What is the best iPod EQ setting?

Bass Booster works best for me. Rock makes things too trebly (a lot depends on what headphones you're using with this...my Etymotic ones have a flat response so they need extra bass without a pre-amp).

Yep, flat works best for me as well, so I always use it. Weird.

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Bass booster

Uhm

For a long time I had EQ set to off...I chose Flat and it seemed to improve the sound.

From the Apple documentation:

Flat: (same as EQ - Off).

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61567

Loudness! Its like bass booster but better! trust me!!

I haven't had an ipod in a couple years, but on the older models, Jazz worked best for me.

off/flat

I keep mine on Electronic because it boosts the bass but not as much as Bass Booster to where it gets all distorted.

Electronic is pretty good, but I'm with Chaki on "Loudness".

Not sure if there's some kind of universal "loudness" setting, but it's on tons of amps/stereos (often the only option) and I always think it sounds better when turned on.

off = no need to change it if you change albums/genres

Yeah, that's the difference as far as I can tell. Flat is like a song specific preference, whereas off means it'll ignore whatever EQ preference you have stored with eevery song.

R&B

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Flat followed closely Loudness.

With the right cans, Flat's perfect.

Occasionally, though, Loudness comes in handy in that it rolls the treble and boosts the bass in just the right ways (esp. to compensate for poorly mastered/recorded music [e.g., Interpol's "Our Love To Admire"]).

With the right cans, Flat's perfect.
-- dblcheeksneek, Friday, October 19, 2007 8:36 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

bingo.

once i switched to Etymotics a couple years ago, no need to fuck with EQ.

Acoustic's bang on with Sony canalphones.

Although you are forcing me to rethink.

stephen talk more about etymotics, are they really all that?

Okay, Off/Flat does not have enough bass emphasis to be worthwhile unless you have subwoofers strapped to your face.

(with respect to portable listening obv)

Maybe my rips are shitty quality but treble booster seems to be necessary for The Cure. With bog standard apple in-ears too.

I assume Loudness is like the old-fashioned Loudness nob on a receiver, where it boosts the bass a lot at low volumes and less as the volume increases?

I use rock for guitar-based stuff, electronic for electronic and dance, and deep for dubstep. Should probably just change to keeping it off, then.

Wow, I never even knew I had this option. The things you learn on ILM...

uh, i don't think i've ever checked this. I think off would be my way to go.

oh hey it is off. yay.

bass increase provided by Hip Hop plus not sacrificing high end is best for 90% of what I listen to, at least with my pricey Shure in ear buds.

bass booster when I'm doing a treadmill workout with $5 earbuds on, and I'm trying to squeeze as much inspiration as possible from those Bootsy Collins basslines. off/flat at all other times

Depends on which headphones I use.

With my high-end studio headphones, I leave it off.

With my every day super bass boosting headphones, I use either Pop or Lounge. I found that these headphones have pretty much no low-mid frequency and these two EQ settings seem to compensate pretty well.

Our iPod's permanently attached to a B&W Zeppelin, so we leave the EQ off, except to alter the bass levels in the speaker setting, so as not to start demolishing our old house.

http://www.lamarca.org/flight/imgs/hindenberg.gif

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/3038640707_6a804d4866.jpg

i choose deep just cos i think it makes certain music less tinny sounding and therefore less painful - i find if i select 'off' its a bit too trebly/piercing at times. but maybe i just need some better headphones. i hate the ipod.

i've often wondered about this. there was an IT guy in my day job office a few years ago who insisted i needed to have my ipod on treble booster when i got my first one, so i use that a lot for poppier stuff. and then change to electronic if i want a little bit more low end, hip hop for hip hop (this really makes a difference for me in my headphones, sennheisers). on my itunes though i usually just have it set to off so i'm listening to everything on a level playing field and getting a couple different perspectives.