Hello, i am kinda confused with this term in the world of audio. When i read a review about headphones, there will be something like "suited for fast music", "not pleasing enough for fast music", and so on. What does that mean? Thank you. Fyi i am not someone who buy high end gears. In fact, i only own <$30 Pioneer
In music, speed is often depicted by attack. For base, it is actually easier to describe by pronouncing letters. Like the "b" and the "p". B-base would be like saying a b-beat (b-b-b-b), while a p-beat would be like p-p-p-p. So it is given more weight, typically at the beginning. The sharp stress at the beginning, is an age old trick of giving music "speed". The beat might be just as fast, but the tone is different.
You also got that for cymbals, and sometimes these are hit hard, with a short hard sound. Again, plenty of attack, at the beginning. Often times, harshness is used by purpose, and this oftentimes gives the sound a hard hitting sound. You would use that for more ill tempered music, like for communicating anger. All of which humans associate with speed.
Now, for cosy music, them cymbals are struck with brushes, gently. Soft. Typically associated with moody music, and typically slow speed.
Sonicly, it is more a question if the cans can reproduce aggressive tones. Like the punsh of Metal, or the roughness of rock. This typically is determined on the ability of reproducing the tones that are hard. In particular, attack. Take a liner, and slam it into the table with a bang: To reproduce that faithfully, your sett needs a lot of attack. It needs to be able to reproduce harsh and hard hitting sounds.
Precision is not necessarily a good thing in this case. It is all about sounding raw and un-prosessed, and that is often hard for the up-tight and perfect.
I got the Nordost Heimdal2 on loan right now, and use it for the HD800. The tonality is about the same as before, but is has way more attack, or speed if you like. When playing something made for high "speed", like En Vogue "Free Your mind". It is supposed to be rough. Hard hitting. Drums are short sounding. Voices are insane, raw like nuts.
But the track is not "fast". The beat is not like super fast. It just hits it harder. And with the Heimdal, that aspect improves like crazy, yet the tonal balance remains the same. So I guess that sort of put me in disagreement with others in this thread. Just note that this is fast base, not a slappy one.
Speed is also the reasons, why some prefer the Cardas Clear over the Heimdal, as the Heimdal is stressing it more, and the Cardas is more relaxed. These are all cables for headphones, in case you did not know.
So, if you know a drummer, or some great musician, ask him how he plays soft, hard, or fast and slow. Cans are typically great on one or the other. A drummer would often even not use the stick, but this brush like thing of theirs. Then just listen in, on how your rig plays soft or hard.
If you play hard hitting music a lot, and listen to tight sounding gear, as in well controlled and a bit slow, you probably will find them musically boring for your music. If you find a rough sounding set, that would rock with that hard hitting electric guitar, you probably go: Yeah!
Just tried Yello "Oh Yeah", and the Heimdal/HD800 is too fast for that. More relaxed would be better. "The Race" by Yello sounds just perfect. Tight as fun, and fast works insane for that. For En Vogue, it really needed to loosen up, and be more rough, faster (as if that is possible).
I have never discussed this with anyone, so there probably are more elegant and precise ways of explaining this.
So, I hope this was of use for someone out there.
Now, of for some of Nero, like "The Thrill": There is nothing like hard hitting controlled anger. With deep base, hitting hard, with a ton of substance. Yeah!
