The TRUTH about SOUND QUALITY in headphones

[@ResolveReviews]

Just a couple of notes: 1. The measurement rig ears are developed from specific datasets and are typically going to be closer to one another than the differences you see from human to human. So it's likely that even with multiple rig ears we're still seeing less HpTF variation because the physical differences between those ears is fairly small. 2. The HUTUBS datasets shown in this video make use of the same HD 800 S across 30 listeners, so unit variation was not a factor. 3. I didn't even talk about acoustic impedance in this video, which is definitely something to consider and will cause variation not just at high frequencies. The HD 800 S example used in this video is extremely low acoustic Z and should therefore be considered a best case scenario. Most headphones are going to vary even more substantially. 4. Also, big shoutout to Dr. Craig Stark at UC Irvine for doing the MRIs! It may still be a bit before we can have the physical versions of our own ears done but we wouldn't be able to do that without Dr. Stark's help in this regard.

[@sennheiser]

Very insightful video! Great job fellas

[@Igor-ol5kz]

Oh, nice to see Sennheiser here. When are we getting the new HE-2? 😁

[@thatchinaboi1]

Can't talk about sound quality of headphones or speakers without mentioning the variables that is the source material AND listener preferences for SPL. There is a little thing called Equal Loudness Contour which affects our perception of frequency response. So depending on how loud you listen to a pair of headphones as well as what the source material is, the perceived sound quality of a headphone may differ DRASTICALLY.

[@utadakami-sama8121]

When are we getting the Sennheiser HD 800 S2 ?

[@tweed0929]

@@thatchinaboi1 agreed.

[@那人冷靜一點]

When is ie1000😡 need an upgrade from 900

[@SonOfGodzilla75]

I'm a burn victim survivor and I lost my ears to the fire BUT the good news is I now have the worlds 1st modular ears. Much like pad swapping on a headphone I can swap my ear size and shape in and out as needed.

[@Sinsanatis]

huh wow. a interesting side effect to an unfortunate experience. this all makes me wonder how differently someone with cauliflower ears hear vs everyone else

[@conork325]

Very interesting! There might be a channel like this that would do a range of outer ear shapes and your relative opinion of the sound from each.

[@DaBigBoo_]

bro can change his biological frequency responce

[@Martin.Hansen]

If this isn't a joke, that's insanely interesting! For sound experience, are bigger always better?

[@lukastemberger]

This is super interesting. Do you mind sharing your experiences when swapping different shapes and sizes? I'd love to hear more.

[@harackmw]

My brother went in to get his ears cleaned since he had a wax build up. And afterward he was shocked how tinny and shrill the world sounds, and found himself turning everything down and even covering his ears when vehicles went bar or a bus pulled up with squeaky brakes. He now listens to his music 20-30% quieter.

[@garfythecat]

I would much rather see graphs of how a headphone measures on multiple people than on a single head simulator.

[@samulhardif8331]

Probably very expensive and impractical but yes absolutely. Quite shocking to see as much as a 15db delta above 6k.

[@metal571]

I think Rtings still does this, but only for bass seal quality measurements. Obviously you can't just turn somebody's eardrum into a microphone... well... not ethically, so I assume you mean blocked canal graphs on humans here. As far as I know that's still valuable, but so is data from multiple measurement systems too, which I think is what Andrew calls HpTF?

[@ResolveReviews]

@@metal571 Yeah and that was a good example of potential leakage effects on humans vs rigs. It's especially useful for closed-backs, where often the seal on the rig isn't as realistic as it is on a human (or harder to achieve).

[@zmmmzmmmz]

A standard is more useful, the trick is to know your personal offset

[@TheGreektrojan]

I'm very much a novice here (so correct me if I misunderstand) but another confounding factor is that our hearing adapts over time and exposure so our 'expectations' change,as is our ability to pick up on certain details. Back in the day this was known as 'breaking in' headphones, though the actual headphones didn't change. If you're a casual who has a daily driver your expectations are colored by being adapted to that specific profile where as someone doing it professionally is more used to isolating different sound characteristics, which is why all of the 'casuals can't tell the difference' content exists where as enthusiasts can notice significant ones. Another example might be how more casual spaces like reddit will claim the differences between dac/amps is mostly fake news where as a place like head-fi would be able to break down all of them. I suspect this effect may also play a role in why high end audio enthusiasts tend to end up 'chasing the dragon' as they try to keep up with their adaptations.

[@sennheiser]

Good point, and also take note that earpads compress over time (like wearing-in a pair of shoes, for example), bringing the transducer closer to your ear, which your brain becomes accustomed to.

