Why do headphones have better frequency response than speakers?

Loudspeakers don't come close to offering the full frequency range that headphones do. Why is that? Have a question you want to ask Paul? www.psaudio.com...
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[@janinapalmer8368]

Great answer Paul ... it's all about distance, compliance and coupling ! Hey I too live in Sydney .. and yes people have often said it's a bit like San Francisco.. but definitely not as hilly though

[@poserwanabe]

@@SJMessinwithBoats ROFLMAO 🤣😂🤣

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

@poserwannabe you're happy!

[@claudec2588]

Interesting answer. It makes me wonder if there is a , or what relationship is there between Speaker volume and frequency response? Greater volume means you are moving more air and therefore an ability for a wider frequency response. Yes/No?

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

My opinion is...Wait what's the question?

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

Oh yeah, as we get louder, we have more excursion so it starts mucking up the sound. So ideal is ~ .25inch. ~250 thousandths ~1/4 of one inch. my opinion of course. Don't want to fight about it or be called names, P.H.

[@nomorokay2]

@@SJMessinwithBoats More excursion equals more distortion.

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

@nomorokay2 I agree!

[@sudd3660]

i just want to add a note here, sure the measured frequency response of headphones goes down low. but the actual listening experience they sound like they have very little bass. bass is more than just move the eardrums around,

[@kencohagen4967]

Do they? I've seen frequency response graphs and they may have a wide frequency range, but they are NOT flat. Ok, speakers sit across the room and have to fill a large area with sound. Yes, they are measured at 3 feet or one meter. Headphones are right there on your ears. They don't have to move much air to get soundwaves in your head. Nice cans by the way. I have a pair of HD380's at the moment, and would love to upgrade to what you've got. But that may be a while! By the way, when I was in high school I had a pair of small two way speakers and a cheap receiver. The speakers weee no name things my parents had gotten me and the receiver was from Montgomery wards. They sounded like shit, but I found when I put them right next to the sides of my bed at ear level and laid right between them, they sounded pretty good. I tried moving them closer but when I got to the point where the woofers or the tweeters were so far out of alignment with my ears you either heard all bass or all treble. So I found the happy medium. Then next Christmas my partners bought me a pair of Koss K6LC headphones. They sounded awesome. The best bass I've ever heard, anywhere! They were rated down to 10 Hz, but the top end only went up to 16 kHz, and lacked the definition of better headphones. But the still sounded great! I still love listening to my headphones, but don't have a headphone amp at the moment. Hopefully that problem will be solved soon!

[@jamiep9991]

Why is one question spread over 3 pages of paper?

[@terrywho22]

42 point font?

[@poserwanabe]

@@terrywho22 **best answer** 🤣

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

@@poserwanabe did you "like" your own comment? Get outta heeerrreee!

[@poserwanabe]

@@SJMessinwithBoats nope

[@Wassermelonenbaum]

He records multiple videos at once, mostly on sundays.

[@steamstories1279]

Actually there are no headphones with flat frequency response so actually headphones don't have better frequency response. Actually there are $300 speakers very close as being flat from 100hz to 20khz. There is at least one 5dB dip or spike on headphones.

[@auradrifter7779]

You're forgetting about the fact that the second you place your perfectly measuring speakers in a room, that the frequency response goes right now the window. Unless you spend thousands of dollars reconstructing your room and conditioning it.

[@homeboi808]

@Aura Drifter You are forgetting that if the off-axis of the speaker is similar to the on-axis (hopefully both neutral, with the off-axis having rolled-off highs unless it’s omnidirectional), then the early reflections will due little harm.

[@Magnulus76]

@@auradrifter7779 Good point. Headphones can have some pretty lousy breakup, though.

[@shaun9107]

Thats a good one , I use them like a microscope for check recordings .

[@Synthematix]

Distance is the difference, speakers sound has to travel being obstructed in the way

[@iblesbosuok]

Better frequency response, yes. But headphones which driven by power amplifier with series attenuation resistors provide poor damping factor. Cheers from Indonesia

[@johnyang799]

No they don't. If you want +-1.5db frequency response most wouldn't even get 100-600hz.

[@homeboi808]

Correct, if you look at measurements down by Rtings for instance (frequency response graph is made relative to target curves), many headphones that claim like 5Hz-40kHz don’t even come close, and would need more than +/-10dB to reach such claims.

[@alanrcrews]

PMF = 99% true?

[@johannb4393]

Coupling to the air? What does that really mean?

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

Like losing traction, turbulence.

[@johannb4393]

Thank you, but that is the least helpful reply I've even read. :)

[@Vlican]

when a woofer is moving at 1hz, it's not affecting any air in the room. there's not enough energy to do that. at 20hz though, it's finally moving air in the room enough that we can detect it as sound (afterall, sound is vibrations travelling through the air)

[@johannb4393]

I'd love to see the math behind that, but thank you.

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

I tried, hooking up? Like maybe there was a strong cross wind and the tone got blown away?

[@bhaibhai-qp6fh]

Can any expirienced mate help me by suggesting me a cheap but good amplifier board around 50 watts rms per channel for school projects

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

I hope my suggestion is something with a "STK-0049". Go AB#!

[@poserwanabe]

www.parts-express.com

[@CraftAero]

@@SJMessinwithBoats I agree on the AB, but something affordable for school projects might be here: www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-kab-250v3-2x50w-class-d-audio-amplifier-board-with-bluetooth-40--325-105

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

@@CraftAero This always intrigues me to have one big split power supply and a whole bunches of these darlington power packs. With the exception of the power supply they look so simple. This chip calls for +-36volt, any problem with just 6 12v battery's? Or is being over voltage untolerated?

[@Cujobob]

Headphones have horrible frequency response measurements, that’s why they all sound different. They have a wider frequency response range, but that’s due to proximity lol

[@boris994]

SHOULD ONE BE WORRIED CAUSE OF HEARING VOICES OUT OF HIS LOUDSPEAKERS AND HEADPHONES?!

[@SJMessinwithBoats]

Oh heck no! That's how you know your system is working good. Completely Normal!

[@CraftAero]

Depends... is the amp on or off ?

[@ThinkingBetter]

Paul said: “It has to do with distance and all that”... Hopefully his coming speakers are designed involving a more scientific depth of understanding than this. Great audio performance never defies the laws of physics and the better understood, the better audio performance engineers can achieve.

[@DanielSkinnerDETTPKS]

Great way to sidestep the engineering answer. I have built 3 speaker boxes; using the information found in "Speaker Builder Magazine". Lots of math and glue and silicone later, I had my own speakers. When I became homeless, I lost the stereo and speakers. Thanks for sharing. Peace and health to all.