[MechanicalAngel]

Hi all,
 
I haven't dropped by for a couple of years now, so I'm not sure if there's since been an introductory forum that covers how to determine the sound signature of music. I understand what the terms mean (e.g. warm, smooth, treble, bass, neutral), but it's difficult for me to determine exactly what my music covers. If you're up for about <10 minutes of listening, it'd be great if I could get some help. Links to music are listed below:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9P-BA91giY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMk21jK8X1U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r69_g65n-Ww
 
- MechanicalAngel

 

[Monsterzero]

  Hi all,
 
I haven't dropped by for a couple of years now, so I'm not sure if there's since been an introductory forum that covers how to determine the sound signature of music. I understand what the terms mean (e.g. warm, smooth, treble, bass, neutral), but it's difficult for me to determine exactly what my music covers. If you're up for about <10 minutes of listening, it'd be great if I could get some help. Links to music are listed below:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9P-BA91giY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMk21jK8X1U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r69_g65n-Ww
 
- MechanicalAngel

All 3 tracks are modern music.All 3 are bass heavy.
Sound signature is a term used to describe equipment(headphones,speakers,etc...)
Other than that Im not sure what info youre requiring?

 

[MindsMirror]

The mastering engineer used neutral equipment in order to make those tracks sound as good as possible. You may prefer more warmth, bass, trebble, etc. than what they liked, but that is just a personal preference that is not related to the style of music you listen to.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MechanicalAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Hi all,

 

I haven't dropped by for a couple of years now, so I'm not sure if there's since been an introductory forum that covers how to determine the sound signature of music. I understand what the terms mean (e.g. warm, smooth, treble, bass, neutral), but it's difficult for me to determine exactly what my music covers. If you're up for about <10 minutes of listening, it'd be great if I could get some help. Links to music are listed below:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9P-BA91giY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMk21jK8X1U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r69_g65n-Ww

 

- MechanicalAngel

 

"Sound signature" doesn't refer to the music, it's about the headphone/speaker (or the amp and source if you want to use active electronics to do a whole sale reshaping of the response). Ideally every frequency should be represented equally, but no technology for any transducer exists yet that can do that for 20hz to 20000hz, so basically "sound signature" is better described as "manufacturers' engineers' preferred compromises at a given price point."

 

If there's any difference in required "sound signatures" or more appropriately "response bias" specific to genres, it's that some music is preferred by their listeners for example blasting from ten 12in Audiobahn WOOFers that you can hear from across downtown, and if anyone complains, you stick your arm out the window aiming a gun sideways. Similarly, some will like blasting their music from 15in WOOFers in da club, so when that bass drops, it tickles their body to maximize how much they paid for those ecstasy pills from that guy passing them around on the dance floor (then the Russian club owner in Miami cuts a conversation with a "this stupid kid thinks he can die in my club" while someone is having a seizure on the dance floor). One other and not illegal consideration is imaging - metal for example covers a wide spectrum of subgenres and those who recommend Grado flat out are ignoring how in layered power/prog metal the instruments are getting thrown out at the listener, whereas Sennheiser, AKG, Audezee, etc will lay them farther from the listener if not also a deeper soundstage front to back, basically putting the listener in the middle of the audience rather than front row, and have the instruments laid out before him in a more organized manner. That said, blues sounds fantastic on Grados given the tone and you might not care about imaging, but of course that doesn't mean that a properly driven Sennheiser or AKG totally sounds like it lacks dynamics next to a Grado with a good amp, so it still comes down to listener preference.

 

For your music as in the links, as I would advise practically anything else, just look for the most neutral headphone (or speaker, whichever the case it may be) that you can afford, ie the overall smoothest response from 20hz to at least 10000hz. That said that's not always easier to do - the peaks and valleys in an HD650 for example aren't as tall or deep as in the HE400i, but that one is almost completely ruler-flat from 10hz to 1000hz, so if you had to do it mathematically you'll just end up having comparable average numbers for headphones that sound considerably different from each other. Still, response graphs can help narrow down your choices, then read up on how they actually sound, and then you use them to make sense of each other (note that the way a headphone fits on each head can vary so even two people with no hearing issues but with different skull sizes, hair thickness, and even earlobe area can hear them with significant differences - basically it doesn't make it easier than speakers that can sound different in each room). Whether you want it tilted towards midrange, bass, or treble from the ideal flat (which doesn't exist anyway) depends on what you'd rather emphasize. 

 

Alternately if you use EQ some response graphs can be easier to smoothen (not flatten) than others, so that's one way to choose a headphone also.

 

[MechanicalAngel]

 
All 3 tracks are modern music.All 3 are bass heavy.
Sound signature is a term used to describe equipment(headphones,speakers,etc...)
Other than that Im not sure what info youre requiring?

I guess I learn something new every day 

 

 

[MechanicalAngel]

  The mastering engineer used neutral equipment in order to make those tracks sound as good as possible. You may prefer more warmth, bass, trebble, etc. than what they liked, but that is just a personal preference that is not related to the style of music you listen to.

Ahhh, I understand 

 I feel pretty stupid LOL

 

[Monsterzero]

  I guess I learn something new every day 

 Are warm, smooth, v-shaped, neutral used to describe what type of sound the equipment produce then? (AKA it's up to the user to choose what kind of sound he/she likes)

Yep,pretty much.For example....
My buddy bought some V-Moda M100s and he said to me that it makes bass happen where there is "no bass"....so the headphones themselves are coloring the sound.

