones you like and note what that sounds like first, then try to replicate it on the OAE1’s EQ. ---
**Author:** ![AudioTool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiotool/32/14289_2.png) [@AudioTool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/AudioTool)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/66 "2025-01-22T16:17:11Z")
Since I don’t have much experience using this tool, maybe I should start with your EQ preset and try to personalize it. That should at least give me an idea if I prefer the felt pads removed. I probably just need to tweak some of the high Q filters. ---
**Author:** ![Luke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/luke/32/59913_2.png) [@Luke](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Luke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/67 "2025-01-22T16:25:53Z")
> [@AudioTool](#): > > I should start with your EQ preset and try to personalize it Yeah I’m not entirely sure if that’ll work since our ears are different, but it’s something to try. I just replied to you while you replied so, have a look at that message as well 🙂 If I were you I’d give the alternating pink noise tone test a try with headphones you like the sound of first. 1. Use headphones you like with EQ you like turned on 2. Use Alternating pink noise feature and set 4000hz as an anchor 3. Test 5000-9000hz, use EQ filter banks below the graph and try to equalize the frequencies so it sounds as loud as 4000hz 4. Record the relative differences of the frequencies vs 4000hz (for example, 7000hz requires +2db to sound equal to 4000hz) 5. Put on OAE1 with no EQ filters running 6. Use alternating pink noise feature with 4000hz as the anchor 7. Use EQ filter banks below to make them sound equal in volume (with Q high enough so it doesn’t bleed into the next filter bank) 8. Adjust the volume to match the difference you heard with headphone #1. (for example if you needed a +2db filter at 7000hz with Headphone #1 for it to sound equally loud as 4000hz, you will now equalize the volume of OAE1 at 7000hz to 4000hz, then subtract 2db) 9. Add a big fat treble shelf above 12000hz because as seen on the test graph, without felt pads there’s way too much energy, and it’s difficult/impractical to EQ by ear at that range of frequencies. ---
**Author:** ![AudioTool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiotool/32/14289_2.png) [@AudioTool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/AudioTool)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/68 "2025-01-30T15:47:25Z")
I see over on [Head-fi.org OAE1 topic](https://www.head-fi.org/threads/drop-grell-oae1.967413/post-18553444) that a former Sennheiser employee has joined Grell and is answering questions. One question I’ve always wondered is whether the production tuning is Grell’s preferred tuning. Many people theorized that Grell preferred a brighter tuning but after public feedback on the prototypes added the thick felt damper in front of the driver. However it turns out this is not the case. The production tuning is the preferred tuning. ---
**Author:** ![Luke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/luke/32/59913_2.png) [@Luke](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Luke)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/69 "2025-01-30T16:38:25Z")
I can only understand the stock tuning on a philosophical level. When I play pop music through my near field monitors, then switch over to the OAE1, they just don’t sound the same at all. Maybe they’re supposed to sound like bigger speakers in a bigger room from further away? To me a lot of voices sound like they are in another room… behind a closed door. I mean if sound stage is how far away things are, then these must have some of the biggest sound stage for headphones ever. ---
**Author:** ![AudioTool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiotool/32/14289_2.png) [@AudioTool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/AudioTool)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/70 "2025-01-31T18:49:51Z")
[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/2/6/267d620285f270c9b4b1a759211ef6d304c72cea.jpeg "HEADPHONES That Sound Like SPEAKERS?? (Drop + Grell OAE1)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKf2G4xC1po) I’m actually impressed by how much is correctly explained here in such a short amount of time (except for what HRTF stands for). ---
**Author:** ![AudioTool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiotool/32/14289_2.png) [@AudioTool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/AudioTool)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 6:58pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/71 "2025-01-31T18:58:50Z")
> [@Luke](#): > > I can only understand the stock tuning on a philosophical level. [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/5/0/5019be5e8bb3c91f216633365bac93371dbf2ee4.jpeg "OAE1 Frequency Response") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rXfyP200EI) Did you watch this? It does explain why they are tuned so dark. > [@Luke](#): > > Maybe they’re supposed to sound like bigger speakers in a bigger room from further away? I believe that is the case, yes. In [the video I posted previously](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/70) the reviewer compares them to his own studio monitors. No idea how big or how far away they are. I haven’t compared the tuning to my own speaker setup. It is very optimized for movies and my dissatisfaction with stereo music playback through it is a big reason I got into headphones in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Luke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/luke/32/59913_2.png) [@Luke](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Luke)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 7:26pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/72 "2025-01-31T19:26:51Z")
> [@AudioTool](#): > > Did you watch this? It does explain why they are tuned so dark. Yep… like I said, I understand the philosophy of it. Logically speaking it makes some sense. But in reality like almost everyone else, it just doesn’t sound good to me. However, they are literally my favorite headphones of all time after EQ, so a lot of Grell’s ideas jives with what I like and perceive. ---
**Author:** ![robson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/robson/32/59145_2.png) [@robson](https://forum.headphones.com/u/robson)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/73 "2025-01-31T20:56:55Z")
I also watched way back when OAE-1 originally launched… I get what he’s saying, but my ears aren’t convinced! 🤣 For me, it was a big miss, though some people love it. As always, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Luke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/luke/32/59913_2.png) [@Luke](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Luke)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/74 "2025-01-31T21:06:21Z")
