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Author Topic: Pyrate Glossary  (Read 2611 times)

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graean

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Pyrate Glossary
« on: May 29, 2015, 06:11:44 AM »

Technicalities Vs. Tonal Balance

Some pyrates only care about achieving correct tonal balance. Others are more concerned with technical ability. The truth is most are somewhere in between, with different thresholds of acceptance. For example, certain pyrates want the best technicalities that can be had so long as nothing major is effed in in the frequency response (+/- 5dB). Others want to have a certain tonal balance (e.g. bassy, flatness) and are willing to accept technical pitfalls for the purpose of their perfect sound profile

Technicalities: A multitude of performance aspects, including but not limited to:

•   Macrodynamics/Microdynamics
•   Impact
•   Plankton/Low-level detail/Resolution
•   Clarity
•   Soundstage
•   Imaging
•   Engagement or Involvement or X factor

Tonal Balance: Amplitude of each frequency band in relation to each other. C asily represented with your typical frequency response plot. The easiest and most obvious aspect of the sound signature. See the chart below for a basic definition of tonal qualities.

http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm

Side note on Driver Technology:

Many pyrates tend to find that dynamic headphones (voice coil) sound punchier and sharper in initial attack, overshooting somewhat. Planars, on the other hand, are faster in attack and decay and hold the sustain longer (which can make them sound full, especially noted in the bass and mids) and most of the time, depending on the damping, overshoot less. But the housing resonances and in most cases driver tension (see post "A note on the ortho wall") causes ringing problems, of which can be somewhat alleviated by good backwave damping behind the driver and reflection damping in sides of the earpad. Electrostat in particular are said to have an exponential attack and decay with a more brief sustain, causing what some Stax haters call an “ethereal” sound.

While voice coils do tend to handle dynamics better, planars (in particular, electrostats) tend to have the advantage of sounding cleaner and more clear than their dynamic counterparts. Dynamics can add a certain “grain” to the sound. Electrostats have a unique ability to separate instruments from each other and image them precisely in the soundstage. Whether the presence or absence of this grain is a coloration is still highly contested by pyrates.

Ethereal articulation cause ethereal images, and such headphones include all Stax and the HE1000. The sound envelope applies to all frequencies so tonal balance contributes to articulation as a complex tone evolves and devolve through its timbre. The best articulation for audio reproduction is a tossup between planar and dynamics, since stats in general carry the ethereal coloration. Damping plays a huge role. It must modulate the air flow form excursion and rarefraction by increasing the effective surface area (to absorb and damp the resulting forces of the excited air) while not obstructing the driver. An obstructed driver can come off as hollow or rolled off in the bass, or piercing in the mids or treble.

OJ’s argument:
The Stax provide more of that due to their ultra-clean and synthetic plastic timbre. And possibly slight FR accentuation in the upper mids. NOT treble spikes that "enhance" detail. This isn't even worth addressing...none of us think Grados, AT's, etc. are resolving. You can't add reso lution by EQing the treble up. NOT "speed". Things can attack really fast and then decay really quickly and evenly, but still be missing all of that musical information beneath and around it. It IS the ability to portray information on the recording. The ability to render the picture/frame in its entirety if we want to use the video analogy. It's not a big leap to extend that definition to include both microdetail (plankton, inner-whatever, etc) and spatial information (ambient cues, precise imaging, etc.) Applies to headphones, DACs, amps. HD650 (~2014) > Stax Lambda

n3dling’s argument:
I think the main reason I prefer electrostats is the grain issue actually.  I didn't hear it before, but when I listen to electrostats exclusively, it's really evident to me anytime I listen to a dynamic.  I hear grain in the mids as well and I have no idea what causes it.  It can't be FR related because it's there regardless of FR.  I actually think it has to do with transient response, as the faster headphones have less grain to my ears. For example, the HD800 and Qualia have the least amount of grain of any dynamic I've heard, and the orthos are also pretty good in this regard. The worst was probably the Ed9 or DT48.

