Real world listening

[Revolutions]

From what I can gather, measurements mainly seem to be used by people justifying buying DACs or valve amps from China sight unheard.

 

[Noddy]

But you signature lists Sennheiser HD600s...

I said that I don’t like Sennheiser wireless headphones. The HD600 is wired.

They have two distinct styles of headphones, bass heavy for the more popular market which includes wireless products, and neutral for the customer who seeks accuracy. I like the more neutral products. The HD600 is a wonderful piece of engineering in my view.

 

[podknocker]

Fair point, They have two distinct styles of headphones, bass heavy for the more popular market and neutral for the customer who seeks accuracy. I like the more neutral products. The HD600 is a wonderful piece of engineering in my view.

There won't be many people outside HIFI and forum circles aware how good some headphones can sound. I've had my HD600 cans over 20 years and when they are plugged into my new Windows 11 PC, they sound absolutely incredible. My £349 PC from Currys has a great sound chip and decent headphone output and it sounds much better than my main system. The transparency and detail are magical. On some tracks, there are layers of panning synths and effects I never hear on my HIFI. I paid £150 new forthe headphones and I can't see the point of replacing them.

 

[Noddy]

There won't be many people outside HIFI and forum circles aware how good some headphones can sound. I've had my HD600 cans over 20 years and when they are plugged into my new Windows 11 PC, they sound absolutely incredible. My £349 PC from Currys has a great sound chip and decent headphone output and it sounds much better than my main system. The transparency and detail are magical. On some tracks, there are layers of panning synths and effects I never hear on my HIFI.

Oddly enough my HD600 are also over 20 years old. A few years ago I replaced the ear pads and headband pad as they became mouldy from damp. The fact that so many parts can be replaced is inline with the modern trend for respecting the environment by creating durable products.

 

[Stuart83]

Graphs and measurements are needed for design so as to make sure whatever you are designing meets the requirements. (It also allows a basis for comparisons)
The room is always the biggest influence on the sound.
As I have mentioned before, unless you go really high end, amps are built to a price and will vary depending on the speakers used. (Speakers are not just resistance)
Again, each person is different, and that can't be measured. (Actually, that's not strictly true as if you have the right equipment and know how to use it (It would have to be done in a lab) then it can be done, but is extraordinal expensive)
You are the type of listener that goes for the sound you like, rather than accurate to the original recording, therefore if a perfect system and room could be made, I can guarantee you wouldn't like it.

Bill

My reply is as a personal view inline with to the posted question 😊

Of course your right but I too understand who and what the uses of such "graphs and measurements" are for and who they are aimed at and your right in the assumption I go for what pleases me primerally but also have and still do follow the accuracy path on occasion with various gear.

I was however talking more in the spirit of the question and akin to how people misuse such data incorrectly usually boastfully in my experience and how useful I myself find it for the most part.

As some may know from past posts like others here I like classical and have attended what's accumulated to many a performance at many a different venue (some sonically better than others) giving me a somewhat baseline of what things sound like straight from source.
Obviously having the orchestra play in an anechoic chamber isn't feasible in a public performance nor I doubt would it sound like the instruments inventor wanted it to sound given the dates of most instruments becomings, but in agreeance with other ppl I'd say it was pretty accurate representation of how they should and were intended to sound therefore usually tend to look for near that for whatever hifi I choose as far as classical goes.

I have had however the opportunity to listen to some of the mostly crazy priced unobtainable super analytical systems that we all drool over at hifi events and such.
One such system was at the most recent maverick show but the room was an acoustic nightmare being one of the actual bedrooms from the hotel where the event took place so remained skeptical about it's true performance.

On the contrary to the last paragraph of your comment I must say I actually do like what I always call "true to source" hifi and how it sounds but also out of the handful high end ones I've heard most in rooms reflective to the price of such equipment so were invariably sound treated they also sounded quite different too.
(I've heard a more analytical hifi perform well in all price brackets tbh)
So even with the large degree of accuracy such systems bring you there's still sonic differences between them but do get what saying.
I even found one such mega system flat sounding and lifeless which may be what your getting at by guaranteeing I wouldn't like it.

I have a more accurate to source hifi as my main setup mainly because it's the way I like to listen to classical music but it's dogged by the room I use being both more suitable on one hand as to not disturb my one neighbour but also being acoustically bad and an odd shape on the other hand.

Coincidentally I'm on with sound treatment in my listening/bedroom in my spare time knowing of the dramatic improvements it instantly brings to hifi right now hence my relative absence online mainly because of wanting a more accurate sound in an unforgiving ehoey odd shaped room.

As usual I've gotten into it further than intended and have moved onto putting rockwool in-between the joists now aswell when my intention was to just treat the walls and place a sound absorbent stage curtain along the windows separating my bedroom with the front utility room 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

(It will be interesting to me to hear before and after.
I might even out of interest take a reading with REW which I've used on and off for awhile to compare especially after both the effort and cost its accumulated in doing it properly but its my ears that pass ultimate judgement)


I regularly listen to a second hifi with an old favourite pioneer a400 and QA 3050i's with an old Marantz CD 52 MK2 in the living room which had me question my choices in the much more expensive kit in my main setup chiefly because of it being in a much acoustically kinder room not to take away from it sounding very good imo regardless.

That much of impact is made by the different rooms with the same equipment if I'd not swapped the two HIFI's back over once to get back to how the (main set) originally demoed in the living room for which it was originally chosen for but since taken out of I'd be even more in awe at the performance of my older gear that cost a fraction of the price but to me that's no shocker I've heard very good equipment in all price brackets