[whiskeyandmusic]

I'm trying to learn more about sound signatures and my own personal preferences. Are there any videos or audio files where I can listen to examples of V shaped sounds vs balanced vs warm, etc? It's helpful to read the descriptions, but I think I would have a better understanding of the lingo if I listened to examples. 

 

[ferday]

Problem being your own gear will influence the sound, so files don't make a lot of sense...if your headphones are v-shaped then a v-shaped file will be pretty extreme

Best thing to do is use an EQ on your computer, and make the sound signatures yourself....that will give you a great idea and you can use extreme EQ to really learn what the signatures mean and then go from there. Doing this will also teach you how to use EQ properly to get a true balanced sound from most headphones

 

[Jasper9395]

Hey, its really good you want to figure out what it is we are actually talking about. A lot of people read descriptions and then make assumptions about what is meant by different ways of describing/terms without ever experiencing the difference. Like you said you have to hear before you can understand them.
 
I would find a shop were they sell many different headphones and listen to them. Maybe try and read some reviews before so you can compare when you are in the shop.

 

[whiskeyandmusic]

That's a good idea. There's a place called Sound Lion where I live that has a huge variety of headphones on display to experiment with. Right now I have V-Moda M 100s, Sennheiser HD280s and Bowers and Wilkins C5s. But I'm returning the C5s to get a better IEM, which is what lead me here, but I don't think I'll get as much out of the discussions and the massive amount of info available if I don't have better comprehension of the terms. 
 
Any recordings that would be good to test the sound profiles out with? I have a pretty large CD, WAV and 320 mp3 collection. 

 

[ferday]

Take a few of your favourite recordings, the ones you know by heart and know how they "should" sound based on memory. You'll notice any EQ differences much better with these...

 

[whiskeyandmusic]

How do the recording/mastering of songs play into this? Are there any artists or songs that are known to have certain sound signatures in their recordings? 

 

[ferday]

How do the recording/mastering of songs play into this? Are there any artists or songs that are known to have certain sound signatures in their recordings? 

I'll leave this one to the recording engineers that hang about here, but my understanding is that most recordings are intended to be recorded flat. I would say that modern pop/hip hop is designed with a v-shape to emphasize the bass and vocals, where rock/metal is likely more s-shaped to emphasize the midrange guitars and vocals. Those are guesses based on generalization

I still maintain that using music you are familiar with is the best way to understand EQ changes (I.e. Sound signatures). When I audition equipment I take my favourite (well recorded) songs representing multiple genres (from bass heavy to dynamic jazz/classical and in between) so I'm more likely to notice small changes from the equipment

 

[Don Hills]

The Philips "Golden Ears Challenge" is a good resource for learning what different audio "signatures" sound like.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/702404/philips-golden-ears-challenge

 

[Jasper9395]

You should also keep in mind is that you are always listening to your gear which will effect what you hear. It is actually impossible to listen only to the recording. Even when the track was mastered the engineer was using equipment to interpret how the final product should sound. You are always listening to your gear plus the recording. This is also the problem with equipment matching, it involves a lot of playing around. You can never really listen to just the headphone. You are always listening to the recording + source component + amp + headphones and the cables in between.

 

[whiskeyandmusic]

  The Philips "Golden Ears Challenge" is a good resource for learning what different audio "signatures" sound like.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/702404/philips-golden-ears-challenge

This is awesome, thank you

 

[whiskeyandmusic]

  You should also keep in mind is that you are always listening to your gear which will effect what you hear. It is actually impossible to listen only to the recording. Even when the track was mastered the engineer was using equipment to interpret how the final product should sound. You are always listening to your gear plus the recording. This is also the problem with equipment matching, it involves a lot of playing around. You can never really listen to just the headphone. You are always listening to the recording + source component + amp + headphones and the cables in between.

Definitely. I understand that, but I still wondered if there was some type of pre-EQ'd files, videos or interactive websites like Don just linked to that would show some of the differences in sound signatures. 

 

[Jasper9395]

Yup that link is pretty cool, I've just been checking it out. Keep enjoying your wiskey and music!

 

[whiskeyandmusic]

Cheers!