My top priorities have always been midrange tonality and driver transparency.  A speaker can have bass and treble roll off but have a great midrange and I'll still love it (ESL 57/ Stax Sigma).  I rarely find the roll off to be a problem.  Compare that to something with roll off and shitty midrange tonality (DT48) and I'll hate it.  When I say driver transparency, I'm trying to describe the ability of the transducer to 'disappear'.  I don't want to be aware of the transducer at all, but this is really hard to pull off.  This is sometimes described as "sound coming out of thin air" and electrostats usually excel at this.  That's a big part of why I prefer electrostats so much. 



GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Articulation: ability of a driver to reproduce any sound impulse. Clean articulation allows for solid images. Fast articulation allows for more detailed images.

Attack: initial rise in the sound envelope. See sound envolope.
Example: A fuzzy attack is like the HE1000. The HD800 has a very sharp attack

Bass: 20Hz-200Hz.

Blackness or blackground: A sort of contrast ratio that exist with audio signals. A system with good blackground will be arise from nothingness and decay back into black. A poor blackground will contribute to fuzzy images that are hard to deliniate around the edges.

Channel matching: Any SPL difference between the left and right channels of a system. Can be narrow band (a peak/dip or dip that shows up on one channel but not the other) or wide band (the whole spectrum is evenly pushed up or down).
Details: Imbalances can be caused by differing resistance/capacitance in the wiring to each driver. Or driver membrane defects (thickness, glue, weight, impurity like dust on the membrane). Or differing housing, seal, damping, or rigidity. Or (for electronics) differences in component (transistor/tube/resistor/capacitor) tolerances.

Clarity: Ease in presenting a sonic characteristic i.e. soundstage, imaging, instrument timbre, plankton.

Comb filtering: the same frequency produced from an area landing at slightly different times at the ear. Contributes to clearer imaging at expense of fidelity. Certain planar drive technologies have been demonstrated to have a comb filtering effect in the treble due the large vibrating surface.

Compressed:

      1. Lacking dynamic swing.
      2. Can also refer to dynamic range compression, which is a different sort of effect


Cohesion: oneness of the sound. Smooth FR tends to be a prerequisite. Multi-driver systems tend to lose points in this category   
Example: Cohesion between bass and mids creates a soothing, intimate, natural sound, like the LCD2. Cohesion between mids and treble creates a tactile and immediate vocal, as in the case of the SR009.

Damping: Simply put, damping removes energy from a given system. Damping can be used in front of driver, though fabrics and earpads and distance, or behind the driver with a closed or open back, or to the sides of the driver, separating the two spaces.
Detail: Impossible to understate its effect for the driver to function. Damping materials include air (enclosed partially or completely, or through a selectively permeable membrane), plastic, rubber, plasticine and putty, foam, fiberglass, cotton materials, wood, and fabrics. Fabrics vary in weave, individual thread permeability and surface area, density, weight, compliance, material stength, and ease of mounting (by glue or otherwise). All damping will change the internal volume of the headphone. A badly damped headphone has spikes and ringing, and isn't resolving, like the Koda. An over/misdamping headphones has roll off, bloat in bass, or treble/high mid spikes, as is the case with the HD650's treble and bass, although overall it is a well damped phone. A well damped phone has good articulation and FR, and likely low sensitivity (and increasing noise isolation) as a result. Damping methods differ between driver types. We see planars of the HiFiMan use stricly air damping with very little cloth while Audeze uses a more closed chamber and foam. Dynamics usually have fiberglass or felt directly in the driver right behind the membrane. Stats have fiberglass and rubber seals. It is usually best to leave stock damping in place, or to add on to it, in order to linearize FR, as the headphone gains increased precision in articulation.

Decay: decrease in amplitude after impulse reaches its peak. Fast decay being a prerequisite for good soundstage. See sound envelope.

Definition : In terms of technicalities, a fine-ness of which an image is projected. The video analogy is appropriate in this case.

