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Author Topic: Tascam TH02 Measurement  (Read 19982 times)

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Solderdude

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #110 on: April 04, 2014, 06:30:12 AM »
Changing pads will change FR.
The strange behaviour in the top seems to be partly from the reflections from the cup and tan effect of the pads.
Placing felt on the inside of the cups improves this aspect slightly.

The considerable dip (10-15dB) in the 4k area and spikey/ragged behaviour up top makes them sound much more than a little 'off' to me.
This dip is seems to be caused by the pads and wasn't able to remove it.
Have to admit that I did not modify the pads which may help somewhat but NOT 10-15dB I reckon.
EQ-ing improved tonal accuracy but as the headphone distorts heavily (see Marv's plots) in that area this distortion also becomes more obvious.

The driver itself is partly to blame and seemed to improve its behaviour when heavily damped with felt in front of it.
Maybe diaphragm breakup or standing waves ... who knows.

In the open DT330 housing and with T50RP pads + felt it seemed to sound acceptable to me with some EQ to compensate for the loss of highs by the felt.
Tried SRH840, SRH940, DT770, DT990, old DT990 pads, Wang Yifei pads, Superlux pads (2 types of pleather and 1 velours), AKG pads and a few others but with all of these it became so much tonally off it wan't correctable any more.
Didn't measure those though and did the 'tuning' by ear.
Only after I finished I measured the results.
Pads made a HUGE difference.

In the end I don't think it has become a great headphone just a decent one that sounds better than some higher priced offerings.
At this pricepoint I still prefer 'corrected' Superlux models over the modified TH-02.
When one is happy with the sound (before or after mods) is really all that counts.
« Last Edit: April 04, 2014, 07:00:57 AM by Solderdude »
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Thujone

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #111 on: April 04, 2014, 09:13:28 PM »
Wow, you'd be the first person to find some use out of the stock T50RP pads!  :)p17

For the $16 (amazon), these are a great value and a really fun/easy modding project. I have no idea how to mod to recover that upper mid dip though...
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PhoenixClaw

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #112 on: April 05, 2014, 02:30:55 AM »
Indeed. IMO they sound decent enough stock and I've been wanting to learn more about modding before spending more on a t50rp. I think solderdude's blog also has a filter circuit you can make to bring out mids.
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Solderdude

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #113 on: April 05, 2014, 06:44:54 AM »
The T50RP and TH02 share a similarity and that is they have a similar dip around 4-5kHz (similar in shape and attenuation) and a similar peak around 9kHz.
It is there that all similarities end, well perhaps comfort may also be called poor on both.

The TH02 has bass extension where the T50RP lacks a bit there.
The T50RP is not as 'jagged' up top and rolls off above 10kHz where the TH02 shows another peak around 15kHz, extending further than T50RP on both sides of the spectrum.

I have used the T50RP correction filter on the TH02 (as I use that on the T50RP, don't like it without EQ)
While TH02 is tonally more accurate with that filter, compared to stock, it also enhances the 5% distortion spike and doesn't sound quite right (shouty) where the T50RP goes from 'laid back' to tonally accurate, very airy with smooth highs and detail as the T50RP can be corrected quite nicely.

If you like the tonal balance of the TH02 the T50RP is the logical next step.
You will find there is substantial difference between them when comparing these two directly.
At least there is to me...

Similar to the TH02 you cannot make the T50RP tonally accurate with just pads and mods, at least not with the materials I have around here.
Yes, You CAN make them sound more pleasant and balanced with mods and can reduce the dips and peak but not in a way that is good enough to my ears.
Yes, many people are very satisfied with modded T50RP's without using EQ, just not me.

The TH02 is a great product to play around with and get some experience with modding as it reacts quite a lot and has potential for improvements.
IMO some Superlux models can give 'better' results for about the same price.
No matter what one does to the TH-02 it will never reach the sonic quality of the T50RP because of physical differences between the driver types alone.

Just my opinion of course.
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funkmeister

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #114 on: April 05, 2014, 03:30:49 PM »
Quote from: Solderdude on April 05, 2014, 06:44:54 AM
The T50RP and TH02 share a similarity and that is they have a similar dip around 4-5kHz (similar in shape and attenuation) and a similar peak around 9kHz.
TONS of headphones have that FR "feature" and I don't know why. Any ideas? I once thought it may have been from ABS plastic, which almost all headphones are using these days, but even Sennheiser's Amperior (aluminum HD 25) has it, too.
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Armaegis

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #115 on: April 05, 2014, 04:05:43 PM »
Anything to do with the distance from transducer to ear or to the back of the cup? The cup sizes and shapes vary a lot, but those depths not quite as much.
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Do you think there may be an acoustic leak from the jack hole? ~Tyll Hertsens

Not sure if I like stuffing one hole or both holes. Tending toward one hole since both holes seems kinda ghey ~Purrin

Solderdude

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #116 on: April 06, 2014, 08:38:59 AM »
It may be caused by the driver-ear distance, 'leakage' or damping of soundwaves (foam/velours/pleather/leather) and amount of air and shape of the inside 'sound chamber' (between driver and ear).
As a lot of headphones have somewhat similar ear/driver distances, sound chamber sizes and shapes as well as used materials for pads, chances of them all showing quite similar effects is rather large.
I don't think it is related to open/closed housings nor the size of cups that much (does depend somewhat on damping inside as well).
Also used cup materials do not seem to affect FR, but can cause audible colorations of the sound by reflections/conduction/resonances.

It also seems to depend on who's plots you are looking at.
When you look at Headroom plots and overlay them (in their very handy comparison tool) almost all headphones seem to dip around 3-5kHz and peak around 8-10kHz and then roll-off more or less.
When you look at GE's, UB's or Marv's plots (or mine) you will notice the plots do not appear as similar as they seem to be at Headrooms site.
I do like their handy comparison tool though as all are measured in the same way but take their FR measurements for what they are... heavily smoothed and incorrectly 'corrected'.

Dips in general aren't as obvious as peaks are.
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Armaegis

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #117 on: April 06, 2014, 10:07:27 PM »
If you grab the link for the headroom FR plots and subtract 1 from the numbers, you'll get the unsmoothed versions.
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Do you think there may be an acoustic leak from the jack hole? ~Tyll Hertsens

Not sure if I like stuffing one hole or both holes. Tending toward one hole since both holes seems kinda ghey ~Purrin

OJneg

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #118 on: April 06, 2014, 10:20:46 PM »
You can get the raw and unsmoothed plots with their Build-A-Graph section too. They updated it recently.

http://www.headphone.com/learning-center/build-a-graph.php?graphID[0]=863&graphID[1]=853&graphID[2]=573&graphID[3]=&scale=20&graphType=-1&buttonSelection=Update+Graph
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Armaegis

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Re: Tascam TH02 Measurement
« Reply #119 on: April 06, 2014, 11:10:19 PM »
Oh handy, I didn't know about the update. Thanks!
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Do you think there may be an acoustic leak from the jack hole? ~Tyll Hertsens

Not sure if I like stuffing one hole or both holes. Tending toward one hole since both holes seems kinda ghey ~Purrin
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