7Hz Salnotes Zero EQ settings
Parametric EQ correction for the 7Hz Salnotes Zero, derived from measurements by oratory1990. It moves the measured frequency response toward a neutral target.
How the Salnotes Zero sounds before EQ
Measured against a neutral target, the Salnotes Zero comes out near-neutral. It already tracks the target closely, so the correction is polish rather than surgery.
The treble region, cymbals, sibilance and sparkle, sits about 1.6 dB behind neutral, so cymbals sound blunted.
The deviations are moderate. The largest single move in the correction is 2.5 dB around 7.2 kHz, which is clearly audible in a direct comparison. EQ makes a worthwhile difference.
These figures are read from the correction itself: whatever the EQ lifts, the headphone lacked, and whatever it cuts, the headphone had too much of. The target is the community's neutral reference, and how far above 10 kHz you can trust any measurement varies by rig. More near-neutral models.
The correction curve
The solid line is the full measured correction (all 10 filters). The dashed line is what Atrium applies: the same shape at 65 percent strength, capped at 6 dB per band, so the headphone keeps its own character instead of being forced flat.
What the EQ fixes
Summed across every filter, these are the changes the correction actually makes, largest first:
- Around 7.2 kHz the correction lifts the treble by 2.5 dB, over a medium-width band about 0.9 octaves wide.
- At the top of the range the correction cuts everything above roughly 13.4 kHz by up to 1.3 dB.
- Around 65 Hz the correction lifts the bass punch region by 1.3 dB, over a medium-width band about 1.0 octaves wide.
The preamp of -2.5 dB offsets the boosts so nothing clips at full volume.
Parametric EQ settings
Preamp: -2.5 dB (headroom for the summed boost, not for any single row)
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low shelf | 105 Hz | -0.4 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Peaking | 7.15 kHz | +2.5 dB | 1.39 |
| 3 | Peaking | 186 Hz | -1.3 dB | 1.35 |
| 4 | Peaking | 65 Hz | +1.7 dB | 1.11 |
| 5 | Peaking | 1.68 kHz | -1.1 dB | 1.82 |
| 6 | High shelf | 10 kHz | -1.3 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Peaking | 857 Hz | +0.9 dB | 1.64 |
| 8 | Peaking | 9.82 kHz | +0.9 dB | 1.98 |
| 9 | Peaking | 3.32 kHz | -0.6 dB | 2.50 |
| 10 | Peaking | 1.26 kHz | -0.7 dB | 3.34 |
This is the published correction for the Salnotes Zero, unaltered, in AutoEq format. It pastes straight into Equalizer APO or Peace on Windows, and into most parametric EQ apps. Enter every row, including the ones that cut. These are the values to use: the numbers are not rounded off or simplified for the page, because changing them would change the result.
How to use these settings
Manually: enter the preamp and each filter into any parametric EQ. On Windows that is usually Equalizer APO with the Peace interface. On a Mac, eqMac or SoundSource. Set the type, frequency, gain and Q exactly as listed.
With Atrium: pick your Salnotes Zero in the app and it applies a tuned version of this correction: 65 percent strength with a 6 dB per-band cap, which fixes the rough spots without erasing what the headphone does well. Atrium also measures how you hear with a short listening test and layers your personal hearing profile on top. Two people with the same headphones do not hear the same sound. Headphone corrections are part of Signature Edition; the app itself is free.
Salnotes Zero vs other 7Hz models
Bass and treble are each model's average distance from the neutral target in that range. Positive means more than neutral, negative means less.
| Model | Signature | Bass vs neutral | Treble vs neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salnotes Zero (this page) | near-neutral | -0.1 dB | -1.0 dB |
| Aurora | bass-light | -3.3 dB | -0.4 dB |
| Eternal | dark | +0.0 dB | -2.9 dB |
| Five | bass-heavy | +2.3 dB | +0.6 dB |
| G1 | warm | +2.4 dB | +1.2 dB |
Headphones that sound similar
Closest matches across all 4,332 measured models, by distance between their deviation curves. Useful if you like how the Salnotes Zero is tuned and want alternatives.