Have done a comparison between OPRA and manual EQ settings.
Have adjusted Headroom to the same values so that they can be compared.
So in principle the settings should be the same.
BUT: The OPRA settings sounds better.
How can that be?
Torben
In theory they shouldn’t if all things are equal and if you have used exact same settings, comparing PeQ settings and not using convolution. If your using convolution filter from AutoEQ they only provide 44.1 or 48 filters so Roon would be upsampling the filter for higher res files. Not sure how much that would affect it though, but the engines will be different anyway.
Have used the same settings - no convolution.
Torben
OPRA doesn’t disclose how many bands of PEQ is being applied. Maybe this is different? If it’s using the same PEQ engine not sure how it could be different unless some settings are not the same
Easiest guess would be that one is lowering the volume for headroom more than the other.
Won’t be an exact science, but a quick way to rule that out would be to record the output of both, and diff them. Just be careful to not change volume (either at input or input) between the two recordings.
How did you find out the exact EQ settings that OPRA is applying?
1 Like
With this information:
Torben
Than they would change the Oratory 1990 EQ settings. That would be strange.
Torben
Oratory’s own settings are not directly comparable to the the AutoEq settings that are given under his name. On Reddit he’s made the point several times that, yes, they use his measurements but his PEQ values are manually fine-tuned. AutoEq is simply an algorithm, his own settings are done by ear.
2 Likes
Thanks, an interesting post.
I use the oratory1990 settings from his pdfs always, I think a lot depends on your subjective view and the music being listened to.
1 Like
Definitely.
With the PDF versions you know that Oratory has tweaked the results under actual listening conditions. Obviously this tweaking is to his own listening preference, but I tend to like his results. He’s not a huge fan on the Harman IE2019 curve and so, for IEMs, he almost always includes his own settings, taken from the USound curve. I think it’s fair to say that the Harman IE2019 curve is a bit divisive - what we in the UK would call a “marmite thing” 
2 Likes
I understand the Marmite reference 
The ones I use are to the 2018 curve.
I also like how he advises which band to adjust for bass, tonality etc, to your own taste, not that I have, i find his settings for the focal clear mg, which is the headphone I use most, to be superb.
1 Like
The 2018 is for over-ear and is very well regarded. It’s the IEM curve that’s a little bit more controversial.
1 Like
You can check the OPRA settings here, including the overall gain reduction.
I’d already noticed they didn’t match Oratory’s, for my headphones, and was confused, so thanks to @SukieInTheGraveyard for explaining that.
2 Likes
I’ve seen this question several times recently in other posts so forgive me if I’m stating the obvious!
You can click the right facing arrow in the visualisation box to create your own preset with the PEQ parameters of the chosen OPRA see screenshot…
Then you can tweak to your hearts desire! Bear in mind this is a PEQ preset for use within the PEQ parameters and won’t appear in the MUSE presets unless it is saved as such… so it will take on headroom, sample rate and other non-PEQ MUSE parameters for the preset you happen to be in at the time.
2 Likes
This tweak is a good feature of OPRA. Very useful for those who’d rather tweak than twerk 
1 Like
…apparently twerking works as well, but only adjusts the bass… 
1 Like
I’d heard that. Apparently you need a huge low shelf filter to get the twerk just right.
Apologies for going off topic. I’m going to stop now.
4 Likes