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Author Topic: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.  (Read 10270 times)

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Marvey

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2012, 01:56:05 AM »
Meant to follow up on this earlier.

Some measurements applied in certain ways IMO correlate to detail retrieval. Key word is correlate. So there are definitely exceptions:
  • Elevated 4-5kHz increases perceived detail or edge.
  • Elevated 10-11kHz increases perceived definition.
  • Low noise floor / clean decay on CSDs, especially in lower treble between 6kHz to 9kHz = highly resolving. This obviously makes sense in the time domain - sounds die out ASAP and don't linger so as to not mask the next originating sounds.
  • Low distortion = cleaner sound = higher resolution. This obviously makes sense in the frequency domain. No extraneous sounds playing at the same time masking the original sounds.
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Marvey

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #11 on: October 23, 2012, 01:59:20 AM »

[Again, IMO, the area between 6kHz and 9kHz is most important for assessing detail retrieval, although the influence of other areas should be noted too]
  • HD800 CSD with floor at -60db. With elevated treble and cleanest decay in the 6-9k region, there's a reason why the HD800 is considered a very resolving headphone.
  • AD2000 CSD with floor at -60db. Very fast decay, actually initally faster than HD800, does the floor doesn't quite stay as clean as the HD800.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2012, 02:14:39 AM by purrin »
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Marvey

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #12 on: October 23, 2012, 02:07:11 AM »
  • Grado RS1 -60db floor
  • Beyer T1 -60db floor (yeah - ever wonder why T1's aren't considered by many to be that resolving? Simply not in the same league as the other TOTL 'phones?)
« Last Edit: October 23, 2012, 02:15:29 AM by purrin »
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Marvey

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #13 on: October 23, 2012, 02:08:15 AM »
  • Ultrasone Pro900 -60db (I'm sure there are 'phones that resolve worse, but this is a good example.)
  • LCD3 -60db (highly capable, but the the treble roll-off does not help perceived detail retrieval.)
« Last Edit: October 23, 2012, 02:15:45 AM by purrin »
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Marvey

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #14 on: October 23, 2012, 02:21:25 AM »
Spider Powerforce Headphones (trust me - these are not resolving at all)

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omegakitty

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #15 on: October 23, 2012, 03:04:43 AM »
Do you happen to have one of the 009 at -60 dB?
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Marvey

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #16 on: October 23, 2012, 03:12:12 AM »
Here it is. Not as clean as the HD800. The hash of the STAX electrostatics I've seen in ribbon tweeters. Unfortunately I don't have harmonic distortion, which I'm almost certain is much better than the HD800's results.

It's never one measurement which gives the total picture.

Powered optimally, I still feel the HD800 exhibits a smidgen better "plankton" than the SR009, but in a fuzzy way. However, the SR009 is so much cleaner and gets "out of the way" better. If you look at things carefully the SR009 does have overall decay faster despite the hash.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2012, 03:29:01 AM by purrin »
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TMRaven

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #17 on: October 23, 2012, 03:35:20 AM »
You showed us some remarkably clean plots of the HE-6 at -55db.  How does its -60db compare to the HD800?
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Marvey

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #18 on: October 23, 2012, 03:45:59 AM »
HE6. The "ortho wall of ringing effect" at 5.5kHz is partially a measurement artifact and much more benign that it appears.
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TMRaven

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Re: Measuring detail retrieval/level and sound-stage/imaging.
« Reply #19 on: October 23, 2012, 03:59:26 AM »
Looks as though it's one of the few headhpones that's able to match the low noisefloor and resolving ability of the HD800, as far as this one facet of measurement is concerned.
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