First impressions. I have been listening with these HAF filters about 30 minutes now. I have to say that I am really positively surprised about these. My system has never sounded like this although I have used digital room correction before (parametric EQ, REW, Dirac, and Acourate). These HAF filters do something really differently. I had to enter -9 dB to the Roon's headroom management to prevent digital clipping. Earlier with Acourate's filters, -6 dB was enough.
As said, I have listened only about 30 minutes with these and I'm quite amazed. I guess I need to listen way more before doing any final conclusions but I thought to share my first impressions about these. First of all, everything sounds so coherent, natural and powerful. I noticed that listening is now more joyful and more emotional experience than when compared to listening without these HAF filters. Everything sounds so balanced and 'just right' that it is even hard to find anything negative to say. These filters mainly just make me want to listen more music and forget everything else. I rarely feel this way when doing listening tests. I wonder why I feel so positive this time. Perhaps I just had a bad day at the office and listening music just makes me feel good now? I suppose that could be one possible explanation. Alternatively the HAF filters are doing something right
Well, if I have to say something negative, then the sound balance might be a little bit dark and bass-heavy for me so I'm probably going to ask for a bit lighter target curve. I have to say that these filters sound so much fun already that I have not yet decided what to do with the target curve. I have never heard such a mid-bass from my system than now. I love it. And this three-dimensional imaging is something I have never heard before. It sounds so different that I might need some more time to get used to it. The bass is perhaps not as tight as it could be, but it's probably only because the target curve is having too much bass for my taste. My listening room is having the biggest problem around 40 Hz region as you may have noticed from the pictures that I posted earlier. I might want to reduce a decibel or two from the target curve in that region.
I briefly compared these HAF filters with parametric EQ that I had set in Roon earlier. There was no comparison, the PEQ sounded almost awful in comparison. The HAF filters sounded more natural and fun.
I definitely need to continue listening and think about adjusting the target curve a little bit. Later on when the target curve is right, I'll will compare results with the Acourate's filters.
As said, I have listened only about 30 minutes with these and I'm quite amazed. I guess I need to listen way more before doing any final conclusions but I thought to share my first impressions about these. First of all, everything sounds so coherent, natural and powerful. I noticed that listening is now more joyful and more emotional experience than when compared to listening without these HAF filters. Everything sounds so balanced and 'just right' that it is even hard to find anything negative to say. These filters mainly just make me want to listen more music and forget everything else. I rarely feel this way when doing listening tests. I wonder why I feel so positive this time. Perhaps I just had a bad day at the office and listening music just makes me feel good now? I suppose that could be one possible explanation. Alternatively the HAF filters are doing something right
Well, if I have to say something negative, then the sound balance might be a little bit dark and bass-heavy for me so I'm probably going to ask for a bit lighter target curve. I have to say that these filters sound so much fun already that I have not yet decided what to do with the target curve. I have never heard such a mid-bass from my system than now. I love it. And this three-dimensional imaging is something I have never heard before. It sounds so different that I might need some more time to get used to it. The bass is perhaps not as tight as it could be, but it's probably only because the target curve is having too much bass for my taste. My listening room is having the biggest problem around 40 Hz region as you may have noticed from the pictures that I posted earlier. I might want to reduce a decibel or two from the target curve in that region.
I briefly compared these HAF filters with parametric EQ that I had set in Roon earlier. There was no comparison, the PEQ sounded almost awful in comparison. The HAF filters sounded more natural and fun.
I definitely need to continue listening and think about adjusting the target curve a little bit. Later on when the target curve is right, I'll will compare results with the Acourate's filters.
Bluesound Node > Matrix Audio X-SPDIF 2 > Genelec 8351B & 7360A
Devialet 1000 Pro
Bluesound Node 2i > Genelec 8330
Tampere, Finland
