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Author Topic: Measurement shocker: Harman find flattest responses sound best  (Read 2164 times)

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JohnM

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Measurement shocker: Harman find flattest responses sound best
« on: December 01, 2012, 11:18:16 AM »
Harman presented an AES paper on double blind headphone measurements last month (not sure quite how 'double blind' a headphone measurement can be). http://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=16486

The Relationship between Perception and Measurement of Headphone Sound Quality
Double-blind listening tests were performed on six popular circumaural headphones to study the relationship between their perceived sound quality and their acoustical performance. In terms of overall sound quality, the most preferred headphones were perceived to have the most neutral spectral balance with the lowest coloration. When measured on an acoustic coupler, the most preferred headphones produced the smoothest and flattest amplitude response, a response that deviates from the current IEC recommended diffuse-field calibration. The results provide further evidence that the IEC 60268-7 headphone calibration is not optimal for achieving the best sound quality.
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Ringingears

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Re: Measurement shocker: Harman find flattest responses sound best
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2012, 03:20:36 PM »
I shocked, shocked to hear that gambling is.......um....that flat response sounds best.  p:8 :-0
I think I will forward this to my friends at Audeze. Might help make a very good can  (for me) become a great one.
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wiinippongamer

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Re: Measurement shocker: Harman find flattest responses sound best
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2012, 03:58:54 PM »
Kind of old news, it's been discussed extensively here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/632286/aes-2012-paper-relationship-between-perception-and-measurement-of-headphone-sound-quality/45#post_8883605

A perfect uncompensated flat response still isn't ideal, things seem to be leaning towards a (much) milder diffuse field response.
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LFF

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Re: Measurement shocker: Harman find flattest responses sound best
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2012, 04:22:28 PM »
Who would have thought?!!!?  :-00
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DaveBSC

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Re: Measurement shocker: Harman find flattest responses sound best
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2012, 08:51:13 PM »
I'm stunned. Most loudspeaker designers shoot for flat response within a targeted degree of listening axis, and yet somehow wildly inaccurate headphones don't sound good? Why on earth would that be? I thought the kids liked their bass to be jammin'? That's what Dr. Dre said...
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LFF

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Re: Measurement shocker: Harman find flattest responses sound best
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2012, 08:54:18 PM »
Quote from: DaveBSC on December 01, 2012, 08:51:13 PM
I'm stunned. Most loudspeaker designers shoot for flat response within a targeted degree of listening axis, and yet somehow wildly inaccurate headphones don't sound good? Why on earth would that be? I thought the kids liked their bass to be jammin'? That's what Dr. Dre said...

And Dr. Dre is always right. He is a Dr.!
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MuppetFace

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Re: Measurement shocker: Harman find flattest responses sound best
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2012, 10:11:51 PM »
Excessive bass is like Charybdis, sucking up everything around it and belching it up again as a mess. Excessive treble is like Scylla, ready to swoop in and cleave your head straight off. They lurk across from one another, and woe to the wayward pirate who must pass between them.
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