Tuning earphones with... cables? | "DSP" Explained 

For those curious about how some of these DSP IEMs sound, we got some demos at The Hangout! goo.gl/maps/qRhMgtUBZ2FWu6gX9

Active noise cancelling also counts as DSP! That's maybe less relevant to this space, but my lil EE heart had to say something.

DSP can do magic (Accoustic Room Correction is unreal) but it's best used in conjuction with regular tuning. You can't out-DSP physics.

Thank God DSP is Digital Signal Processing, and not DarkSyidePhill.

"Who is DSP?" No, don't do it!

I think one important part of this is that "cable" DSP requires a DAC in the unit post-EQ. The audio quality will thus depend on the quality of that DAC-in-the-cable, which may or may not be as good as what's in the device or outboard gear.

how is DSP? that's the question sadly no one asks😢

“Who is DSP” I don’t think you wanna know

Blessing 3 dusk when ?

I get why DSP, but I don't get why companies using DSP don't give a handful of potential tunings for people to play with. What I really want is a higher end headphone (more than IEM) that is technically proficient (low distortion, has good headroom for EQ, etc) that then has a series of tunings and even room for custom tunings.

You know Crinacle, I've been thinking along these lines recently. I would love a video on how one tunes IEMs - that is, when you're making an IEM, not using DSP. TY for coming to my ted talk.

DSP? DSP is a COMPETITIVE PRO MEANINGFUL STYLE PLAYER that plays ROBUST GAMEPLAY for STREET FIGHTER. He did nothing wrong, he does everything correct.

The outro tag hit especially hard this time lmfao

Another common use for DSP's is in cars. They work for time alignment, phase correcting and, in OEM applications, Limiting both power and bass to the cheap OEM speakers. Aftermarket DSP's can change the sound of your car completely. With some giving you the ability from going from a 4 speaker basic set-up to a complex set-ups with multiple component speaks and sub-woofers. Maybe we could see DSP's help with multi driver IEM in the future, but that will requiere thicker cables.

I love the desciption 😂 10/10 genius pun 👏🏻

I don't usually comment, but my favorite of your videos is the "F off" at the end. Makes me smile every time. Also love your videos.

Welcome back! Crin IEMs first impressions when? Haven't seen you throw IEM boxes in a while now

I ask myself regularly why Dark Side Phil is, and I have yet to get an answer.

Finally a new video after some years of waiting

"Whatever doesn't offend you." 😂

DSP can be any form of processing audio digitally on a chip within a device instead in a computer like device. DSP in studios will be a form of using plugins on a mic input without the latency of going into a computer and back out. I would hope DSP in headphones would be doing a little more than just eq... I would say some headphones need a dynamic EQ, and others, even more types of processing. EQ is a very basic fix, sometimes you need the EQ to change based on the amount going on the certain frequency. Say "these headphones are okay in the UPPER-MIDS until they get crowed and a dynamic EQ could bring down a few thin notices in parts of that area hen that happens to keep the clarity working. That's the sort of thing we do in mixing, the mix bus, and even mastering when we have to master something that isn't mixed properly lol. I do think that most companies do just do EQ... I would hope they would do more... if they are going to put it in, go to more effort than just EQ

I like how ironic and funny is it that I understand your point about DSP being a "fix it in post" joke but going through the digital source files to analog flow, it is more like "fix it at the source" solution.

DSP in studios, home theatre and car audio also align the timing, besides EQing. I believe some multiple drivers IEMs also utilise this function to correct the timing.

Yeah why do iems have dark side phyll?

Am watching this with Hexa and the FreeDSP cable doing a tad of EQ. I'm a fan.

Knowing how the Dusk ended up with a DSP cable, this video makes more sense.

For an engineer, DSP is more then just EQ. As the name suggests, any kinds of processing before DAC is a form of DSP. Also, EQ and most of the "DSP" can be achived using analog circuit, which is how we did it without "DSP" before microprocessors were a thing.

thanks for the vid 🙏🏻

perfect for me, my ear canals align to iec-711 specifications :)

Oh hi happy new year!

The term "DSP" has been used liberally since the 1990s. In the old universe, I would use EQ to adjust specific frequencies, while "DSP" applied effects to the output sound, e.g. club, concert hall, football stadium, church, etc. 😂

You can always use something like the Qudelix 5k, which has a 20 band PEQ in the device, plus support for the autoeq database in software. This avoids having to use a different dac/cable for each product.

I miss your old studio.

