[1TrickPony]

Water should have no flavor, but most of us don’t find this to be true. Speakers, drivers, anything used to reproduce sound should have no timbre of their own, and be fully transparent. but there is no such thing. They all add their own colorations, or “timbre“. They themselves are “instruments”.

Instruments, more akin to a scientific than a musical one, because a musical one requires to be physically modified even on a temporary basis. It's true that iems for example have no timbre.

Uh. BGGAR did not popularize "Timbre"... it's been around even before youtube even started (understatement). In fact, I even corrected Chris/BGGAR/HAWAI regarding the textbook definition of Timbre. I did him a favor, out of respect.

Basically, semantics aside, DD &BA reproduce the bass frequencies differently, which I believe, may cause a technological difference in decay and weight (aural pressure tbp). Now listening to classical with the blons is not the best way to pass judgment/ general assessment on DDs and their timbral capacity. Just to put it out there.

 

[IEMusic]

The quotations are doing a lot of work to expand the definition. Coloration is a better word to me than timbre. Is a television an instrument, but an instrument for visual information? Maybe, but only insofar as any tool can be called an instrument, and I'm talking about music.

Okay. Well, using your lingo, based on what most people are used to, via listening to dynamic speakers/moving coil transducers predominantly, the colorations of DDs tend to sound more natural to them than do the colorations of BAs.

A TV is not an instrument if you’re reserving that definition solely for sound/music. But it does produce it’s own nuances, hence different display technologies.

I personally do consider a sound transducer an instrument. Again, ideally, it wouldn’t be, and would provide 100% faithful reproduction of the recorded sound, but such a device does not exist. Every transducer produces it’s own complex harmonics that often allows one to decipher the differences between them, even if they are producing the same fundamental frequency tone.....timbre. That’s why so many types of transducers exist.

No quotation marks.

Edit: I do agree that the term “timbre” is very often misused. Maybe we should come up with a better term. I don’t really like using the term coloration for some reason. And yes, an IEM as a whole doesn’t have a timbre. Sorry for the tangent, and the quotations.

 

[dabaiyan]

I think crinacle uses tonality instead of timbre? Maybe that's easier to understand.

 

[backdrifter]

Okay. Well, using your lingo, based on what most people are used to, via listening to dynamic speakers/moving coil transducers predominantly, the colorations of DDs tend to sound more natural to them than do the colorations of BAs.

A TV is not an instrument if you’re reserving that definition solely for sound/music. But it does produce it’s own nuances, hence different display technologies.

I personally do consider a sound transducer an instrument. Again, ideally, it wouldn’t be, and would provide 100% faithful reproduction of the recorded sound, but such a device does not exist. Every transducer produces it’s own complex harmonics that often allows one to decipher the differences between them, even if they are producing the same fundamental frequency tone.....timbre. That’s why so many types of transducers exist.

No quotation marks.

Edit: I do agree that the term “timbre” is very often misused. Maybe we should come up with a better term. I don’t really like using the term coloration for some reason. And yes, an IEM as a whole doesn’t have a timbre. Sorry for the tangent, and the quotations.

It's not that I'm reserving the term for music or sound a priori, it's that an "instrument" in the context of music is a musical instrument, and a speaker is not a musical instrument to me. But to you it may be and that's fair.

Again, I think the better word might be distortion or coloration rather than timbre, but it's fair if that's the shorthand you prefer. As the other commenter said, "timbre" predates YouTube, along with IEMs/speakers/whatever. It's not like I don't know what people mean by it. As I said, it's a pedantic point, and I'm influenced by my background. But find whatever definition of timbre you like that's external to the hi-fi community and it probably won't explain it in terms of speakers.

Anyway, we are each entitled to our views and I appreciate yours.

 

[RikudouGoku]

(I dont like to spam my reviews but this is just too awesome and a hidden gem)

Intime Sora 2 review: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/intime【アンティーム】碧-sora-2.24430/reviews#item-review-24058

Grade A+

Awesome iem and my nr 1 rec for a sub 100 usd iem (its a high rec even above 100 usd).

 

[genck]

(I dont like to spam my reviews but this is just too awesome and a hidden gem)

Intime Sora 2 review: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/intime【アンティーム】碧-sora-2.24430/reviews#item-review-24058

Grade A+

Awesome iem and my nr 1 rec for a sub 100 usd iem (its a high rec even above 100 usd).

What triggered you to buy it?

 

[Q Mass]

Whenever I read comments re' timbre on Head-Fi I usually assume (perhaps incorrectly in some cases) that the term is being used to describe how well (or poorly) the ear/headphone under discussion preserves, or reproduces the timbre of the instrument being listened to.

I admit I have struggled to understand some folks comments re' timbre, especially where no specific instrument or voice is mentioned, and having read the above comments I now wonder if many are using timbre to mean something I have failed to understand all along.

To me, it seems perfectly understandable to use the word while writing about reproduction equipment, as long as it's used to refer to how well the qualities of an instrument or voice present in a recording is reproduced. Any other meaning would require an explanation of that specific use of the word for me to be able to (easily) parse the comment without confusion.

Has timbre been adopted here in audiophilia to express something specific and different to the usual dictionary definition? (I.e. The specific qualities of an instrument/voice which render it different/unique to other examples of a similar origin, e.g. two acoustic guitars playing the same note, but sounding distinct from one-another).
Serious question, it would explain my occasional difficulty.
It would be strangely appropriate if I discovered an interpretation new to me in the "Discovery thread".

 

[RikudouGoku]

What triggered you to buy it?