Detail retrieval: ability to pick up microdetail that is on the recording. Not to be confused with macro-detail or clarity. See plankton.
 
Dynamics: ability to reproduce a larger range and finer delineation of micro and macro details, preferably in coexistence. A system with good dynamics will be able to swing from soft to loud with authority and ease.

Extension: to extend from lowest and highest bands of the spectrum. Generally requires good frequency response below 50Hz and above 12k

Harmonics: the overtones of an instrument that give its identity or timbre.

Imaging: ability for an instrument, vocal, etc. to occupy its place in the soundstage. Connected to clarity and soundstage.

Impact: usually refers to bass slam, but can also refer to how well walls of sound shoot up quickly and then disappear, much like physical impact. Felt in the ears as a tickling, electrifying sensation, which is the inner ear tightening up (the hairs) in reaction to the sound. Not exclusive to the bass region. See macrodynamics.

Isolation: Reducing (or damping) external sound. Generally used to refer to closed back headphones or IEMs.

Low/micro level detail: See plankton

Macrodetail: Changes in dynamics on the loudest scale

Microdynamics:

Midrange: 200-2000. Often the melody and heart of music, as such, the most present sound in a recording.

Neutrality: Adherence to flat frequency response, as determined in mixing and mastering studios

Plankton: The littlest fish in the sea. The music can be thought of as a sea that is always in flux. The tides on the top (macrodynamics) crash back and forth with mucho gusto. Meanwhile, the eddy currents and turbulence beneath (microdynamics) catch the plankton and serve it for dinner
Detail: clarity, speed, and ability for finer delineation in the articulation of low level information. Effortlessness at the microlevel

Presence: Tonally, the 2k-6k region. Technically, imaging or clarity qualities.

Reflection: When an traveling sound wave hits a boundary, there is a reflection at the incident angle. Relevant when discussing room acoustics, headphone damping, etc.

Resolution: NOT macro-clarity. See low-level detail and plankton.

Resonance: When a system stores energy, either at a specific frequency or over a wide bandwidth. Resonances are a natural part of any musical signal, however resonances imparted by the playback system are not good sounding

Roll-off: Antonym of extension

Seal: compliance of the pads to form an airtight seal both where the pad meets the head, and also throughout the pad surface and where the pad meets the driver. Pushing down pads on your head with music playing can reveal issues with seal at all areas of the pad, but also changes distance to driver and thus damping by air space. Seal changes internal air damping.

Separation: The ability to delineate between discrete entities in the signal.

Sound Envelope : The attack (which rises to the peak), then decay (which falls from the peak), sustain (which holds the signal relatively constant), and finally the release where the signal falls back to zero


Soundstage or Staging: The ability to recreate the sound field realistically. Can be described in terms of width, depth, height, spheres, and blobs.

Spatial cues: sense of space of an instrument, usually provided by the room and its many reflections. Related to soundstage and microdetail.

Speed: The ability for a system to respond quickly to the musical signal. See attack and decay.

Sustain: holding a signal after the attack and decay. See sound envelope.

Synergy: combining distinct qualities to achieve an overall system that is greater than the sum of its parts

Texture: The sound of a frequency band in itself. Related to timbre.
   Example: Gritty, grainy, plasticky, artificial, muddy, etc.

Tonality or Tone: Relation of each frequency band (bass, mid, treble) to each other. Distinct from texture.

Transparent: Meaningless term without context. Nothing is transparent.

Treble: 2k-20k.

Wire-with-gain: See Transparent.
 