Ok, crin is 100% gonna release a usb c iem in like 1/2 months

Have a feeling the new dusk will use dsp

God, I’ve been working with QSC’s line of Dante DSPs for the past few years. As soon as I saw this was about DSPs I was filled with rage lol

Who is DSP? It's the guy! I am watching his stream!

This is how the buds 2 pro have changed its sound signature over time through updates. The DSP is getting updated...

I did EE and DSP class was one of the hardest

I don't think anyone needs to know who DSP is lol

Merry christmas

Having just watched his DUSK video, I think I know which frequency response / peak he is referring to at 5:37

Crinacle what lenses do u use in ur glasses?

How exactly do pads change the sound signature of the drivers? I can understand that different pad materials might absorb some echoing or isolate outside noise. But I can't understand how (like in Graph 3:08) balanced pads reduce bass or shift the whole right portion of the mids-high? Like why doesn't the 600-800Hz range change? Surely there is some form of linearity of change?

a dsp is basically a digital to digital converter, hardware and firmware (software in the hardware) eq. and all audio dacs have one because all of them need it. you have to prepare a signal so it comes out of the dacs preamp correctly. typically it doesnt do anything to color the sound. all bluetooth headsets use the dsp to correct the headphone, so if you have a wired type c headphone that has a dac, why not tune them with it? you can run into a problem with processing where that makes the sound worse, i notice this in my cars headunit, if i turn the eq on even with a flat preset, the sound gets noticeably compressed, but your system typically has enough processing power to basically emulated a dsp in software eq well, and if the dsp in the headphones can handle the processing well enough, then theres no complains there either.

Woe, DSP be upon ye

Thanks :)

back again for the algorithm

Discovered the 7hz Salnotes Zero about 10 days ago after buying a pair on a whim on Amazon. TWENTY FUCKING DOLLARS and this IEM sounds better than IEM's I've owned that were $150 to $200. Best value IEM (based on the ones I've heard) on the planet. Already have the black, white, MECHA red, and I have the orange and blue on the way. Gotta catch ’em all!

What are your thoughts on the Status Audio True Wireless buds?

dsp is the reason that i am studying electronic and electrical engineering

Wish there is an affordable, simple USB C DSP cable where you can add whatever EQ profile you want like an AutoEQ and it will apply to any USB C device like an iPhone 15, MacBook, Switch, etc. I know Moondrop created one but I think it only works on Android with a dedicated app. There’s also Qudelix 5K DAC but that’s 110 USD

Does the impulse response fully characterise an IEM?

bro was preparing himself for the dusk 3

Darkside Phil?

I heard the Linsoul Kiwi are great, i might use your code to pick some up

Please help! I am looking for new inears and I consider getting the IE400. I am a big fan of Sennheiser and I generally like the way they deal with treble and vocals. Ive once bought the DT990 Pro and as much as I wanted to like them, the treble did just fatigue my ears after listening a while, I did send them back. I also bought the CX+ true wireless because I wanted something for on the go and when riding my bike, but I have a love-hate relationship with them. They sound too boomey and too V shaped to me, but I can also appreciate that the lows are way more prominent than with the HD650. Now I am looking for inears that do give me the experience the way it was intended, but don’t lack bass in general. Can anyone confirm the IE 400 give me the bass I want when listening to 50cent and the clarity I want when listening to Andrea Bocelli? I really want something that does it all but has the typical Sennheiser treble. I also like the fact that I can hook them to the bluetooth module when riding a bike and wind noise is more of a disturbance than bandwidth. Thanks in advance

Hey crinacle, thanks for your videos! Any chance of getting a review of the moondrop space travel? TWS for 25$ with great sound

Any decent mmcx dsp cables?

Crin is absolutely right. Analog tuning is VERY difficult. That's why Moondrop Variation is the best IEM in the world! /s

Will zero 2 come in type c with dsp

Question: if I want the sound of the Dusk DSP presets but use my DAP can I just set my EQ to Crin’s settings and save the profile? How would I get those settings? I’m a total newb to EQ, never tried it at all

Is Chu 2 have a DSP variant? I saw that is some store but not on the moondrop’s website.

Blessing 3 Dusk DSP

Equalizer bandaid more or less basically?

Hi Crin. Have you ever tried Creative SXFI Trio?

Thanks for the video...I am a newbie to IEMs and android. Does the android automatically take precedent over the DSP in an In Ear Earphone re its settings??

