[KC2020]

Well, I do not think that any recording gear, in any studio, or theater, that are nowhere around the audiophile quality, will be able to record these differences ...

You couldn't be more wrong. There are mics, preamps and recording systems that can record with this fidelity and accuracy. There have been for a couple of decades.

Here's one system I'm racking for that Bosendorfer piano I referred to. It will be recorded on location in a wonderful performance hall. Capturing the instrument with the natural decay and harmonics of the performance hall's acoustics.

The Avalon M5 Preamps on the bottom will be used with a pair of Bruel & Kjaer 4012 microphones. These mics are one of the standard references for recording classical music. They have been for many years. The 4012 is a hi-voltage (130 V) condenser microphone with a linear frequency response from 40 Hz to 20 kHz and a SPL handling capability of 168 dB SPL peak. Their ability to handle the high SPL means that I'll be able capture the tremendous dynamic range of the instrument with no compression and no fear of clipping.

The George Massenburg preamplifier that's at the top of the rack, beneath the Furman power conditioner, will be used with a Bruel & Kjaer omnidirectional mic, positioned and time aligned to capture the room. A/D conversion by Benchmark Media converters at 96K. Recorded into ProTools 2019 at 32 bit. Simultaneously a Tascam DVRA1000HD will be recording at 192K 24 bit as a reference and to serve as a backup tracking system.

All of these preamps are pure class A solid state.

Monitoring while tracking will be done with the Benchmark Media DAC-1 and Beyer DT 770 Pro headphones corrected through Sonarworks in Protools.

 

[Sovkiller]

You couldn't be more wrong. There are mics, preamps and recording systems that can record with this fidelity and accuracy. There have been for a couple of decades.

Here's one system I'm racking for that Bosendorfer piano I referred to. It will be recorded on location in a wonderful performance hall. Capturing the instrument with the natural decay and harmonics of the performance hall's acoustics.

The Avalon M5 Preamps on the bottom will be used with a pair of Bruel & Kjaer 4012 microphones. These mics are one of the standard references for recording classical music. They have been for many years. The 4012 is a hi-voltage (130 V) condenser microphone with a linear frequency response from 40 Hz to 20 kHz and a SPL handling capability of 168 dB SPL peak. Their ability to handle the high SPL means that I'll be able capture the tremendous dynamic range of the instrument with no compression and no fear of clipping.

The George Massenburg preamplifier that's at the top of the rack, beneath the Furman power conditioner, will be used with a Bruel & Kjaer omnidirectional mic, positioned and time aligned to capture the room. A/D conversion by Benchmark Media converters at 96K. Recorded into ProTools 2019 at 32 bit. Simultaneously a Tascam DVRA1000HD will be recording at 192K 24 bit as a reference and to serve as a backup tracking system.

All of these preamps are pure class A solid state.

Monitoring while tracking will be done with the Benchmark Media DAC-1 and Beyer DT 770 Pro headphones corrected through Sonarworks in Protools.

I said it was always my concern...as all gear you use introduce colorations and distorcion, and even we have to consider the human factor...the man behind the gear...if that is the case why there are so many bad recordings? Well I listen mainly rock and jazz...in jazz we have more luck...though...BTW the DT770 is bass heavy headphone...not sure how accurate will be for the task...anyway...I do not listen classical or acoustic, very rare...in those genres maybe the differences are easier to spot...

 

[KC2020]

I said it was always my concern...as all gear you use introduce colorations and distorcion, and even we have to consider the human factor...the man behind the gear...if that is the case why there are so many bad recordings? Well I listen mainly rock and jazz...in jazz we have more luck...though...BTW the DT770 is bass heavy headphone...not sure how accurate will be for the task...anyway...I do not listen classical or acoustic, very rare...in those genres maybe the differences are easier to spot...

These preamps have no coloration and are as close to a straight wire as any preamps made. The same with the microphones. That's why they're the reference standards for classical music and are used by the most discriminating engineers and producers.

As I stated above the DT 770 Pro HPs are corrected by Sonarworks in Protools to be essentially flat. So there is no bass emphasis and minimal other coloration. I know it must be inconceivable to many an audiophile that some of the least expensive headphones can be corrected to be accurate but they can. The Sonarworks software is an industry standard. I use it with a calibration mic to correct my monitors at the studio as well. You'll find it's used by most major studios and many a location engineer.

The human factor is undeniable. I've been doing this for nearly 40 years, 30+ professionally. So I know what to listen for and I use software that analyzes the sound to lead my ears to what I may no hear immediately. I also employ the artist. When someone has spent their life playing music they know what their instrument sounds like. I work with them extensively to get their approval of the sound before we record anything.

Jass vs Rock, either can be done well and much of it isn't. That's true of any genre and unfortunately is more true than ever.

 

[Sovkiller]

The DT770 is not a bad headphone, I do not believe that the more expensive the better, I have hear headphones that cost far more than the ones I like, and I diidn't like them one bit. I like the DT770, but it is bass heavy under normal use....

 

[bagwell359]

As I stated above the DT 770 Pro HPs are corrected by Sonarworks in Protools to be essentially flat. So there is no bass emphasis and minimal other coloration. I know it must be inconceivable to many an audiophile that some of the least expensive headphones can be corrected to be accurate but they can. The Sonarworks software is an industry standard. I use it with a calibration mic to correct my monitors at the studio as well. You'll find it's used by most major studios and many a location engineer.

