[CrazyRay]

Hello,
I am trying to create a simple rating scale for Headphones.
This is what I have come up with so far.
Should I add anything else, change the wording?

Rating Scale: 1 through 10
1 = Poor 5 = Average 10=Exceptional

Build Quality
Comfort

Sound Stage

Bass
Midrange
Treble

Detail
Depth of the Sound
Circumaural Sound

“You Are There” feeling

Price versus Value

Benefits from a different cable

Additional Notes:

 

[Double Dark Horse]

So are you thinking to assign 1-10 for each category then take an average?

 

[jellojoe]

see headphonereviews.org

 

[Covenant]

I would go:

Build Quality
Comfort
Practicality
Manufacturer support
Price/performance ratio
Scalability
Bass
Mids
Highs
Transient response
Imaging/Layering
Soundstaging

But then even breaking it down that far doesnt give you a complete picture.

 

[Duggeh]

Numerically founded scores for the description of the characteristics of headphones, irrespective of the degree or spectra of catagorical or sub-catagorical breakdown, is a fundamentally flawed way in which to provide information.

 

[cantsleep]

good idea but this rarely helps.

 

[jjhatfield]

i would say 1 for bad headphones and 10 for very good headphones.

 

[Marl]

This reminds me of some ad soliciting a programmer to build an operating system to compete with windows and capable of running every windows program for 5000 dollars.

 

[silverrain]

Any ratings value obviously would still be applied to that listener's perception of the cans in relation to other cans that they own or have owned before and sold.

One person's 10 is another one's 5, and vice-versa.

So, a rating system would require that every rating would also have to show every can that the rater compared the rated cans against.

And, finally, that rating would still only apply for their OWN ears and perception, which allows for wild variations right there.

So, a rating would be interesting to read as a general guideline for peeps to compare potential new cans, anyway, so it does have some merit.

Just like it is interesting to read the thread on "rate your cans" -- which always has surprises in it.

My 2 cents....

 

[wae5]

Most of the catagories are subjective so can you turn subjective into objective by assigning numbers to subjective ratings?

 

[QQQ]

Quote:

Benefits from a different cable

This is my favorite part. Of course, cans with detacheable cables benefit from the aftermarket cables most! Look how k702 will become very cable-dependant in the next couple of years, while k701 wasn't..

 

[Gradofan2]

Some form of rational rating method is needed... but...

... additional factors and many variables make it even more complex.

Though... the overall characteristics of any set of phones distinguish them from any other... this is only in a very general context, that almost makes any generalized rating method useless.

Everyone knows that the source and amp determine the sound of a particular set of phones, as well as the recording - a set of phones will sound dramatically different (good or bad) depending upon these factors... and...

... the optimum sound one set of phones achieves with one particular set up, will be different than their sound with another set up... as well as... different than another set of phones with that set up, or another set up.

In other words... it impossible to compare the specific sound of phones to one another, unless stated in the context of of all these variables, which are not at all consistent from one set of phones to another.

In order for any such rating method to be useful... the set up would have to be "standardized" and all phones rated in the context of that "standardized" set up vs another "standardized" set up against which all phones would be rated in the context of that "standardized" set up... etc... etc...

Even then... you still have the remaining challenge of rating combinations of "standardized" set ups and phones across those set ups.

All of which is to say... absolutely no firm conclusions can be drawn from one set of phones to another without a much more rigorous evaluation process - which would require a "lab" setting.

All of which is to say... you really can't expect any set of phones to sound like it does to those recommending them, unless you have the identical set up and recordings - they may sound very much better, or worse... depending all of those variables.

This is a point which is not well understood by many, if not most, Headfiers.

 

[moogoob]

I agree with Gradofan, there are WAY too many factors to take into account. Cables, source, amp, volume you listen at, proximity to nearby screaming kids, general mental state, etc.

 

[spinali]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jellojoe /img/forum/go_quote.gif see headphonereviews.org

Save yourself some time. Contribute to the above link, which already has most of the information you want already.

 

[CrazyRay]

Thanks for all of the advice.
I just wanted something that I could use to compare the headphones that I already have.
I wanted a little chart that I could use at home.
I just bought a pair of Deep V3 Darth Beyers and a pair of Grado Elite’s from Headphile.
My thought was that I would play the same songs on both headphones.
I would use the chart to mark which song sounded better on each headphone and why?
I would also use the chart to post my views on these phones.
I guess I oversimplified the whole process?

I did some late night listening last night.
The Grado’s need some breaking in.
But they sound pretty damn good!!
The flats were allot better than the bowls.
The flats had allot more bass punch.

The Darths are already broken in, and also sound wonderful!
Beautiful bottom end.
I am really digging the bass on the Darths.

I will post more on the phones later.

Thanks again.