[@ResolveReviews]

EQ is actually super helpful in this regard. It can function kind of like a reset - and when you're regularly making adjustments, toggling on/off, you really get a strong sense of where various colorations and FR features are. And many of the psychoacoustic effects people enjoy like soundstage and so-on can also be interpreted and understood subjectively as FR features at the eardrum once you really dig deep into EQ. I'm not saying people should need to do this, in fact they really shouldn't, but it has been highly influential in understanding what to listen for and how various FR regions impact the listening experience.

[@Blackwing2345635]

@@ResolveReviews >They really shoudn't Yeah, tinkering with EQ is a slippery slope xD At some point you are in constant need to adjust something, you confuse your hearing, etc. I'm personally settled at EQ-ing only when there is something very wrong, not slight coloring per se. And mostly by measurements. I think now I have the only earphones I've EQ-ed by ear just because they lack mid-range greatly, and when corrected - are perfect for me. I have studio monitors that have insane 8kHz peak that wasn't in their factory or reviewers measurements, but I can clearly hear and measure it and it is way too much for being just "coloring"... I thought maybe it is noise from something in electrical grid or from something connected to my PC, but couldn't find it and just... EQ-ed it out looking at FR readings until it disappears on the graph. And it is not local too, persisted in different listening spots and monitors positions.

[@OblivionIce]

This is why retail stores and shows are important. You literally have to listen to things before buying. Its really dependent on person and personal choice.

[@haskell3702]

100%, but we don't have those showrooms nowdays

[@FajrulEmirullah]

@@haskell3702 well, it depends where you live. some asia country (like singapore or japan) had audio retail stores that you can try every cans you want (or being available on the store)

[@Ca11mero]

Sadly not many places got those listening booths. Also mood and other things may change how you evaluate a headphone. If you had a headache while listening, you would probably not like something bright for example.

[@CoffeeGameMovie]

No it doesnt, a good heaphone is a good heaphone. The HD600 is a good headphone, it doesnt matter whos put it on. The Arya Stealth is a fantastic heaphone just doesnt matter who you are.

[@Sinsanatis]

@@CoffeeGameMovie just because its good doesnt mean ur going to like it.

[@sirhitsalot]

What an excellent video. Great way to explain often misunderstood concepts with clarity. Kudos to you Resolve

[@earthoid]

Fascinating! This explains why I often don’t agree with headphone reviews when I listen to those same headphones. I used to think that I was somehow defective in my hearing or listening skills but now I know that what we hear really can be very different. Thanks!

[@loryhawley2930]

I am a headphone reviewer and I am a woman. I would love to see more women included in measurements. A simple example is how often I struggle to get a good fit because X manufacturer didn't include enough stops for someone with a smaller head to snug up where the earpads land on the ears. I literally had to wrap a sock around the headband of an otherwise elegant and much loved company's headphones to fairly evaluate how they sounded.

[@williamevans9426]

Don't forget the one thing that affects us all - age! Our sense of hearing peaks at a relatively young 18 to 25 years. After the age of 40, the loss of perception of higher frequencies becomes significant.

[@Blackwing2345635]

That's another factor, yes. But fairly predictable

[@jannepelto8206]

Cool, It sounds difficult. I have basically a normal hearing but with a "superpower". When many machines has the tiniest change of sound I notice it. I have done a setup test at work to really check if it is only me and so far only 1 of 40 have said that they can hear it (To clarify, this test was without headphones). We are talking about less then 1% change in sound between approx. 200-1000 Hz. So in that region I hear very good. I also think in general that all my Sennheiser sounds less distorted then most others I have tried. Great info and video =). Also EQ can solve some but not all of the distortion.

[@MatthewDiFazio]

Wow. Well done, Resolve! The amount of information presented in a digestible way is remarkable. Thanks for sharing!

[@noahm5705]

Wow resolve, this is an incredibly informative and interesting video. I appreciate your hard work and analysis.

[@steelcitysi]

I'm a musician and producer and have heard so many different headphones and speakers I've come to the conclusion that these are all perfectly analogous to clothes. Someone else's opinion and measurements will only take you so far, you don't need the expensive stuff except for some very niche situations, value for money fluctuates wildly, and psychology of the user is strongly at play.

[@danaillaysen7632]

"Don't need" is an anti intellectual argument, but I agree sighted and purchase bias plays a huge roll.

[@steelcitysi]

@@danaillaysen7632 In the context of the clothing analogy and our consumerist society it is not. You will experience no true limitations in your life by only owning a median cost headphone just as you would by owning only a median cost jacket. However, if you are the rare person who regularly attends black tie events it would make sense to own a tuxedo (or several).

