3 ms·

I had made a similar comment before reading yours. I am really glad I am not alone, here. I was absolutely taken aback by the lack of Frequency Response curve g

I had made a similar comment before reading yours. I am really glad I am not alone, here. I was absolutely taken aback by the lack of Frequency Response curve graph in a so-called audiophile review, and as a pro audio engineer on the side I am consistently driven nuts by this. There is so, so much subjectivity in headphone reviews, and so little science these days - if I had any interest in doing so whatsoever I would certainly start up my own review site, refuse to review headphones that were given to me by the companies themselves to assure a lack of bias, and - you know - actually do some science. I, for one - would be interested in doing my own sets of frequency response data and comparing them to what these companies should be providing to start, and so often do not. Ugh. Hybrid consumer/pro audio gear is the worst. >.<

GloriousKoji 6y ago
The problem is all these review sites are pseudo experts writing copy of how it fits into a hipster/techster/trending life with just substance to pass off as an educated conclusion. But don't worry, there is a place for FFT graphs. rtings.com is excellent for reviews on audio and visual gear. Here's their review on the airpod max: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-max-wireless https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-max-...
passivate 6y ago
This is a headphone for listening to music, not for audio mixing. I wish you success with your review site idea, but it would not be one I would personally seek out (saying this as an audio nut myself). There are a few websites that measure more than just the sound signature though - e.g. https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sony/wh-1000xm4-wireless#page-test-results https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sony/wh-1000xm4-wi... As an aside, applying scientific principles doesn't automatically make the review any better. Science works by proposing a hypothesis/model and collecting data to see if the data matches the model. If your hypothesis/model is just average, and not world-class, then the most carefully collected data doesn't hold much weight/value. For e.g. Minor changes in the sound signature/frequency response are only audible when you listen to the same music across multiple headphones, and that too when you're carefully listening. Also the sound signature can vary when the fit of the headphone changes as per the individual head shape/ear shape/etc. All this is assuming there is enough manufacturing tolerance to produce headphones with identical sound signatures, etc, etc. Ultimately you'll have to come up with a hypothesis/model that is better than the current one. Which is not to say it can't be done, but its a tall order, but I hope you give it a shot at-least. If nothing else you'll have a cool blog post :)
Terretta 6y ago
Here, frequency curves in repeatable environment: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-max-wireless https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-max-...

GloriousKoji 6y ago

The problem is all these review sites are pseudo experts writing copy of how it fits into a hipster/techster/trending life with just substance to pass off as an educated conclusion. But don't worry, there is a place for FFT graphs. rtings.com is excellent for reviews on audio and visual gear. Here's their review on the airpod max: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-max-wireless https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-max-...

passivate 6y ago

This is a headphone for listening to music, not for audio mixing. I wish you success with your review site idea, but it would not be one I would personally seek out (saying this as an audio nut myself). There are a few websites that measure more than just the sound signature though - e.g. https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sony/wh-1000xm4-wireless#page-test-results https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sony/wh-1000xm4-wi... As an aside, applying scientific principles doesn't automatically make the review any better. Science works by proposing a hypothesis/model and collecting data to see if the data matches the model. If your hypothesis/model is just average, and not world-class, then the most carefully collected data doesn't hold much weight/value. For e.g. Minor changes in the sound signature/frequency response are only audible when you listen to the same music across multiple headphones, and that too when you're carefully listening. Also the sound signature can vary when the fit of the headphone changes as per the individual head shape/ear shape/etc. All this is assuming there is enough manufacturing tolerance to produce headphones with identical sound signatures, etc, etc. Ultimately you'll have to come up with a hypothesis/model that is better than the current one. Which is not to say it can't be done, but its a tall order, but I hope you give it a shot at-least. If nothing else you'll have a cool blog post :)

Terretta 6y ago

Here, frequency curves in repeatable environment: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-max-wireless https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-max-...