The spike at 3 kHz is actually about the same amplitude as on the new Harman target, and my extrapolated response curve based on the Rtings FR plots. Around 11-12 dBs above the midrange. It just looks bigger because the graph is more stretched in the vertical axis than the other plots. And because it drops more precipitously into the sibilant range than the Harman target.
In broad strokes though, the overall features are similar on all three plots. The Harman target just does not do as good a job of capturing some of the finer details in the treble as the other graphs do (imho).
It is actually a sharp spike. It's a wider band peak. Peak is is defined by it's band. It's a peak since right after the rise, takes a dive quickly. The one above is much more gradual.
Like others, the 58x or the HD 600 would be a great "nuetral" headphone. It's interesting to see the graphs here and comparing some of the freq charts.
Thank you or the reply, gooeyrich. If you had to stretch your mind for some other alternatives to the above, what would they be? This is just my personal take of course, but the HD 600 is a bit out my personal price range. I'm really trying to stay around $150 or less. But will consider some slightly more expensive options if they have add'l benefits, or better accuracy than what I can find in that lower price range. So a new HD 600 is probably more than I can spend, as is a higher quality amp to properly drive a high impedance headphone, like the 600 ohm DT 880. Others here may differ on that though.
In terms of the Sennheisers, the (Mass)Drop 58x Jubilee and 6xx appear to be two of the better open-back options in the lower price range.
I'm glad someone else here likes lookin at graphs, because here's another one.
The first curve on top is the 2004 Olive-Welti preferred in-room loudspeaker curve. The 2nd curve in the middle is the average of 19 different neutral-ish headphone measurements by Rtings (posted earlier). And the last curve on the bottom is the latest Harman preferred over-ear headphone response curve.
As mentioned earlier, the Harman headphone target smooths over alot of the (important imo) detail in the treble. But aside from that, the three curves are pretty similar in terms of their overall shapes. There are some differences in the amount of roll-off in the upper treble though. And the Olive-Welti loudspeaker curve does not have as much emphasis in the bass as the two headphone curves.
Most of the headphones used to create the middle curve were closed instead of open-back btw. So they had some elevation in the bass, though the responses tended to vary quite a bit in both shape and amplitude.
I decided to plot all three on the same graph to (hopefully) make the comparisons a little easier. All three curves have an approximately 11 dB difference between the lowest point in the midrange/upper bass at around 200 to 250 Hz (roughly middle C), and the peak at approximately 3 kHz.
The above plot is in the same ratio as Rtings raw FR graphs btw.
One thing I notice from the above is that the AD700X appears to lack a well-defined peak at 3 kHz. And doesn't appear to have much lift in the bass. I have never listened to either of the above though. So take anything I have to say about them with a grain of salt.
Not sure if there's a difference between the Philips SHP9500, and 9500S, but the plots above are for the former.
I got the chance to listen to a few more headphones yesterday, mainly the Audio Technica M50x, Sennheiser HD280 Pro, and AudioTechnica M30X.
I've never really liked the sound quality or fit of the AT M50x's. Compared to the AKG's and some other HPs, they always seem to come off a bit plastic or wooden sounding to me. And the earcups are pretty small for a full-sized headphone, and never seem to fit that comfortably on my ears, making them less than ideal for longer listening sessions. They are pretty well-balanced tonally though, top to bottom. And follow the general contours of the target curves posted above fairly well across much of the frequency range. And are still imho one of the more neutral HPs in this price range.
They don't have a particularly smooth sound sig though. And are somewhat unnaturally (imho) colored by bumps and dips in different spots. They can sound a bit too forward and punchy in some spots in the upper bass for example. And some would probably also describe them as a bit V-shaped. And their sound stage is pretty narrow.
I'm not sure if the woodenness or plasticness in their sound comes from the uneveness in the FR, or from the type of the materials they're constructed from, which seems to be mostly plastic. I have purchased a pair before though, and ended up returning them, because I felt other HPs produced a more satisfying sound to my ears, after a bit of EQ-ing and correction. They continue to be one of my reference points though for a neutral sound, because of their relatively good overall tonal balance.
Vocals tend to sound rather distant and poorly-defined on these HPs because they are pretty lacking in the 3 kHz range. They have a somewhat warmer tonality as a result, which must come mostly from the lower mids and lower bass, since they're a bit depressed in the upper bass. They have a fairly full and rich sound, which is not displeasing to my ears on certain kinds of music. But you can tell there's something missing in terms of the tonal balance, and the presence and clarity in the upper-mids and upper treble, when compared to a headphone like the AT M50x.
Based on their FR plots, I would have expected a little glare or brightness from them in the treble and upper mids. What really comes through on these though is that bump in the bass. You can't really tell from the sound sig, but they are a fairly warm and fun-sounding headphone. And reminded me a little of some old Bose bookshelf speakers (with fairly large drivers) that I used to own ages ago. The also have a bit of detail that comes through in the higher frequencies due to that rather sizable bump in the treble. And the pads are also a little bigger in circumference and softer than the M50x, making them a bit more comfortable on my ears.
They are fairly inexpensively made though. And don't have a particularly refined sound. And the bass is also rather loose and bit boomy (like my old Bose speakers). So they do sound more like cheap $60-70 HPs than $300 HPs. But still rather fun to listen to, all the same, if you happen to like the sound of cheaper, warmer-sounding HPs.
