How do your ears work?

[Orionaut]

What I mean by this is, if you have access to a graphic equalizer, how do you adjust it (Headphones or speakers, though headphones are likely a better test)

For me I tend to go more or less flat

BUT FOR

I will practically snip out the 500 Hz band all together (40Db down from the other ends of the spectrum) and seriously tone down the bands that are on each side of that.

Interestingly I recall some 40 years ago having a hearing test and the sensitivity that I recorded at the 500 Hz band exceeded the ability of the machine to record (Basically the needle went to the top of the chart and flat-lined)

Do other people do this with graphic equalisers or is this somewhat unusual?

 

[Orionaut]

I'm slightly high-tone deaf (years working on jet engines) and I love that bassy "kick in the chest" feel from concerts so my equaliser would usually look like a "U" shape with the mid-range left alone but the bass and treble boosted.

However once I found a good mix of Hi-Fi which matched my ears I could leave everything in the middle -

Rotel RA971-RB991 Amps - solid sounding (sounded fairly neutral, not bassy nor trebbly)
Marantz 6000KI Sig CD - a bit bright maybe
B&W 605 Speakers - powered speakers with 4 subs and metal tweeters so Bassy and Bright

Here is everything back in 2003-4 I think with my 5.1 system popped on top - ah the good old days

I also tried an ARCAM setup with ARCAM alpha 8 & 8P Amps, same Marantz CD and Mission 705 speakers - same idea as B&W 605's but cheaper) and, to my ears, the sound was more like a "n" with the bass and treble lowered compared to the mid-range, and I didn't like that at all.

Bloody hell!

I guess you live in a nice detached house right out in the middle of nowhere!