Specific Descriptors

Airy: Tends to b e indicated by extended and even response above 10k. See upper treble.
Analytical: Bright leaning or lack of bass. Opposite of warm.
Boomy: Emphasis on mid-bass. Sometimes an underdamped, slow decaying bass, typically accompanied by harmonic distortion.
Bright: Accentuated treble region or upward tilt in frequency response.
Clarity: Immediate and easy quality. Lack of grain or other texture colorations. See transparent.
Closed: lacking flatness from mid-mids and onward. Prevents instruments from attacking/decaying properly through their harmonics.
Congested: small soundstage caused by long decay in bass or mids, or lack or treble. See closed.
Cuppy: like the sound when you speak into a cup.  Suggests a small, reflective/resonant space. A coloration in the midrange.
Dark: Opposite of bright. Downward tilt in frequency response.
Dead: Severe lack of macro and micro dynamics. Boring. Can also be associated with a dark sound.
Diffuse: attack and decay are more drawn out than they ought to be. Can give the impression of a larger stage at the expense of precision
Dry: A textural coloration that can exist on the midrange. Music is cut short prematurely without needed harmonics.
Etch: Uncontrolled, undamped overly excited treble. Also excessive delineation or overly sharp transients.
Euphonic: emotionally involving by being warm, excessively sweet. Not faithful reproduction but enjoyable.
Face tweeter: treble louder, and unbalanced(causing discomfort, pain) than the rest of the frequency. HD700, stock HD800, certain Grados
Flabby: See boomy. A lack of control but less impactful.
Forward: Upper-mid or lower treble accentuation.
Fun: Tends to refer to a V-shaped signature with exaggerated bass and treble
Fuzzy: Lack of resolution or precision in imaging.
Grain: Textural coloration that can apply itself to midrange and treble. Like adding a layer of dirt to the music.
Hollow: lack of frequencies at/near and above fundamentals
Hot: Excess. Usually in conjunction with upper midrange or treble, .e.g hot treble.
Laid back: de-emphasis of upper midrange / presence region and sometimes treble.
Liquid: A smooth and coherent quality. Easygoing but simultaneously detailed.
Lush: Pleasant midrange coloration which emphasizes fundamentals. Usually accompanied with extra warmth and reduce presence.
Muddy: Lack of bass accuracy. Tends to be indicated by harmonic distortion
Nasal: similar to being cuppy, emphasis from 500 to 700Hz.
Open: having flatness from midrange and onward, with little enough distortions to allow a sense of ambiance
Overdamped: Too short of a decay. Can make bass sound dead
Piercing: high mids and treble spikes.
Plasticky: Overly smooth and unnatural timbre. Overtones lacking tactility.
Rough: peaks and dips, often near another, in addition to ringing and smaller dips/peaks.
Rubbery: Bass that lacks impact. Either the fault of driver technology or housing design/damping (includes earpads).
Sharp: good in reference to fast frequency response and decay. Bad in reference to narrow treble spikes that cause fatigue
Shrill: hollow except also hot/bright. Imagine a screeching harpy
Smooth: Tonally, good when even and continuous frequency response. Technically, bad when glosses over plankton  ...
Splashy: high mids, low treble loudness. Similar to siblance, except a little lower in frequency (or rather, slightly warmer)
Thick: bass or mids that decay slowly or one-note. Lack of pitch differentiation.
Thin: lacking bass or low mids.
Tight: Well controlled and articulated. Generally refers to bass. Opposite of loose.
Underdamped: long decay. See boomy.
Veiled: Lack of articulation
Warm: Accentuated bass and lower mids. An enveloping, sometimes muddy, sound. Opposite of analytical.
Weighty: with lower frequencies more present
Wet: Extra reverb and harmonics added. Opposite of dry.
Woolly: ill defined, lacking frequencies at and then around the fundamental tone.

