Jump to content

how to test sound quality?

HmmR
Go to solution Solved by KemoKa,

and it sounds good to my year (way better than beats solo hd2 sounds)

That's not really saying much, to be totally honest.

That's not to say that they're bad, though.

Really, there's nothing that can definitively test how good it sounds other than how accurately it can reproduce a sound to a computer, and that takes lots of very sophisticated equipment to do and doesn't tell you anything that you will be able to gauge by looking at the numbers.

How headphones sound is all based on the person in question. If your brain hasn't listened to better headphones, it just doesn't have anything better to go on. the placebo effect will make you think that they sound good until you hear something that to you sounds definitively better than them.

Really the only way to test how good a pair of headphones sounds is to test it with another pair of better quality. I would recommend going to somewhere like a store that allows people to test headphones out, and see how it plays out from there. Apart from that, there's no amount of science or software that can tell you how good a pair of cans sounds. Everyone's ears are different, and everyone's preferences in EQ are different too.

 

Objectivity is a very difficult thing in audio equipment.

i have a 

Zebronics Iron Head 7.1 Multimedia Gaming 

http://www.flipkart.com/zebronics-iron-head-7-1-multimedia-gaming-wired-headset/p/itmdpxhks8rw7rfz

http://zebronics.com/products/headphones/iron-head

 

and it sounds good to my year (way better than beats solo hd2 sounds)

but i wanted to see relay how good it is and there is no youtube revive on this to revive 

so is there any way to find out please tell me

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

 I guess it comes down to how much you like them, it is subjective. Maybe trying to try some other pairs of headphones to compare to would help. 

Bleigh!  Ever hear of AC series? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

the only audio products i have tried is skullcandy skullcrushers,beat solo hd2,many local headphones,sennheiser hd 202

it definately sounds better than them and thats what my friends said 

 

(im planiing to buy audiotecnica m20x but idk how big of a upgrade it is and is it worth it from my zebs iron head)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

the only audio products i have tried is skullcandy skullcrushers,beat solo hd2,many local headphones,sennheiser hd 202

it definately sounds better than them and thats what my friends said 

 

(im planiing to buy audiotecnica m20x but idk how big of a upgrade it is and is it worth it from my zebs iron head)

 

don't forget to quote! nearly missed your reply :P 

 

I don't know where you are but something fun may be to pop by a bose store and try some of theirs on. If there are some around. They may be regarded as too expensive. But they're to be a good thing to use as a base line, as they're often around. :P

or if your travelling soon, and need some time to kill at the airport try out some of them there :) there tends to bee good choice. 

 

I cant tell you either tbh. I think that 7.1 surround and stuff like that isn't the best for music though. 

Bleigh!  Ever hear of AC series? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

try to look up an audio sweep from 10hz-25khz and listen to the audio in the phones if the sound is liner and good u should not hear differences in the volume of the frequencies but if some are higher then others that means there is no flat response and some frequencies are higher then others but 4 gaming I guess its fine u need liner response if u make music do the sweep and then u will know how ur phones preform in any frequency + u can then check each frequency lets say bass "10hz-200hz mid bass 200hz-600hz  mid range 600-6000hz hi range 6000hz and until ur speakers stop reproducing sound - above 17000hz or 17khz will be hard to hear and so does lower then 30hz - hope I help in any way

When i'm not playing PC games i'm playing with my PC parts  Fans,Pumps,Filters,  :wub:  :wub:  :wub: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

the only audio products i have tried is skullcandy skullcrushers,beat solo hd2,many local headphones,sennheiser hd 202

it definately sounds better than them and thats what my friends said 

 

(im planiing to buy audiotecnica m20x but idk how big of a upgrade it is and is it worth it from my zebs iron head)

I like this product awesomeness http://www.akg.com/pro/k812-professional-headphones

When i'm not playing PC games i'm playing with my PC parts  Fans,Pumps,Filters,  :wub:  :wub:  :wub: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

and it sounds good to my year (way better than beats solo hd2 sounds)

That's not really saying much, to be totally honest.

That's not to say that they're bad, though.

Really, there's nothing that can definitively test how good it sounds other than how accurately it can reproduce a sound to a computer, and that takes lots of very sophisticated equipment to do and doesn't tell you anything that you will be able to gauge by looking at the numbers.

How headphones sound is all based on the person in question. If your brain hasn't listened to better headphones, it just doesn't have anything better to go on. the placebo effect will make you think that they sound good until you hear something that to you sounds definitively better than them.

