Would be interested to hear your thoughts having listened to and measured so many headphones
@solderdude Particularly on whether you prefer cans with a room response (Harman-style) or ones that measure a bit flatter?
My preference (probably because I don't listen very loud) is 'flat' with a mild bass boost.
Not as extreme as Sonarworks nor Harman. Less boost and based on the difference between an 80-85dB mastered recording and 70dB reproduction.
So the bass boost is not as steep as Harman either but more 'natural' 6dB/octave alike.
So my compensation used when measuring is below:
my explanation is found
here.
Personally I don't think HRTF is that much of a problem for headphones. It is for measurement equipment.
The reason I think this is true is that our ears calibrate themselves and take into account where the sounds are coming from.
A violin played in front of you or to the side still sound equally 'violin'.
The compensation needed for dummy heads with ear canals and Pinna is very complex and headphone depenedant.
For this reason (and financial) I prefer to measure what the driver itself puts out, not what 'a' fake Pinna does and 'a' fake ear canal does and later have to undo something complex.
usually my plots end up quite close to 'compensated' dummy head measurements.
I also believe one should not 'correct' to the exact opposite of what is measured as that may differ from someone else's HRTF.
Instead I look for grossser errors that need correction and then apply a gentle EQ to get it in the correct ballpark.
There are a few headphones that measure close to 'flat' and sound good to me without any EQ.
below the first HE-6 for instance.
Even here one can see variations well over 5dB (which is audible) if this were the FR of an amp or DAC everyone would be all over it claiming how poor the performance is.
You can actually see my compensation in that plot as bass measures ruler flat but due to my compensation is now slightly on the thin side.
But indeed the vast majority of headphones deviates many dB's, sometimes well over 15dB in specific areas.
This makes them all sound (and measure) very different.
You can get them closer by applying EQ... but one needs to base EQ on something.
And that is indeed where the problem area is...
Others may have quite differing views (such is life) and everyone should use what they prefer or think is right.
I don't claim my measurements are right nor my method is right. I get good and consistent results this way which makes me wander this path.
The Sonarworks 'paper' makes sense (outside the dot of the middle C (261.6Hz) being shown on the C on the left of the text where it should have been on the C on the right of the text.
Also the SHP9500 recommendation is a bit suspect as it does not comply to their own recommendations (replaceable pads).