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PEQdB, EQ, DSP, and the Bigger Picture of Real Listening

  • Writer: dbstechtalk
    dbstechtalk
  • Jan 16
  • 7 min read

Updated: Jan 17

Why The Honest Audiophile Reviews Without Processing — and What That Means for You


The audiophile world is full of tools designed to help listeners shape, modify, and personalize their sound. PEQdB, AutoEQ, DSP systems, and target‑curve software are becoming increasingly popular — and they can absolutely be useful. But they’re often misunderstood, and they’re frequently used in ways that blur the line between evaluating sound and changing sound.


This article explains where tools like PEQdB fit into the hobby, how they differ from real listening, and why I don’t use EQ or DSP when reviewing headphones or IEMs. It also shows how my Ideal Sound Signature, my Target Curve, my review process, and the How to Listen (Master Guide) all work together to create a consistent, honest, and reliable approach to audio evaluation.


What PEQdB Actually Is — and What It Isn’t


PEQdB is a modern, user‑friendly platform built around:


  • frequency response graphs

  • target curves

  • interactive EQ filters

  • short A/B listening tests

  • psychoacoustic modeling


It’s designed to make EQ easy.

It’s designed to make target‑curve matching simple.

It’s designed to make graphing fast and visual.


PEQdB is excellent for:


  • experimenting with tonal changes

  • learning how FR adjustments affect brightness or warmth

  • comparing target curves

  • generating EQ filters

  • tweaking headphones to personal taste


But PEQdB cannot tell you:


  • timbre

  • staging

  • imaging

  • dynamics

  • transient behavior

  • driver quality

  • texture

  • decay

  • note weight

  • emotional realism


Those qualities come from real listening, not from graphs or 20‑second clips.


PEQdB is a tool for modifying sound — not understanding sound.


How EQ and DSP Change What You Hear


EQ and DSP are powerful. They can:


  • correct tonal imbalances

  • tame peaks

  • add warmth

  • reduce fatigue

  • tailor sound to preference


But they also change the headphone’s natural behavior.


When you EQ:


  • timbre changes

  • staging shifts

  • dynamics flatten or exaggerate

  • driver behavior changes

  • strengths and weaknesses get masked

  • the headphone’s identity is altered


DSP goes even further:


  • phase manipulation

  • timing shifts

  • spatial processing

  • dynamic compression

  • crossfeed

  • room correction


These tools are great for enjoyment.

They are not appropriate for evaluation.


Why I Don’t Use PEQdB, EQ, or DSP in Reviews


My job as a reviewer is to tell you what a headphone or IEM actually sounds like.


If I EQ for reviewing purposes:


  • I’m reviewing my EQ, not the product

  • I erase the manufacturer’s tuning choices

  • I hide flaws that matter

  • I remove strengths that define the headphone

  • I eliminate fair comparison


If I use DSP:


  • I add variables

  • I change the presentation

  • I’m no longer hearing the headphone’s real performance


If I rely on PEQdB:


  • I’m evaluating graphs, not sound

  • I’m judging target curves, not drivers

  • I’m reducing listening to numbers


That’s not honest.

That’s not helpful.

And it doesn’t teach anyone how to listen.


My Ideal Sound Signature


My Ideal Sound Signature is not a target curve.

It’s not a graph.

It’s not a formula.

It’s a philosophy built on:


  • natural tone

  • realistic timbre

  • cohesive staging

  • believable dynamics

  • emotional immersion

  • musical authenticity


It’s the sound that feels real, human, and alive — the sound that makes instruments sound like instruments and voices sound like people.

These qualities do not show up in frequency response graphs.


You learn them through:


  • experience

  • consistency

  • reference tracks

  • long‑term listening


Not through software.


My Target Curve — and How It Applies


Yes, I have a target curve. But not in the way most people think.

My target curve is not Harman, diffuse‑field, or a preference curve generated by a listening test.

It’s not a statistical average.

It’s a reference anchor built from years of listening to real instruments and real recordings.


It helps me:


  • identify tonal imbalances

  • compare tunings consistently

  • understand deviations from natural timbre

  • evaluate intentional vs. accidental tuning choices


But it is not a correction tool.


Why I don’t EQ headphones to match my target curve


Because the goal of a review is not to force everything to sound the same.

The goal is to understand what the headphone actually sounds like.


If I EQ everything to my target curve:


  • I erase identity

  • I hide flaws

  • I remove strengths

  • I eliminate fair comparison


My target curve is a listening reference, not a destination.


How My Approach Differs From PEQdB, EQ‑First, and DSP‑Driven Reviewing


There’s nothing wrong with PEQdB.

But its philosophy is fundamentally different from mine.


1. PEQdB is built around changing sound.

My approach is built around understanding sound.


2. PEQdB is target‑curve‑first.

I am music‑first and realism‑first.


3. PEQdB evaluates graphs.

I evaluate listening.


4. PEQdB uses short A/B clips.

I use long‑term, immersive listening.


5. PEQdB encourages EQ‑to‑target.

I avoid EQ entirely when reviewing.


6. PEQdB simplifies listening.

My Master Guide teaches listening.


