Headphones are easy

[AudioMastermind]

By who?

Post in thread 'Sony Z1R....listening impressions only'
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-z1r-listening-impressions-only.853330/post-18487168

 

[AudioMastermind]

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.

Have you considered something like a Qudelix 5K instead of Lokius?

 

[BobG55]

Have you considered something like a Qudelix 5K instead of Lokius?

I listen to CDs, not downloaded music.

 

[BS5711]

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

Yep …. already pointed to his peqdb.com project in the conversation above that he invited us to read.

 

[AudioMastermind]

I listen to CDs, not downloaded music.

How about a MiniDSP Flex?

 

[BobG55]

How about a MiniDSP Flex?

Nah, I’m quite happy with my system setup. I’ve had the same one for two years now and am passed spending any more money on it. But I thank you for your suggestions.

 

[bigshot]

I hope to get a miniDSP of some sort for my speaker rig someday. Don’t need it for my headphones.

 

[gregorio]

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.

That sounds somewhat like an oxymoron to me. On an objective level, then headphone performance is entirely defined by “math and underlying science behind audio and acoustics” but not on a subjective level. On a subjective level the relevant science is psychoacoustics or just psychology. While one certainly might find it straightforward to perform a subjective assessment of sound quality, even with no appreciable effort on occasion, it’s actually a complex and not fully understood subject. Just to start with, what is “sound quality”? If we define it as “fidelity” then math and the science behind audio can fully account for it but if we don’t define it by some objective quantity then “quality” is a personal subjective judgment, easy for that person to figure out for themselves but exceedingly difficult to predict on a scientific level. I recall a statement I read many years ago (paraphrasing): For every complicated question there’s a simple, easy to understand answer - that’s wrong! Unfortunately, much of the audiophile community is based on that statement!

Is there anyone that can explain the math and science behind these claims?

No, because math and science are only two of the variables involved and often not even the most relevant.

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?

Yes! What you appear to have wrong is that understanding the depths of audio only applies to audio but you are trying to apply it to how humans/certain humans respond to audio, which is an entirely different thing and on occasion can even be an entirely unrelated thing. Interestingly, the audiophile community in general make exactly the same mistake but from completely the opposite direction. IE. They take their response to audio and try to apply it to audio itself. So, they compare cables, hear/perceive a difference and then assert that is an actual audio difference, rather than just a difference in their response to it. Hence why you were advised to upgrade your cable and source equipment, even though they will almost certainly have no or negligible (inaudible) effect on the audio or sound being reproduced.

G

 

[redrol]

you eq'd something else to the Z1R right?

 

[AudioMastermind]

you eq'd something else to the Z1R right?

No

 

[redrol]

Thank god. Sony generally has bloated bass going back in time, but combine with a ton of treble it's some kind of balance. The Z1R IEM isn't bloated but has other issues.

 

[colonelkernel8]

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

No you can't. The actual solution here is, assuming the THD doesn't get pushed into an audible range, DSP. DSP is how you fix how your headphones sound. No cable, no amp, and certainly no DAC will do that for you. Anyone telling you otherwise doesn't know what they're talking about.

 

[colonelkernel8]

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?

Whoever told you to "upgrade the cable" is a fool, and unfortunately they make up the vast majority of the "audiophile" market. There are a number of products that have integrated PEQ that will solve this problem for you. Qudelix if you're looking for a low cost solution, and miniDSP is out there too. Some higher end DAPs have PEQ built in, some higher end desktop DAC/amps have them too (Fiio K19, RME ADI-2 DAC FS, etc) and I think there are a few other portable DAC/amps with this ability too (Fiio KA17, Neutron HiFi DAC v1, the Qudelix 5k or T71, etc). You can also employ software DSP implementations using tools like the Hang Loose Convolver which is truly the ultimate DSP in terms of absolute performance.

 

[colonelkernel8]

I'll add one more thing. Audio reproduction, even in headphones where the environment can be fully controlled is still anything but simple. Just ask @mrspeakers (Dan Clark)

 

[mrspeakers]

I'll add one more thing. Audio reproduction, even in headphones where the environment can be fully controlled is still anything but simple. Just ask @mrspeakers (Dan Clark)

True that!