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----_________------ t1_j20ak7o wrote

Reply to comment by ICrySaI in I don't get the "frequency response graph" thing. by ICrySaI

it is hard to know what causes them to sound different because they are two extremely different products.

But even then, what metrics could cause them to sound different? Ignoring variables that affect perception (price, physical sensation, build quality, hearing, etc), we find that the most important objective metric is FR.

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ICrySaI OP t1_j20cx8b wrote

yeah ok but why? you haven't addressed any of the points I mentioned.

from the fr graph you can guess at things like muddyness or clarity or whatever but ultimately they are guesses. from what I heard there are headphones with wild looking graphs that sound great and headphones with smooth level graphs that suck.

so sure, fr is important, but why?

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----_________------ t1_j20fsl5 wrote

It is important because it is the (one of) the only objective metric with which one can evaluate headphones.

If you look at forums, reviews, videos, etc, you quickly realize how everyone likes different things. Worse is that people often hear the same gear differently as well. For example, you might like that "wild looking graph" headphone, but someone else might dislike it.

Soundstage, detail, imaging, dynamics, transients; what do they actually mean? Again, no solid definition, and again, people perceive these differently.

It all comes down to having at least one thing that is objective and (mostly) consistent across every reviewer. And most reviewers dont base their opinions just on the graphs, i have not seen one reputable reviewer do as such. They still rely on their hearing for those mysterious technicalities.

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ICrySaI OP t1_j20it85 wrote

>Soundstage, detail, imaging, dynamics, transients; what do they actually mean? Again, no solid definition, and again, people perceive these differently.

yes but those are the things that I cannot tune myself, so those are the things I am most interested in.

If I buy new headphones and it has too much bass for my liking, I can lower the bass with EQ, problem solved. If I buy new headphones with bad imaging or soundstage then tough luck, I'm stuck with that.

and frequency response is just as subjective as any other metric. I know reviewers don't base their opinions entirely on the graph, but it's what they show and what they explain "sound quality" with.

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----_________------ t1_j20n6s3 wrote

That is perfectly valid, a lot of people buy technically capable headphones and EQ its mediocre tonality to something they like. But like others said, that isnt always possible.

Frequency response is also NOT subjective. Perception of FR is, but the measurement itself is objective. Whether people listen to the reviewer's subjective interpretation of the graph is up to them.

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