Portable Sound: In Simple Words About Headphones and DACs



    Sennheiser HD 800

    Surround Headphones In the 19th edition, we discuss headphones and portable DACs with Danila Nikolaev, an expert on Audiomania.

    [ More on the Sound Podcast ] [ Listen to this issue ]

    Other Podcast Issues
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    • [ read ] [ listen ] Music lovers, network players and built-in acoustics;

    • [ read ] [ listen ] Every engineer dreams of making an S-90;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] In simple words about headphones and DACs;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Talking about vinyl: Myths, opinions and current situation;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Answers to questions from listeners of the podcast “Sound”;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] We discuss the nature of the different sounds of acoustics;

    • [ read ] [ listen ] Acoustics for background sounding of premises;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Answers to questions from podcast listeners;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] We talk about home theaters;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Interiors for sound;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Interfaces and cables;

    • [ read ] [ listen ] In simple words about digital and analog sound;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Home acoustics and answers to questions;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Engineer's opinion: How to create your own ecosystem of sound;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Quality of audio systems: Is it worth trusting “beautiful graphics” and reviews in the press;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Answers to questions of listeners;

    • [ read ] [ listen ] Bass in the words of a musician;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Home audio systems and home cinemas;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Audio equipment for home and events;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Digital-to-analog converters;
    • [ read ] [ listen ] Portable audio systems.

    Alina: Please tell us about the headphones. I think it’s worth starting with the basics, because it’s hard for people who are definitely not audiophiles to understand the differences in headphones and their types. I distinguish headphones exclusively in appearance. There are big and small. Large are open, half-closed, closed type. But I absolutely do not understand this, and I would like to understand what types of headphones are, how these types differ and for whom they are intended.

    Danila: Basically, the demand for headphones falls on the young part of society, which listens to music on the road, in the subway, for example, from its favorite device - a phone or player. There are a contingent of people who prefer to listen to music at home, but namely, high-quality music, but these are other headphones.

    So, we need headphones for a young man or girl. For a young man, more often, sound quality will be the determining factor, for a girl - appearance. Sound quality will be a secondary link.

    First of all, one must start from the needs of a person: what is interesting to him, what does he need? If this is a modern style of music: electronic music, hip-hop, it is obvious that headphones with maximum noise isolation and maximum bass level are better for a person to make the headphones “swing”.

    Alina: Should they be big?

    Danila: Optional. If the headphones are small, this does not mean that they are bad. " Vacuum " (in-channel) headphones play no worse than large ones. There are in-ear headphones with a complex technical structure, the so-calledreinforcement (headphones with balanced anchor). Several emitters in one earphone allow you to achieve optimal playback quality of the entire frequency range, when each emitter is responsible for its own frequency.

    Convenience is an important factor. It is convenient to take compact headphones with you on the road. For example, liners. The advantage of overhead headphones is that we protect our hearing, since the sink amplifies the signal, and the “vacuum” ones play directly into the channel, although they look spectacular from the side. For young people it is important how they look, for example, the Beats super brand, which is maximally popular.

    If we talk about listening to music on the road, subway or plane, there is a gradation of headphones for noise reduction. Such headphones allow you to avoid external noise, which affect the perception of music. What is the principle? We take the signal to the microphone, turn it in antiphase, feed it to the ears, and the human ear is so arranged that it no longer hears such a signal, and enjoy only music.

    If we talk about headphones of a higher class, then everything is more complicated. It is important what type they are: open or closed. In open headphones, it is easier to achieve natural sounding, real volume, but at the same time it most often disturbs others. Here a compromise arises: all factors must be taken into account so that the person remains as satisfied as possible.

    Alina:A common myth that headphones of different types are suitable for specific music genres is not quite fair?

    Danila: This is also important. For example, if a person listens to jazz, I will not recommend him headphones in which bass is hypertrophied, a dull top or none at all. For such a person, in the first place, detailing the sound, elaboration is important. We need the most natural scene and the separation of instruments by stage.

    It’s more interesting to listen - the sound is more informative. With high-end headphones, you can hear the recordings that we have been listening to since childhood, in a new way. You can discover new sounds, the perception of sound is in a completely different way.



    Audeze EL-8 Closed-Back Surround Headphones

    This applies to high-end headphones such as Hi-End, for example, Sennheiser HD 800 and Audeze (second and third). There are a lot of headphones to choose from. All of them with their own character, handwriting, they all try to be unique.

    For a true audiophile, top-end headphones alone are not enough. If he prefers several genres, it is desirable that he has several pairs of headphones. We listen to classics on the HD-800, rock, something heavy, electronics on the Fostex TH-900. Everything will be perceived differently and affect emotions. For this, everything is done.

    Alina: Judging by the appearance of how a certain genre can be heard on certain headphones is impossible, you need to consult and understand further.

    Danila:Better to listen once than to choose in appearance. In appearance, it is impossible to do this at all. We’ll listen to the headphones, and not look at them.

    Alina: Someone, maybe, will look!

