[mgh24]

This may be a simple minded question, but how much can a manufacturer do a sound signature?  If they design a headphone with a lot of low end, will it always cover something else?  Are our ears only able to perceive so much?  Heightening any range will always diminish another range?
 
I am still a noob, just getting back into headphones.  I started with Soundmagic HP150, then Friday got my hands on a pair of Sennheiser HD600.  The more I listen to the HD600, the more I like them, and the more often I pick them up.  The Soundmagic have a stronger bass, for lack of a better way of describing it.  In particular, it can produce a serious kick in the lows, say bass drums or tom-toms, that the HD600 cannot do.
 
I don’t think the HD600 are “lacking” bass, though I contradict that by often boosting the low end by 2 Db.  So both headphones have their own sound signature.  If I boost the bass on the HD600, it starts to cover up the mids.  The HP150, while strong on the low end, do not have the same mid-range presence.  I am not criticizing the HP150, I still love them.
 
For my preference, the “perfect” headphone would combine what I like most in both, the gorgeous mids and openness of the HD600, with that fun kick in the lows of the HP150. But can this actually be done?  Will one always cover the other, no matter what the designers do?

 

[dvw]

I have a friend who owns a headphone factory. He does OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) for a lot of the major brand headphone. He has his own AE (Acoustic Engineering) and most customers also have their own AE. AE is the department that is responsible for the "sound signature". He basically do the architectural design based on the customer specification of sounds looks and feel. The prototype was then sent for approval. The"sound signature" is basically the preference of certain brand's AE in musical taste and sound preference. There is no AE that preferred an inferior sound. They sounded different because people want them different. I think if they want to sound the same they could.
 
One true story. He tried to market his own brand that sounded exactly the same (same construction) of a major well received brand at one third the price. It didn't go well. Not only it's not selling. People perceived the sound as inferior. He quickly understood branding. Another friend told me if it's in a box, it is the most expensive. Sometimes, the box can cost as much as the headphones. The cheapest will be an unboxed unbranded product. I visited my friend's factory. The most surprising thing to me in the cost of a headphones is the finish and not the gut/driver. The finish of a headphone is all by hand.
 
So the answer to your question is yes. The sound signature can be tuned. The question is really by how much based on different housing requirement.

 

[mgh24]

Thanks for the response.
 
Do you have a view on what the ear can perceive?  Will emphasized bass always cover up some of the mids and highs, regardless of how the sound signature is designed?

 

[bigshot]

Frequency response imbalances always mask to one degree or another. Google "auditory masking".

 

[mgh24]

Ah, excellent, I wouldn't have know the correct terms to use.  I will read up some on it.