USB headphone DAC with proper bass EQ

[chadk]

I have a Beyerdynamic DT880 pro with a Creative SoundBlaster-Z soundcard. In Windows the SB-Z works flawlessly and the software provided by Creative has a nice equalizer. It allows for the lower frequencies (<1kHz) to have their volume increased tremendously without distortion. This gives the DT880 pro a really nice and full bass.

I'm planning to use Linux on my system more but unfortunately the Creative software does not have a Linux version. I'm stuck with pipewire and alternatives and they do not play nicely with the SB-Z. They do have an equalizer, but they cause distortion and crackling way before the Creative software does. Effectively I would have to give up most of the bass experience the DT880pro can provide which sucks.

I tried an alternative, a Qudelix 5K which has a built in equalizer, but it reaches nowhere the quality of the SB-Z soundcard and equalizer. Because the DT880pro cable was going bad, I figured I would try some headphones that allow for more bass, needing less amplification of the lower end with an equalizer.

So I bought some Audeze LCD-2c and I assumed correctly that it is easier to win some of the lower end back, but still the SB-Z + accompanying Windows software still has a really audible quality advantage over something like the Qudelix 5K. These are marvelous headphones with the base brought up.

The SB-Z has a (at least for me) surprisingly good headphone DAC that allows for great boosting of the lower frequencies. I'm looking for an alternative USB-DAC (USB audio class compliant so that it actually works properly in Linux without messing around with drivers) that provides me at least the quality of the SB-Z.
The ADI-2 DAC FS appears as a high quality device, but high quality doesn't necessarily mean it has the function I'm looking for: The ability to greatly boost the lower frequencies without distortion/crackling. Would it be able to do that? Is there a way to compare devices and figure out they are able to do this? I don't really know what makes the SB-Z so good in this regard or how it can be measured/specified, which makes it hard for me to find an USB equivalent.

Any suggestion is welcome.

 

[Jimbob54]

How much do you boost the bass?

Im not sure your crackling distortion is due to the quality of the hardware, maybe more to do with how much you are boosting the digital signal at those low frequencies and hearing digital clipping.

Are adding some negative preamp into the eq on the qudelix to offset the bass gain?

 

[voodooless]

EQ Software for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS/iPadOS and Android.

Any suggestions are welcome. Post suggestions here. I will gather the details and add them. Thanks. :D This will be organized as results come in. @sweetchaos made a guide for PEQ filter data input and operation. For crossover software go here. Windows: AutoEQ four easy steps to make your...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[twsecrest]

A Schiit Fulla ($109) could replace the SB-Z card.
Budget for a USB DAC/amp?

 

[Dunring]

The Schiit Heresy or Heretic, Modi, and Loki tone control will give all the control you need without software or drivers. They sound great and excellent power. I had a Soundblaster Z many years ago and it's a big upgrade in sound quality.

 

[chadk]

How much do you boost the bass?

Im not sure your crackling distortion is due to the quality of the hardware, maybe more to do with how much you are boosting the digital signal at those low frequencies and hearing digital clipping.

Are adding some negative preamp into the eq on the qudelix to offset the bass gain?

Good question, I wouldn't exactly know how much I'm boosting the bass. In the Creative software, I use the following settings (sort of, see below):
freq (Hz) / boost (dB)
31 / 24
62 / 10
125 / 8
250 / 5
500 / 3
1000 / 1

But the problem is, I don't think a boost of 24 dB in the creative software is actually a boost of 24 dB. In fact, I didn't actually select this in the software as you can only boost 12dB there. The software isn't picky and imports modified EQ file without any errors, therefore I could run the EQ 'out of specification' and actually increase the boost much further. Apparently the hardware doesn't care and just follows along. It does the 24 dB without clipping, without negative pre-amp.

In the Qudelix I can get somewhat close by adding negative preamp of -12dB and adding a similar curve that boosts up to 9dB way in the lower end. But it doesn't quite have that SB-Z quality.

@twsecrest
Given the amount of time I listen to this equipment I'm willing to spend about a 1000 euros.

@Dunring
I have looked at the Schiit products but I would rather have a device with an onboard software solution as they generally offer more frequency ranges to adjust.

 

[IAtaman]

CamillaDSP

 

[DVDdoug]

The rule-of-thumb is that it's better to cut with an equalizer than to boost. You can get the same frequency response curve either way, and with a "preamp" adjustment you can get the exact-same results either way.

