Demystifying the "flat curve"?

[Spankypoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by reuveng Just to make this long thread simple: Every thing that we sense and feel is SUBJECTIVE.

But what about measurable neurochemical activity?

I have a vision of a patient wearing Stax with sensors taped all over his head...

(OK, now I'm just bein' difficult.)

P.S. Nothing's ever simple.

 

[Geek]

If a piece of equipment is reproducing sound which is basically identical to what that recording would have sounded like live, then it's good. Technical stuff like this is neat but it's irrelevant: if it sounds good, it is good, and your ears should be the ultimate measure of audiophile-level quality, because that's all that really matters.

Cheers,
Geek

 

[robert]

i made a quick scan of the thread. didn't see this point (apoplexies if i missed it).

the point of the Fletcher-Munson curveS (note the plural) is that the frequency response varies with level. this was the reason/excuse for that Loudness button on receivers. you remember those??

the curves flatten out with increased level. so the button would add bass at low levels, eventually not shaping response at some (unknown to me) level.

now, why this should change "best" frequency response speakers vis a vis on ear headphones vis a vis in ear headphones; i've not a clue.

clearly, some folks prefer the severe downward slope of the Senns; others the flatness (that's what it is folks) of the Grados.

the nature of the "thing" used to master the recording affects the flatness of the sound on the disc, inversely. classical folk like Senns, IMNSHO, because these recordings are mastered with darkish "things", and thus are relatively hot on the disc. conversely with pop stuff. so pop folk like Grados. the reproduction end matches the mastering end; even when the mastering ears are trying for flat response (un-colored).

 

[BowerR64]

What about the break in? do they consider that when they take measurements? as the speaker loosens up dont you think that would change the curve of the sound?

 

[KPOT]

There is some easy experiment. You need in-ear mic with KEMAR ® or binaural head for measurments. Then you should generate test signal (for frequency response measurements). Record signal with head. After it play original test signal with phones and also record it with head. Phones frequency response will be flat if 2 records will have same freq. response.

 

[BowerR64]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spankypoo Fascinating! It'd be all for creating a thread where everyone puts up their findings. Could be telling about both equipment and ears, as well.

Yeah me too. I went as low as i could hear each file, the koss are really boomy.

 

[KPOT]

I've just read first posts. There is no any dark places in frequency measuring. It is not important how each man perceives sound. All of us know FLAT sound means sound we perceive with our ears without any mediators. IEMs creates sound without help of auricle, so they should be equalised properly. All companies use dummy heads with mics sealed in ear-channels, so dummy auricle and ear-channel change frequency curve. Such curve is called normalised curve.