FiiO FD5 EQ settings
Parametric EQ correction for the FiiO FD5, derived from measurements by crinacle. It moves the measured frequency response toward a neutral target.
How the FD5 sounds before EQ
Measured against a neutral target, the FD5 comes out warm. The low end sits ahead of the treble, which flatters bad recordings and rounds off detail.
The treble region, cymbals, sibilance and sparkle, sits about 2.6 dB behind neutral, so cymbals sound blunted. The bass region, punch and bass lines, sits about 2.3 dB forward of neutral, so bass lines carry extra weight. The air region, openness at the very top, sits about 1.3 dB behind neutral, so the very top closes in (measurements this high up vary between test rigs, so treat the exact number loosely).
The largest single move in the correction is 3.8 dB around 10 kHz, on top of a broad tilt of up to 2.6 dB. That is not subtle. This model benefits clearly from correction.
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 warm 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 10 kHz the correction lifts the air band by 3.8 dB, over a medium-width band about 0.9 octaves wide.
- Around 3.9 kHz the correction lifts the clarity region by 3.3 dB, over a narrow band about 0.5 octaves wide.
- Around 160 Hz the correction cuts the upper bass by 3.3 dB, over a broad band about 1.8 octaves wide.
The preamp of -3.8 dB offsets the boosts so nothing clips at full volume.
Parametric EQ settings
Preamp: -3.8 dB (headroom for the summed boost, not for any single row)
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low shelf | 105 Hz | +1.2 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Peaking | 155 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.58 |
| 3 | Peaking | 815 Hz | +2.7 dB | 1.04 |
| 4 | Peaking | 3.92 kHz | +3.3 dB | 2.56 |
| 5 | Peaking | 5.23 kHz | -3.2 dB | 5.78 |
| 6 | High shelf | 10 kHz | +0.4 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Peaking | 10 kHz | +3.6 dB | 1.21 |
| 8 | Peaking | 2.54 kHz | -1.4 dB | 4.19 |
| 9 | Peaking | 40 Hz | -0.4 dB | 2.74 |
| 10 | Peaking | 5.5 kHz | -1.7 dB | 6.00 |
This is the published correction for the FD5, 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 FD5 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.
FD5 vs other FiiO 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FD5 (this page) | warm | +0.9 dB | -1.7 dB |
| EH3 | bass-heavy | +2.5 dB | -2.1 dB |
| F3 | bass-heavy | +2.4 dB | -3.0 dB |
| F5 | dark | +0.1 dB | -2.3 dB |
| F9 | near-neutral | -0.8 dB | -0.2 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 FD5 is tuned and want alternatives.