Just wanted to try out some japanese iems. And the "VST" driver sounded cool on paper

I ordered the Co-donguri Brass balanced, in hopes that it is also another hidden gem. (probably not though )

 

[jibberish]

Question for you: How many of you knew Little Dot made in-ears? I'll admit, amps, cd transport, dacs, sure - in-ears nope. Well they do and I recently got the chance to review all four models.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/little-dot-cu-rad.24353/reviews

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/little-dot-cu-series-wyn.24525/reviews

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/little-dot-cu-series-cen.24526/reviews

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/little-dot-cu-series-kis.24527/reviews

If you want the full sized photos or graphs, hit my blog, I just did a quick cut and paste here so they are the thumbnails.

Very intriguing. Thanks for the reviews.

 

[Darkestred]

Whenever I read comments re' timbre on Head-Fi I usually assume (perhaps incorrectly in some cases) that the term is being used to describe how well (or poorly) the ear/headphone under discussion preserves, or reproduces the timbre of the instrument being listened to.

I admit I have struggled to understand some folks comments re' timbre, especially where no specific instrument or voice is mentioned, and having read the above comments I now wonder if many are using timbre to mean something I have failed to understand all along.

To me, it seems perfectly understandable to use the word while writing about reproduction equipment, as long as it's used to refer to how well the qualities of an instrument or voice present in a recording is reproduced. Any other meaning would require an explanation of that specific use of the word for me to be able to (easily) parse the comment without confusion.

Has timbre been adopted here in audiophilia to express something specific and different to the usual dictionary definition? (I.e. The specific qualities of an instrument/voice which render it different/unique to other examples of a similar origin, e.g. two acoustic guitars playing the same note, but sounding distinct from one-another).
Serious question, it would explain my occasional difficulty.
It would be strangely appropriate if I discovered an interpretation new to me in the "Discovery thread".

This is how i interpret it when people use it but i think if i ever were to describe something using timbre no one would understand that i mean it to be how that specific instrument sounds. You can have 25 different tunings on a drumset and talk about timbre but a piccolo snare is going to sound different than a deep snare and all the different snare sizes. Same goes with toms. So, using BGGAR if he is talking about Jon Bonham's kick its going to have a different timbre than *Insert your favorite drummer*

Obviously this goes for many instruments that arent supposed to be in key (e.g. bass, guitar).

 

[IEMusic]

Whenever I read comments re' timbre on Head-Fi I usually assume (perhaps incorrectly in some cases) that the term is being used to describe how well (or poorly) the ear/headphone under discussion preserves, or reproduces the timbre of the instrument being listened to.

I admit I have struggled to understand some folks comments re' timbre, especially where no specific instrument or voice is mentioned, and having read the above comments I now wonder if many are using timbre to mean something I have failed to understand all along.

To me, it seems perfectly understandable to use the word while writing about reproduction equipment, as long as it's used to refer to how well the qualities of an instrument or voice present in a recording is reproduced. Any other meaning would require an explanation of that specific use of the word for me to be able to (easily) parse the comment without confusion.

Has timbre been adopted here in audiophilia to express something specific and different to the usual dictionary definition? (I.e. The specific qualities of an instrument/voice which render it different/unique to other examples of a similar origin, e.g. two acoustic guitars playing the same note, but sounding distinct from one-another).
Serious question, it would explain my occasional difficulty.
It would be strangely appropriate if I discovered an interpretation new to me in the "Discovery thread".

For anyone who wants to continue this conversation, I moved it to a more appropriate thread.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/random-thoughts-headphone-earphone-related.934848/post-15776785

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

For anyone who wants to continue this conversation, I moved it to a more appropriate thread.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/random-thoughts-headphone-earphone-related.934848/post-15776785

Thanks. Timbre isn't a new discovery, plus timbre is like JVC woodies. think of it that way. immaculate. Now...who's got a great new discovery and how's the timbre on it? lol ooops!!

 

[ScrofulousBinturong]

CVJ has released a new IEM on multiple shops on Aliexpress
3BA + 1DD, called the CVJ CS8
$25 USD





From the diagram, I don't think the BAs are nestled inside the nozzle (please correct me if I'm mistaken). That's a good start. Some gear like TRN VX had BA tweeters in the nozzle which were not pleasant in the treble and sibliance amount to say the least.

It seems they had a few sleeper hits in the CVJ CSN and CVJ CSA, haven't heard them, but the headfi reviews on these two sets seem to be generally positive, but not much discussion on them.

I've set up a CVJ thread here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cvj-iems-thread.938875/

If anyone has tried their gear before, please feel free to give your input, be it positive or negative. More CHIFI brands would be good for innovation and competition and possibly for us consumers. (Though admittedly it might lead to consumer fatigue seeing weekly budget hybrid releases trying to muscle in on the CHIFI pie and one can argue it is better to have a single well tuned set with lesser drivers, than a weekly multi driver monstrosity releasing and trying to throw stuff on the wall and hope it sticks!)

Sweet but not greasy? So not like krispy kreme?

 

[jant71]

CVJ has released a new IEM on multiple shops on Aliexpress
3BA + 1DD, called the CVJ CS8
$25 USD

From the diagram, I don't think the BAs are nestled inside the nozzle (please correct me if I'm mistaken). That's a good start.

Sorry but we have a dynamic clogger/closer in treble stabber there. Whichever negative terminology you prefer.

Shows on that graph which is probably worse than they render it. Probably those last two peaks.

 

[genck]

I dunno, I prefer my IEM's greasy