[@antiimperialista5764]

Your analogy hits the nail on the head. A lot of "audiophile" channels and supposedly golden ears commentators in these videos talk about only about their subjective experience. What I've requested is that this content creators take audiometry exams every quarter (coz you don't know they'd listening habits are) to see if they actually have what it takes to listen to certain frequencies, I think a lot of them would be surprised to find out that they have 60-year old ears 😂😂

[@zaq9339]

Not my favorite analogy. In fashion there's no right and wrong. The only objective thing is the size chart. In audio it seems like the music producer is the designer while the audio company helps bring that sound to people of different shapes and sizes. As it stands a lot of the variety in audio systems is not dictated by the human anatomy but by "taste" or whatever. No crime having a preference but a lot of confusion about sound quality or fidelity seems to stem from that sentiment.

[@steelcitysi]

@@zaq9339 There is no "right" or "wrong" in headphone sound quality either. There is only better or worse for my ears and my use case, just as there are better or worse jeans for your legs and your use case. I'm not completely discrediting headphone reviewers and measurements, but reviews from folks like Resolve are about as useful as the Foot Locker employee telling you how good some new running shoe is. Such info could just as easily be helpful as it could be misleading, and if you heed my analogy it will be more the prior than the latter. Bottom line is you'll never really know until you try them on your unique head and ears, at your particular stage of life and hearing degradation, playing the music you want to listen to with your specific use case in mind.

[@sjoggy]

Good video guys. Yeah, that's the way with the sound generally. For example with speakers is even more complicated... Take everything said in video plus the speakers, plus the room, etc, etc.... But there is one constant in the story... We all love soundwaves. Stay good....

[@warfam_clan6933]

Best audiophile upload for a very long time. Interesting, relevant, and most importantly, very misunderstood. Great job, Resolve, at last the truth explained for everyone to learn.

[@04yellowjacket]

10:26 Blaine is def not broken. I spoke to him quite a bit at CanJam SoCal 2024. His reasons for loving the HD800s are logical and I agree- Everyone should own an HD800(s)!

[@eruilluvitar]

I mean, Blaine is definitely broken (love ya, buddy!) but just not in this way 🤣

[@arial_01]

Would you be able to recount his reasoning? I have been on the fence about getting the HD800S for a long time now, also in competition with the HE1000SE, and am always happy to hear another opinion

[@MrRADicalOfficial]

"Everyone should own an HD800(s)!" Sure, if you want to buy everyone a pair then I'd agree, but if not sorry that is an ultra luxury item that most will never be able to afford. I'd take a pair for free, but I will likely never buy a pair, even if I had the extra cash. That pricing is nuts. I don't think any headset is worth buying for over a grand. You're just wasting money at that point for such minor improvements. I'd rather buy a cheaper headset and give the extra money to charity tbh than buy that headset. The only reason I'd want to get something that expensive is if it had to do with work, like if you're an audio/sound engineer, which I am not, and I'd probably still only get it if the job was paying for it or for some of it, or you actually NEEDED it that badly for the job.

[@oktober-r8i]

@@MrRADicalOfficial I wouldn't buy it because I think the design is ugly. For over 1000€, not only does the sound have to be right, but the design has to be appropriate.

[@davelzdr]

That is some great work and gives some clarity what I have experienced as well. Keep the good work guys!

[@themastroiannis]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write/produce this very informative video. very instructive!

[@themastroiannis]

'people are still going to believe what they believe'...yep...sad, but absolutely true...and applicable to our present global reality!

[@PiercingSight]

It's crazy that we've come so far in learning what makes headphones good, but we're still miles away from actually understanding everything that is at play here. Something that I've taken to doing is just doing my own custom EQ based on what I hear myself. The more I do it, the better I get at identifying problem frequencies and dips in my own perception of a headphone, even in the 6hz+ range. One thing I've learned for myself is that, for something like "resolution" or "technical performance" specifically, it's all in the 10khz+ range. If a headphone lacks resolution, small bumps in that range often help with that, and because of the chaos of how that range responds, it often takes a lot of experimentation before I can hone in on an improved high treble without it becoming harsh. Hopefully, as we learn more about how all these things work, we can figure out ways to both improve headphones, but also ways to improve the individual experience. A future where you can buy an easily EQ'd planar with a standard response, and then just tune it to yourself to get that perfect sound.

[@spaantz]

8:12 rare footage of resolve enjoying the eris

[@minhtrio6980]

That's is some S-tier prank right there

[@ResolveReviews]

That's the Bleris... it's my daily driver.

[@Camride]

@@ResolveReviews Out of curiosity what physical mods did you settle on with the Eris to tune it to your liking? I haven't modded mine yet but I am going to at some point and It'd be great to have a starting point. I saw some of your livestream but haven't had time to watch the whole thing.

[@ResolveReviews]

@@Camride I mainly sealed it up with foam, swapped to different pads that evened out the mids and fixed the treble spikes. But then I also wanted to make it more unhinged and 'fun', so I added an electrical filter to boost the sub bass and make it even more slammy. Last thing I need to do still is reduce the ear gain slightly, but I may try to do that with a small PCB so I can add components into the system without shorting it by having things come into contact with one another in the cup.

