[naike]

Hey.
I tried to search google and wikipedia, and even here, but I just didn't find an answer to my question.
What is distortion, when speaking of headphones?
Is it when I'm e.g. watching a movie, and there happens an explosion, and my bass would be kind of buzzing?

Sorry for a stupid question.

And hey btw, I just joined head-fi, and got my first headphones. (HD 555)

 

[ford2]

Google.speaker distortion causes - Google Search

 

[naike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ford2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Google.speaker distortion causes - Google Search

(After reading a couple of those results)

I'm not looking for the cause, I need to know what it is.
I'm not sure what distortion is, I mean, I do in other stuff, but not when talking about headphones.

 

[leeperry]

Total harmonic distortion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quote:

Lesser THD allows the components in a loudspeaker, amplifier or microphone or other equipment to produce a more accurate reproduction by reducing harmonics added by electronics and audio media.

 

[Brian_the_King]

I'm sure a member of the "headphone > speakers" school will soon enter to tell us that a high quality headphone rig lacks any audible distortion, although that said I honestly do not know how to answer your question.

Headphone drivers move very little, if at all depending on the sort of driver used, so I'm honestly unsure what the reason is for low quality headphones with distorted bass or how much high quality phones even audibly distort when separated from the system chain (in other words, if one ignores any distortion from the electrical outlet, any power supplies, amplifier stage etc.)

 

[leeperry]

the higher grade the drivers, the less distorted they sound...and when you match very high grade drivers and good amplification, you get what ppl refer to as "taking the headphones off your head"...you're just hearing the music, it flooooooows from one ear to the other, mostly distortion isn't a brickwall between you and the music anymore.

 

[naike]

Hmm.
I dont know how to put my question so you get what i mean.

I theoretically know what it is, but i dont know "how it sounds". I just want to know what it is so i can see if my hd555 have distortion.
Ive always thought that distortion is that buzzing/fuzzing noise/anomalie that occurs sometimes when you eg boost low freqs in the eq abd listen so some sick techno music.

 

[paulb09]

I don't really know to be honest. As others have commented, headphones at these levels are hard to gauge in terms of distortion, especially considering all the other components in the chain, and one of the biggest distorters, which is music itself. A lot of modern music is distorted. When you EQ the bass up on digital music, you're effectively altering the wave so it clips, which produces the distortion sound you're talking about. Poorly mastered music does the same (though usually not on as high a level depending on the EQ facility at hand). Whether a headphone driver with a lot of distortion produces the same kind of sound I don't know.

 

[Clarkmc2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by naike /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ive always thought that distortion is that buzzing/fuzzing noise/anomalie that occurs sometimes when you eg boost low freqs in the eq abd listen so some sick techno music.

The golden rule of listening to sound quality is: everything sounds great until you hear something better. As a practical matter, using well recorded acoustic music and comparing it to live listening of the same type of music could be considered a gold standard. In such circumstances it is much easier to detect differences - how much the playback deviates from the live experience or from listening to the same recordings on other headphones, amps, sources, and so on - than when listening to amplified or synthetic music.

"Differences" equal distortion. You can't improve a source re: its signal. You can only pass it on undistorted or add distortion.

 

[Bradan]

Distortion can sound like a clip, pop, fart, burp, hissiness etc.

This is an extreme case:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kji0TPc20I

 

[naike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bradan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Distortion can sound like a clip, pop, fart, burp, hissiness etc. This is an extreme case: YouTube - Harmon Kardon Speaker Distortion/Clipping and Free-Air Excursion

Thanks, this is what I was looking for.

Well, at least I got some extra knowledge

 

[Clarkmc2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by naike /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks, this is what I was looking for. Well, at least I got some extra knowledge

I'm sorry, I thought you were talking about high fidelity. Gross distortion, what you are referring to, would be something that sounds like it does not belong there. Anything having nothing to do with the music.