MYTHBUSTERS[+White list of brands at the bottom of the first post] [objectiveness only] Intro to the "SOUND SCIENCE WALL OF TEXT" thread
Nov 19, 2013 at 1:14 AM Post #106 of 115
MygpuK,

I grabbed the quote below from your other thread (Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1 USB Headset -- wow that's an earful!)...as I think it presents, to me, the key premise of your discussion.
"~~I'm a scientist, you know :) I suppose there is nothing in this world being subjective, only tastes and biological "specials" of given ears which result in tastes also :D We should just clear it out, when NOT using an amp, we must get a good_to_go (fully portable) product, which must fit our tastes."

Having owned several high-end audio/stereo systems at the same time (Electrostatics, Planars, & Dynamics w/Ribbon Transducers - all driven by high current/quality amps), I found that I enjoyed them equally for different reasons. Based on that experience, I would say that there is no such thing as 'one headphone for the masses'...why?
In the end, what I like in a headphone sound signature may not interest another as much as it does my 'tastes'. This has been going on for decades and will continue for many more! In fact, many of us listen to different equipment/sound-signatures based on the music genre, mood we're in, etc...did this in my stereo days as well -- The Who on Quad ESLs - yechh! Vivaldi...priceless!
One only needs to read the variety of reviews in this and other 'hi-fi' forums to understand people do 'hear' things differently -- most likely based on biological 'specials', as you put it, and also what I'll call sociological 'biases' (music genre tastes, pride of ownership, product design & branding, perceived value, etc.).
Some audiophiles may want the best measuring headphone, while others trust their ears to guide them...neither is 'wrong'. Hopefully, they are choosing to spend their hard-earned dollars in a way that brings them the most joy when they listen to music, watch movies, or are gaming.

Science has its place but it is just a means to an end...that said, I firmly believe that Headphone design / Transducer quality can impact the listening experience and is something I’m willing to pay for...if I can hear the difference.

As I'm walking down this road again with Headphones (instead of room-sized speakers), it's costing far less and I'm enjoying it way more! Further down the road, I expect I'll have a broad mix of technologies as I did before. For right now, I'm just trying to decide between rounding out my mid-range dynamic collection (880, 701, or 600) or splurging for the Holidays and getting an HE-500...whichever fork I take, it'll be fun.

Lately though, I've been spending more time listening to my $40 M80's on a Rockboxed Clip Zip than anything else. Just can't believe the sound I get for $75 out the door!

PS - which ice cream is better -- Chocolate or Vanilla?...Butter Pecan? Ben & Jerry's, Haagen-Dazs, maybe Jeni's?
 
Nov 19, 2013 at 1:20 AM Post #107 of 115
The interesting thing about headphones is that the enclosure, pads, and headphones' position on your head affects the sound. All headphones sound different even using the same drivers. Have you ever heard two headphones sound the same? 
No, I did not. Your point is a discussion subject for this child thread [click]

Flisker said:
  TOTL, let's use Beyerdynamic here since I saw you mentioned them on main post is definitely so far "best" Beyer guys could produce with best materials they have available.

As for perfect, nothing will ever be perfect, same with headphones, one will never be perfect for all kinds of music reproduction.

If anyone in sound science would be able to find "Proper info regarding how to make one headphone perfectly suited for everything" than we would already see something like Sennheiser HD-X9999 - "Cans which can play anything damn good"
The perfect headphone is the subject to another thread [click].

We have only general MYTHBUSTING regarding "tastes", "genres", "sound perception" etc. in here.

I'm not over-appreciating myself. I'm just looking for the truth. And truth is always somewhere near (c) X-Files :D
 
Nov 19, 2013 at 2:19 AM Post #108 of 115
I feel this way leads to nowhere. 
frown.gif

 
Nov 19, 2013 at 2:33 AM Post #109 of 115
I believe you mean, "The truth is out there".

My issue is that you only appear to be accepting views that match your own and discarding whatever you disagree with. Since you've admitted that you have little exposure to mid-fi and hi-fi headphones, it's difficult to understand how you'd have points of reference. There are 10,000 books out there that explain the properties of water, but it's impossible to know what being wet feels like if you've never been near it (water). Someone tells you that there are differences in audible detail between headphone drivers and no amount of EQ can make up for it, but from what I've seen you write that off as a myth without personally having tested it for yourself. To me, that doesn't come across as the pursuit of scientific fact, it appears to be more like evangelism.
 
Nov 19, 2013 at 2:34 AM Post #110 of 115
I feel this way leads to nowhere. :frowning2:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/690471/theorycrafting-the-perfect-amp
http://www.head-fi.org/t/691042/guide-the-perfect-newbie-audiophile-guide-into-sound-science
http://www.head-fi.org/t/690818/overhaul-totl-how-it-should-be-totl-true-high-end
http://www.head-fi.org/t/690441/mythbusters-white-list-of-brands-at-the-bottom-of-the-first-post-objectiveness-only-intro-to-the-sound-science-wall-of-text-thread

Really, nowhere?
Russians have a good national thought:
Patience and hard-work will win anything.

Russians and germans are always speaking about science :)
 
Nov 19, 2013 at 2:36 AM Post #111 of 115
I believe you mean, "The truth is out there".

