[sbsnailmail]

I currently attend university for materials engineering and want to learn/do something interesting over my winter break. I have taken a basic physics course on sound, but would like to learn more about headphones.
 
In less than a month, is there an online course, post, etc. I could read? Or an interesting project available? 

 

[Speedskater]

While it's not at all about headphones, Floyd E. Toole's big book "Sound Reproduction" is a great start.
Siegfried Linkwitz at the Linkwitz Lab has countless pages and links scatter about his web-page,  much of it directed at 2 channel phantom imaging.
 
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/index.html

 

[timtoo]

Me too I want to learn more but I don't know where or how should I start

 

[proton007]

I think Ethan Winer's book can be a good place to start. The topics covered in there are pretty comprehensive.

 

[Speedskater]

We should add  the "j.j. Johnston" pages to the list.  Most of them are PowerPoints which are a pain to read, but struggle through them.
 
http://home.comcast.net/~retired_old_jj/
 
http://audioskeptic.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-we-hear-what-we-hear-part-1.html
 
http://www.aes.org/sections/pnw/ppt.htm
 

 

[Strangelove424]

I know you asked for reading material, but I found these lectures to be quite entertaining:
 
Ethan Winer on Audio Myths:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYTlN6wjcvQ
 
Thomas Lund on the Loudness War:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhA7Vy3OPbc
 
Edit: And this guys is engaging too...
 
Bob Katz on Loudness war Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCd6MHlo_iA
 Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FVF9vRLyVc

 

[anetode]

Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, by John Borwick

 

[EthanWiner]

Quote:

I think Ethan Winer's book can be a good place to start. The topics covered in there are pretty comprehensive.

Thanks for the plug. Here's a direct link:
 
The Audio Expert
 
My AES Audio Myths video linked above is a good introduction too.
 
--Ethan

 

[DocTavia]

Wow, very cool to know we have the write of one of these books on these forums!

 

[Strangelove424]

Whoa. That was cool. Thanks for popping in, Ethan. You are a thoroughly engaging dude.     

 

[uchihaitachi]

Dear Mr Winer,
 
I am a big fan of your writing and your critiques especially on audio snake oil! I was curious what the fundamental determinant of SQ in the a portable gear set up is.
 
I understand that a good amp and good pair of IEMs (I am taking the quality of the recordings in lossless format as a given and I understand that correct EQing can make a big difference in your sonic experience) are important and that expensive cables are utter B.S.
 
But then, I am always slightly careful when I see portable players that are in excess of 1000 dollars and the hype surround some of these exorbitantly priced players. What differentiates say a Sansa Clip + and an Altmann Terra Player that audiophiles claim that there is such a huge chasm in the SQ difference (or can most of this be attributed to perception bias and so on)? I understand that portable players are essentially DACs + amps. Where the DACs have a simple function and the best ones are available in bulk at low prices. So does this mean that the sound quality of a portable player is mainly dependent upon the built-in amp (given the DAC is decent enough quality) or is there another important factor that determines how great a portable player is?
 
I would be extremely grateful for your feedback. Thank you!

 

[HeadFiend]

I don't think you can correlate what people hear with science...

 

[xnor]

Quote:

I don't think you can correlate what people hear with science...

You're decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio of this thread, but please explain why you think that way. I think all people here are interested.

 

[HeadFiend]

You're decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio of this thread, but please explain why you think that way. I think all people here are interested.

Oh, I'm sorry. I meant that you can talk about science all day to some people, what's audible and what's not, what they're supposed to hear and what they're not, they won't believe any of it.

 

[uchihaitachi]

Quote:

You're decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio of this thread, but please explain why you think that way. I think all people here are interested.

Loving the wit!