Further Discussion:
Damping: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,956.0.html
          In regard to RD's T50RP: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,135.20.html
Detail Retrieval, Soundstage, and Imagaing: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,593.0.html
Dynamic Range and Perceived Detail of Headphones: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2456.0.html
Grain: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,99.0.html
Impression of Frequency Ranges: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2092.0.html
Most Tonally Balanced Headphones: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,1478.10.html
Neutrality and Non-resonance: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,407.0.html
Plankton Detection of Dynamic Vs Planar: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2347.0.html
Plankton and Microdetail: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,1856.0.html
« Last Edit: August 03, 2015, 05:43:10 AM by graean »
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OJneg

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Re: Audio Terms Glossary Prototype
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2015, 02:35:49 PM »

I was going to raid Stereophile's glossary and pick out all the useful terms and redefine them for our purposes. It's a good start. Thanks.  :)p3

http://www.stereophile.com/reference/50/
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insidious meme

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Re: Audio Terms Glossary Prototype
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2015, 04:13:04 PM »

Maybe changstar should start a faq area for n00bs. This would be a great topic to put there.
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graean

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Re: Audio Terms Glossary Prototype
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2015, 01:41:34 AM »

A noob section would kinda go against the purpose of changstar, which a place for people to clarify hyped, or hotly contented subjects, rather than to cater to unfiltered/revised/thought-out discussion. But the link the stereophile's glossary I've never browsed before, and is useful for seeing how the internet and vocal audio community talk. I'm ordering a proper audio dictionary, to get a more authoritative perspective for myself. A noob section at Changstar would be, at best, a kind of summary of conclusions on audio principles, much like there already is for gear with Pyrate's Booty. Well, we already have the general advice thread, so that is probably the most noobish/non-premeditated/non structured part of the site. And don't we have the Soapbox?
« Last Edit: May 31, 2015, 08:28:34 PM by graean »
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Deep Funk

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Re: Audio Terms Glossary Prototype
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2015, 06:43:30 AM »

We can actually develop a logical system to give each term in place in the experience of audio goodness or audio awfulness.
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OJneg

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Re: Audio Terms Glossary/Essays Prototype
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2015, 08:43:53 AM »

I did a lot of editing. Feel free to contest and add definitions in this thread. I will add accordingly. Let's keep this going guys.
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Anaxilus

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Re: Audio Terms Glossary/Essays Prototype
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2015, 01:11:23 AM »

Might have some sub categories.

How about blackness, blackground or black background? Almost like TV contrast ratio and absolute black levels but for audio. I think you can have a great sense of clarity and lack of veil or haze but have a less than black or greyish sounding background. Sort of like painting a very precise and immaculate painting on a slightly dirty canvas. Whereas clarity and veil would be haze over the paint as well if that makes sense.

Tone color as part of or expanded upon in tonality? How accurate and distinct each instrument sounds itself apart from other instruments in tone. I like color as it sort of references gamma or color gamut which people can get a grasp on.

How about micro transients, micro dynamics or low level articulation. Not just plankton as resolution of details but the ease, speed and clarity in articulation of low level signals. Effortlessness on the micro level.

Some people also use laid back wrt sound stage placement being pushed back. Mistakenly imho, but it happens nonetheless.

Forms of Compression as in dynamic (Dead) or tone color. Can include data and loudness wars in addition to the sub categories. A recent audio article linked here confused the latter two with each other.

I would also include plasticky as having an overly and unnaturally smooth texture and tone. Liquid is similar but different. I'd need to think about how to delineate those. Maybe one is more broadband and the other narrow.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2015, 01:36:17 AM by Anaxilus »
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Marvey

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Re: Audio Terms Glossary/Essays Prototype
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2015, 01:40:20 AM »

I have some changes... making edits
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drfindley

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Re: Audio Terms Glossary/Essays Prototype
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2015, 06:44:05 AM »

While alphabetical is great, it seems that some of these terms might make more sense organized by tone. And even there, it might help to group opposites: like tight vs. boomy bass. The more context one can see around these terms, the more expressive their meaning will be.
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OJneg

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Re: Audio Terms Glossary/Essays Prototype
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2015, 06:45:28 AM »

While alphabetical is great, it seems that some of these terms might make more sense organized by tone. And even there, it might help to group opposites: like tight vs. boomy bass. The more context one can see around these terms, the more expressive their meaning will be.

Feel free to edit all of that :D
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