davehutch
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2009
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I was having a discussion over on the True-Fi thread about whether or not you could take a mid-fi headphone and by using EQ, turn it into a 'more expensive-sounding' headphone.
I think we agree that tonality is one thing and can be adjusted by EQ to some extent. Some headphones react differently to varying amounts of EQ and where they on the limit somewhere in the spectrum, added attenuation may induce distortion, which could be good but is most likely bad.
Then there are the technicalities of the headphone, such as ability to play transients, damping, attack, low level detail retrieval, soundstage, imaging etc. etc. for which simple EQ'ing cannot compensate.
Now, I've seen the Chesky Headphone Demonstration files which I think I'll purchase soon, but wondered if, somewhere on this vast forum, anyone had ever thought about posting short examples (copyright permitting of course) of music that clearly demonstrates the ability of various headphones to achieve the technicalities listed above, plus others.
For example, someone might post a 30 second sample of a track and say...'At the point the drums enter, you can clearly place each tomtom about 4 feet in front and to right of you and if you listen closely, the resonance of the skin is apparent and the initial attack is quite startling, whilst underneath, the bass line is nicely separated and you can follow the notes clearly. The size of the room seems bout 20ft long and fairly lively/reflective'...or something of that nature.
I just figured that everyone on here struggles to some extent to demonstrate what make a technical competent (read expensive) headphone and it would be great to have some clear examples of what we should all be trying to hear.
Of course, once you have a technically competent headphone, tonality and 'presentation' would be a personal choice (all of this is much like choosing loudspeakers) and then EQ could also be used if appropriate.
A starting point would be great, or we could all just buy the Chesky CD
Comments appreciated.
I think we agree that tonality is one thing and can be adjusted by EQ to some extent. Some headphones react differently to varying amounts of EQ and where they on the limit somewhere in the spectrum, added attenuation may induce distortion, which could be good but is most likely bad.
Then there are the technicalities of the headphone, such as ability to play transients, damping, attack, low level detail retrieval, soundstage, imaging etc. etc. for which simple EQ'ing cannot compensate.
Now, I've seen the Chesky Headphone Demonstration files which I think I'll purchase soon, but wondered if, somewhere on this vast forum, anyone had ever thought about posting short examples (copyright permitting of course) of music that clearly demonstrates the ability of various headphones to achieve the technicalities listed above, plus others.
For example, someone might post a 30 second sample of a track and say...'At the point the drums enter, you can clearly place each tomtom about 4 feet in front and to right of you and if you listen closely, the resonance of the skin is apparent and the initial attack is quite startling, whilst underneath, the bass line is nicely separated and you can follow the notes clearly. The size of the room seems bout 20ft long and fairly lively/reflective'...or something of that nature.
I just figured that everyone on here struggles to some extent to demonstrate what make a technical competent (read expensive) headphone and it would be great to have some clear examples of what we should all be trying to hear.
Of course, once you have a technically competent headphone, tonality and 'presentation' would be a personal choice (all of this is much like choosing loudspeakers) and then EQ could also be used if appropriate.
A starting point would be great, or we could all just buy the Chesky CD
Comments appreciated.