[@Camride]

@@ResolveReviews Nice! What pads did you settle on? I really like the comfort of the stock pads so the only other pads I've tried (just for fun) are some deep leather pads to make the bass more insane. Put it on an Ifi amp that has XBass for even more instanity, lol.

[@7in1]

So the best headphone is .. with a highest flexibility to EQ tuning/customization?

[@renecastillo5667]

Always has been.

[@DavidB-ec7bm]

So interesting. Thank you. Nothing beats having a listen to a set before buying them.

[@Sir2wired]

Great video!. We headphones enthusiasts some times forget the these are consumer electronics devices. When we go deep on these technicalities we realized that all those nice frequency responses graphics are just a reference. At the end of the day is just a matter of taste based on those human differences either physical and even psychological. In industrial world (from when I come from). Normally manufacturers offers their outputs parameters certified at ISO conditions. It is the only way to compared apples to apples. As a engineers we know that ISO conditions are impossible to reach on the field. However is the only way to compare two or more systems during conceptual engineering or system design phase. As the old say said: In theory everything is possible on the real life. On the real life nope

[@mikegoddard7354]

Excellent work! Keeping an open mind is crucial, and for an individual who has always leaned towards the objective camp but still very strongly consider subjective preference I am pleased by the effort and publication. Interested to see where this will lead. Enjoy the music!

[@jeremymiller3305]

I find this video very deep and educational. Everyone listens to audio differently. Very good video Andrew.

[@corbalan12]

Awesome video! I'm one of those subjects who can't detect almost any sibilances because I've lost all the high frequencies... Love bright headphones even knowing no-one else is going to like them.

[@lgchia1972]

Very interesting video, detailed yet easy to understand. I have one comment though on the interpretation of the subtraction of HRTF from HpTF... You mentioned that that removes the anatomical effects from the picture... I see it differently. I see the HRTF as anatomical effect due to far field sound source, whereas HpTF as anatomical effect due to nearfield source (headphone) + specific headphone interaction. By subtracting the 2 you are finding the differences between what is perceived due to the headphones vs what should be perceived if it came from speakers. To show just the headphone interactions, you'd have to subtract the individual Hd800s measurements from nearfield hrtf measurements(i.e. an ideal freestanding pointsource speaker placed at where the headphone driver would be), if that is even practically possible.

[@douglasgardner4004]

Great video. I love your objective measurements in your reviews. A Harman target definitely gets me in the right ball park and helps filter out a lot of headphones that are just not going to work. Looking forward to how these measurements progress. Will be great to be able to filter out stuff that isn't compatible with me.

[@okay1904]

Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. This was one of the best and most informative things I have ever learnt with respect to Audio. Thank you.

[@davadmillar1582]

This is super timely for me, as I am just about to purchase the Hifiman Audivina despite all the negative reviews.

[@jtnachos16]

At the end of the day, 'sound quality' is subject to factors that no formal testing can control for. My GENERAL advice, is to find a pair of headphones you already like, find he chart for their response curves, as well as impressions from multiple sources regarding their imaging and staging, then use that as your 'baseline' for evaluating your expectations of other headphones. I still use the DT770s as my 'baseline' comparison for how other headphones will sound, and the only time I've been caught off guard, was with regards to bass response, mainly because when people say something 'lacks bass' they usually mean it doesn't have artificially boosted bass that takes over the whole spectrum. I still remember the first time I put on those DT770s after seeing everyone say they have no bass, yet when doing some testing, I could feel the shiver clear down in my collarbones. It was just THERE instead of being shoved forward. I call it clean vs muddy/stinky bass. I've had the same experience with a number of other headphones, inears, and even earbuds that people spend a lot of time complaining about lacking base, when in reality it's just not taking over the mix. For in-ears in particular, the eartips can often totally change the tone on them, so that's something to consider if you have in-ears that feel a bit iffy or uncomfortable.

[@kingstoler]

While subjective impressions of headphones can be helpful, the important thing is to try them yourselves to know if it's a good fit. If I read impressions from someone with similar preferences to me it can be "easier" to know if a headphone is for me or not, rather than random impressions. I did for example my ZMf Atrium purchase without hearing them and I couldn't be happier, based on reading impressions from people with similar sonic preferences to me.

[@ab185]

People keep telling me the HD800S is dead and not intimate. Meanwhile I have it hooked up to a Bi2/Jot2 stack and it sounds *amazing*. This video helps explain why--thanks for sharing!

[@sennheiser]

Yes indeed the entire chain matters. Many purchasers hear it's a great headphone (we would agree) but connect it to a phone dongle, etc. We design them for an ecosystem that is as serious as the headphones themselves. Thx for chiming in!

[@n0xt]

@@sennheiser I really hope that you aren't using the word "serious" as a metaphor for "expensive".