    Danila: Of course, appearance is important for girls. This is not to say that headphones with a good appearance will definitely play poorly, and vice versa. For example, the Marshall headphone brand both look good and sound acceptable. They play from almost any source, though, this is their main goal. Headphones are divided into groups with different impedances, sensitivities, for a phone, player, something for stationary use only. Most often, this applies to Hi-Fi and Hi-End headphones.

    Alina:It turns out that a person who selects headphones according to the numbers of technical specifications and does without listening does not use the right approach to the choice.

    Danila: Yes. The parameters that you can focus on are resistance and sensitivity. By these parameters, you can determine whether you can listen to these headphones from the player or from a stationary amplifier.

    Alina: But nothing more?

    Danila: No more. How they will sound, how they will behave, what the nature of the sound will be, even the graph of the amplitude-frequency characteristics will not show. What space, how much air, what sensations will be impossible to say. All people have different rumors. You just need to listen or trust the recommendations of a consultant who has already listened.



    Wireless headphones Denon AH-W150

    Alina: Regarding recommendations, but not consultants, but different audiophiles, music lovers, people who listen to music on different headphones and write all kinds of reports, reviews. How much should they be guided by, how informative can they be?
    On the one hand, reading reviews, you think that a person really understands the issue, on the other hand, each person has his own taste, he prefers certain music, sometimes he indicates this music, sometimes not.

    Suppose if I listen to other music, then what?
    And another question is the structure of his ears. I came across reviews in which a person says that specific headphones seem to him stupid, because he can’t put them in his ears, or they don’t cover his ear. How much does it cost to focus on such articles? Or the main thing is that a person feels directly himself?

    Danila: I think you can focus on an authoritative opinion in order to weed out the good from the bad. The connoisseur of classical, academic music, for sure, has a biased opinion on such modern styles as electronic music, pop, hip-hop. I don’t think that he will be able to help a lover of modern genres and make constructive criticism.

    Obviously, modern youth need headphones on their heads to jump from the bass, but I don’t think that some aesthet, a lover of classical music, can pick up headphones in this genre. Opinion should be as unbiased as possible. You can achieve the result only by trying it yourself. I came across this.

    I try to be a music lover, fond of all music. I often find myself in a situation where I tell the client that specific headphones are not worthy of his attention, but it often happens that a person buys them after that, because he liked them.

    Better to try if possible. If this is not possible, for example, for people who live in regions, I would recommend being careful in forums. They often praise what they bought for themselves, or succumb to the opinion of authoritative personalities. If you should choose headphones without listening, I would try to ring up the maximum number of stores, talk with consultants, and weigh the pros and cons.

    Then I would search in my region for a person who has such headphones, and would ask them to listen. This is true if we consider the headphones Hi-Fi and Hi-Fi class, which have a considerable cost, which will entail the purchase of other components - headphone amplifiers, DACscable. This is a fairly serious investment, not for one day. A person will not change these headphones in a year, two, three. Of course, there are standards, brands. If a person has never encountered such a level of quality, he will never be disappointed.

    As for the headphones for everyday life, you need to find a person you can trust, understand that he is telling the truth in order to choose headphones for the client based on his needs, and not with the goal of selling more expensive. In principle, there are not so many of them. What style of music do you like, what kind of sound do you need, as I said, bright, bass, voluminous. Which form factor is convenient, it should be earbuds, or they should cover the ears, or they should be applied to the ears.

    There are still questions whether they add up or not, to carry them with you, perhaps you need a headset for your phone to answer calls. The question may arise if this does not spoil the sound quality.

    Alina: Suppose such a question arose.

    Danila: It does not spoil.

    Alina: How do they add up to the sound quality?

    Danila: It also does not affect the sound quality.

    Alina: I have a question that arose when there were slider phones. Ours had moving parts, and it was believed that such a device, it doesn’t matter, headphones, phones, more often break down, or rather are more susceptible to various kinds of mechanical influences.

    Danila:Yes. In places where the structure is bent, the cable is most often broken. We must look at what is important to you in the first place. If your need is the maximum convenience in carrying this device, then it is better to take folding ones. Perhaps someday you will not be lucky, and the cable will break in some place. Repair is not expensive enough. Repair in the headband on average from 500 to 1000 rubles. It almost does not affect the appearance. Simply replace the cable in the headband, where it broke or bent.

    Alina:Regarding all kinds of breakdowns and other things. Interesting. I often see in the stores, including in Audiomania, cute headphone stands: wooden or plastic. When do they need to be purchased and is it necessary? And how to store headphones correctly? When they are already bought, it is not always possible to put them in and not touch them again, so that nothing goes too far and nothing falls anywhere.

    Danila:Any things should be treated with care. Naturally, we want them to live longer, serve us. The stand is convenient, since you do not need to constantly put the headphones in a box, unwind them or throw them on the table. They are stored in good condition for a long time on the headphone stand. Stands are divided into beautiful and not very beautiful, I do not see another argument when buying. If the stand fits your interior in color or wood, then why not buy it. It is still pleasing to the eye.

