Headphones are easy

[AudioMastermind]

I don't know if it's just me, but I find understanding sound quality with headphones (even speakers and IEMs) on an objective and subjective level to be very straightforward. I thoroughly understand the math and underlying science behind audio and acoustics.

When I commented on my poor listening impressions of the MDR-Z1R, I was told I needed to upgrade the cable and source equipment I was using. Now, as someone who understands all the relevant math and science in this domain, this was absurd to me as cables of negligible resistance will all transmit the same energy and that the Apple dongle is an objectively neutral source with enough power to drive nearly any headphone flawlessly, as long as it gets loud enough, since it is impossible to clip the Apple dongle with a headphone which's impedance is 20 ohms or higher.

Is there anyone that can explain the math and science behind these claims? As someone who formally studies and researches audio science at one of the world's highest ranking universities, I am required to understand the depths of audio. Is there something I have completely wrong?

 

[msing539]

Is there anyone that can explain the math and science behind these claims? As someone who formally studies and researches audio science at one of the world's highest ranking universities, I am required to understand the depths of audio. Is there something I have completely wrong?

There's a section of headfi that deals with Sound Science.

 

[AnakChan]

There's a section of headfi that deals with Sound Science.

Agreed, also not new as this kinda topic comes up every now and then.

Will move to Sound Science.

 

[castleofargh]

I don't know if it's just me, but I find understanding sound quality with headphones (even speakers and IEMs) on an objective and subject level to be very straightforward. I thoroughly understand the math and underlying science behind audio and acoustics.

When I commented on my poor listening impressions of the MDR-Z1R, I was told I needed to upgrade the cable and source equipment I was using. Now, as someone who understands all the relevant math and science in this domain, this was absurd to me as cables of negligible resistance will all transmit the same energy and that the Apple dongle is an objectively neutral source with enough power to drive nearly any headphone flawlessly, as long as it gets loud enough, since it is impossible to clip the Apple dongle with a headphone which's impedance is 20 ohms or higher.

Is there anyone that can explain the math and science behind these claims? As someone who formally studies and researches audio science at one of the world's highest ranking universities, I am required to understand the depths of audio. Is there something I have completely wrong?

Various things:
There is the tendency to make a mountain out of a molehill in the hobby. So even realistically small impact will become a big deal on the forum for some people, and of course to fix it, you must "upgrade" something. Those you talked to probably were happy owners of the headphone themselves, so of course for them it's not the MDR-Z1R, it's everything else, maybe even you. That's perhaps more about a mindset than it is about physics.
Anytime you have whatever issue or disappointment, someone will probably tell you to get a cable, a more powerful amp or even a better DAC. On occasion, it will be the right answer, but it's also posted so many times for absolutely no good reason or understanding of the situation that you can never know. You're probably better served by measuring something yourself, or at least estimating your power needs(estimated max listening level and headphone sensi), and see if that matches the predicted output of your amp section. Beyond that, people can have their own ideas about synergy, and you'll often have no way of knowing if it's rooted in proper experience, knowledge, or if someone spent money on some expensive stuff and just made up a story in his mind about how much better it made everything.

I have tried neither that headphone nor the apple dongle so I have nothing to contribute on how they go together, be it objectively or subjectively.

 

[bigshot]

People sometimes connect their personal feelings to objects they own. They become cheerleaders (team grado or team sennheiser). When someone criticizes the object they’ve invested their ego into, the feel the need to defend it. The easiest way to deflect criticism is to retreat to the old arguments ”your equipment is too cheap or you’re deaf”. Suggesting an absurdly expensive cable is a good way to set an unobtainable goal that supposedly proves someone wrong. “If you had a purple dragon XXL ultra, you would hear the difference, but your cable is too cheap and shoddy to reveal it.”

Defending one’s ego is at the root of all audiophile nonsense.

 

[kumar402]

Z1R is not a headphone for everyone. They do few things right and few things wrong. Depends on your preference. You can tame few of the shortcomings with some colored DAC/ AMP/ Cable

 

[bigshot]

More unobtainable advice. Good luck finding a colored DAC amp or cable, much less one that exactly corrects for whatever imbalance that particular item suffers from.

 

[Killcomic]

Z1R is not a headphone for everyone. They do few things right and few things wrong. Depends on your preference. You can tame few of the shortcomings with some colored DAC/ AMP/ Cable

Why not EQ? Rather than finding defective DACs or magical cables to fix a tuning problem, why not use EQ for its intended purpose?

 

[kumar402]

Why not EQ? Rather than finding defective DACs or magical cables to fix a tuning problem, why not use EQ for its intended purpose?

Yes, you can. It depends on individual and discretionary funds one has. There are different paths to same destination. One might prefer hardware as compared to software.

 

[bigshot]

Software can be adjusted. How are you going to get a defective amp to exactly cancel out a random imbalance? Even if you could find a supply of defective components, finding one that exactly corrects would be like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s an absurd suggestion.

 

[bigshot]

If you get locked out of your house, just go buy a key that unlocks your door.

 

[Blanchot]

Am I the only one to think that AudioMastermind is actually Sharur, the infamous Youtuber who is now a student at Stanford?

 

[Killcomic]

Am I the only one to think that AudioMastermind is actually Sharur, the infamous Youtuber who is now a student at Stanford?

Be careful with allegations. Shaur is a narcissist contrarian. Calling someone a Shaur is an insult.

 

[71 dB]

I was told...

By who?

 

[BobG55]

Yes, you can. It depends on individual and discretionary funds one has. There are different paths to same destination. One might prefer hardware as compared to software.

I EQ with a Schiit Lokius which is hardware. I don’t believe you can get the same sound EQ by trying different DACs or amps. A DAC is a DAC by any other name.