[@astroid99]

More so a decent dac and a clean and powerful enough amp and ideally with lossless audio. Not needed to be expensive but for sure can be.​@@n0xt

[@kiaraneves8852]

​@n0xt not necessarily price, they may simply be referring to performance (though there is, of course, a correlation between the two)

[@isaachy777]

It's probably because of the bass response I bet

[@Jiobster]

My lack of brain causes base boost and port noise at my nose whenever i listen to music, i enjoy it very much Thank you

[@markfischer3626]

About 30 years ago I needed two sets of headphones. I was thumbing through Consumer Report and they recommended Sony MDR-V6. My neighbor had a pair so I tried them and loved them. So I bought two pairs for under 70 dollars each. Later I found out that this was the preferred headphones for many audio engineers. They liked them for the same reasons I do. Great clarity of sound. Accurate tonal balance over the entire audio spectrum, comfortable, rugged. I still love them and wouldn't trade. They were so popular that there are fake knockoffs of them and those sound awful. There's a KZbin video that tells you how to tell the difference. Their only drawback is that over time the ear cushions flake and kind of fall apart. Replacements cost about 7 to 25 dollars a pair. I'd like to find one that's liquid filled rubber like my Moss Pro 4A had. They keep your ears cool and don't wear out. They're out of produvtion and used pairs are ridiculously expensive. If you see a pair cheap they're probably fake.

[@dorwins]

I try to relate things back to vision. I thought, "Well we all see the same things." Then I corrected myself, "No we all see vastly different things, but we use glasses to compensate." Looking forward to all the work you're doing that'll enable us to create "glasses" for our ears that'll normalize what we hear from headphones. @sennheiser might create custom "resonators" using 3d ear scans that perform "impedance" matching. Exciting times!

[@stevetech5150]

so what you're saying is... watching headphone reviewers talk about how a pair of headphones sound is pointless and your research proves it. got it.

[@alexroot1980]

This video just confirmed my ideas, since 90's... It all matters to your ears, FIRST! And then the technicality, Secondly. Amen.

[@Guido1962]

That’s why I love my Hifiman HE6se V2 with a modded headband and some decent cables - for almost no money - and EQed over my beloved RME ADI 2 PRO FS R Black Edition. The problem for me is now that I just have no clue how this is „rated“ and how I therefore find out what my preferred sound signature is defined…

[@BrentLeVasseur]

The other thing that may be contributing to this variance is the inductive magnetic coupling between the headphone and the in ear microphone when in close proximity to each-other. When you get into the higher frequency range approaching 20khz, the magnetic wave component will propagate wirelessly and potentially directly affect the microphone response.

[@Djzytruz]

Actually super interesting. I’m a music producer and just joined the audiophile crew XD

[@AtamanTube]

Nice video. Interesting to see the body on knowledge on this topic developing.

[@athathsonty2925]

Extremely interesting Analysis. I am thrilled HD 800S was used. I feel IEMs will not display as much wide variation, because the Anatomy Factor is simpler.

[@d0nj03]

They will. Ear canals "sound" very different from eachother, even your left from your right.

[@athathsonty2925]

@@d0nj03 Very true. my right ear canal is quite bigger than the left.

[@fjzingo]

Great summary and analysis. Very difficult to buy headphones or recommend….

[@wrbrown571]

Fantastic! I would love to see more content like this. Thank you.

[@GrumpiestKitten]

Great video, looking forward to the next!

[@camoturtle18]

10:33 yeeting a thousand dollar headphone is wild

[@Wizartar]

3D spacial audio doesn't work well for me out of the box with my SUNDARA. I needed to use Peace Equalizer APO to go in and normalize the level at different frequencies. Breaking out the range into 15 (150-20000hz) sections and Left / Right I used their beep audio test to set the +/- to make it just one level below silent. After that the 3D spacial audio works much better. This fixed issues with either my left/right ears hearing better or worse and if the two L/R speakers didn't match closely enough. Each ear has its own custom EQ.

[@7in1]

Wow, I would like to try your method. Can I read more full manual somewhere?

[@JustDataReviews]

This sort of analysis reinforces the conclusion I came to: Get a nice fast driver type that is tunable by EQ and fiddle with it until I’m happy. I have tried all driver types… estats, dynamics, planars. Currently I’ve settled on the Audeze LCDi4 as my end game. Its driver is light, fast, and tunable while still able to deliver bass.

[@samulhardif8331]

Yes i4 gang. Ultra light + audeze driver + low acoustic Z due to being open back is the ultimate combination for anyone considering EQ. It doesn't get better than that.

[@gumisupremacy]

My advice on LCD i4 is to use tone gen to find your HRTF peaks and driver resonance when eqing.

