[Hubert481]

>>Learning how to differentiate different sound quality is the key for use to identify good/bad equipment when we audition them in store.

Yes, but therefore, you ears should be able to hear also high frequencies and minimal differences.
The goldenears test is an indicator therefore.

It is a type of qualification to hear differences.

I cannot understand, if you hear differences between loudspeakercables but cannot pass this very easy test.

 

[Jupiterknight]

  Personally I think every health man can pass this test.
It just whether or not you are willing to take the time to train your self.
It is very often that people do not know what they are looking for, hence make the test very hard to pass initially.
However, once they know where to focus, most of the test will be very trivial.
 
P.S.
I saw a lot of people manage to pass the test with sources that has very high distortions and very limited dynamic range (laptop sound card, very cheap ear bugs). I think some times it is actually much easier to do the test in those gears compare to a system the has a very linear FR. I have done some test with my laptop and my cheap sony headphones, and find it is sometimes like cheating. Lots of changes in the track has been transformed into a SPL change in general which is very easy to be picked out. Tests like cut off and boost in different frequency can be easily understand as change in volume in different samples. mp3 test has also become easier because the laptop sound card automatically eq the sound and makes the sound difference pretty easy to spot.
However, all these has nothing to do with what we really want. Tell difference between to distorted sound sample tells us nothing. Learning how to differentiate different sound quality is the key for use to identify good/bad equipment when we audition them in store.

 
Sorry, I'm completely aware of that I lack any kind of health and I have been discarded by plenty of professionals who initially expressed that they could treat me, not mentioning all the time I spend in rehab and multiple of meetings.. Okay, I might be messing around, who knows..ask my wife, except not possible since she doesn't carry a HF membership!  But I just don't really think that you need to be truly healthy or at any given age to complete the test, unless we have different perception of what healthy actually means? Otherwise, I don't quite get your cheating point or how my laptop EQ's the sound so I can pass this test..
 
Okay, I basically passed this test because of my laptop helped me discarded how unhealthy I am!  So what if I pass the test using my speaker system and at the same time being completely drunk, who helped me then? The store that sold me the beer..or the medieval monasteries who started mass producing beer? 

 

[jude]

 
I posted it on Facebook, too:
 

 
I visited Philips' audio R&D facility last year with Tyll and Mike Ting (Headfonia), and we were given a little taste of Philips' internal Golden Ears testing--I think they're being a bit more lenient with this public version.
 
Rig used: Apple iMac-->Chord Electronics Hugo-->Sennheiser HD 800 (wired with Moon Audio Black Dragon)

 

[BB 808]

Originally Posted by jude /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 

 
I posted it on Facebook, too:
 

 
I visited Philips' audio R&D facility last year with Tyll and Mike Ting (Headfonia), and we were given a little taste of Philips' internal Golden Ears testing--I think they're being a bit more lenient with this public version.
 
Rig used: Apple iMac-->Chord Electronics Hugo-->Sennheiser HD 800 (wired with Moon Audio Black Dragon)

 
Congratulations Jude!

 

[Aero Dynamik]

Congratulations Jude, glad you made it! Now we're waiting for the rest of the famous Head-Fi reviewers to pass! (Don't feel any pressure

)

 

[Aero Dynamik]

 
 
I posted it on Facebook, too:
 

 
I visited Philips' audio R&D facility last year with Tyll and Mike Ting (Headfonia), and we were given a little taste of Philips' internal Golden Ears testing--I think they're being a bit more lenient with this public version.
 
Rig used: Apple iMac-->Chord Electronics Hugo-->Sennheiser HD 800 (wired with Moon Audio Black Dragon)

So did you try their "private" version and did you pass it as well? Can you ask them if there's some way we (Head-Fi:ers) can get access to their private version? Thanks!

 

[jude]

 So did you try their "private" version and did you pass it as well? Can you ask them if there's some way we (Head-Fi:ers) can get access to their private version? Thanks!

 
At their lab, we just tried a couple questions from it, and maybe my perception of it as maybe more hardcore was due to the fact that it wasn't as neatly packaged as this public version. Come to think of it, the ones we sampled were rather a lot like the public version's MP3 artifacts learning and testing, and the Gold Level timbre test (the second part of it).
 
I just re-read an email from Philips' Rowan Williams introducing me to the public version, and here's something he said about it (emphasis by me):
 

...The higher levels will test experienced listeners and contain the same principal elements as our own internal program. No doubt you’ll breeze through the early levels (you can skip basic and go straight to bronze), but I think when you get to the silver and gold levels you’ll find some challenging tests that I hope you’ll enjoy playing with...

 
Again, perhaps my perception is due mostly to how polished the presentation of this public version is.
 
By the way, the first time I went through it was without creating a profile, so I decided to do it a second time with a login profile (so that I could save the results). The second time I went through it I changed headphones from the Sennheiser HD 800 to the Audeze LCD-X to see if it would alter the experience at all--it turns out that (for me) neither presented any overall advantage over the other. Over time, I'm going to play around with some of these Golden Ears tests with other amps and DACs and other headphones (over-ear and in-ear), just out of curiosity.
 
