Thanks all for the useful answers. There were a few listed I hadn't head of before.

Is there any good guidance on what models would be considered the most useful "reference" headphones?   I'm probably using the word "reference" in a very specific way, so let me define what I'm really looking for.  What models of headphones are so widely owned and understood that they can be...

Ok, thanks everybody, my question has been answered and I can tell this is a sensitive topic to some.   I just discovered that ABX testing is banned from discussion (other than on this subforum) by the terms of service. That is somewhat baffling to me, but oh well. I guess there is more to...

  I can see what you say, and how it is different from the definition I posted. Let me paraphrase to see if I am getting your point correctly.   One could measure that device A introduces X distortion into the signal. One could measure that device B introduces Y distortion into the signal...

  Ok, without argument, at least I am understanding this correctly: there is a major branch of this hobby made of people who believe humans hear things that can't be measured?     The glossary sort of seems tautological. Here's what I mean:   Analytical: Highly detailed.   Detail: The...

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum so please excuse me if I'm asking questions about things that have already been settled.   I've been trying to make sense of all the adjectives that people throw around to describe audio equipment performance...

Years ago I used to love to throw on a pair of headphones and let the music carry me away. Life has had twists and turns, and too much time has gone past since I've given myself the luxury of listening. Thought I would make an account here so I could do some learning and contact a few members...