[@baaltroth1957]

Same here for your approach, but I actually LOVE the Monolith m1570c. The weight doesn't bother me at all, but with some EQ, it rocks my head off

[@ResolveReviews]

So... I'm not sure this is the correct conclusion to draw from this video, even though I agree with the premise that you should get a good baseline headphone and EQ. The point is more that descriptions like 'fast' and 'resolving' are descriptions of the experience, and shouldn't be attributed to acoustic properties like driver types. And the gap between the graph and our experience of these things is down to measurements not being taken at the eardrums of individual people. This seems to cause people to conflate cause and effect. So for example, a 'fast' driver in the acoustic sense is literally just one that can go up to very high frequencies, but what I imagine you're describing is a "fast sounding driver", which isn't actually an acoustic property. That's how your brain has interpreted the FR at your eardrum, and it could be that it just happens to have a good fit with your anatomy (or impart a particular coloration you enjoy... depending on how you index for fine-grained features). As far as the actual products are concerned though... the reality of what I've described above doesn't trivialize the benefits to your experience whatever product you're referring to imparts. This is because you're not getting the picture of its FR at your eardrum relative to your HRTF, and it would be challenging to predict that with a graph of any product you're not able to listen to. But again the point here is not to trivialize people's experiences of 'technicalities', rather it's to provide some groundwork for why the graphs you typically see don't tell the whole story, and the rest of it... the technicalities... are also likely to be found in FR - just FR at the eardrums of individual people making those reports. IMO this bridges the gap between subjectivists and objective-minded listeners.

[@danaillaysen7632]

​​@@ResolveReviews true, but audeze products don't have the modle treble issues that most planars experience and will never run into clipping, or harmonic distortion (rare as it might be, it's not impossible for it to be inaudible especially if it's of higher order m like sennheisers can exhibit). The only problem with them is their weight and economics. The isine/i series solves one of them as as well as the the largest limiting factor in using profiles for iems, their high acoustic impedance.

[@parhamshirvanioun]

Hello, I got sick some time ago and my ears got a little blocked. Then I went to the doctor and after a while it got better, but I could hear a whistling sound in my left ear. I went to the doctor and got an ear tape, and the chart showed that the hearing in my left ear has dropped at 3-4 KHz (in fact, it was the same as the whistling sound). Of course, the doctor said that this problem is related to the sound that you heard earlier and it was suddenly loud like an explosion. I wanted to say that people's hearing may be less in some frequencies because of their nerves.

[@RichardMathieson-j3l]

A great presentation, thank you. After much trial and error, auditioning and purchasing I found my best suited headphone in the Hifiman HE1000SE and, after having my hearing tested twice I found out why - my HRTF has the usual age related affect on treble and I have a lower HF peak in my hearing that is precisely balanced by the Hifiman dip in the same frequency range. So perfect EQ by the manufacturer.

[@lukekay7952]

needs a noise floor discussion on the aftermath of this video

[@sasquatchcrew]

Just got the JLAB epic lab earbuds and thats the sound quality I want. Soundstage. Balance. Simple to use. Dolby surround capable... DTS:X capable. Although, the best headsets probably don't need it but it still helps pick out very minute things you need in FPS.

[@thatchinaboi1]

Can't talk about sound quality of headphones or speakers without mentioning the variables that is the source material AND listener preferences for SPL. There is a little thing called Equal Loudness Contour which affects our perception of frequency response. So depending on how loud you listen to a pair of headphones as well as what the source material is, the perceived sound quality of a headphone may differ DRASTICALLY.

[@gurratell7326]

This was more interesting than the click bait title hinted at, please write what it actually is about and you might get more views!

[@ScarzYourFace]

I just realized you also have the art of a bunch of guys stroking tubes. 🤣

[@likafoss]

Id like to see frequency response curves for different wave types like sine, saw, and triangle on each headphone to see if different sounds have different curves on the same headphones

[@FancyaBevMate]

Found out recently that my eustachian on my right ear must be blocked and my hearing VASTLY improved just by chance of opening my mouth whilst listening through my headphones! Everyone should check this performing this simple procedure as what I thought was great headphone experience was dull until I opened my mouth. Cheers

[@buffal0bilious]

I'd like to think this will help put a stop to the "anything you hear that I can't see on my limited suite of measurements is placebo, sheeple" types, but that's probably too much to hope for.

[@d0nj03]

Wow, OK. But yeah, I guess wild rHpTF variation makes sense if you think of every structure that impacts the sound along the way from the headphone driver to the eardrum as being like the walls, ceiling, floor and furniture of a listening room: every single surface and material matters. Coupling a headphone cup to a head with a pinna and ear canal is like assembling a listening room from two halves, one of which contains the speakers and the other the listener. Of course every such combination you can make from such a wide variety of "halves" available is going to produce a different, unique even, final response.

