Mr. Haelscheir
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- Mar 16, 2023
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Hello. I have been planning an audition for a high-end electrostatic headphone purchase, namely a choice between the Warwick Acoustics Bravura, Audeze CRBN, and Stax SR-X9000, whereby I am hoping to obtain comparative distortion measurements (among others) to bolster my decision, and of course provide the community with this data.
As far as I could tell, to measure down to 0.01% THD (a benchmark level apparently attained by the Sennheiser HE-1), if these headphones actually reach such performance (the DCA Stealth per Jude's measurements on Head-Fi reaches such in the treble), I would need to at the shop provide a portable acoustic enclosure ensuring a noise floor of 20 dB or less while measuring 100 dB signals at the mic. The mic's self-noise would have to be at that level, and its own distortion must not exceed that noise floor at said 100 dB recorded level.
The miniDSP EARS would be the most convenient setup, but does anyone know its self-noise and distortion specs (at least of the supposed UMIK-1 capsules used)? At the minimum per the link in https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...tting-thd-in-the-perspective.9085/post-232599, it attains 1% THD at a venerable 133 dB max SPL. https://www.avsforum.com/threads/the-great-waveguide-shootout.1475674/page-12 mentions issues with second order harmonics. But https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...l-world-performance-review.33918/post-1186487 claims the ability to "measure up to ~120 dB SPL without compression or added harmonic distortion."
If the miniDSP EARS is known to be insufficient for measuring down to 0.01% THD, how feasible would it be to DIY a rig within a $1k budget (where I am not so concerned about ear gain simulation)?
As far as I could tell, to measure down to 0.01% THD (a benchmark level apparently attained by the Sennheiser HE-1), if these headphones actually reach such performance (the DCA Stealth per Jude's measurements on Head-Fi reaches such in the treble), I would need to at the shop provide a portable acoustic enclosure ensuring a noise floor of 20 dB or less while measuring 100 dB signals at the mic. The mic's self-noise would have to be at that level, and its own distortion must not exceed that noise floor at said 100 dB recorded level.
The miniDSP EARS would be the most convenient setup, but does anyone know its self-noise and distortion specs (at least of the supposed UMIK-1 capsules used)? At the minimum per the link in https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...tting-thd-in-the-perspective.9085/post-232599, it attains 1% THD at a venerable 133 dB max SPL. https://www.avsforum.com/threads/the-great-waveguide-shootout.1475674/page-12 mentions issues with second order harmonics. But https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...l-world-performance-review.33918/post-1186487 claims the ability to "measure up to ~120 dB SPL without compression or added harmonic distortion."
If the miniDSP EARS is known to be insufficient for measuring down to 0.01% THD, how feasible would it be to DIY a rig within a $1k budget (where I am not so concerned about ear gain simulation)?