[Balisarda]

As many of you know, Headroom measures frequency response for the headphones they offer. If you compare the frequency response curves of the HD 650 and the K701 as here you'll find that the K701 should have deeper, slightly louder bass than the HD 650.

Some posters report the K701 delivers deeper bass than the HD 650, but to my knowledge no poster has ever claimed the K701 produces bass as loud as the HD 650. What's going on?

 

[Killercrush]

Headroom frequency response graphs are not 100% right.

I remembered hearing that the etymotics graphs on their website for instance was not accurate, etymotics themselves demonstrated it.

I heard also from various head-fiers the same thing, their frequency response graphs means not much. I can't remember in wich thread I saw that but it's true.

Julien

 

[slindeman]

Those graphs are wrong. Sorry, but using my ears as the frequency measurement device it's not even close, and HD650 does have much more bass than K701. It is obvious when using both frequency sweeps and music. My particular K701 had much less bass than HD650, especially below 60 hz. Hope this helps!

 

[Duggeh]

The graphs cover frequency response. They do not cover tonality, which is, int he real world, far more important.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

What is "tonality"?

Stereophile says: "Tonal Quality: The accuracy (correctness) with which reproduced sound replicates the timbres of the original instruments."

Is that what you mean?

 

[Jahn]

dunno, but what sounds like Bass to my ears, the HD650 has it, the K701 doesn't.

 

[MaloS]

headroom graphs are quite odd in general.
If you look at them, there is really no qualitative difference between hd650 and h595, apart from hd595 having a flatter response (bah? hd595 kinda dips in the bass to my ears).

Edit: haha, I looked up at their graph for the Stax Omega...I am sure we can all agree it sounds better than it looks there.

 

[Hi-Finthen]

Perhaps the freq. response graphs represent "potential" of the given phones to reproduce frequencys as with bass in particular. Dependant upon associated gears rather than being etched in stone specifically as to what will be heard. I.e. Is that I can increase the bass response of my 701s with my choice of tube in the MAD and also bring the bass forward into prominence. Tell me did the frequency responce of the 701s change, or was it ever potential dependant upon my downstream gears?

 

[hilikus]

Odd that listeners think they can predict the sound of cans from freq graphs

 

[Jahn]

this reminds me of that dig the Ety guy said to the Senn rep at the National Meet after the Senn guy said colorations and peaky stuff is just part of the Senn way these days - "We know Sennheiser is capable of making a headphone with a flat frequency curve - we've tested the Orpheus."

 

[Hi-Finthen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilikus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Odd that listeners think they can predict the sound of cans from freq graphs

Especially true, when we know what will be heard is so very interdependant upon the "system" into which it is placed. Also, our own hearing so often called 'preferance' which I believe goes so much further than that. I now must conclude people hear diferently and also acclimate and accommodate, perhaps in our brain with the use of Headphones speciffically. Then this presentation become the referance by which others are judged. Or else we can conclude the fans of both the HD-650 and Grados are simply whacky because the other phone has such obvious sonic flaws, forgeting we ourselves too are a major componet in this sonic chain .

/Maybe

 

[PiccoloNamek]

Quote:

colorations and peaky stuff is just part of the Senn way these days

Colored, perhaps, but peaky? I've never heard such a thing from any Senn can.

 

[Duggeh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is "tonality"?

Tonality. The sound signature of the headphone to the ear and not the microphone. The flavour behind the sound and not its mechanical definition.

For example, all dynamic headphones share the same tonality compared to all electrostatic headphones. Despite the fact that some electrostatics may have a lower or more prominent bass than a dynamic, the dynamic still has the tonality of the dynamic bass. This is often a sticking point between the advocates of each driver. The dynamic lovers saying that stats have no bass even though it is there, because to their ears, the tonality of that bass is not compatible with what it is that their ears want or expect to be presented with.

Does that make sense?


And yeah, neutral and natural here are so often used to describe headphones which really have a sound which lacks any kind of real unique destinction. This does not mean to say that the headphone is a bad headphone, it may have excellent resolution, great bass extension, refined but not harsh treble, a good soundstage and a "sweet" midrange. However, despite all of these qualities, which are qualities of capability, it lacks qualities of destinction, which really seperate a headphone from its peers and are important in lending it real euphony. I personally place the SR-3, SR-001, K701 and HD600 into this grouping and would, I suspect, put the dt880 there too, however I have yet to hear one at this time. The Ergo 2 and HD650 I do not place in this grouping. Despite their obvious similarities in sound within that general grouping.

How much all of this interpretation of mine is destinct just to me I do not know. Perhaps other people have the same ideas, but would chose to describe them differently. To me, Euphonics is paramount. The mechanical power or capabilities of a headphone are for nought if that headphone does not play music to you in a way which is pleasing not just to your analytical powers, but to your emotions. For me, the Jecklin Float 2 only barely loses out to the Omega 2 in this regard, despite its massive shortcomings in capability.


I seem to have ranted a fair bit there....

 

[Albert]

It seems that the K701 have a serious lack of dynamics that makes for a reduced perception of bass. Hence an intentionally boosted f. r. curve.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek /img/forum/go_quote.gif Colored, perhaps, but peaky? I've never heard such a thing from any Senn can.

i believe his exact words were "peaks and valleys" - in other words, not a ruler-flat freq graph.