Hi, I’m new to the site and I‘m not pro at all on mixing/mastering however I do that bit on a regular basis. I agree that the mix should be to a target. But the tool to get there isn’t exactly the one that gives you that response. for example, a HP with a rolled off bass or flat is much better for mixing in my opinion. That way, you‘d naturally add a bass boost in the mix. Checking that with reference HP that follows the Harman curve would then give a fuller picture. This is how I’ve done it…am I wrong or have I missed something? In my experience, a mixing headphone with a neutral bass and mids with slightly elevated treble however fatiguing that may be is ideal. Using such tool intuitively results to a mix that’s rich in bass and a slightly muted treble. But frankly, any headphone with good resolution, channel balance, noise performance, and above all comfort, would be fine regardless of its frequency response. The key is to calibrate your ears with whatever headphones you prefer. Once you know the quirks of your tool, producing music to a target response can be done.
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Master Complaint Thread About Headphone Measurements
- Thread starter amirm
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OnLyTNT
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I totally agree with you, especially with the last sentences. By the way, not every music is "bass" oriented, that also should be kept in mind, but the main stream music is. One should also check the mix with a headphone which is Harman targeted at the end of the day anyway. So, may be mixing with the target at the first place would be a good idea
.Yes, I use reference head phones post-mix from the cheap ones to relatively expensive ones. I’d say I never tried those that cost like a small car for referencing bec frankly I don’t see the point to do so. I also try it on mostly consumer-oriented sound systems just to see how it translates for a broader audience.I totally agree with you, especially with the last sentences. By the way, not every music is "bass" oriented, that also should be kept in mind, but the main stream music is. One should also check the mix with a headphone which is Harman targeted at the end of the day anyway. So, may be mixing with the target at the first place would be a good idea
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?pages/Reviews/ click recommended twice to sort "yes" first
LeShog
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oh yes thank you very much, didn’t see that list.
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If you search for yes, choose show all and sort by price, you get the following. Latest reviews are not there, but most of them are in.
| Headphone Type | Brand | Model | Sensitivity | Price Each USD Ascending | Recommended | Review Date | Review Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable (IEM) | Superlux | HD387 | 30 | $15.90 | Yes | 4/21/22 | Review Link |
| On-Ear | Koss | Porta Pro | 102 | $50.00 | Yes | 12/17/21 | Review Link |
| In-Ear | TRUTHEAR | Zero | 74 | $50.00 | Yes | 9/15/22 | Review Link |
| In-Ear | TRUTHEAR | Crinacle Zero:RED | 66 | $55.00 | Yes | 5/20/23 | Review Link |
| In-Ear | KZ | ZSX | 27 | $60.00 | Yes | 11/9/23 | Review Link |
| On-Ear | Skullcandy | Grind Wireless | 152 | $89.00 | Yes | 2/20/23 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | 1More | Sonoflow NC | N/A | $99.00 | Yes | 3/11/23 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | AKG | K271 | 164 | $118.00 | Yes | 7/5/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | HiFiMAN | HE400SE | 328 | $149.00 | Yes | 12/5/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | AKG | K371 | 65 | $150.00 | Yes | 1/22/21 | Review Link |
| On-Ear | Yamaha | RH-5Ma | 96 | $158.00 | Yes | 7/6/21 | Review Link |
| Gaming | DROP & SENNHEISER | PC38X | 149 | $169.00 | Yes | 6/23/21 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Sennheiser | MASSDROP Sennheiser HD58X JUBILEE | 166 | $170.00 | Yes | 8/3/21 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | HiFiMAN | HE400i 2020 Revision | N/A | $170.00 | Yes | 8/16/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Sennheiser | HD560S | 246 | $170.00 | Yes | 1/3/22 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear (ANC) | Status | Flagship ANC | 72 | $179.00 | Yes | 7/23/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | PSB | M4U 1 | 59 | $230.00 | Yes | 3/16/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Sennheiser | HD 598 SE | 97 | $249.00 | Yes | 6/28/21 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Aune Audio | AR5000 | 59 | $299.00 | Yes | 12/20/23 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear (ANC) | Bose | QuietComfort 35 II | 135 | $300.00 | Yes | 2/21/21 | Review Link |
