A Headphone Measurement Discussion (That Started In The IE800S Thread)

[james444]

Looking back at some of the IE800S measurements that were shared by others in this thread:

The first two are perhaps characterized more by sizable scoops out of the frequency response moving from 1 kHz to around 6 kHz, with the first one being more severe. Coming out of this, the rise to 10 kHz looks more pronounced. We've gone over this already, but let's do it again. If you listen to a frequency sweep through that range, are you hearing a scoop of that magnitude? Again, some may, I think most will not. On the third graph, the rise to 10 kHz is about 12 or 13 dBFS above the average level leading to it. Again, sweep through this range. Do you hear it? Some may, I think most will not. (I do not.)

Ermm, the first two measurements are actually for the old IE800, only the third one is for the new IE800S. The re-tuned IE800S has more upper mids presence than the old IE800, so it's hardly surprising that people listening to a frequency sweep on the new IE800S won't hear a scoop of that magnitude shown in the first two graphs.

 

[jude]

Ermm, the first two measurements are actually for the old IE800, only the third one is for the new IE800S. The re-tuned IE800S has more upper mids presence than the old IE800, so it's hardly surprising that people listening to a frequency sweep on the new IE800S won't hear a scoop of that magnitude shown in the first two graphs.

I don't hear a scoop of that magnitude with the IE800, and will be surprised when we measure it if it looks like those two.

 

[james444]

I don't hear a scoop of that magnitude with the IE800, and will be surprised when we measure it if it looks like those two.

I'm looking forward to your measurement of the old IE800, and if doable the Pinnacle P1! It's quite possible that none of them will show a noteworthy 10kHz peak on your rig.

As for the magnitude of that upper mids scoop, it's likely also a byproduct of HRTF compensation. Here's Rin Choi's graph of the old IE800, raw (gray) and compensated (red/green). You can see that most of the scoop is due to compensation. Which opens up that other can of worms on how much individual HRTFs differ from averaged standards like diffuse field and / or the Harman target, so that individual listeners may not necessarily hear what a standardized FR-graph seems to suggest.

 

[jude]

I'm looking forward to your measurement of the old IE800, and if doable the Pinnacle P1! It's quite possible that none of them will show a noteworthy 10kHz peak on your rig...

We don't have a Pinnacle P1 here. We did do the Massdrop x Pinnacle PX measurements that Massdrop shows on their PX drop, but I'm not clear on what differentiates the PX from the P1. Here's the PX frequency response (uncompensated) with three different tips:

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...As for the magnitude of that upper mids scoop, it's likely also a byproduct of HRTF compensation. Here's Rin Choi's graph of the old IE800, raw (gray) and compensated (red/green). You can see that most of the scoop is due to compensation. Which opens up that other can of worms on how much individual HRTFs differ from averaged standards like diffuse field and / or the Harman target, so that individual listeners may not necessarily hear what a standardized FR-graph seems to suggest...

I'm used to looking at uncompensated headphone frequency response measurements, but I know most are not, which is why we'll sometimes show both uncompensated and DF-corrected frequency response measurements (from KEMAR diffuse field measurements). I can't speak to the compensation others employ, or how/why they arrived at them (except in those cases where it is stated), so I'll refrain from guessing. Even looking at Rin Choi's raw plot of the IE800, I'm guessing ours will look at least somewhat different from that one.

 

[castleofargh]

is there a place to see all the measurements you've done so far?

 

[jude]

is there a place to see all the measurements you've done so far?

Right now they're sprinkled throughout the forum and videos, but we'll have a central place for all of it soon, including preliminary/quick measurements we do, which we do a lot of.