7. PEQdB is a tool for tweaking.

My process is a system for truth‑seeking.


8. PEQdB reviewers review their processing.

I review the product.


That’s the difference.


Reviewers Who Rely on PEQdB, EQ, or DSP


Some reviewers rely heavily on:


  • PEQdB

  • AutoEQ

  • DSP profiles

  • target‑curve matching


And while I’m not here to attack anyone, it’s important to understand the impact.


1. They’re no longer reviewing the product.


They’re reviewing:


  • their EQ

  • their DSP

  • their preset


2. DSP adds variables that distort evaluation.


Timing, phase, imaging, and dynamics all change.


3. PEQdB encourages “target‑first” thinking.


This reduces listening to:


  • “Does it match the curve?”


Instead of:


  • “Does it sound real?”

  • “Does it sound believable?”

  • “Does it sound like music?”


4. It disconnects reviewers from real‑world listening.


They stop learning:


  • natural timbre

  • driver differences

  • staging geometry

  • long‑term listening skills


5. It creates impressions the audience can’t replicate.


Most people don’t use the same:


  • EQ

  • DSP

  • target

  • chain


6. It undermines consistency.


My reviews are consistent because the chain is consistent.

PEQdB/EQ/DSP‑based reviews break that consistency.


My Review Process


My review process is built on:


  • consistent reference tracks

  • a stable playback chain

  • a controlled listening environment

  • repeatable evaluation categories

  • long‑term listening

  • direct comparisons


This is how I eliminate variables.

This is how I stay honest.

This is how I keep impressions reliable.


I’m not chasing targets.

I’m not chasing graphs.

I’m not chasing hype.


I’m listening.


How the Master Guide Ties It All Together


The Honest Audiophile: How to Listen (Master Guide) is the backbone of everything I do.


It teaches:


  • how to evaluate tone

  • how to hear timbre

  • how to understand staging

  • how to recognize dynamics

  • how to build a reference playlist

  • how to compare gear fairly

  • how to eliminate bias

  • how to develop real listening skills


PEQdB teaches you how to change sound.

The Master Guide teaches you how to hear sound.

They’re not enemies — they’re just different tools for different goals.


The One Place I Do Use EQ: The Church Soundboard


There’s one environment where I use EQ constantly: mixing live sound at church.

Because the goal is completely different.


In live sound:


  • you shape microphones

  • you control feedback

  • you balance instruments

  • you manage room acoustics

  • you ensure clarity for the congregation


EQ is a problem‑solving tool, not an evaluation tool.


I’m not reviewing microphones or speakers.

I’m shaping sound for the room and the people in it.

That’s a completely different job.


The Bigger Message


Tools like PEQdB are not bad.

EQ is not bad.

DSP is not bad.

They’re just not the foundation of real listening.


Real listening comes from:

  • time

  • consistency

  • reference tracks

  • a stable chain

  • understanding timbre

  • recognizing staging

  • hearing dynamics

  • comparing gear honestly


You can’t shortcut that with a graph.

You can’t shortcut that with a target curve.

And you definitely can’t shortcut that with a 20‑second A/B test.


If you want to understand how a headphone actually sounds, the best tools you have are the ones you’ve always had:


Your ears.

Your music.

Your consistency.


Everything else is optional.


Further Reading & Resources

If you’d like to dive deeper into how I evaluate audio, develop consistent listening skills, and choose the music that reveals the truth about gear, the following resources are available:


🎧 The Honest Audiophile: How to Listen (Master Guide)

A complete framework for developing real listening skills — tone, timbre, staging, dynamics, emotional connection, and reference‑based evaluation. 👉 Read the Master Guide:   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gjDvOSlvgtndKicbU37eFLVbi33NiV_nIak_RxwJ5nc/edit?usp=sharing


📝 The Honest Audiophile Review Process

A transparent, step‑by‑step breakdown of how I evaluate headphones and IEMs using a stable chain, consistent reference tracks, and long‑term listening. 👉 Explore the review process:   https://www.thehonestaudiophile.com/post/honest-audiophile-review-process


🎶 My Music Preferences & Reference Playlist Philosophy

An explanation of the genres, recordings, and specific track qualities I use to test tone, timbre, staging, dynamics, and emotional realism. 👉 Learn about my reference music approach:  https://www.thehonestaudiophile.com/post/my-reference-music-tracks-2025-expanded-list


🎧 Thanks for reading! If you're into honest, no-hype audiophile content, head over to YouTube, hit Subscribe and tap the 🔔 notification bell so you never miss a new video. 👍 If you enjoyed this one, give it a thumbs up—or a thumbs down if you didn’t. Either way, I appreciate the feedback.


🗣 A Quick Note About Me: I’m not a professional sound engineer, producer, or musician. I don’t do lab measurements or scientific testing. What I share here is based on real-world listening, personal comparisons, and a whole lot of reading and research. My background? I’ve spent years volunteering as a sound tech in churches since my teens, and I’ve dabbled with recording, mixing, and mastering gear. These are just my honest impressions—take them as one audiophile’s perspective, shared with clarity and respect.



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📬 Contact: dbstechtalk@gmail.com


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