Updated Wireless Earphone Ranking video would be dope 😎

mr crinacle, are you going to make a review for the Moondrop Space Travel?

Why Apple has no Parametric 10 band EQ is beyond me, they still use terrible EQ presets that were made for the Ipod Classic over 20+ Years ago, if Apple implemented natively a Parametric EQ for Iphone and IOS users who use other devices it will give more people who really care about their sound quality to fine tune their sound more to their liking.

What happen to your site? i cant access the iem ranking list

true,i use dsp for some of my chi fi iem to tame the harshness 😊

will there be a review for the maxwell

Sad to see DSP relegated to only EQ (and technically ANC), you could do it like Creative with their Crystallizer which is a dynamic range expander (+ v-curve eq -.-). On the SB Evo ZX(R) it could even be saved on-device. I'm not saying it's neccessarily good, but I'd like more on-device profiles ffs.

So from this video I pull out that there is no deficit to DSP, only that the manufacturer has to do a half good job with it at the bare minimum to make good sound. And that analog tuning is pretty much a waste of time since one can digitally fix the problems analog tuning would get close to fixing. Analog tuning also probably costing more since it requires more R&D and prototypes, DSP just being a chip with different codes saved onto the storage.

DSP?! Isn’t that the nightmare engineering session where you use Fourier transform on everything 😮

A bit off topic , but I need a review on the Jaben 1 custom junior and thie audio hype 2

Questions : does type-C IEMs activate the Hiress Audio on Samsung devices like 24bit or 32bit ? Instead of using an amplifier

That's why the moondrop may is almost 2 different iem, if you change de the cable to a non dsp you have a "new" sound

Monarch mk3 review ?

They always ask what is DSP, but noone asks how is DSP😔

DSP is also crossovers and a bunch of stuff

How's this different from paring an iem with a dongle dac?

Nobody ever asks how is DSP

dsp is what you find inside radios

Who is DSP?, and more to the point, Why is DSP... DSP? are legitimate questions if you know a specific person of that name.

wait so dsp literally dac & amp & eq all in single usb c ?, just wondering if i could play apple highres lossless with dsp iem without external dac ?

Hey crin, will there be future video discussing about stereo expand? Since the topic is regarding dsp currently (also very nice and informative video👍). I'm not very in the deep about audiophile stuff but i heard that generally doing spatial enhance/stereo ex dsp is very bad in context of audio tuning, i guess in this case, digitally or uhh... fix it in post (that phrase goes hard ngl🗿). What's your opinion regarding this? Also love you always, Crin🤗🤗 and as always, I'll be f*cking off 🫡

I would be really interested in "room" correction for junk speakers, but 100€ plus for miniDSP is just too much. Having a pc always in the loop is also too unconvinient. It is really funny that all the affordable dacs / amps producers have not figured out to include eq either. So what are my options? OpenDSP with a Pi or ESP? Abusing a 20$ usbc in ear cable wth EQ?

I think the whole video is about the announcement of Dusk V2

This video brought to you by our Chifi overlords, Linsoul!

"Who is DSP?" is a loaded question

Incredible that raycon use dsp and still can't tune an earbud worth a damn

Couldn't a manufacturer embed a writable DSP chip in the headphone, allowing it to be written over USB and also have an analog input to use standard cables. Thereby having a customizable DSP Profile you could use across devices?

The biggest flaw of DSP is the longevity of the ships material. Your build in DAC might have its circuitry broken and you will end up with a wonky tuned iem that lost all its controlled tuning. Electronic failure its a thing you don't notice until its too late. A power surge , high heat, high humidity conditions could damage DSP chips, think about it when you consider it to be the future of iems. Software EQ shippe with your favorite player device is much safer option. Also this would not extends the characteristics of the drivers, their resolution or timbre will not improve under DSP because what is producing the sound is already pushed to it limits wit good power source. In other words nothing beat analog tuning mastery.

DSP is just MSG for sound

The personalised DSP of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is totally amazing and makes them shine far above their price-point. If I could take a personalised EQ into the Mojo 2 and out to my Sony MDR-Z1R I'd be extremely happy. One day hopefully, one day.

New video on update on upcoming collabs. I have your CRN and the left earpiece just gave up sound. I need to buy a new IEM this year😅

I want to know if I switch out the DSP cable to an analog cable, will the sound quality decrease?

This question might be stupid but can anyone explain that how can I connect my DSP IEM to an audio interface without changing the cable. I couldn't find any adapters for it.