[sfxjames]

Has anybody compared the sound to 40 mm standard cup headphones to bigger 50mm cup headphones. IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE IN SOUND QUALITY?

 

[ls20]

there is no 'standard' sound based on driver size... theres too many variables that go into the equation

thats like asking what the diff between a 250 and a 300hp car..neglecting weight, gearing, aerodynamics, etc

 

[go_vtec]

Yes, here is a significant difference in sound between two drivers.
Sony has many series of headphones with 40 and 50mm drivers, say V600 (40mm) and V700DJ (50mm), CD580 (40mm) and CD780 (50mm), and V6/7506(40mm) and 7509(50mm).

I have compared them back to back found major difference between 40mm vs. 50mm is a bass extension. This is a good thing if you are listening to top-40's, dance and rap music, but they (V700DJ and 7509) were too boomy and too unbalanced for my taste. 50mm offers better power handling (V700DJ can handle upto 3Watts where V600 dies out at mere 1Watt).

Believe or not, most people recommend V6 or 7506 inspite of its smaller driver than 7509 since it sounds better balanced. Don't get me wrong, there are highly regarded 50mm driver based headphones which does not suffer from boomy bass (Sony's excellent CD3000).

-Mike

 

[bangraman]

There is a difference but as pointed out in the first reply there is no direct correlation between the size of driver and the sound you get. Depending on the design of the phone 40mm drivers are capable of a more unbalanced bass-heavy sound than some 50mm-driver phones and vice versa. What is far more important is the design of the housing and of course the quality of the drivers themselves, regardless of their size.

 

[PeterR]

It's news to me that anybody's missing bass extension with the 7506.
You also do realize that into this phone 1 mW (i.e. 1/1000th of your "mere 1 Watt") is plenty loud?

 

[Steve999]

Interesting! I have the CD580s and the CD780s. My feeling on those is that the CD580s (40mm driver) are more accurate (actually I wouldn't be surprised if they were stunningly, heartlessly accurate but I've never seen a frequency response graph of them) but the CD780s (50 mm driver) are generally more pleasing to the ear.

In the Sony user's manual (the CD580s and CD780s have the same manual) it describes the CD580s as delivering "accurate" sound repruduction, and the CD780s as delivering "dynamic" sound reproduction. I believe that this was a very well-chosen and accurate distinction.

In general, though, to answer the main point of the thread, I don't think it's safe to draw a general correlation between driver size and sound quality.

Quote:

Originally posted by go_vtec Yes, here is a significant difference in sound between two drivers. Sony has many series of headphones with 40 and 50mm drivers, say V600 (40mm) and V700DJ (50mm), CD580 (40mm) and CD780 (50mm), and V6/7506(40mm) and 7509(50mm). -Mike

 

[go_vtec]

"It's news to me that anybody's missing bass extension with the 7506. You also do realize that into this phone 1 mW (i.e. 1/1000th of your "mere 1 Watt") is plenty loud?"

PeterR, of course, I knew... I was being a bit sarcastic when I said "mere" 1Watt. I forgot to put quotation marks (" ") around the word mere. I was merely implying when a SIMILAR technology and design is used for headphone driver, making driver slightly larger generally results in lower and/or louder bass extension and increased power handling. I didn't say I needed more bass extenstion, he he he (got plenty with my V6).
-Mike

 

[sfxjames]

Let's say you were listening to classical music. The big open cups would give you more seperation between the instruments, the small open cups would push the perspective further away more
so that you would be listening the same instruments closer together, rather than spread apart.

Wouldn't that be true?

I think 40mm headphones have a more accurate sound while the big cups exaggerate the whole thing.

I have big cup headphones and they can get to be a pain all strapped to your head, I feel like a sound nut slapp'n'em on like that.

 

[bangraman]

No, [size=small]No[/size], [size=x-large]No![/size]

 

[Music Fanatic]

Size doesn't matter.

Well, it does matter, but you can't tell anything about a headphone just from the size statistic. You have to listen to the headphone. If it was just a matter of size, we wouldn't need these forums!

 

[sfxjames]

Forget it. I'm Sorry I asked, I guess it was dumb question after all.
My bad.