Sonywalkmanuser
Headphoneus Supremus
This is my main evaluation points that I came out with when it comes to auditioning of gears like DAP and Headphones. You may use any songs which are familiar to you, Hope this would serve as a guide for those who are trying to evaluate many gears at one time and trying to find out if the equipment is right for you.
Bass:
How Fast?
How Punchy?
How Weighty?
How Deep?
Any Decay? Is it too fast or too slow or just right?
Does it feel one noted?
How is the texture of the drum beats? Does it allow you to hear the difference between big and small drums
Does it showcase the skill and strength of the drummer?
How does it integrate into the midrange? Does it cause coloration of the vocals?
Vocals:
Are Female Vocals sibilant?
Are the Male Vocal throaty/Manly enough?
Are there any unusual graininess in the vocals?
How are the vocals presented in the sound stage?
Treble:
Is overly bright or too dark or just right?
Can you feel any airness?
Timbre:
Violins and Strings, does it sound silky smooth or just a blurry mess?
Piano: Does it have overtones, decays and the striking sound of hammer(in some recordings)
Guitar: Does it have Twanginess
Distortion Guitar: Is it fast enough to deliver all the nuances of the distortion?
Shaker instruments: does the sound of the beads shaking sound well defined and moving around?
Coloration:
Is it warm or neutral or cold/sterile?
Are there any parts of the frequency spectrum which stands out too much or too little? (Try playing frequency sweep)
Soundstage:
Is it 3D like? Does it present layers? How is the vocal positioned in relation to the other elements?
How much Depth?
How much Width, Is it too wide or too narrow or just right?
How much height? (this is pretty hard to identify with most ordinary gears, live recorded music is recommended)
Stereo Panning: Is the left and right channel Independent from each other?
Dynamics, Micro-detail, Timing/Speed:
Does the loud transient feel right? Is it too slow, too fast or just right?
Does Cymbals Clashes sound right? Is it overly sharp or too recessed or just right?
How is the hand-clapping sound from the audience, does it sound real? Is it blurry or well defined(texture wise)
Can you hear the "air intake/exhale" from the singer?
Does it portray the emotions(vocal chord straining) from the singer well?
Volume Control/Loudness Handling:
Does it provide enough detail when you play at very low volume levels? Any noticable hissing?
Does it distort/congest when you try to play at extreme high volume levels? (e.g. overshouty)
Equalization:
How well does it handle Equalization? Try pushing the Bass, Mids and Treble up one by one and see if the equipment distorts
And the final question would be:
Do you find the equipment to provide you with an extremely satisfying sound quality experience that you don’t wish to stop listening at all? That’s when you know this equipment is a keeper or not. Trust your own ears and instincts as everyone listens to different music genres and also have certain sound signature preferences. One man’s meat is another man’s poison applies here(pun intended).
Hope this will help you guys to find the proper gear.
Bass:
How Fast?
How Punchy?
How Weighty?
How Deep?
Any Decay? Is it too fast or too slow or just right?
Does it feel one noted?
How is the texture of the drum beats? Does it allow you to hear the difference between big and small drums
Does it showcase the skill and strength of the drummer?
How does it integrate into the midrange? Does it cause coloration of the vocals?
Vocals:
Are Female Vocals sibilant?
Are the Male Vocal throaty/Manly enough?
Are there any unusual graininess in the vocals?
How are the vocals presented in the sound stage?
Treble:
Is overly bright or too dark or just right?
Can you feel any airness?
Timbre:
Violins and Strings, does it sound silky smooth or just a blurry mess?
Piano: Does it have overtones, decays and the striking sound of hammer(in some recordings)
Guitar: Does it have Twanginess
Distortion Guitar: Is it fast enough to deliver all the nuances of the distortion?
Shaker instruments: does the sound of the beads shaking sound well defined and moving around?
Coloration:
Is it warm or neutral or cold/sterile?
Are there any parts of the frequency spectrum which stands out too much or too little? (Try playing frequency sweep)
Soundstage:
Is it 3D like? Does it present layers? How is the vocal positioned in relation to the other elements?
How much Depth?
How much Width, Is it too wide or too narrow or just right?
How much height? (this is pretty hard to identify with most ordinary gears, live recorded music is recommended)
Stereo Panning: Is the left and right channel Independent from each other?
Dynamics, Micro-detail, Timing/Speed:
Does the loud transient feel right? Is it too slow, too fast or just right?
Does Cymbals Clashes sound right? Is it overly sharp or too recessed or just right?
How is the hand-clapping sound from the audience, does it sound real? Is it blurry or well defined(texture wise)
Can you hear the "air intake/exhale" from the singer?
Does it portray the emotions(vocal chord straining) from the singer well?
Volume Control/Loudness Handling:
Does it provide enough detail when you play at very low volume levels? Any noticable hissing?
Does it distort/congest when you try to play at extreme high volume levels? (e.g. overshouty)
Equalization:
How well does it handle Equalization? Try pushing the Bass, Mids and Treble up one by one and see if the equipment distorts
And the final question would be:
Do you find the equipment to provide you with an extremely satisfying sound quality experience that you don’t wish to stop listening at all? That’s when you know this equipment is a keeper or not. Trust your own ears and instincts as everyone listens to different music genres and also have certain sound signature preferences. One man’s meat is another man’s poison applies here(pun intended).
Hope this will help you guys to find the proper gear.
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