But the problem is, I don't think a boost of 24 dB in the creative software is actually a boost of 24 dB. In fact, I didn't actually select this in the software as you can only boost 12dB

+12dB is about 4 times the voltage (or digital amplitude) and 16 times the power!
+24dB is about 16 times the voltage (or digital amplitude) and 250 times the power!!!

Most commercial digital recordings are normalized for "maximized" 0dBFS peaks (or nearly 0dB peaks). ANY digital boost is likely to cause digital clipping unless you attenuate with a "preamp" setting or with a digital volume control. If you don't max-out the digital volume, you might be OK.

If you have a DAC with an analog volume control, you'll clip the DAC at 0dB (the signal is already clipped before it hits the volume control) so you'll need the digital "preamp" attenuation.

It's also possible to clip your amplifier. But if you are using a soundcard or a DAC with a built-in headphone amplifier, the amplifier will have some headroom relative to the DAC and DAC will clip first.

And of course, with lots of bass boost you can drive your speakers or headphones into distortion, even at frequencies your speakers/headphones can't reproduce or frequencies that are too low to hear.

With enough amplifier power you can fry your speakers with sounds your speakers/headphones can't reproduce or (subsonic or ultrasonic) sounds can't hear. But, you are not likely to fry headphones.

 

[Jimbob54]

Good question, I wouldn't exactly know how much I'm boosting the bass. In the Creative software, I use the following settings (sort of, see below):
freq (Hz) / boost (dB)
31 / 24
62 / 10
125 / 8
250 / 5
500 / 3
1000 / 1

But the problem is, I don't think a boost of 24 dB in the creative software is actually a boost of 24 dB. In fact, I didn't actually select this in the software as you can only boost 12dB there. The software isn't picky and imports modified EQ file without any errors, therefore I could run the EQ 'out of specification' and actually increase the boost much further. Apparently the hardware doesn't care and just follows along. It does the 24 dB without clipping, without negative pre-amp.

In the Qudelix I can get somewhat close by adding negative preamp of -12dB and adding a similar curve that boosts up to 9dB way in the lower end. But it doesn't quite have that SB-Z quality.

@twsecrest
Given the amount of time I listen to this equipment I'm willing to spend about a 1000 euros.

@Dunring
I have looked at the Schiit products but I would rather have a device with an onboard software solution as they generally offer more frequency ranges to adjust.

Depending on the steepness/ shape of the curves the Creative software uses , you have potentially over 40dB of sub 125hz boost there. Guessing this is graphic EQ?

There is almost certainly overlap between the 31 and 62 hz adjustments . It has to be reducing the overall output to adjust. Just not telling you.

That is a huge amount of bass

 

[chadk]

+24dB is about 16 times the voltage (or digital amplitude) and 250 times the power!!!

I know, and I don't believe for a second that it's actually boosting 24 dB. That is just a number in a configuration file. Who knows what the hardware is actually is producing, all I know is that the card can 'complete' the sound by bringing otherwise (flat EQ) inaudible bass back to something my ears can hear.

@Jimbob54
It is originally a graphic EQ, but I manually entered the numbers in a configuration file, rendering the graphic part useless.

 

[Berwhale]

@Jimbob54
It is originally a graphic EQ, but I manually entered the numbers in a configuration file, rendering the graphic part useless.

It's not how you enter the numbers, it's what they mean and how they are applied...

PARAMETRIC EQ vs GRAPHIC EQ: How & When to Use Them – Audio University

audiouniversityonline.com

 

[chadk]

It's not how you enter the numbers, it's what they mean and how they are applied...

PARAMETRIC EQ vs GRAPHIC EQ: How & When to Use Them – Audio University

audiouniversityonline.com

It's definitely a graphic EQ even though its not that graphic

 

[daverosenthal]

The ADI-2 DAC FS appears as a high quality device, but high quality doesn't necessarily mean it has the function I'm looking for: The ability to greatly boost the lower frequencies without distortion/crackling.

The RME ADI-2 will indeed do equalization using its onboard parametric EQ without and distortion/crackling (clipping). It automatically manages the digital headroom, etc. so you don’t even need to think about it. Just keep in mind that sometimes trying to adding lots of bass into speakers/headphones can cause them in turn to exhibit high distortion.