What makes a headphone "slow" or "fast" ? - Page 4

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I have noticed that the Beyerdynamic headphones such as the DT770/880/990 headphones have been called "slow" by certain reviewers, and some headfi members.

I have also read that they have slow attack and decay by certain individuals.

What exactly does the slowness of the Beyers sound like, and what kind of test cd or music can this be heard with?

I cannot hear it myself, that is why I am so curious about it.

If it is true, what is the cause of it, in your opinion?

The size of the driver?

The weight of the driver?

The design of the driver?

Poor damping?

All of the above?

Thanks.

Having read the descriptions in this thread, would it be reasonable to nominate the Grado RS1 as an example of a relatively "fast" dynamic headphone and the Denon D7000 as a relatively "slow" dynamic headphone?

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0dhi 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix The driver vibrations determine the speed of sounds, all the drivers that build with hard materials like titanium aluminum and gold considered to be fast hps, the gold drivers are more natural to humans, but still will be very fast.

I suggest you stick to mastering and leave engineering to engineers, as the above quote is nonsense.

That is not very productive? Can you elaborate while harder membranes doesn´t help to reduce distortion or long decays?
 

Usually when a person says "fast" or "slow" for headphones, they are referring to the transient response, or attack and decay of a headphone. For example, a "fast" headphone would reproduce a cymbal hit with a "sharp" attack and delay, while a "slow" one might sound "muddy" and "undefined"

They are, IMHO, terrible terms that need to be slain and sent to a place of extreme evil and horror.