Audio Setup

Headphone

Senheiser HD 560s

The Senheiser HD 560s were my first open-back headphones. I have come to really appreciate the open-back aspect of these headphones. It makes them breathable which is useful for long listening sessions and I can hear myself think and talk much easier. I find the sound signature of these headphones to be fairly neutral. I would like there to be a bit more bass (I find cupping the sides help make the bass more adequate). The build quality is great and the earpads remain very comfortable even after a year of use.

In-Ear Monitor (IEM)

Moondrop Aria

The Moondrop Aria were my first IEMs. They lasted a bit more than a year until channel imbalances started and paint chipping issues became apparent. I thoroughly enjoy its fun Harman curve tuning. Among all the IEMs I have tried, the Arias have the best fit to my ears.

Letshuoer S12

The Letshuoer S12 are my first planar IEMs. In comparison to the Moondrop Arias, I found the S12’s sound clarity to be noticeably better. The Aria’s bass are more pronounced than the S12’s while the S12’s sound smoother. The soundstage of the S12 is much wider than the Aria. The negative to this is that I find I have to increase the volume much higher to hear the same details as I would on the Arias. This can be fatiguing after an extended period of listening. Additionally, the high ends of the S12 can definitely get a overwhelming in some songs. Despite my rough handling of these IEMs at times, the build quality on the S12 remains perfect.

Audio Interface

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen

The Focusrite Scarlett Solo is the most recent addition to my audio setup. So far my first impression is that the sound to my headphones are sound noticeably cleaner than using my PC’s dac. The volume knob is also nice to have and responsive to use. I’ll update this some more when I play around with using an instrument and microphone with it.

Equalizer

I equalize my IEMs much more often than I equalize my headphones. On Windows I use the Equalizer APO parametric/graphic equalizer. On Linux I use Easy Effects. Generally I will apply Oratory1990’s equalizer settings from the AutoEq repository to my respective listening hardware. Sometimes I like listening to my IEMs equalized to the Moondrop Variations. I do not apply any other audio effects besides the EQ in order to keep my audio latency as low.

Microphone

TBD