[@Rozzo_Valctovel_Rheinkeimer_VI]

So this is why I must purchase and try as many headphones as I can, got it

[@Ca11mero]

Yeah, I suspect I am one of those people who have a HRTF that deviates a lot from the normal. I found 800s to be very sibilant, so I decided to EQ where I thought the peaks were, but it didn't change much. So I made a shelf filter of -12dB at 6k and it was still sibilant, I assume there is a MASSIVE peak that I hear somewhere (should be able to find this relatively easy). But question I'm wondering, can a headphone be sibilant by design? It doesn't make too much sense, but that's the only other explanation I can think of.

[@richh650]

Great explanation. I'm curious, do these tests include sound threshold tests at very low DB's at the various sweeping frequencies? I would expect so but just curious how the tests are run.

[@allydea]

And this only covers let's say the "external" part of sound quality. Some of the "internal" physiological/psychological aspects (e.g. current body hydration, stress or mood) probably have a much bigger impact still.

[@arnarn4112]

This is one of the most interesting and useful headphone videos I have seen. Thanks and keep up the good work 👍

[@tminusnine4455]

I grew up with several sets of closed Pioneer cans in the early 1980s. Then Sony closed sound cancelling cans. I gifted myself with open back Focal Elacs for my retirement.(cold buy) Now I am aware of the amp noise and environmental noise. Shopping for a balanced amp and relegating myself to listening when the house is empty. Difficult transition.

[@Currawong]

This is a great example of how science works: From anecdotal experiences and observations, theories are proposed, experiments are performed to test them and the scientific community discusses the results and their limitations. Great work, and I look forward to hearing more about what you discover in the future.

[@AggArms]

Is this degree of difference in headphones something we would not see in floorstanding loudspeakers? In other words, is the variance that you've revealed with this research unique to headphones sitting on listeners' heads? Thanks for this -- it's fascinating

[@seanwashburn3658]

Thank you. Informative. How much of the person-to-person variation is still present in IEMs?

[@ResolveReviews]

It's way worse with IEMs. We actually did a video on this, but essentially with IEMs, because the pinna is bypassed, your specific ear effects need to be assumed. So unless you get extremely lucky and have a pinna like that of the 5128 or the GRAS KB5000, the measurements aren't going to predict how you hear them. This is also why we use a generic HRTF for IEMs based around population average pinna effects (this is the concept for JM-1... effectively the baseline for judging new meta tunings).

[@sidesaladaudio]

Very good video that explains a lot in simple terms. Those who have been following you guys are probably familiar with most of this now, but it’s nice to have it all in one place.

[@TheLeftistOwl]

This just further confirms that while graphs and data are able to give us useful tools for understanding things, this hobby is highly subjective and if someone enjoys something, they're not wrong

[@masterxyr]

our ears become room acoustics for the driver. can't not have a direct impact. and vice versa for the hp itself. what I seem to not have grasped towards the end was the variation on the 800s which I understood to have been accounted for both of these, hrtf and hptf, and so what's then affecting the behaviour of the hp, our auras? (still serious question though :) great work Andrew et al. cheers

[@Blackwing2345635]

BUT the majority of people don't know how to use measurements (any measurements, not only headphones related) at all anyway. I'm glad that reviewers are working on teaching viewers how to actually use those beyond "this region is for bass, this - for mid, and this - for treble". On the topic of measuring on your personal head models... Hm, i'm not sure. Sounds very cool, to be fair, but using standardized rig makes it easier to check with measurements done by other people, it is more predictable for me as a reader or viewer. It is easier for me to compensate the measurement, knowing how the rig differs from what I'm actually hearing. But maybe a real head model will be easier in that regard, I don't know) I'm really looking forward to it!

[@hartyewh1]

Good sound is usually the personal favourite regardless of width of experience. Hence the DT770, SPH9500 and DT1990 recommendations😅

[@Jzwiz]

I too enjoy heavy bass and the type you can feel but i also like being able to hear fine details in music, its kinda annoying since my closed back sound better to me (momentum 4) because of that but then im always told i need openbacks which lack bass, so i grabbed a budget pair (hd 599se) and sure they sound more open/wide and are fun for games but then they lose the “fun” factor for me. One day when i can afford to I’ll try some higher end openbacks with a dac/amp and see what im missing i guess. Or maybe ill find an audio store one day and plan a trip if they offer listening sessions

[@sennheiser]

If you can make it to a CanJam, please do. You get to try 'em all 🏆

[@CanadaLuke]

EQ more bass in if you could, it helps!

[@Jzwiz]

@ haha sadly my state is devoid of any events like that and the plane ticket cost would be better spent on upgrading my audio setup once i learn what i need, maybe one day in the future :P

[@JoeNauk-q5l]

You can EQ a closed back to sound more open, too. Go to squiglink and try modeling to the Focal Utopia but without the bass drop

[@wydua]

good sound quality is when i am launching music and i'm vibing

[@ConsecDesign]

Very exciting work!

