[Headphonefred]

Hi, title says it all. Thanks if you comment

 

[alv4426]

http://www.head-fi.org/a/glossary-of-terms
 
always remember google=friend 
 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Well basicly the opposite of neutral, the original signal has been twisted in a way it's not sounding as it was intended to, it can be anything like a boost or decrease in bass or mids or highs or usage of different filters/sound processings (Dolby Headphone, SRS to mention some examples) to the signal or even some devices (DACs/Amps) can color (or modify) the sound quite a bit from the original intended producer's signal.

 

[Citan]

Distorted

 

[Magick Man]

Unlike many, I like both neutral and "colored" sound. Depends on my mood. When I think of color, it's not "warm" or "cold", it's about texture and body, what I consider organic qualities. That's what I love about tube amps, you can potentially breathe life into a potentially bland recording, or take one that's very good and make it great. There are no rules with this. Sure I have good neutral SS gear for hearing a more pure form of a mix, and I do that a lot, but at the end of the day I'm plugging in to the big tubes and enjoying some ear candy.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

Distorted

To me distorted usually means a different thing, distorted sounds scratchy from amp clipping or the signal is being clipped for too much of a bump on the EQ for example. Colored may sound clean but doesn't sound like it was supposed to which doesn't have to be a bad thing either, it's more important if YOU like the colored sound or not than how it was supposed to sound like.
 

 

[Citan]

Quote:

To me distorted usually means a different thing, distorted sounds scratchy from amp clipping or the signal is being clipped for too much of a bump on the EQ for example. Colored may sound clean but doesn't sound like it was supposed to which doesn't have to be a bad thing either, it's more important if YOU like the colored sound or not than how it was supposed to sound like.
 

I think the term distortion has a fairly concrete definition which leaves little room for subjective interpretation.  Distortion is an alteration of the original signal, colored sound fits this definition.

 

[TMRaven]

So. If a driver was designed for a u-shaped frequency response, and faithfully plays it with absolute clarity and minimum harmonics, it's a distorted sound? Sounds iffy to me. To me distortion is just a bunch of unwanted thd and imd, while clipping is clipping.

 

[acef2]

Quote:

So. If a driver was designed for a u-shaped frequency response, and faithfully plays it with absolute clarity and minimum harmonics, it's a distorted sound? Sounds iffy to me. To me distortion is just a bunch of unwanted thd and imd, while clipping is clipping.

Yes, this is still distortion.
Technically, everything that alters the shape/sound of the original signal can be called distortion. This isnt always bad however; many (not all) people appreciate "tube-sound" (a pleasurable form of distortion), while most do not like audible clipping. Even EQing is a form of distortion.

So yes, coloured sound is distorted sound.

 

[TMRaven]

I don't see it as distortion at all. If something plays a certain way natively due to its construction and/or form factor, then it's playing it faithfully without any distortion. We're not talking about tube coloration, but a speaker's native sound.

By your logic, digitally EQ'ing a DT990 to have a more linear frequency response is less distortion than playing the same DT990 without EQ.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Same, I don't see colored same as distorted and I certainly haven't seen any set-in-stone rules for this being the rule either. I gladly would see some references for that if you think otherwise, a forum "glossary" doesn't count.
 
Distortion I see more like unwanted change/noise to to a signal which is bad in all circumstances while colored may even be wanted/positive in some cases such as "tube-sound" for some people. Amps could be adding more warmth or more brightness but I wouldn't classify that as distortion, then nearly all equipment would concidered "distorted" What ISN'T distorted in that case then?

 

[acef2]

If you have headphones that emphasizes bass they are still distorting the original sound information, even if we (usually) like it. Motion blur in video games are also a form of distortion -- even if rarely spoken of as such.

Wikipedia has a fairly good article on distortion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distortion


(Also, noise and distortion are two separate phenomenons).

(I think amplifiers should be kept out of this discussion because it will leave to flame-war and locked thread, mark my words).

 

[Headphonefred]

Slightly off topic, but how coloured are the Grado sr80is? Im thinking off getting them.

 

[maverickronin]

Very.
 
They can be fun though.  Depends on your tastes.

 

[proton007]

If your headphones favour bass/treble, its ' frequency distortion' as some comments say. 
Tubes add 2nd/3rd/4th/Nth order harmonics, that is also 'harmonic distortion'.
All these represent colored sound.