[Sinocelt]

I'll be buying studio headphones to record audiobooks: a flat, revealing midrange is thus my priority. The headphones should be closed or at least semi-closed, to prevent leakage into the microphone during tracking. I already own a pair of Etymōtic HF5, but they're fidgety to put in and keep in place, so will be more useful for mixing than tracking.
 
I'm already sold on the T50RP (and, should I like them enough, will look into Thunderpants). I've been considering the K271 MK II and SRH440 as complement. If you've got any comparative experience between these two headphones, including their comfort for long-term wear, please chime in!
 
Frequency Response:

Frequency Response (Raw):





Harmonic Distortion of a 500Hz Sine Wave Input:


Impedance Versus Frequency:


Isolation Response with Pink Noise Input to Monitor:


Square Wave Response 500Hz:


Square Wave Response 50Hz:

 

 

[maverickronin]

You might want to look at the =1513&graphID[1]=&graphID[2]=&graphID[3]=&graphType=0&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones]Sony V6s.  They've got a very flat response through the midrange.
 
If you go with the T50s and are using them just for spoken word, I'd probably recommend against modding them very much.  I don't have the links on me right now, but most of the mods trade away some of the flat FR for things for improvements in other areas.  I'd assume that a flat FR is most important in that kind of work and I don't think a single voice will do much to excite the resonances in the stock enclosure that can ruin the stock 'phones for full blown music..

 

[Sinocelt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickronin /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
You might want to look at the =1513&graphID[1]=&graphID[2]=&graphID[3]=&graphType=0&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones]Sony V6s.  They've got a very flat response through the midrange.

 
Not according to the graphs (though, of course, we all perceive sound somewhat differently):


 
Though it does seem to behave better than my other contenders past 2 kHz:

 
Also:

http://www.ratsound.com/cblog/archives/365-The-Mighty-Headphone-Quest-Part-6.html
 

Quote:

If you go with the T50s and are using them just for spoken word, I'd probably recommend against modding them very much.  I don't have the links on me right now, but most of the mods trade away some of the flat FR for things for improvements in other areas.  I'd assume that a flat FR is most important in that kind of work and I don't think a single voice will do much to excite the resonances in the stock enclosure that can ruin the stock 'phones for full blown music..

 
Precious advice. Thank you.

 

[rhythmdevils]

I'm not sure I agree that a modded T50rp has less flat FR than a stock pair, as that's a big part of the reason to mod them, to bring bass into balance for example and lower midrange, which is important for vocals.  But the stock T50 is designed for studio use, and has a kind of standardized sound, whereas every modded pair is going to be different and you'd have to trust your ears (or someone else's) to mod them for a flat FR.
 
As for the frequency response graphs, unless you really know how to read FR graphs specifically for headphones, I would recommend not putting too much emphasis on them.  A flat headphone will not measure flat on a graph.  But if you know what you're doing then that's another story. 
 
I'm not sure which headphone to recommend though as they all have issues...

 

[maverickronin]

Its only a few dB.  If you're worried about something that small then I'd recommend that you get the T50s and don't mod them at all.  AFIK there isn't anything as flat from the mids down through the bass for anything near that price.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

I'm not sure I agree that a modded T50rp has less flat FR than a stock pair, as that's a big part of the reason to mod them, to bring bass into balance for example and lower midrange, which is important for vocals.  But the stock T50 is designed for studio use, and has a kind of standardized sound, whereas every modded pair is going to be different and you'd have to trust your ears (or someone else's) to mod them for a flat FR.
 
As for the frequency response graphs, unless you really know how to read FR graphs specifically for headphones, I would recommend not putting too much emphasis on them.  A flat headphone will not measure flat on a graph.  But if you know what you're doing then that's another story. 
 
I'm not sure which headphone to recommend though as they all have issues...

I think you're confusing flat with natural.  Bringing up the bass does indeed make them sound more natural, especially at lower volumes, but a ruler flat FR is likely better in a studio where you don't want to deal with preferences and potentially incompatible HRTFs.

 

[Sinocelt]

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
As for the frequency response graphs, unless you really know how to read FR graphs specifically for headphones, I would recommend not putting too much emphasis on them.  A flat headphone will not measure flat on a graph.  But if you know what you're doing then that's another story.

I can use the HF5, which I own, as a comparison point:

 
Note that Headroom's graphs don't show absolute FR, but FR as perceived by an "average" human ear (using a Neumann synthetic head, I believe).
 
On the other hand, I don't know how these FR graphs (taken from this website) were made:
 
= HF5
= T50RP
 
You may also be interested in this YouTube video, from 4:00 to 5:00 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKdFyjQYvP4&feature=related

 

[maverickronin]

If you subtract 2 from the graphID in the URL you can get what I think is the raw data.  Compare:
 
=1273]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=1273
 
with
 
=1271]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=1271

 

[Sinocelt]

Quote:

If you subtract 2 from the graphID in the URL you can get what I think is the raw data.  Compare:
 
=1273]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=1273
 
with
 
=1271]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=1271

 
Yes, it is, and this raw FR graph seems closer to how I perceive the sound of the HF5 (i.e. prominent highs). Thank you. I used your "trick" to check the raw data on all the other headphones I'd taken an interest in, before going to a store to try some out, sooner today. I also edited my past posts to add raw FR graphs.