The HE 400SE also was phase inverted. No one cared, the DT1770 also b.t.w.
Why is there HD audio ?
Why are there speakers reaching well over 50kHz.
Some folks (not me) think it is important so there is that.
Touting drivers that reach to bat-range frequency responses that no human infant could ever perceive is no different than getting giddy over SMSL’s or Topping’s latest DAC that achieves another 0.02dB bump in SINAD measurements in my view, from a practical standpoint.
But in terms of technological achievement, I think headphone frequency response ranges are far less notable because these quantitative specs say nothing about how well these extremes of frequency production perform qualitatively, and that’s much harder to measure (as well as a pointless endeavor). All sorts of cheapo headphones claim these exorbitantly broad frequency ranges, and nobody other than the most unhinged woo-arbiters are making much of a fuss about it.
But somehow the SINAD war is more engaging for me to follow somehow, audible or not. First the analog vs digital factor must be considered—headphones are by and large analog devices, limited by the laws of physics in terms of what they can do (although purveyors of xMEMs technology might disagree). DACs are nothing more than computers, and even though we’ve long passed the audible threshold of SINAD scores, I find it much more fun to see what our Chinese designer friends can squeeze out of the latest digital technology, audible or not.
Obviously we’re in a bit of a fallow period in terms of audible technological progress, and every new wired headphone that hits the market differs from its predecessors primarily in tuning curves. Given how transformative the last half decade has been for music listeners, I have no doubt that the SOTA in 2074 will be incomprehensible to those of us now, and I like to muse about what that landscape might look like.
I think xMEMs, Spatial Audio and wireless technology are all indicators of what the next revolution will bear. I have no doubt that in the coming century wires will become a thing of the past, stereo will be relegated to Luddite geezers reminiscing of the sounds of yesteryear, and even headphones might be completely replaced by IEMs that offer adjustable tuning that can be user-programmed to conform to individual audiograms and preferences.
Apple is already offering this in their product ecosystem with their AirPods Pro, and I think they may be on to something by de-emphasizing the lossless, hi res obsession over technology that is actually audible—the only hurdle remaining to surpass is our ensconced and somewhat paradoxical belief that unlike DACs, streamers and amps, when it comes to headphones, analog and wired differentiate serious gear from toys.
And as the last generation raised on analog tech passes on, there will be no one left whose brains evolved to hear analog as familiar and comforting—I hope this site is still around to act as a almanac of this evolutionary progress.