Really the only way to test how good a pair of headphones sounds is to test it with another pair of better quality. I would recommend going to somewhere like a store that allows people to test headphones out, and see how it plays out from there. Apart from that, there's no amount of science or software that can tell you how good a pair of cans sounds. Everyone's ears are different, and everyone's preferences in EQ are different too.

 

Objectivity is a very difficult thing in audio equipment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

That's not really saying much, to be totally honest.

That's not to say that they're bad, though.

Really, there's nothing that can definitively test how good it sounds other than how accurately it can reproduce a sound to a computer, and that takes lots of very sophisticated equipment to do and doesn't tell you anything that you will be able to gauge by looking at the numbers.

How headphones sound is all based on the person in question. If your brain hasn't listened to better headphones, it just doesn't have anything better to go on. the placebo effect will make you think that they sound good until you hear something that to you sounds definitively better than them.

Really the only way to test how good a pair of headphones sounds is to test it with another pair of better quality. I would recommend going to somewhere like a store that allows people to test headphones out, and see how it plays out from there. Apart from that, there's no amount of science or software that can tell you how good a pair of cans sounds. Everyone's ears are different, and everyone's preferences in EQ are different too.

 

Objectivity is a very difficult thing in audio equipment.

well said !

When i'm not playing PC games i'm playing with my PC parts  Fans,Pumps,Filters,  :wub:  :wub:  :wub: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

well said !

Thank you! :D

I learned it the hard, expensive way. Apple earphones -> JVC Gumys -> JVC Marshmallows -> ATH CK313s -> ATH CKB-50s

Plus the m30xs on the side. It took a lot of years to rise through the ranks and each consecutive pair makes the last pair sound like a dying cat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you! :D

I learned it the hard, expensive way. Apple earphones -> JVC Gumys -> JVC Marshmallows -> ATH CK313s -> ATH CKB-50s

Plus the m30xs on the side. It took a lot of years to rise through the ranks and each consecutive pair makes the last pair sound like a dying cat.

 

yup now I have my momentums and mmx300s any other headphones I listen to sound so bad, I am just like "how did I ever think these were good"

 

and it just makes me want to keep upgrading

 

 

SNIP

 

 

really? sure beats are not that great but I can guarantee the solo hd2s sound better than these £17 obscure brand headphones

Desktop - Corsair 300r i7 4770k H100i MSI 780ti 16GB Vengeance Pro 2400mhz Crucial MX100 512gb Samsung Evo 250gb 2 TB WD Green, AOC Q2770PQU 1440p 27" monitor Laptop Clevo W110er - 11.6" 768p, i5 3230m, 650m GT 2gb, OCZ vertex 4 256gb,  4gb ram, Server: Fractal Define Mini, MSI Z78-G43, Intel G3220, 8GB Corsair Vengeance, 4x 3tb WD Reds in Raid 10, Phone Oppo Reno 10x 256gb , Camera Sony A7iii

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

try to look up an audio sweep from 10hz-25khz and listen to the audio in the phones if the sound is liner and good u should not hear differences in the volume of the frequencies

This can't work because the human ear isn't working linear.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akustik_db2phon.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

the only audio products i have tried is skullcandy skullcrushers,beat solo hd2,many local headphones,sennheiser hd 202

it definately sounds better than them and thats what my friends said 

 

(im planiing to buy audiotecnica m20x but idk how big of a upgrade it is and is it worth it from my zebs iron head)

I would save my pennies for a little while longer to be honest. Shoot for something in the middle, say the m40Xs, some mid-range Sennheisers, or some nice open-ended ATs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

This can't work because the human ear isn't working linear.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akustik_db2phon.jpg

I know that but I meant if he noticed big differences then...

his ear is not a mic and his brain is not PassMark SoundCheck :)

When i'm not playing PC games i'm playing with my PC parts  Fans,Pumps,Filters,  :wub:  :wub:  :wub: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

You can measure the sound it makes, but without comparisons to other known good and bad headphones to compare the measurements don't mean anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

The company that produce a machine to measure a headphone's quality is the same company that makes a machine to measure how tasty a dish is, how good smelling a perfume is, and how pretty/beautiful a person is. 

 

Hope you understand now, those are all myths. You can measure the technicalities, like frequency response, ingredients contained in a dish, a person's measurements, etc, but the resulting numbers don't really mean a thing to each individual's appreciation of the stuffs in question. 

