Whether you’re an audiophile or love listening to music, you’ve heard of headphone frequency response. Your frequency sensitivity ranges from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Does the same frequency response affect the audio quality of headphones? What is the frequency response of headphones?
What exactly do we mean when we state that a pair of headphones has a decent frequency response? Do high-frequency headphones function better than lower-frequency headphones?
This article will help you comprehend the frequency response of headphones.
Does frequency response matter in headphones?
Audio output devices such as headphones, earphones, and speakers recreate the audio signal of the original sound. For us to hear the sound output, headphones convert electrical signals/energy to mechanical energy (i.e., audio signals to sound waves). Because audio signals contain a variety of frequencies with changing amplitudes, recreating these frequencies will result in minor differences from the original.
Depending on the frequency response of the headphones, some sounds are amplified, while others are muffled or mellowed.
Simply put, the frequency response of headphones refers to the frequencies of audio signals the device can reproduce. It shows the extent to which the headphones will play the audio with accuracy.
The frequency responses of the headphones are included in the specifications provided by the manufacturer. While some models have a graph, others only include numbers. Frequency response graphs are frequently made by third-party platforms (reviewers, audiophiles, etc.) to aid others in understanding the headphones’ efficiency. There is also no correlation between headphone frequency and retail price, according to the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Headphone frequency is a simple measurement of sound quality and accuracy.
What is a Headphone Frequency Response Chart?
In recording studios, frequency response graphs (or charts) are made by testing headphones, earphones, and speakers. Through headphones connected to a piece of recording equipment, various frequencies are played. The audio output is captured and shown as a graph or chart. The graph shows the loudness and decibels (dB) of the replicated sound at each frequency. The X-axis represents the frequency range, while the Y-axis represents the (amplitude) decibels.
A smooth line from one end of the graph to the other should theoretically indicate that the headphones can reproduce sounds at all frequencies with equal power and clarity. This is known as a flat response, and it is compared against the real graph of the headphones.
A fully flat-frequency response, on the other hand, is an ideal situation that does not exist in real life. Even though audiophile headphone manufacturers try their hardest to achieve a flat response, it is not always attainable.
Some firms are experimenting with frequency ranges to focus on the lower range, believing that headphones with more bass have superior audio quality.
However, the frequency response chart of the headphones will not tell you whether they are suitable for you or not. It will only demonstrate how well the model can convert audio signals into sound waves in a specific frequency range.
Which Frequency Ranges Are Available in Headphones?
The headphones’ drivers are meant to be identical; therefore, their frequency ranges are the same. This produces a more balanced and clear sound.
Some headphones have a broader frequency range, while others have a narrower frequency range. Though humans’ natural frequency response is 20Hz to 20kHz, headphones with a frequency range of 5Hz to 50kHz, which includes the lowest frequency, are common.
Apple EarPods (in-ear earphones), for example, have a frequency response of 5Hz to 21kHz. The frequency response range of the Stax SR-007 is 6 Hz to 41 kHz. SR-007 has an open-back circumaural electrostatic driver, whereas EarPods use moving coil drivers.
Is this to say that EarPods are superior to other headphones, or that the SR-007 is superior to EarPods due to its wider range?
No. To determine which headphone produces a clear and precise output, we must also evaluate the decibel drop, impendence, and sensitivity. Another method of determining the same is to use the tolerance value. +/- x dB is a common notation for this.
What Is a Good Frequency Response for Headphones?
For a long time, we’ve talked about the importance of strong headphone frequency responses. Is this, however, a “decent frequency response”? What does this imply?
Simply put, good headphones are those that can reproduce audible frequencies. But there’s more to it, and we’ll need to know about neutral frequency response and flat frequency response to grasp it (explained in the subsequent sections).
So how about a pair of headphones with a larger frequency range? Different people have different perspectives on this.
Although humans cannot hear infrared or ultrasonic waves, we may feel them as sound waves. That means that headphones with a wide frequency range are preferable.
Second, it is dependent on the headphone amplifier and the music type you choose. The term “good” is highly subjective. What is beneficial to us may not be beneficial to others, and vice versa. Even professional audiophiles have differing opinions on these topics.
Furthermore, headphones can play musical notes that are outside of the designated range. We can’t hear the sounds since the output isn’t loud enough.
What is a Frequency Response Headphone Test?
The frequency response of the headphones is divided into three bands: bass/low, mids, and treble/high. The output quality is also affected by the sort of headphones you’re using—open-back or closed-back.
Raw frequency response and adjusted frequency response are terms you’ve probably heard before.
The raw response is taken from the measurement microphone during the testing process.
The compensated response is created by applying the goal curve to the raw frequency response graph. Because viewing the raw response graph is difficult for certain users, the target curve is included. We can help listeners understand how the headphones would produce different musical notes by converting them to a corrected frequency response graph.
The Harman target response curve is a sound characteristic or acceptable tonality of headphones that listeners desire. It’s a rough estimate of how the speakers/headphones would sound in ideal circumstances.
The Harman curve adds an extra frequency curve to the frequency response so that the headphones can attempt to produce neutral sound output.
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