Monitor Headphones vs EQ'd Headphones
Reply #8 – 2013-06-09 14:41:43
Shortly, the key point is that a measured flat response for a headphone doesn't translate in a perceived flat response to the ear, for reasons related to outer and mid ear physiology, to the fact that commercial recordings are often mixed and produced having in mind the sound of speakers radiating in typical listening room etc... So headphone designers who want their project to be perceived flat and balanced, instead of targeting for a flat frequency response, target for uneven frequency curves, like for example the "diffuse filed curve" targeted by every Etymotic design, meant to be perceived flat by the listener. As someone already pointed out, anyway, if the transducers are of good quality, i.e. low distortion in all audio spectrum, equalization can do a lot to suit the sound signature to listener's own taste, be it even and balanced or not, so an answer to the OP question could be: if you're not satisfied by the headphone you currently own or want to try something new, before speeding out to buy a new one, play a little with the graphic equalizer you'll very probabily find as a feature in every player. There are even some smartphones apps, like Accudio for iOS, that have a database of measurements of the most diffused headphones and try to mimic the sound of many specific models by using the one owned by the user and applying a compensation curve.