[b0ck3n]

Yeah the ES5's the one I use and it's extremely detailed and noise free, without smoothing things out but at the same time it doesn't shove it in your face either. I would love to see it properly measured one day, I asked Tyll if he'd run mine through his testing regiment, but he feared the custom tips might not fit his equipment. Regardless, the ES5s truly bring out the subjectivist in me and I just love everything they do, on every occasion.

 

[BlackbeardBen]

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I'm not sure.  I think its likely non-harmonic, but that it is correlated to the signal somehow.  Probably some kind of inter-modulation distortion.  As a physical system, I don't really think it would be properly captured by a signal that seems more suited to testing amps like what I think is going on at Ryu's site.
 
The funny thing is I don't think I'd hear grain from any of those 'phones on that chart.  I've heard the HE-6 and HD800 and I didn't hear any.  I've never heard the Lady Gaga but I do have an MTPG which is probably pretty similar but I don't hear any grain from that either.  Its as smooth as butter.
 
Maybe its that "cone break-up" thing that made Senn punch a hole in the middle of the HD800s driver.  I think a tiny DD like in an IEM won't have as much of that problem.  Its been a while, but IIRC the HD800 probably has the least grain of any full size dynamic I've ever heard.
 
While we're comparing driver tech, IME BAs do a great job here as well.  I haven't heard nearly as many IEMs as I have full size 'phones the few I've heard were grain free as well.

Well, it definitely is signal correlated - louder music has more grain.
 
What about phase distortion?  If you have a particular instrument playing and all the harmonics of the instrument are out of phase with each other (which in itself shouldn't be audible as absolute phase is unimportant), you're introducing another potential source of IMD on top of those already present.
 
 
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I've heard even fewer DD IEMs than BA IEMs.  Only two, I think (was the E2c a DD or a BA?) and the E2c was so long ago I don't really remember what it sounded like.  Especially, because it was before I was really into audio so I didn't analyze it or bother to remember the details.
 
The ES5 demo I heard was also amazingly grain free without smoothing over details like my SE530s do a little and the MTPGs do quite a bit.

The E2c was a dynamic driver.  They're the only IEMs I've listened to, and they were the first serious headphones I bought.  I'd say they're not dissimilar to a lower-quality, less-bass IEM version of the HD 600.  At least that's what they sound like to me...  I have no recollection of perceived grain.
 

 

[maverickronin]

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Well, it definitely is signal correlated - louder music has more grain.
 
What about phase distortion?  If you have a particular instrument playing and all the harmonics of the instrument are out of phase with each other (which in itself shouldn't be audible as absolute phase is unimportant), you're introducing another potential source of IMD on top of those already present.

Maybe.  Don't those rounded off square waves indicate poor phase alignment or am I to tired to be trying to think this through.