[@matthewweflen]

This helps to explain why I hear the MDR-Z1R as "perfect" while others hear them as steaming trashphones.

[@kendil22]

My preferences are all over the place. My current favorite is the Sennheiser 490 pro, followed by the Hifiman Edition XS. In general though I've always preferred Sennheiser's sound. I've got a bunch of different headsets from Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, AKG, etc. But I always come back to Sennheiser. I like the 560s, but I don't find them comfortable and the treble can be a little rough. The 490 solved this for me. I find the mids too recessed on the Edition XS but like most everything else. AKG's are weird, I love them on my TV but not for anything else. 58x is pretty solid but not nearly as good as the 490 pro's for me. I know guys who swear by Beyerdynamic and won't use anything else, you got people like me that like Sennheiser's sound, and another who swears planar's or nothing. Everyone hears things a little different.

[@JamesWilliams-gf8gm]

I think square wave data can help “measure” technicalities. If something can produce a square wave it is technically perfect…

[@zmmmzmmmz]

We did used to have a thorough consistent filter for headphones before these headphone rigs and preference curves. His name is Tyll

[@Mishael_Agyei-Boamah]

And he measured headphones... Would you look at that

[@d.g.o4410]

This reminds me of Oluv’s Gadgets's video that talked about this topic. Sadly it has been deleted.

[@cartuber1570]

I use sennheiser my entire life i am 34 and i had momentum 2 660s and others. All of my deadphones all in one pirce and perfectly working condition they are just the best.

[@MrPyroblastic]

This guy just proved how good AirpodsMax are. Literally

[@Theatre_Of_Noise]

Strong work here!

[@benjamin_lecomte]

Great informations !

[@stephenwest673]

Generally speaking..we all have heads and ears 😂😂 love that 😂

[@juutuub0]

I think the most important research topic is anatomy invariance, the universally good sound. Does it exist? Is it achievable in reality? How?

[@mashupvital2400]

from your experience - what headphone will be the best for a Super nice sound stage - but at the same time - we can EQ it to taste without problem ( using Realphones or any other software ) - At the moment , I am using a HD800S and I can make them sound like I have a subwoofer in my room and they still sound wonderfull ! - But I would like to upgrade them to see if I can have even better sound - Heddphone 2 - is what I am looking next.

[@RalphPantuso]

Best nerd video I have seen. Only joking. In reality it shows just how much more there is to learn. Great job!

[@picksalot1]

If there are "frequency accurate" microphones, couldn't they be used on the sound source and compare that to the headphones output? After a hearing test is conducted on a computer to determine how a specific individual hears the headphones, a "profile" of the frequency sensitivity could be generated. Then use software to compensate for the differences in that person's head/ear anatomy to produce a compensated reproduction of the sound source. This could also be a means to deliver "enjoyable" compensated sounds/music as well. I suspect the technology already exists to do this. Perhaps something like the technology used by musicians to Profile/Capture the combination of a Speaker and Mic used to record a Cabinet in an IR - Impulse Response, might be a useful approach.

[@Itsallrelative44]

Individual perception plays a significant role in the listening experience. Everyone's hearing is unique, shaped by personal preferences, past experiences, and even physiological differences like ear shape and sensitivity to certain frequencies. This inherent subjectivity makes universal headphone reviews less impactful. Many reviews focus heavily on specifications like frequency response and impedance, which may not translate effectively into real-world listening experiences. A headphone with excellent technical specs might not resonate with every listener, making such reviews potentially misleading.Unlike other consumer electronics, there is no universal standard for testing headphones. Different reviewers use varied methodologies, from subjective listening tests to technical measurements, leading to inconsistent conclusions that can confuse consumers.

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

The measurements give you an aggregated "best fit" scenario. It a tool to index your next purchase

[@ElRobboz]

May I add a further complication via another variable? I currently use a Beyerdynamics 700 Pro headphone and the sound quality changes simply through the orientation and placement of the fully-enclosed headphone cup placed further forward or backward, depending on how the band conforms to your head contours. This is a truly a dynamic and complex topic which may be devilishly difficult to assign scientific methods to in order to ascertain a fundamental truth. I wish you luck in this endeavour. ;o)

[@fraserhoggan9723]

Informative, and interesting vid

[@mortennissov7891]

Thank you. Very cool!

[@Blitztriech]

my sound preference is my sound quality.

[@sennheiser]

The great part about this hobby is the fact that you are indeed, ultimately always right.

[@maximgodunov7717]

Resolve is not right. Technicalities exist and matter to most audiophiles

[@ImAWSMDanny]

I am just here to say: "nuh uh" (I haven't watched the video yet tho)