 

I prefer my $250 HE-400 compared to $1400 Beyer's T1 I tried in an expo, because to me, the HE-400 sounds better, and that's what's matter to me. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

The company that produce a machine to measure a headphone's quality is the same company that makes a machine to measure how tasty a dish is, how good smelling a perfume is, and how pretty/beautiful a person is. 

 

No, headphone measurements are definitely an objective thing which are important to have. However, unless you've tried a lot of other headphones and seen their measurements, your brain simply wont have context.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Do whatever you do normally.  That is the best test for any subjective product.

 

Many-a-time I've thought I could hear something new with a new pair of headphones and thought, "Wow, these are great." Right after, went back to the same part of a song with my old headphones, and could still hear that same sound. If you're listening intently with a new headphone, you will notice things your brain has already forgotten from previous listens, effectively tricking you into thinking you've never heard that before.

 

There's also been legitimate sounds in certain songs I can only discern with certain headphones. Just doesn't happen as often as you initially think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Many-a-time I've thought I could hear something new with a new pair of headphones and thought, "Wow, these are great." Right after, went back to the same part of a song with my old headphones, and could still hear that same sound. If you're listening intently with a new headphone, you will notice things your brain has already forgotten from previous listens, effectively tricking you into thinking you've never heard that before.

 

There's also been legitimate sounds in certain songs I can only discern with certain headphones. Just doesn't happen as often as you initially think.

 

When was the last time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

When was the last time.

 

My brain has already forgot. Silly human menialicy... meniallicy? Menialness?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

No, headphone measurements are definitely an objective thing which are important to have. However, unless you've tried a lot of other headphones and seen their measurements, your brain simply wont have context.

 

Yeah, measuring the technicalities, with resulting figures and graphs, which don't tell a thing of how good or bad a headphone sound. 

 

That is assuming OP's definition of 'sound quality' is referring to how good/bad a headphone sound. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah, measuring the technicalities, with resulting figures and graphs, which don't tell a thing of how good or bad a headphone sound. 

 

Sure they do. Audio is not magic; the fact that every aspect of headphone performance isn't measured doesn't mean that it can't be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sure they do. Audio is not magic; the fact that every aspect of headphone performance isn't measured doesn't mean that it can't be.

 

Yeah but audio appreciation depends on each individual's perceiving it. 

 

It's like, take a particular diner's spaghetti to a lab, and it can be tested as to how much of each ingredients contained, i.e. how much salt, meat, cheese, etc, how much fat/cholesterol contained, and so on, but it can't be tested for how tasty it is, as that would depends on each individual's perceiving it. To me it might be tasty, to you it might be blergh...

 

*you're doing it again, being nice, it's kinda scary.... :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah but audio appreciation depends on each individual's perceiving it. 

 

It's like, take a particular diner's spaghetti to a lab, and it can be tested as to how much of each ingredients contained, i.e. how much salt, meat, cheese, etc, how much fat/cholesterol contained, and so on, but it can't be tested for how tasty it is, as that would depends on each individual's perceiving it. To me it might be tasty, to you it might be blergh...

 

*you're doing it again, being nice, it's kinda scary.... :blink:

 

You're confusing the content with the means of consuming it. And greatly overestimating the role of subjective perception. Do you think audio engineers would spend so much time tweaking the hell out of a mix if they didn't think it would sound good to most people? Maybe they just like being employed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

You're confusing the content with the means of consuming it. And greatly overestimating the role of subjective perception. Do you think audio engineers would spend so much time tweaking the hell out of a mix if they didn't think it would sound good to most people? Maybe they just like being employed?

 

Those are statistic, most case probability. Most probably a lot of people will enjoy this song if it sounds like this. But yeah, it's applicable. 

 

I'd imagine real audio companies do that as well, when they're building a new type. I'm guessing they hand out a few prototypes to human testers, and take notes of their feedbacks and reviews, do the necessary tweaks, to make sure it will be enjoyable by as many people as possible. 

 

The process requires a human's perception in the workflow, so it's not totally objective measurements. If it is, then they can cut the human part altogether and replace it with machines, which got lots more measuring accuracy and computing power. 

 

And if the quoted example is to be applied to OP's case, then the answer would be for the OP to have someone with sharper ears and more experience in audio to appraise the quality of the headphone in question. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×