Anyway, for those who haven't taken it, do give it a go. In addition to being a nice learning experience and challenge, it's also fun.

 

[Ultrainferno]

Jude. Rowan did mention they have a platinum version for them internally

 

[Aero Dynamik]

Jude. Rowan did mention they have a platinum version for them internally

P L A T I N U M  version!!!???

 Oh no! It'll drive me crazy if they publish it. I'm still enjoying my - oh so sweet - "Golden Ears" victory.
 

 

[El_Doug]

ugh... decided to make a login since I was tired after reaching half way through silver, and wanted to continue tomorrow... 
 
of course, it starts you at the beginning!!!  I don't know how much more Claude Pelouse I can handle

 

[Aero Dynamik]

  ugh... decided to make a login since I was tired after reaching half way through silver, and wanted to continue tomorrow... 
 
of course, it starts you at the beginning!!!  I don't know how much more Claude Pelouse I can handle

Hang in there, you can make it! 

 

[Aero Dynamik]

 

  So did you try their "private" version and did you pass it as well? Can you ask them if there's some way we (Head-Fi:ers) can get access to their private version? Thanks!

 
At their lab, we just tried a couple questions from it, and maybe my perception of it as maybe more hardcore was due to the fact that it wasn't as neatly packaged as this public version. Come to think of it, the ones we sampled were rather a lot like the public version's MP3 artifacts learning and testing, and the Gold Level timbre test (the second part of it).
 
I just re-read an email from Philips' Rowan Williams introducing me to the public version, and here's something he said about it (emphasis by me):
 

...The higher levels will test experienced listeners and contain the same principal elements as our own internal program. No doubt you’ll breeze through the early levels (you can skip basic and go straight to bronze), but I think when you get to the silver and gold levels you’ll find some challenging tests that I hope you’ll enjoy playing with...

 
Again, perhaps my perception is due mostly to how polished the presentation of this public version is.
 
By the way, the first time I went through it was without creating a profile, so I decided to do it a second time with a login profile (so that I could save the results). The second time I went through it I changed headphones from the Sennheiser HD 800 to the Audeze LCD-X to see if it would alter the experience at all--it turns out that (for me) neither presented any overall advantage over the other. Over time, I'm going to play around with some of these Golden Ears tests with other amps and DACs and other headphones (over-ear and in-ear), just out of curiosity.
 
Anyway, for those who haven't taken it, do give it a go. In addition to being a nice learning experience and challenge, it's also fun.

Maybe that goes to show that between TOTL headphones the technical differences are so very small that it’s basically just a matter of what sound signature you prefer and are used to. I’m an IEM guy myself and was initially convinced the best phone for the job would be the Etymotic ER-4S, but as it turned out I preferred the AKG K3003i with its reference filters. The Etymotic ER-4S is a tad more resolving but the fact that I (for now) prefer the overall sound signature of the K3003i made the experience a little more pleasant and possibly therefore also a bit easier. So, with two phones more or less technically equal it probably doesn’t matter which one you use. However, as someone suggested in this thread, switching between various headphones could possibly be helpful and also quite interesting.
 
When I was new to this hobby I would’ve loved this tool if it had been presented as a “training tool” for “audiophile wannabes”. Why not announce it (perhaps even permanently) on the Head-Fi homepage?! I’m sure many are still unaware of it and probably would have much fun with it while learning terminology and training their hearing. I’m sure it would promote this wonderful hobby.

 

[dany111777]

With the AKG K77 straight out of the PC, I can't get past the 50 Hz cut in Golden Bass. Others weren't that hard. Maybe a different gear (or different ear?).

 

[Jupiterknight]

 
 
I posted it on Facebook, too:
 

 
I visited Philips' audio R&D facility last year with Tyll and Mike Ting (Headfonia), and we were given a little taste of Philips' internal Golden Ears testing--I think they're being a bit more lenient with this public version.
 
Rig used: Apple iMac-->Chord Electronics Hugo-->Sennheiser HD 800 (wired with Moon Audio Black Dragon)

 
Congratz.. No doubt from my side that you would pass this test..and I'm sure that you also could have done it with a less expensive setup
 
I have not too many doubts about that this particular Golden Ear test is presented/directed towards a specific purpose/collection of data from their side (Phillips). Although this does certainly not rule out that this particular test is irrelevant for this community or beyond this. Absolutely not.. I learned significant things about how I listen to music, tweaked my focus and can use this test for other gears as well as others should do. Although in the long run I will just stick with enjoying music vs analyzing what my ears are presented to...
 
Anyway, so when is the Phiilps's Diamond Ear test coming up since you have been given a little taste of this?  Please, ask them about this... I personally learn more from failing than being successful since failure creates a true realism that I can adjust to or just be depressed or/and ignore it..

 

[dany111777]

 
Made with AKG K77 straight out of the onboard audio card. Hardest parts were mp3 128kbps and the 50 Hz bass extension. But we got there.