> [@robson](#): > > I get what he’s saying, but my ears aren’t convinced! 🤣 Hehe, worryingly enough, Jermo who just joined Grell’s team seem to be thinking along the lines of “People just need to be EDUCATED” on why the OAE1 sounds good. You could describe and promote how healthy, authentic, and great cow eyeballs are to eat. Even if those statements are all objectively true, it’s not going to convince many people if they don’t find it tasty. ---
**Author:** ![robson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/robson/32/59145_2.png) [@robson](https://forum.headphones.com/u/robson)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/75 "2025-01-31T21:25:23Z")
> [@Luke](#): > > You could describe and promote how healthy, authentic, and great cow eyeballs are to eat. You just need some breading on 'em and then drop into the fryer! Yum! Now eat your spinach! 😉 Jermo has his work cut out for him. ---
**Author:** ![donjoe0](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/donjoe0/32/58678_2.png) [@donjoe0](https://forum.headphones.com/u/donjoe0)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 9:48pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/76 "2025-01-31T21:48:56Z")
Damn I hate how curious these make me, even after thinking I’ve achieved endgame in the ESP95X estats, and that I can finally stop spending and pining. See, I have Dumbo/Obama pinnas facing significantly more forward than average, and I suspect these OAEs could do some real magic for me, even if takes nontrivial EQ-ing to get them all the way there. This is partly based on how spacious the KSC75 sound for me, which I attribute a lot of to the fact that they adapt to my pinna angle by design. But I shall not give in. I shall… at least wait until a mk2 or v2 that gets more positive reviews OOTB. 🙂 LE: OK, I just scrolled through some photos of the man himself, aaand I do believe mr. Grell is one of us “Dumbos”. This only further strengthens my theory that these should sound their most realistic or spacious for those of the forward-facing pinna persuasion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AudioTool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiotool/32/14289_2.png) [@AudioTool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/AudioTool)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 10:20pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/77 "2025-01-31T22:20:03Z")
> [@Luke](#): > > Hehe, worryingly enough, Jermo who just joined Grell’s team seem to be thinking along the lines of “People just need to be EDUCATED” on why the OAE1 sounds good. Hmm I don’t share that impression. I see him answering your questions so there’s certainly education going on there. But other than that he states that people are right to scrutinize the product, and theorizes that properly communicating expectations to potential buyers is key to success. And I agree. If you buy the OAE1 expecting the timbre of conventional headphones, you will probably not like them. ---
**Author:** ![Luke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/luke/32/59913_2.png) [@Luke](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Luke)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 12:41am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/78 "2025-02-01T00:41:19Z")
> [@AudioTool](#): > > properly communicating expectations to potential buyers is key to success That’s why I’m worried actually. Most of the buyers and reviewers are audiophile nerds, enough to have understood the reasoning behind the OAE1, and YET, still don’t like it after actually listening to it. I think communication wise, they’ve done a good job, but the illusion of speakers simply isn’t enough to overcome to generally disliked sound profile. I think setting the expectations right (Here’s some Thai bile soup, it’s going to be bitter!) doesn’t mean the end results will be accepted (OMG it still takes like utterly bitter s\*\*t). IMO it’s a big shame, because it’s obvious that Grell nailed it on many of the reasons why the physical design and FR should work. ---
**Author:** ![AudioTool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiotool/32/14289_2.png) [@AudioTool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/AudioTool)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 3:09pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/79 "2025-02-01T15:09:02Z")
> [@Luke](#): > > I think communication wise, they’ve done a good job, but the illusion of speakers simply isn’t enough to overcome to generally disliked sound profile. TBH I think this is precisely where the communication has failed. The marketing made buyers expect to hear a headphone sound profile, but out in front of them like speakers. In actuality, the OAE1 is attempting to replicate the sound profile of speakers in a room, and the frontal location effect is too strongly implied. > [@Luke](#): > > IMO it’s a big shame, because it’s obvious that Grell nailed it on many of the reasons why the physical design and FR should work. As long as Grell stays in business, I’m happy. I’d rather see a big swing and a miss than more of same headphones. And Grell is one of the few people who has the resources to innovate. ---
**Author:** ![AudioTool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiotool/32/14289_2.png) [@AudioTool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/AudioTool)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2025, 8:24pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420/80 "2025-02-02T20:24:08Z")
Ok I EQed the OAE1 with the driver dampers removed again today. I used two methods, the method you describe with [owliophile.com](http://owliophile.com) and also my usual technique starting from FR measurements. With both methods I could get the OAE1 to sound pretty Harman-like on my test tracks. However I stopped short of perfecting the damperless EQ because at no time did I experience the frontal location illusion (such as it is) that I do with the dampers in place. I’m not dismissing your experience, it’s just that I have multiple headphones that I have tuned to my taste already. Once I tuned the OAE1 close to where I like for timbre, it’s just another spacious sounding headphone (granted not an expensive one). And one that isn’t particularly comfortable. So, for me at least, there’s no point in continuing with this experiment. Admittedly I am biased to come to this conclusion because of my experience with the OAE1 that I posted above. So who knows? Maybe this was a missed opportunity for Grell to create more of an upgraded HD800S than a MySphere with bass. (I’m oversimplifying of course, but you get what I mean.) [Previous page](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420.md?page=3) [Next page](https://forum.headphones.com/t/grell-oae-1-open-back-headphone/23420.md?page=5)