INTUAURA Reference 2019 EQ settings
Parametric EQ correction for the INTUAURA Reference 2019, derived from measurements by Hi End Portable. It moves the measured frequency response toward a neutral target.
How the Reference 2019 sounds before EQ
Measured against a neutral target, the Reference 2019 comes out near-neutral. It already tracks the target closely, so the correction is polish rather than surgery.
The air region, openness at the very top, sits about 3.3 dB forward of neutral, so the very top sounds airy and open (measurements this high up vary between test rigs, so treat the exact number loosely). The treble region, cymbals, sibilance and sparkle, sits about 1.8 dB forward of neutral, so cymbals and s-sounds can sting.
The largest single move in the correction is 3.5 dB around 20 kHz, on top of a broad tilt of up to 1.8 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 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:
- At the top of the range the correction cuts everything above roughly 7.4 kHz by up to 3.5 dB.
- Around 5.2 kHz the correction lifts the sibilance range by 2.9 dB, over a narrow band about 0.4 octaves wide.
- At the bottom of the range the correction cuts everything below roughly 28 Hz by up to 1.6 dB.
The preamp of -3.0 dB offsets the boosts so nothing clips at full volume.
Parametric EQ settings
Preamp: -3.0 dB (prevents clipping from the boosts below)
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low shelf | 105 Hz | -2.5 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Peaking | 2.11 kHz | -1.3 dB | 1.58 |
| 3 | Peaking | 5.24 kHz | +3.5 dB | 2.63 |
| 4 | Peaking | 53 Hz | +3.6 dB | 0.76 |
| 5 | Peaking | 8.47 kHz | -3.2 dB | 2.43 |
| 6 | High shelf | 10 kHz | -3.5 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Peaking | 874 Hz | +1.0 dB | 2.40 |
| 8 | Peaking | 9.03 kHz | +1.7 dB | 3.94 |
| 9 | Peaking | 1.32 kHz | -0.6 dB | 2.71 |
| 10 | Peaking | 138 Hz | -0.2 dB | 2.51 |
This is the full measured correction 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. The fitting process is free to use large opposing filters that cancel down to a small net change, so a single large gain here does not mean a large change to the sound. The curve above is what the whole set does together.
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 Reference 2019 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.
Headphones that sound similar
Closest matches across all 4,332 measured models, by distance between their deviation curves. Useful if you like how the Reference 2019 is tuned and want alternatives.