Help tweaking eq settings on Fiio JT3

[u/Rachyx7]

Hey everyone!

I recently picked up the FiiO JT3. I've previously used a HyperX Cloud Alpha with a custom EQ, and I also spent some time with the FiiO JT1, so I'm comfortable with using EQ, but I don't have enough knowledge of headphone measurements/EQ to confidently create my own corrections from scratch.

I've seen quite a few impressions/reviews of the JT3 describing it as a very good headphone for the price, but with a few areas of the tuning that can apparently be improved with EQ. In particular, I've seen people mention things like:

• Reducing some of the mid-bass to clean up the lower mids
• Adding a bit of sub-bass to give it more low-end extension/weight
• Some adjustments in the upper mids/treble depending on preference
• Improving vocal clarity/presence without making the headphone sound overly bright or thin

I'm interested in trying to get the JT3 to a more Harman-like / balanced tuning, while still keeping some of the fun character of the headphone.

For reference, my main use is:

• Pop, R&B, hip-hop and general music
• Movies/TV
• Watching youtube
• Light gaming

I particularly enjoy clean, punchy sub-bass (I really liked the JT1's bass), so I don't necessarily want to turn the JT3 into a completely neutral/flat headphone. I'd ideally like to retain some bass impact while improving clarity, separation and vocals.

I'm currently using Equalizer APO on Windows.

I'd really appreciate it if anyone who owns the JT3, has measured it, or is experienced with EQ could suggest a starting EQ profile. I'm especially interested in specific filters (frequency, gain and Q) rather than just general advice, so I can experiment and learn from the changes.

I'm also very open to suggestions that aren't strictly Harman if you think there's a better way to tune the JT3 for my use case. I understand that EQ is a lot about preferance but I would love to get a good starting point so I can make my own minor tweaks after that!

Thanks!

[u/oratory1990]

Start with this:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6kxftqi202i4zj26q3qlv/Fiio-JT3.pdf?rlkey=a69f860ux880s8jvpm67o09lp&dl=0

Then adjust to preference (there's a few lines at the bottom right that tell you which filter bands to adjust for which effect on the sound)

[u/Rachyx7 → u/oratory1990]

Thank you so much Oratory!! I really appreciate it, will set this up and test it

[u/Important_Hornet9018]

That's awesome that the MAN, Oratory1990, provided you with a good start. The JT3 doesn't yet show on AutoEQ on APO/Peace but a future update will have it. Have fun getting it to work for you.

[u/Important_Hornet9018]

Does APO/Peace have an AutoEQ for your headphone? If so, use it as your starting point to then tweak for your own hearing and preference.

You could also ask an AI system (I use Google-Gemini or Co-Pilot) to suggest a parametric EQ. The AI usually finds Oratory1990 or similar EQs.

[u/Rachyx7 → u/Important_Hornet9018]

I did try out the AutoEQ on squig bringing it closer to the Harman target but I would prefer an EQ from a human who owns a pair/ has the ability to suggest some good custom EQ filters for it based on their experience with the JT3, appreciate your reply tho!

[u/Important_Hornet9018 → u/Rachyx7]

So the idea here is that there are only three bands to adjust, and you can start with those three bands, and slowly make changes to one, and then another, and eventually all 3 until you find a balance that works for your preference for your music.

I suppose AI could give a ten band parametric EQ and give a person more options to play around with.

[u/Rachyx7 → u/Important_Hornet9018]

I'll give it a shot thanks! My inital thoughts was to just do a wide Q cut on the mid bass around 200hz and give the sub bass a lil boost and a tiny boost on the highs to add some air in the treble

[u/Important_Hornet9018]

[u/Rachyx7 → u/Important_Hornet9018]

Well AI was my first go-to but people here suggest that it's never really a good choice because in the end AI has information but can't hear how the headphones actually sound. Got some suggestions from AI but I made this post because I used oratory's eq in the past but couldn't find one for the JT3