[mvw2]

It's just been going through my head recently. Just like a home audio speaker will run a specific model tweeter, midrange, and woofer to cover the entire frequency spectrum, BA headphones do the same thing. They either use one BA and simply take a full range aproach or start incorporating multiple BA drivers to build up a 2-way or 3-way (or more sometimes) setup that covers the spectrum a little better.

We has general consumers have currently been worrying only about the end result. It would be similar to home fi where all we care about is the total sound that the end speaker makes.

However, we aren't choosing to break down the system further and get to the more core concepts. What specific drivers are being used in that home theater speaker? I mean, what brand and model is used? What are the characteristics of that brand/model? What are it's qualities and limitations? Is it a competent product?

Beyond the product, we also have implementation. Is that driver used properly? Is it operating in its capable passband and offering a usable frequency response and output while minimally introducing unwanted distortion? Is the crossover tuned appropriate to the driver? Does it complement the driver well or is the design asking for more then the driver should maybe handle? Is the overall package and design of that package well thought out? Well implemented?

Now we sort of know the end result because that's what we hear. However, we are also completely left out of the loop. To most of us, the headphone is a black box. In reality, it is an assembly of numerous parts of variety competency and intent, very well defined technically. We just don't know anything. I can't be the only one that dislikes being clueless.

Your thoughts?

 

[ethan961]

Bilavideo would agree with you.

 

[cujobob]

I'm clueless when it comes to headphones/IEMs, but am quite knowledgeable with home audio and I, too, hate being in the dark about design and quality of materials, etc.

In home audio, using a single driver would be ideal, but its not possible because the high frequencies beam with a large driver, and without a large driver, there is no low end. In just about any single driver speaker, output is limited (though with fancy boxes, that's not always the case as you can boost the low end quite a bit). Single drivers of low quality will have a lot of distortion because of the constant movement (playing the full frequency spectrum), so multi-way speakers will divide up the spectrum which allows for greater output, less distortion, and allows you to fine-tune the specific drivers a bit more. However, the crossover needed adds in a whole new set of issues.

So with headphones, being that they're so small, I have no idea if a single driver is still technically ideal or if the advantages of multi-way devices still reign supreme.

Driver quality-wise...its always difficult to say which drivers are better with high-end audio. Seas and Scanspeak are well known, but I have heard speakers with cheap drivers sound much better than those using expensive drivers if designed properly and still making sure the cheap drivers are still of relatively good quality.

 

[mvw2]

Yeah, it's never the price that makes it sound good. It's just correct hardware choice and proper implementation.

I'd love to see a company (any) move into the realm of custom designs. For example, a company will create their IEM and run through the driver choices available and pick certain options to achieve a desired goal for that particular IEM. However, the goal is fixed by the company. The end consumer has no say. I would think it would be relatively easy to advanced the concept further and build a univeral enclosure to support 1, 2, or 3 drivers. The company has a selection from a vendor or vendors of a wide array of drivers to choose from, each with their own gearing, capability, and limitations, and there would be technical specifications on each driver. The consumer could define their audio goals to the company. The company would then develop a system to achieve that goal. It may be one wide range driver or a two way setup with a low end strong driver and a top end strong driver. It could go to a 3-way setup with low, mid, and high. There would be some x-over customization for the package, and there may be certain filters selected to shape the frequency response to the correct end goal. The headphone enclosure would have a know gain response from testing. The process would be very similar to developing a home theater speaker from scratch but with professional help. It would be about the same as the company prototyping, but each prototype would end up in the hands of a different consumer. After some initial testing, things will become better known, and the process would become pretty straight forward.

I just keep getting this idea when looking at my UM3X and saying, how would it sound if I swapped this BA driver for another one? It's not that simple, but the process could evolve to something quite straight forward to be nearly that easy.

 

[mvw2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethan961 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bilavideo would agree with you.

Just visited his profile. Indeed, he's doing a lot of what I'd like to see.

I like the idea of freedom of design. You still want good result, but it's nice not to be bound by someone's interpretation of end gearing of an earphone. I haven't had a traditional speaker "set" in my car for 4 years. Everything has been mix and match and active tuning. In the next month, I will take my first foray into custom home audio and will build up the entire package including driver choice, x-overs, and enclosure. I've run through a few designs on "paper," and find the concept straight forward. The same concept in head-fi is very, very intriguing.

 

[mvw2]

Bump for more discussion.

 

[mvw2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethan961 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bilavideo would agree with you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by artofj /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bilavideo would agree with you.

deja vu