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Headphone innovations over the last 5 years

Goschie

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I was wondering if we could build a list of headphone innovations over the last 5 years?
 

beeface

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I'd have to guess that the main innovations have been to do with wireless headphones, in particular the advent of true wireless earphones. We have seen improvements in DSP implementation, Bluetooth codecs and active noise cancellation.
 

Jumbotron

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I would say the efforts to adapt the frequency response (and thus also partially the localisation) to the individual ear and HRTFs by either mic or optical measurements.
That made me think... To the former group belongs the popular Smyth Realiser, right? It seems to work wonders for all I could read or hear about them. Another product which is based on mic measurements is the DIY software Impulcifer, which I plan to try in the coming months.

Regarding the latter group, I can think of Creative's Super X-Fi technology, which I tried (namely I had and tried their Sound Blaster X3 USB unit). I did not find what Super X-Fi brings to the table better than previous efforts. I am speaking here about the listening experience of audio contents processed with said technology, mainly in the form of movies or games. What I remember the most is the bloated low frequencies I got, which made the audio not clear enough.

Another solution which uses optical measurements of one's ears is the new software for gaming Immerse Gaming Hive, which has got some promising reviews very recently. I have not tried it and I do not have the intention of doing so though.
 
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Goschie

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It seems that better quality drivers for a cheaper price is not going to make it on this list. Most of what I have seen is dynamic digital processing, so the headphone manufacturers are not bettering the drivers.
 

ZolaIII

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The real advancement whose with rise of IEM's popularity and rise of ChiFi, along with tuning of how they sound. Rise of ChiFi also contributed to lower prices of those from more traditional brands who moved production in China in order to achieve that. There where no major technological or materials breakthroughs (for some 40+ years) like there whose with DAC's and hedaphone amplifiers. So the innovation is tied with advance of IEM's and there are some rather good one's (who like them) on the other hand TWS didn't follow that so far in any aspect (EMI's sound quality nor DAC/AMP advancement) but as so much effort is currently being purred into their development i certainly hope that will be a next thing to happen.
 
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Sombreuil

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I'm not sure when the trend started, but I'd also add the fact that more and more headphones follow the Harman Curve.
 

AdamG

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I'd leave the chifi out of the innovation list. Its not really changing the drivers to be cheaper, but finding cheaper labor. Just my personal opinion.
Please don’t use this term “chifi” here. It’s considered a negative thing by some. Thank you for your understanding.
 
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AdamG

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Several posts deleted and temporarily reply bans issued. Don’t bring political content here. Be respectful of all nationalities and remember we have fellow members here from all points on the compass.

Carry on…:cool:
 
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stevenswall

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Earphones that measure the Otoacoustic response of the users ear canal and EQ to it. Like the Nuraphones.

Potential for user modifiable active or passive crossovers like on JH Audio earphones that have a separate positive terminal for the lows, mids, and highs.
 

JeffS7444

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In the case of IEMs, single-driver gave way to multi-driver designs, which in turn seems to be falling out of favor and trending back to single-driver.
 
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