Please explain to us here what Sonarworks does besides adjust frequency for the room that was mic'd. The web site didn't seem overly laden with technical facts.


[/QUOTE]

 

[KC2020]

The reason the DT 770 Pro is closed

The DT770 is not a bad headphone, I do not believe that the more expensive the better, I have hear headphones that cost far more than the ones I like, and I diidn't like them one bit. I like the DT770, but it is bass heavy under normal use....

Well for an artist or engineer working the studio they're very good closed HPs. With correction they continue to have great detail but are very accurate and flat.

There's also the advantage of being available in 32, 80 and 250 ohm impedance. So I can use the 32 ohm if an artist wants me to stream t to his phone or tablet by Bluetooth. I can use the 80 ohm with the studio A/D or console and I can use the 250 ohm with a real HP amp. They'll all sound very close if not the same.

 

[KC2020]

Please explain to us here what Sonarworks does besides adjust frequency for the room that was mic'd. The web site didn't seem overly laden with technical facts.

Sonarworks allows you to correct to a neutral / flat output from any pair of headphones. However you also have the option to change the correction to suit your tastes or vary the correction if you prefer to with difference source material. Unlike a typical EQ app that boots or cuts certain frequencies you have an editable curve for correction over the entire frequency range of the HPs.

With the studio version you can purchase their profiled microphone or use your own calibrated reference mic and correct for not only for the audio components but the room. You can also have specific corrections for the actual position you're listening from in the room. So I have one profile for where I sit when I track and mix and another for where the producer or artists might listen from.

 

[bagwell359]

Sonarworks allows you to correct to a neutral / flat output from any pair of headphones. However you also have the option to change the correction to suit your tastes or vary the correction if you prefer to with difference source material. Unlike a typical EQ app that boots or cuts certain frequencies you have an editable curve for correction over the entire frequency range of the HPs.

With the studio version you can purchase their profiled microphone or use your own calibrated reference mic and correct for not only for the audio components but the room. You can also have specific corrections for the actual position you're listening from in the room. So I have one profile for where I sit when I track and mix and another for where the producer or artists might listen from.

So, it's a parametric EQ. The first one built in 1971. Big in studio world by no latter than the early 90's. Big comeback among audiophiles EQ in 2000's, esp digital.

I didn't like EQ's much in the 70's, but I sure like and use parametric EQ on all my transducers now. In fact, sometimes digital with MQA doesn't sound as correct to me as 44.1 & Tone boosters 6-band parametric - that's how much I appreciate it.

Let's find the cheapest pair of headphones that can be corrected to 20-20k, and declare the "wars" over!

But:

There are so many other factors in sound, that to state a parametric EQ can make headphones are perfect is - well, I can't think of a nice way to throw dirt on that concept, so how about not correct IMO.

Issues:

* Resonances. I don't like resonces in the bass/upper bass - mitigated by me w/ dynamat
* Ringing. hate ringing in the treble can't see a freq chart anywhere that demonstrates it, but CSD charts sure does.
* Coordinated arrival time of notes to ear
* headspace (range - there are measurements for it)
* Open vs Closed (few closed are tuned well IMO)
* Open - rear screen vs open (HiFiMan circular cans - it's a big debating point) I like off, and bass loss can be made up by EQ.

So, parametric EQ is a tremendous tool, but, it cannot fix everything, and an adjusted headphone (say 20-20k +/- 2) is likely to be better than before EQ, but you cannot say its as good as every can with the same measurements using EQ - there are other crucial variables in play.

 

[Daniel4IEM]

Ringing. hate ringing in the treble can't see a freq chart anywhere that demonstrates it, but CSD charts sure does.

I’ve been experiencing terrible sensitivity to horns, violins and vocals resulting in shrillness and when it gets bad triggers tinnitus. Can you say more about this CSD chart please? I’m headed to see an audiologist next week and I’m hoping for very prescriptive information on tonal and frequency sensitivities that I can use to inform custom tuning on my JMA XTC2

 

[bagwell359]

I’ve been experiencing terrible sensitivity to horns, violins and vocals resulting in shrillness and when it gets bad triggers tinnitus. Can you say more about this CSD chart please? I’m headed to see an audiologist next week and I’m hoping for very prescriptive information on tonal and frequency sensitivities that I can use to inform custom tuning on my JMA XTC2

CSD charts show what transducers are doing after the signal is over. diyaudioheaven has some reviews with them and explains them. But there are other considerations: FR, volume, recording quality, speakers vs headphones - and more - which you probably know. Please make sure the audiologist knows how important high quality fidelity is to you.

 

[chesebert]

I’m looking at 2 headphone amp, one is class A, the other is class AB. What advantages would bring the class A amp ?

Generalization doesn’t work. Listen to them both and decide for yourself.

 

[Daniel4IEM]

CSD charts show what transducers are doing after the signal is over. diyaudioheaven has some reviews with them and explains them. But there are other considerations: FR, volume, recording quality, speakers vs headphones - and more - which you probably know. Please make sure the audiologist knows how important high quality fidelity is to you.

Thank you!