There is a pretty deep notch in the sibilant range between the peaks at 2-3k and 8-12k where some notes will go missing. So you won't get much detail or presence from them there. If there has to be a bad notch somewhere in an HP's sound sig though, then that's probably a good place to put it. The lack of sibilance means they lack some bite. But that may also be one of the things which contributes to their comfortably warm (and woolly) sound.
If you want to hear a fairly stark contrast in timbre and SQ, listen to a pair of the M30x's or the Senn 280's, and then listen to the Beyer DT 770.
The Beyer DT-770 is one of the quieter cans I've heard recently at GC btw (except in the treble). Their slightly higher 80 ohm impedance seemed to need a little more juice than most of the other lower impedance HPs I've tried lately.
I've been getting some mixed messages re the returns at GC as well. The first store I went to said they could only accept a return if the box was still sealed. But the guy I spoke to yesterday said the HPs could be returned within 30 days, even if the box was opened. I'm not sure if he was telling me that to get me to buy something, and then get rid of me. Or because it was their policy.
Have you tried Senneheiser Momentum II? Their response looks eerily similar to your target response, albeit a bit warmer and less resolved in the highs https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-4/graph#277/4011
I can confirm this, I own a pair. But since you are coming from AKGK553 Pro's you will find a lack of clarity and soundstage width. And the cups are small, only really comfortable for people with small ears. Still their sound is rich, not unlike HD650s, but warmer and less resolved. Vocals are magical, a slight euphonic distortion/bloom that is really pleasant.
Have you tried Senneheiser Momentum II? Their response looks eerily similar to your target response, albeit a bit warmer and less resolved in the highs https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-4/graph#277/4011
I can confirm this, I own a pair. But since you are coming from AKGK553 Pro's you will find a lack of clarity and soundstage width. And the cups are small, only really comfortable for people with small ears. Still their sound is rich, not unlike HD650s, but warmer and less resolved. Vocals are magical, a slight euphonic distortion/bloom that is really pleasant.
I have the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 wired w/ over ear pads and it is more a good looking headphone than a good sounding headphone. I did not feel they excelled in literally any category other than looks - sounded like what I'd expect from a $80-$90 headphone.
Sennheiser HD25 is the best headphone I've heard around the same size and price as the momentum if you want something portable like that. I haven't touched my Momentums since I got the HD25. I have to admit though if you want to look stylish the Momentum has the HD25 easily beat there. But the Momentum is also built poorly compared to the HD25, as well - very fragile in comparison, while you can basically run over the HD25 and it will be fine.
If you can go bigger and costlier, the HD600 a great neutral sounding headphone often findable not too far from the OP price range, but the HD25 is both far more portable and far more easier to drive from common portable sources such as smartphones etc.
More listening to headphones today at GC. When I asked the salesperson for some further clarification on their return policy, this time I was told it was 45 (instead of the previous 30) days. And the headphones had to be returned in their original box, or there'd be a 15% restocking fee (something never mentioned by either of the other two salespeople, who gave me completely different info). When I asked whether it was ok to open the box, the salesperson said the box could be open. But if they were not in the box when returned, the restocking fee would apply.
I told her I'd be ok with a restocking fee, but would be glad to return them in the box. Then she proceeded to tell me that it would probably not be a good idea for me to return the headphones, because of the covid and whatnot. And that they never allowed returns on in-ear headphones (which makes complete sense). When I pressed her further on this, she seemed to back down, and revert back to her original story about the restocking fee.
So basically 3 different salespeople, 3 different stories on what GC's return policy is. And I'm still not sure which one is correct. (?)
Have you tried Senneheiser Momentum II? Their response looks eerily similar to your target response, albeit a bit warmer and less resolved in the highs https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-4/graph#277/4011
I can confirm this, I own a pair. But since you are coming from AKGK553 Pro's you will find a lack of clarity and soundstage width. And the cups are small, only really comfortable for people with small ears. Still their sound is rich, not unlike HD650s, but warmer and less resolved. Vocals are magical, a slight euphonic distortion/bloom that is really pleasant.
I have the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 wired w/ over ear pads and it is more a good looking headphone than a good sounding headphone. I did not feel they excelled in literally any category other than looks - sounded like what I'd expect from a $80-$90 headphone.
Sennheiser HD25 is the best headphone I've heard around the same size and price as the momentum if you want something portable like that. I haven't touched my Momentums since I got the HD25. I have to admit though if you want to look stylish the Momentum has the HD25 easily beat there. But the Momentum is also built poorly compared to the HD25, as well - very fragile in comparison, while you can basically run over the HD25 and it will be fine.
If you can go bigger and costlier, the HD600 a great neutral sounding headphone often findable not too far from the OP price range, but the HD25 is both far more portable and far more easier to drive from common portable sources such as smartphones etc.
I personally cannot go any bigger or costlier at this point, ruinedx. But appreciate all the add'l input on the above.
One of the problems with the HD 600 from my perspective is that it also comes with some hidden costs. Because, by most accounts, you need a pretty decent amp to get the fullest sound from them. I also personally like a little more bass in my HPs. So there's that as well. They are clearly good sounding headphones though by most accounts. And are one of the models I look at in terms of a neutral response in the treble and midrange.
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