    Alina: That is, good stationary headphones and outwardly must somehow harmonize with the environment in which they will be located.

    Danila:Of course, because all this affects the emotions that give us the joy of listening. For me, as for many people, the main thing is sound and convenience. No matter how good the headphones sound, if they do not sit on the head, they will not work for more than half an hour. This will spoil the emotions of perception. You will not be able to fully enjoy the sound quality, you will be distracted from listening.

    Alina: I read in the review such a characteristic, when the ear cushions cover the ears too tight that the ears begin to sweat. Even such things affect the quality of life.

    Danila:Yes. The fact that the ear does not breathe is the problem of all closed headphones with leather ear pads. This, of course, gives maximum sound insulation and convenience in the sense that the entire ear is covered. But the ear does not breathe, this must be taken into account. It gets tired. After 40 minutes, an hour, it is better to take a break.

    If you take open headphones, this problem does not arise at all. There is complete air circulation, in such headphones you can sit for days on end. There are also headphones with a closed design with velor ear pads. It is also quite comfortable, ears do not sweat, breathe. But at the same time, the material also affects the sound quality. If you buy headphones with leather ear pads, and then replace them with velor for convenience, this will dramatically affect the sound - the bass will sag and the top will tighten a little. Perhaps this result will not like.



    Headphone selection guide for a big city, article. Stereo & Video Magazine

    Alina: How long can a good pair of Hi-End class headphones last?

    Danila: If you treat them carefully, this is a purchase for life.

    Alina: Wow!

    Danila: I think the children will remain. We will do everything so that it works, not breaks. This, most likely, is the whole difference between Hi-End, Hi-Fi and household headphones.

    Alina: That is, the main algorithm when choosing headphones is, firstly, to understand in what context we will listen to them: from the phone, on the street or somewhere at home.

    Danila: Yes, of course.

    Alina:And then we’ll dance from this and see how much convenience and comfort you need for those around you who will or will not listen to extraneous sounds. Do you live alone or with someone.

    If to move along the street, then how generally a person listens to it. I think this is very important for girls: there is a hat, no hat. The most important thing is glasses. I myself faced this problem because I wear glasses. If you wear headphones without glasses, everything is fine. But as soon as you add points, after a while it becomes simply unbearable. Headband of headphones presses on the temple.

    Danila: I can’t say that headphones are made specifically for such purposes. But I’m sure that you can choose comfortable ones, for example, which do not cover the entire ear, they will not put pressure on the frame of glasses.

    Alina:Exactly where the whiskey is.

    Danila: You can take headphones that just fit on your ears, are compact enough, or in-ear, especially if you listen to them on the go. If you listen to music at home, you can take off your glasses and take full-size headphones. If on the road - take good earbuds, they will also sound good. For example, reinforcing headphones, which I spoke about, will give odds to many overhead type headphones for the same money.



    In-ear headphones Audio-Technica ATH-IM01

    You need to look for the maximum amount of data about the nature of the sound of the headphones. This is the detail, the volume of the scene and the presentation itself: aggressive, dynamic, easy. You can bring a lot of epithets. But it’s worth focusing on them, and not on characteristics, they absolutely do not say anything.

    Moreover, people often look at the frequency range from ten thousand to twenty thousand. But few manufacturers write the decibel level at which measurements were taken.

    Alina: On the other hand, we won’t be able to reproduce exactly the same conditions when we ourselves will listen to these headphones.

    Danila: Yes. There is no internationally accepted standard for measurement that can be guided by.

    Alina: So, the main summary is our own experience and understanding of the context in which we will listen to headphones. Naturally, we must abandon myths that have long been prevalent and simply embedded in the consciousness of the majority.

    Danila:When buying, you need to answer for yourself two questions that are important when choosing. The first is our source (phone, player, amplifier). And the second is our favorite music.

    Alina: Consider the following situation. A person buys powerful healthy headphones for himself, but understands that he can listen to them at home, but he wants to listen to them somewhere else, too. And outside the house, he wants to listen to them, for example, listening to music from the iPhone, from any mobile device that clearly does not provide such characteristics as home acoustics.

    Danila:There is a way out of this situation. Today, even in our assortment such devices as portable headphone amplifiers are presented. If you have your favorite headphones, powerful high-impedance, low-sensitivity, which you listen exclusively at home, and you want to listen to them everywhere, and you do not accept other headphones, in this case a device such as a portable amplifier will help. It gives the maximum amount of current from the source that is connected to it. It enhances the amplitude of the signal and allows you to maximize the headphones. This will fully enjoy them not only at home.

    Alina: And is this really a mobile device?

    Danila:This is a mobile, small-sized device on batteries. If you don’t have enough volume, if you want it to be even more powerful, to pump more, or to reveal a more scene, and you want to listen to it from your iPhone, yes, it’s possible. We connect via usb, shoot a digital signal, a portable device amplifies it, we get maximum quality. Hi-end in your pocket.

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