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SanjWatsuki recently completed a survey of flagship headphone metrics replete with a grading system.
It's definitely a good idea to demand higher standards from flagship headphone manufacturers, however I think that the survey could use some fine tuning.
I'll go through a quick take of each of his criteria:
Let’s define what a flagship headphone should achieve.
It's definitely a good idea to demand higher standards from flagship headphone manufacturers, however I think that the survey could use some fine tuning.
I'll go through a quick take of each of his criteria:
Let’s define what a flagship headphone should achieve.
- Bass linearity of +-5 dB from 20hz to 100hz.
- Bass linearity is difficult to achieve, but it should be done for a flagship.
- Even reference-grade dynamics tend to have a bass roll off. If the roll-off occurs below 40hz then even -10db could be acceptable. Foster dynamics (Ol' Denon DX000 & THXXX) go for the opposite mentality of adding a bass boost. There should be a criterion which determines the maximum extent of such a boost in relation to the midrange (200hz+). If the bass bleeds over too much then the effect can be pretty nasty.
- Bass linearity is difficult to achieve, but it should be done for a flagship.
- 100dB distortion should not exceed 0.8% beyond the sub-bass frequencies.
- No flagship should have any distortion that comes close to audibility.
- OK, arguable threshold through the midrange, less so for treble.
- No flagship should have any distortion that comes close to audibility.
- 100dB distortion should not exceed 1% at 30hz.
- No flagship should have a messy bass due to distortion.
- A bit harsh on dynamics, maybe 3%?
- No flagship should have a messy bass due to distortion.
- Frequency response curve should be very smooth with any resonances being very minor -- no major dips.
- A smooth frequency response suggests few resonances. Few resonances suggests a well engineered diaphragm and enclosure.
- Please add a definition of "major". Consider where the peaks/dips occur as well as the decay time of the resonances.
- A smooth frequency response suggests few resonances. Few resonances suggests a well engineered diaphragm and enclosure.
- Very small to absolutely no dip at 70hz-150hz.
- Those resonances are caused by an interaction of the headphone cushion and your face.
- Large bumps in the frequency response at those ranges suggests a poorly engineered headphone pad or that they didn’t do their testing with the human flesh as a variable.
- These bumps are usually ~3db, are they that important? If you are accounting for the human flesh variable then comfort should be of paramount importance, even at the cost of such a bump.
- Those resonances are caused by an interaction of the headphone cushion and your face.
- Air-level treble should be no more than -15dB relative to the mid-range.
- A flagship should have excellent treble extension. Extreme treble roll-off should only exist on non-kilobuck headphones.
- Requires greater specificity and accounting for treble peaks (& the associated listening fatigue)
- A flagship should have excellent treble extension. Extreme treble roll-off should only exist on non-kilobuck headphones.
- No "wiggle" in the impedance graph.
- Wiggle suggests a poorly balanced voice coil in a dynamic headphone.
- Get that out of here if you’re a flagship.
- If the wiggle is not accompanied by a problematic resonance or major frequency response wiggle then who cares?
- Wiggle suggests a poorly balanced voice coil in a dynamic headphone.
- Nearly perfect channel balance.
- If I’m paying over $1000 for a headphone, I expect the channel matching to be as good as it gets.
- Yes. 1db through the bass & midrange, 3db through treble.
- If I’m paying over $1000 for a headphone, I expect the channel matching to be as good as it gets.
- The headphone is open or semi-open. --- Arbitrary.