My issue is that you only appear to be accepting views that match your own and discarding whatever you disagree with. Since you've admitted that you have little exposure to mid-fi and hi-fi headphones, it's difficult to understand how you'd have points of reference. There are 10,000 books out there that explain the properties of water, but it's impossible to know what being wet feels like if you've never been near it (water). Someone tells you that there are differences in audible detail between headphone drivers and no amount of EQ can make up for it, but from what I've seen you write that off as a myth without personally having tested it for yourself. To me, that doesn't come across as the pursuit of scientific fact, it appears to be more like evangelism.

I'm an engineer. An engineer modelates.
I know how to modelate sound perception because I know & I've felt the principle.
I understood how to receive pleasure from ANY_GIVEN genre.
That's the point. I don't have to pay 400$ to eat an ice-cream to get the idea what an ice-cream is.
 
Nov 19, 2013 at 2:40 AM Post #112 of 115
ALSO, I'VE REMEMBERED:
My music experience began with AN OLD version of S90 stereo acoustic system. It had an OLD AMP.
I just dunno how to make the analog S90 work with a digital AMP.

This thread is miscontinued. We have child threads to develop sound science the right way.
 
Nov 19, 2013 at 2:48 AM Post #113 of 115
I believe you mean, "The truth is out there".

My issue is that you only appear to be accepting views that match your own and discarding whatever you disagree with. Since you've admitted that you have little exposure to mid-fi and hi-fi headphones, it's difficult to understand how you'd have points of reference. There are 10,000 books out there that explain the properties of water, but it's impossible to know what being wet feels like if you've never been near it (water). Someone tells you that there are differences in audible detail between headphone drivers and no amount of EQ can make up for it, but from what I've seen you write that off as a myth without personally having tested it for yourself. To me, that doesn't come across as the pursuit of scientific fact, it appears to be more like evangelism.

 
Exactly
 
I'm an engineer. An engineer modelates.
I know how to modelate sound perception because I know & I've felt the principle.
I understood how to receive pleasure from ANY_GIVEN genre.

That's the point. I don't have to pay 400$ to eat an ice-cream to get the idea what an ice-cream is.
 
 

 
Nov 19, 2013 at 3:51 AM Post #114 of 115
Science is always objective. I'm an engineer, means I can be objective, if needed.
Point of my (apparent) war with the community is:
Price tag must reflect the quality.
Sound quality comes apart of build quality, just because it's a matter of tech progress.
To give SPECIALIST recommendations, we shall know ALL THE tech specifications for the desired product.

I have started to develop that point and found out that I'm beginning to understand all the genres (a friend of my is listening only bassy/trance music).
Thus, I started to destroy not only the true myths like soundstage and bathroom effect, but also:
I've managed to destroy the genre's differentiation.

Point is:
Music is music. You can't say "you love rock". Rock frequencies are the only ones you are able to understand, "feel". I know how to understand any people, any music, any science.
 
Nov 19, 2013 at 3:57 AM Post #115 of 115
Updated my response.
LANGUAGE BARRIER (RU->EN COMMUNITY) FIX FOUND!!!
MygpuK,

I grabbed the quote below from your other thread (Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1 USB Headset -- wow that's an earful!)...as I think it presents, to me, the key premise of your discussion.
"~~I'm a scientist, you know :) I suppose there is nothing in this world being subjective, only tastes and biological "specials" of given ears which result in tastes also :D We should just clear it out, when NOT using an amp, we must get a good_to_go (fully portable) product, which must fit our tastes."

Having owned several high-end audio/stereo systems at the same time (Electrostatics, Planars, & Dynamics w/Ribbon Transducers - all driven by high current/quality amps), I found that I enjoyed them equally for different reasons. Based on that experience, I would say that there is no such thing as 'one headphone for the masses'...why?
In the end, what I like in a headphone sound signature may not interest another as much as it does my 'tastes'. This has been going on for decades and will continue for many more! In fact, many of us listen to different equipment/sound-signatures based on the music genre, mood we're in, etc...did this in my stereo days as well -- The Who on Quad ESLs - yechh! Vivaldi...priceless!
One only needs to read the variety of reviews in this and other 'hi-fi' forums to understand people do 'hear' things differently -- most likely based on biological 'specials', as you put it, and also what I'll call sociological 'biases' (music genre tastes, pride of ownership, product design & branding, perceived value, etc.).
Some audiophiles may want the best measuring headphone, while others trust their ears to guide them...neither is 'wrong'. Hopefully, they are choosing to spend their hard-earned dollars in a way that brings them the most joy when they listen to music, watch movies, or are gaming.

Science has its place but it is just a means to an end...that said, I firmly believe that Headphone design / Transducer quality can impact the listening experience and is something I’m willing to pay for...if I can hear the difference.

As I'm walking down this road again with Headphones (instead of room-sized speakers), it's costing far less and I'm enjoying it way more! Further down the road, I expect I'll have a broad mix of technologies as I did before. For right now, I'm just trying to decide between rounding out my mid-range dynamic collection (880, 701, or 600) or splurging for the Holidays and getting an HE-500...whichever fork I take, it'll be fun.

Lately though, I've been spending more time listening to my $40 M80's on a Rockboxed Clip Zip than anything else. Just can't believe the sound I get for $75 out the door!

PS - which ice cream is better -- Chocolate or Vanilla?...Butter Pecan? Ben & Jerry's, Haagen-Dazs, maybe Jeni's?


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