And trust your ears! Why asking for a formula when you can easily try and error what suits you? And I am also sure you will not destroy any of your hardware with trying and playing around with the settings
. May be you can hear such "distortions" earlier or later than others.
My question was to ask whether or not there was a hard-set formula which mathematically ensures any possible distortion caused by boosted EQ is compensated for by a calculated cut in overall volume.
I don’t see that this question has any relevance to subjective listening, as such. Or rather, it negates the need.
If, mathematically, any increase in signal of (as in the example) 5db at 100hz will be completely negates by a 5db cut in volume, why would I need to get through possible lengthy and time-consuming listening tests, straining to see if I could hear the tiniest amount of distortion, if maths can give me the answer in 5 seconds?
Don’t get me wrong, if I use the mathematical model and I can still hear distortion, that’s different, and I go again.
But if there’s a simple, tried and trusted method, based on sound principles, which when used shows no measurable distortion, why would anyone not want to use that?