ZMF Bokeh S2 (suede earpads) EQ settings
Parametric EQ correction for the ZMF Bokeh S2 (suede earpads), derived from measurements by kr0mka. It moves the measured frequency response toward a neutral target.
How the Bokeh S2 (suede earpads) sounds before EQ
Measured against a neutral target, the Bokeh S2 (suede earpads) comes out dark. The treble sits well behind neutral, so detail and air are muted.
The treble region, cymbals, sibilance and sparkle, sits about 5.2 dB behind neutral, so cymbals sound blunted. The lower mids region, warmth and the body of voices, sits about 2.9 dB forward of neutral, so voices and guitars thicken up. The bass region, punch and bass lines, sits about 1.4 dB forward of neutral, so bass lines carry extra weight. The mids region, vocals and most instruments, sits about 1.4 dB behind neutral, so vocals sit behind the instruments.
The largest single move in the correction is 6.3 dB around 8.6 kHz, on top of a broad tilt of up to 5.2 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 dark 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 8.6 kHz the correction lifts the treble by 6.3 dB, over a medium-width band about 1.0 octaves wide.
- Around 280 Hz the correction cuts the lower mids by 6.0 dB, over a medium-width band about 1.1 octaves wide.
- Around 4.7 kHz the correction lifts the sibilance range by 4.4 dB, over a narrow band about 0.3 octaves wide.
The preamp of -6.3 dB offsets the boosts so nothing clips at full volume.
Parametric EQ settings
Preamp: -6.3 dB (headroom for the summed boost, not for any single row)
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low shelf | 105 Hz | -1.1 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Peaking | 282 Hz | -6.0 dB | 1.27 |
| 3 | Peaking | 2.4 kHz | +4.0 dB | 4.84 |
| 4 | Peaking | 1.57 kHz | +1.7 dB | 2.00 |
| 5 | Peaking | 71 Hz | +1.6 dB | 1.93 |
| 6 | High shelf | 10 kHz | -2.4 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Peaking | 8.82 kHz | +7.3 dB | 0.69 |
| 8 | Peaking | 3.55 kHz | -4.3 dB | 2.04 |
| 9 | Peaking | 4.63 kHz | +3.3 dB | 5.04 |
| 10 | Peaking | 5.76 kHz | -3.9 dB | 6.00 |
This is the published correction for the Bokeh S2 (suede earpads), 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 Bokeh S2 (suede earpads) 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.
Bokeh S2 (suede earpads) vs other ZMF 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bokeh S2 (suede earpads) (this page) | dark | +1.2 dB | -3.0 dB |
| Aeolus | warm | +0.5 dB | -1.7 dB |
| Atrium (perforated lambskin BE2 earpads) | bright | -0.8 dB | +0.2 dB |
| Atrium Closed (ZMF Caldera thin lambskin earpads) | bass-heavy | +2.6 dB | +1.0 dB |
| Atticus | dark | +0.4 dB | -2.5 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 Bokeh S2 (suede earpads) is tuned and want alternatives.