If you look at my headphone collection in my signature you will notice I have most of the bases covered.

LCD-2 neutral-ish with great bass extension
AD2000s-midrange to die for
Magnum Grados-extremely revealing
Philips X1-bass thump

Depending upon my mood,I pick a set of cans each night and depending upon the headphone/song combo I still hear things in songs that i hadnt noticed prior.

If your primary listening is what you shared above I would invest in some thumpy cans...but thats just me.

 

[MechanicalAngel]

 
Yep,pretty much.For example....
My buddy bought some V-Moda M100s and he said to me that it makes bass happen where there is "no bass"....so the headphones themselves are coloring the sound.

If you look at my headphone collection in my signature you will notice I have most of the bases covered.

LCD-2 neutral-ish with great bass extension
AD2000s-midrange to die for
Magnum Grados-extremely revealing
Philips X1-bass thump

Depending upon my mood,I pick a set of cans each night and depending upon the headphone/song combo I still hear things in songs that i hadnt noticed prior.

If your primary listening is what you shared above I would invest in some thumpy cans...but thats just me.

Tysm 

 I'll definitely look into some bass-heavy stuff 

 

[MechanicalAngel]

 

 

"Sound signature" doesn't refer to the music, it's about the headphone/speaker (or the amp and source if you want to use active electronics to do a whole sale reshaping of the response). Ideally every frequency should be represented equally, but no technology for any transducer exists yet that can do that for 20hz to 20000hz, so basically "sound signature" is better described as "manufacturers' engineers' preferred compromises at a given price point."

 

If there's any difference in required "sound signatures" or more appropriately "response bias" specific to genres, it's that some music is preferred by their listeners for example blasting from ten 12in Audiobahn WOOFers that you can hear from across downtown, and if anyone complains, you stick your arm out the window aiming a gun sideways. Similarly, some will like blasting their music from 15in WOOFers in da club, so when that bass drops, it tickles their body to maximize how much they paid for those ecstasy pills from that guy passing them around on the dance floor (then the Russian club owner in Miami cuts a conversation with a "this stupid kid thinks he can die in my club" while someone is having a seizure on the dance floor). One other and not illegal consideration is imaging - metal for example covers a wide spectrum of subgenres and those who recommend Grado flat out are ignoring how in layered power/prog metal the instruments are getting thrown out at the listener, whereas Sennheiser, AKG, Audezee, etc will lay them farther from the listener if not also a deeper soundstage front to back, basically putting the listener in the middle of the audience rather than front row, and have the instruments laid out before him in a more organized manner. That said, blues sounds fantastic on Grados given the tone and you might not care about imaging, but of course that doesn't mean that a properly driven Sennheiser or AKG totally sounds like it lacks dynamics next to a Grado with a good amp, so it still comes down to listener preference.

 

For your music as in the links, as I would advise practically anything else, just look for the most neutral headphone (or speaker, whichever the case it may be) that you can afford, ie the overall smoothest response from 20hz to at least 10000hz. That said that's not always easier to do - the peaks and valleys in an HD650 for example aren't as tall or deep as in the HE400i, but that one is almost completely ruler-flat from 10hz to 1000hz, so if you had to do it mathematically you'll just end up having comparable average numbers for headphones that sound considerably different from each other. Still, response graphs can help narrow down your choices, then read up on how they actually sound, and then you use them to make sense of each other (note that the way a headphone fits on each head can vary so even two people with no hearing issues but with different skull sizes, hair thickness, and even earlobe area can hear them with significant differences - basically it doesn't make it easier than speakers that can sound different in each room). Whether you want it tilted towards midrange, bass, or treble from the ideal flat (which doesn't exist anyway) depends on what you'd rather emphasize. 

 

Alternately if you use EQ some response graphs can be easier to smoothen (not flatten) than others, so that's one way to choose a headphone also.

I wasn't expecting this at all - so thank you so much XD

 

[Monsterzero]

  Tysm 

 I'll definitely look into some bass-heavy stuff 

No probs.

Something like V-Moda or JVC SZ2000 would make your teeth rattle when the bass hits in those tunes.If that doesnt appeal to you,try a neutral-ish headphone.the bass wont have the "wow factor" but the rest of the frequencies will sound better...depends on what you like.

 

[MechanicalAngel]

 
No probs.

Something like V-Moda or JVC SZ2000 would make your teeth rattle when the bass hits in those tunes.If that doesnt appeal to you,try a neutral-ish headphone.the bass wont have the "wow factor" but the rest of the frequencies will sound better...depends on what you like.

Both look amazing - but they're way out of my price range

 Do you have any suggestions for something more affordable, maybe <$50? (IEMs are just as good too)

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Both look amazing - but they're way out of my price range

 Do you have any suggestions for something more affordable, maybe <$50? (IEMs are just as good too)

 
Headphone : Superlux HD330, HD660
IEM : MEE M6, M6 Pro

 

[MechanicalAngel]

   
Headphone : Superlux HD330, HD660
IEM : MEE M6, M6 Pro

I'll definitely take a look, tysm