Yep applying a +15dB bass boost in a Focal Clear for example makes the driver crack/clip like crazy, its scary. In the other hand you can apply the same boost in most planars and they will take it like champs, you may or may not notice distortion or masking but the point is, some drivers can handle EQ and some just canāt.
I remember when i tried a bass boost in a DT770 Pro, it distorted like crazy! It was horrible for EQā¦
I am in favor of using EQ, but you have to respect the driverās limitations which vary greatly from set to set. That is one of the reasons why i love planars, i never heard a dynamic driver which takes EQ as well as a planar.
The first victims of EQāing are always staging and separation. Both of these are also distorted when playing a recording at too loud a volume with out EQāing.
It doesnāt mean the transducer can perform it with any clarity. Hence the (no downside to using eq comment which is bullshit). Iāve seen people do horrible things with eq and then blame their headphones.
Heās pushing his opinion and personal bias against EQ. If apply EQ and it sounds badā¦ You click one button and turn it off.
Thereās no downside risk to testing it as itās instantly and easily reversible.
If you apply EQ and it sounds better, all the talk about pushing the driver beyond limitations, over distorting, poor use of EQ, are simply false as it sounds better to you.
In Summaryā¦ If you Apply EQ and it doesnāt work out or sounds worse to you, click the button to turn it off. Boom, youāre back to ground 0.
If you Apply EQ and it sounds betterā¦ There is no downside as you are not pushing it beyond the capabilities of the driver (otherwise it would sound bad). Congrats, you now have an improved (In your opinion) sounding headphone.
You can show that some do take their sets to their limits with EQ and that can cause different issues, and i can show that if done right, with the right headphones and proper EQ, the results may be worth it.
Probably the single most important lesson anyone new to the hobby can learn is to find the proper volume for each and every single recording.
Too many of us, when we are young and/or canāt afford good audio equipment, develop the bad habit of trying to overcompensate for the deficiencies by cranking up the volume and/or playing with the bass and treble knobs And so, when we do buy good equipment, we wonder why the song weāve listened to 100ās of times doesnāt sound the same!
The Teaās were my first serious IEM purchase, and the transition from 10 years of listening to my Sennheiser HD800 to the Teaās was easy peasy.
Iāve never over reached on EQ settings for BAs, as Iām sensitive to boosted levels in the 2K - 4K range. But being a basshead, I have mucked with sub-bass to mid bass settings and as an example: itās easy to over drive the DD in the original FiiO FH5
[edit to add]
All of the discussion appears to be on elevated EQ settings. In my case I always end up doing a cut around my dreaded 2K- 4K range; if I didnāt do that, my listening time would be cut down dramatically.
I have not heard of people complaining about the quality of B2. I have already read about Tea about many complaints. Mine is broken again and as much as I like Tea, Iāll just go to another IEM. Good luck to everyone with Tea!
