CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Lobby => Headphone Measurements => Topic started by: Hands on January 14, 2015, 12:44:27 AM
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Hey Pyrates, I am in need of assistance and would really value your opinions on something. And I would especially appreciate it since there are probably better things you could be doing with your free time.
I have taken and compiled 8 various headphone measurement methods for a couple sample headphones, some methods being very similar and some very different, and want to gather opinions on which method(s) folks think look the closest to how they hear the headphone (even if none look close in your mind, just whichever is closest). I suppose you can evaluate the headphone and compare to these measurements via music, sine wave generators and sweepers, or by looking at pictures of the headphones you find online and going off gut feelings. I will be taking your opinions into consideration for future headphone measurements.
I am purposely going to be vague on what I'm doing differently with these, if anything at all in some methods compared to my "old" way, to avoid influencing your opinion in any way. The methods are in a sort of random order. I know this might be a bit mind numbing, but one tip I can offer to help make things easier and to help with back-to-back comparisons is to right click each image and open them in a separate browser tab.
First up is the AKG K7XX, just the left channel. What do you think? Next post will be the HD650. I have my own thoughts on these but will withhold them for now. Figured I'd ask before I drive myself too crazy flip-flopping and nitpicking.
(Model, Method...same thing...no idea why my dumb brain used a different term.)
Mentioned below and to help save your brain: As someone asked, you can cut these down to methods 1, 2, and 3 if all 8 are giving you headaches. Those three are what I'm primarily interested in. You can think of most of the others, except for one, as some sort of combination of these three that might hold value...really for crazy people like me that want to split hairs or for the random chance that some individual feels very strongly about one of these due to some minute difference.
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This is the stock HD650. Newer revision, so don't use for the older HD650 models. I don't expect any of these to exactly match my original, stock HD650 measurements due to changes in pad deformation and clamping amount - though I did try to adjust clamp to as close as stock as possible.
Again, which of these, if any, looks closest to how you hear the headphone?
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Keeping in mind that I've more experience with the HD6xx versions, I've decided to comment on the first set:
1. no
2. no/maybe (seems exaggerated and shifted in frequency)
3. maybe, leaning to yes (simplest way of thinking about the HD650: smooth response, not as much air as suggested by some of the other graphs)
4. no - haven't heard the 5khz spike
5. slightly better than #2, so maybe
6. maybe, again, what's causing the 5khz?
7. maybe/yes. taking less minor funky dips as a good sign
8. no
Waiting on getting the K7XX before looking over the second set.
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Out of the first 3 techniques, the #3 looks to be most indicative of how I hear each of those headphones.
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As someone asked, you can cut these down to methods 1, 2, and 3 if all 8 are giving you headaches. Those three are what I'm primarily interested in. You can think of most of the others, except for one, as some sort of combination of these three that might hold value...really for crazy people like me that want to split hairs or for the random chance that some individual feels very strongly about one of these due to some minute difference.
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For K7XX, looking at 1-3, its either #1 or #3. They are the only ones that display the spike I hear at ~7khz.
Between the two, #3 is closest to what I hear elsewhere.
Looking at the remainder... #4 looks best. Captures the treble emphasis relative to bass (very broad terms) correctly, and the way the higher tones sound relative to each other, especially 7k and 10k.
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HD650 = #7 is closest to me, mine measures well above 30kHz, no roll-off and no wild or deep spikes/dips
Never heard the K7xx
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Thanks guys! I'll talk more about what I did differently (it's not much) probably in a couple days in case anyone else has thoughts to share. Happy already to see some level of consensus that might validate my thinking too.
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#3 you fucker (for making me evaluate 8 instead of 3) for K7XX
Hard to say with HD650 since I've heard pairs that sound different. Silver driver, new pads?
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Haha, I know, I'm a turd. :) Much appreciated, though!
For HD650, silver driver, relatively new pads...just not quite as stiff as they were fresh out of the box.