Headphone journey

[daftcombo]

It adds ringing in the band it works (audible band) but the reason why not to use sharp 'correction' filters is that narrow dips and peaks may not be present when measured with a HATS or other measurement gear and could be a measurement artifact instead of reality.
You could be compensating something that does not need compensating and would 'f' things up.
Sometimes an FR plot shows a null but when looking at the CSD you find that it just takes some time to 'swing' in the correct amplitude.
In those cases an FR based on white noise and averaged over a few minutes could give better clues than a swept sine.

Even linear-phase EQ will add ringing?

 

[solderdude]

linear phase EQ will add post and pre-ringing. The higher the Q the more of it. With EQ the ringing is in the audible band. With analog narrow band filters there will only be post ringing.
Not to be confused with 'ringing' of DAC reconstruction filters.... When using EQ it rings at and around the filter frequency.

 

[daftcombo]

Thanks Dude. Do you think that a -1 or -2 dB/octave roll-off starting at 3kHz provokes audible ringing?

 

[solderdude]

it won't.

 

[UWinWithWin]

Instead of EQ, you could always just buy a billion different kinds of headphones. And Just change the headphone to get a different EQ. Lol it’s not cheap but it’s an option.

 

[daftcombo]

Instead of EQ, you could always just buy a billion different kinds of headphones. And Just change the headphone to get a different EQ. Lol it’s not cheap but it’s an option.

No headphones are flat. EQ is to coorect them as much as possible. Not for adding effects.

 

[UWinWithWin]

No headphones are flat. EQ is to coorect them as much as possible. Not for adding effects.

Yes I was making joke.

 

[SimpleTheater]

The clamping force of the HD6** series is very easy to adjust and is reversible as well.
View attachment 25432

I literally just sold my 6xx’s on eBay because they were so uncomfortably tight. :-(
Wish I’d seen this earlier. MassDrop did not include any instructions showing this.

 

[UWinWithWin]

I literally just sold my 6xx’s on eBay because they were so uncomfortably tight. :-(
Wish I’d seen this earlier. MassDrop did not include any instructions showing this.

That’s unfortunate. That picture was incredibly helpful and has given me much more enjoyment from my hd 6xx.

 

[SimpleTheater]

Any thoughts on these headphones?
1. Beyerdynamic Amiron
2. AKG 7xx
3. AKG 712
4. Audio Technica M50

Comfort is extremely important. I wear them for hours at a time.

 

[solderdude]

1 Comfy (to me) but a bit warmish in sound. Treble peak may bother some people others are fine with it.
2 Comfy but sound quality is not so good (sorry AKG fans, my opinion may differ from yours, some find the sound is very good)
3 = K7XX but slightly different in sound.
4 Warm and bassy, clamping force somewhat high but comfy, feels warm on the ears quickly.

Try to audition/loan before you buy any of these. Comfort, fit and sound sig. are very personal things.

 

[wiggum]

Any thoughts on these headphones?
1. Beyerdynamic Amiron
2. AKG 7xx
3. AKG 712
4. Audio Technica M50

Comfort is extremely important. I wear them for hours at a time.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews

rtings publishes clamping force and breathability scores apart from frequency response. rtings should be your first visit for headphone related stuff.

 

[solderdude]

The problem with clamping force is that while it is possible to measure clamping force the actual force you feel depends on head width and the contact surface area as well as compliance of the pads.
For on-ears the clamping force distribution also differs from over-ears yet so a measured pressure doesn't tell the whole story.

The same can be said for temperature increase of headphones. Yet the difference between leather, pleather, velours, foam and cloth makes quite a difference subjectively. Pleather cand become 'sticky' and 'sweaty', foam can feel hot within a very short time already when small foam pads don't feel warm as quickly.

Yes, Rtings is indeed one of the sites one should visit.
At least they have quite a lot of data which is almost complete.
For instance they lack efficiency numbers (dB/V) and basic specs like power rating and impedance (plots) as well as inner pad dimensions.
They are still working on and improving the site.

RAA also has lots of info as well as the no longer active Golden Ears site.

Some people think the final ratings they get do not reflect how they rate headphones themselves. Final ratings may be close together yet one ca sound much better than the other or have much better comfort.

 

[UWinWithWin]

Any thoughts on these headphones?
1. Beyerdynamic Amiron
2. AKG 7xx
3. AKG 712
4. Audio Technica M50

Comfort is extremely important. I wear them for hours at a time.

I have had no experience with any of those headphones directly. I would say the most comfortable headphones I’ve used are Massdrop Mr.Speakers Ether CX. The Mr. Speakers ether flow are also comfortable to my ears.