| Cable (IEM) | MOONDROP | Blessing : II | 60 | $320.00 | Yes | 4/6/22 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear (ANC) | Bose | QuietComfort 45 | N/A | $329.00 | Yes | 7/18/23 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | HiFiMAN | Sundara | 318 | $349.00 | Yes | 4/15/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Verum Audio | Verum 1 | 54 | $349.00 | Yes | 3/6/22 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Audeze | LCD-1 | 230 | $399.00 | Yes | 7/29/21 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Oppo Digital | PM3 | 161 | $399.00 | Yes | 7/30/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Sennheiser | HD650 | 288 | $400.00 | Yes | 12/25/20 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Sennheiser | HD660S | 176 | $400.00 | Yes | 6/7/22 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear (ANC) | Apple | AirPods Max | 385 | $479.00 | Yes | 8/8/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | E-MU | Teak | 97 | $500.00 | Yes | 7/8/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Dan Clark Audio (MrSpeakers) | AEON RT | 677 | $500.00 | Yes | 1/14/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Focal | Elegia | 82 | $543.00 | Yes | 11/9/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Drop & Focal | Elex | 180 | $700.00 | Yes | 4/9/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | N/A | Nan-6 | 950 | $750.00 | Yes | 5/31/22 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Dan Clark Audio (MrSpeakers) | AEON 2 Noire | 353 | $850.00 | Yes | 7/1/23 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Aurorus Audio | Borealis | 87 | $899.00 | Yes | 2/7/23 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Drop & MrSpeakers | Ether CX | 182 | $900.00 | Yes | 7/2/21 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Audeze | LCD-X Review (2021 Edition Headphone) | 152 | $1,199.00 | Yes | 7/26/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | HiFiMAN | Arya | 214 | $1,229.00 | Yes | 11/4/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | HiFiMAN | HE-6 | 1250 | $1,299.00 | Yes | 3/22/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Sennheiser | HD800 S | N/A | $1,700.00 | Yes | 12/14/20 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Audeze | LCD-XC | 131 | $1,799.00 | Yes | 2/21/22 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Dan Clark Audio (MrSpeakers) | Ether Flow 1.1 | 164 | $1,799.99 | Yes | 6/22/23 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | HiFiMAN | HE6se | 1370 | $1,800.00 | Yes | 5/21/21 | Review Link |
| Cable (IEM) | 64 Audio | U12t | 28 | $1,999.00 | Yes | 4/2/22 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Focal | Stellia | 96 | $2,990.00 | Yes | 11/16/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Kennerton | Rognir | 143 | $3,770.00 | Yes | 10/17/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Dan Clark Audio | Stealth | 549 | $3,999.00 | Yes | 8/19/21 | Review Link |
| Over-Ear | Focal | Utopia | 149 | $4,000.00 | Yes | 4/3/21 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Dan Clark Audio | Expanse | 665 | $4,000.00 | Yes | 9/12/22 | Review Link |
| Over Ear | Stax | SR-009S | N/A | $4,545.00 | Yes | 8/23/23 | Review Link |
LeShog
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thank you, most appreciated!
This thread was lively.
Sean Olive and Harman’s approach are founded in the scientific method, there is no doubt about that.
However, I accept their sample sizes could be inadequate to establish universal preferences.
10 to 100 subjects may well be insufficient to draw absolute conclusions about what millions of people prefer.
That being said, no one will ever fund such studies with 1 million subjects. There’s no money in it and it’s not practical.
Does it mean such research has no value?
No, it doesn’t.
Human physiology exists in a relatively narrow bell curve.
Such research and measurements can tell you if something has a chance of being liked by many people; it can also tell you if something is likely to be utterly broken “by design”.
Yet, it will never be hard to find a product with 100,000 5-star reviews on Amazon that doesn’t match Harman’s targets.
So, in conclusion, Harman’s targets may perfectly match your preferences, in which case the graphs Amir gives you for free are gold.
Or, Harman’s targets may sound “not quite right” to you, in which case Amir’s graphs will also be useful.
Sean Olive and Harman’s approach are founded in the scientific method, there is no doubt about that.
However, I accept their sample sizes could be inadequate to establish universal preferences.
10 to 100 subjects may well be insufficient to draw absolute conclusions about what millions of people prefer.
That being said, no one will ever fund such studies with 1 million subjects. There’s no money in it and it’s not practical.
Does it mean such research has no value?
No, it doesn’t.
Human physiology exists in a relatively narrow bell curve.
Such research and measurements can tell you if something has a chance of being liked by many people; it can also tell you if something is likely to be utterly broken “by design”.
Yet, it will never be hard to find a product with 100,000 5-star reviews on Amazon that doesn’t match Harman’s targets.
So, in conclusion, Harman’s targets may perfectly match your preferences, in which case the graphs Amir gives you for free are gold.
Or, Harman’s targets may sound “not quite right” to you, in which case Amir’s graphs will also be useful.
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