Why aren't there any "active" headphones with DSP based EQ?

[Nango]

Why doesn't anyone manufacture headphones with a powered digital input (USB?) and carrying a DSP based EQ to produce a Harman AE/OE 2018 target frequency response? Such a design would also make it easy to include really useful "loudness" function.

Too heavy? Warm? Expensive? No market?

I'd be interested

Near every premium ANC phone has its own android/iOS based app to EQ. No need to build-in into the headphone .

 

[buz]

1. Buy your preferred wired HP
2. Buy short balanced 2.5mm cable
3. Buy $110 Qudelix 5k DAC/Amp/PEQ
4. Visit Oratory1990 for Harmon Curve PEQ

Virtually any HP you wish. Upgrade any time without throwing out the whole works. Whats to lose?..

Now if only qudelix added loudness curves. Maybe I should try requesting that over in their forum...

 

[WickedInsignia]

Sennheiser’s PXC550 and ii have a Dynamic Loudness Correction which could be activated via the app. I’m pretty sure it would adjust itself depending on SPL too.
I don’t know how close the end result was to Harman, but I loved the sound and miss it dearly since mine broke.

I think manufacturers are catching on (especially with Apple’s Airpod Pro, Airpod Max and Beats Solo Pro being tuned very close to Harman) but it does confuse me as to why seriously wonky FRs remain persistent.

 

[markanini]

I think manufacturers are catching on (especially with Apple’s Airpod Pro, Airpod Max and Beats Solo Pro being tuned very close to Harman) but it does confuse me as to why seriously wonky FRs remain persistent.

Different R&D teams have different approaches leading to different outcomes. Add to that differing budgets allocated to each project. If a team was responsible for a headphone model that sold well, that will make them more attratice for companies looking to write contracts, not how well their design adheres to Harman. The vast majority of headphones are purchased based on branding or celebritiy tie-ins.

 

[Milanraf]

These too:

MOONDROP JIU USB-C

 

[robwpdx]

I will add a use case.

In recording music, sound effects, actor voice, and field sound we often select microphones to get the artistically-intended sound. People will argue on forums about microphone selection.

One of the major variables is on-axis frequency response. I would like a mobile device and plugin that takes one line level signal in and puts out one channel of headphones that can trial any microphone against a simple EQ model of another including A-B switching.

It doesn't need to go as far as modeling microphone systems.