Tyll Hertsens Blog

InnerFidelity Update December 2017

Tyll Hertsens | Dec 12, 2017

Oh man! Lots more stuff showing up on the stoop. Worry not, the Sennheiser HD 660 S review will be up by weeks end, but I figured you'd want to see the measurements for a couple more soon-to-be-reviewed headphones: the Klipsch Heritage HP-3 and the Focal Clear. You'll get my comments then.

Klipsch Heritage HP-3Measurements

Click on graphs image to download .pdf for closer inspection.

Focal Clear Measurements

Click on graphs image to download .pdf for closer inspection.

It's worth mentioning that this is the second Focal Clear I measured...needed to make double-damn sure I didn't get an odd man out sample like I did with the Utopia. They look pretty much the same this time. Previous Clear measurements here.

COMMENTS

Yipee! These, plus the Elear

Submitted by Martin. on December 12, 2017 - 3:02pm

Yipee! These, plus the Elear and Aeon, will be one of the headphones I am saving up for. One step at a time.

Klipsch

Submitted by metal571 on December 12, 2017 - 3:39pm

lol, Klipsch confirmed an Ultrasone I guess.

Would also be nice to get another PDF update for cans people have sent in. Still haven't got a chance to see a digital copy of my K553 measurements...

The Klipsch measures almost

Submitted by Maybe on December 12, 2017 - 6:04pm

The Klipsch measures almost exactly like a K812 only with more bass and treble.
I'd rather have the Fostex TH-610 for half the price...

There is a Clear winner here.

Submitted by zobel on December 12, 2017 - 4:23pm

Obviously, by your measurements, the choice is clear, if they fit your ears.

The isolation plot...

Submitted by Vinhcomputer on December 12, 2017 - 6:49pm

of Clear look like a semi-open one since it attenuate outside noise. The previous measurement of Clear shows that it even attenuate half of the noise.

Inevitable Disapointment

Submitted by gibtg on December 12, 2017 - 7:58pm

I can only imagine by the measurements and from the hype that the Klipsch is a pretty big disappointment.

Well..

Submitted by Beagle on December 13, 2017 - 9:10am

If you only go by measurements and speculation, all headphones are a big disappointment. Like life itself. They should be enjoyed, not examined.

What?

Submitted by gibtg on December 14, 2017 - 6:48pm

@Beagle, you're in the wrong place to be saying headphones shouldn't be examined.

Let's take it from the top again, shall we?

Submitted by Hifihedgehog on December 15, 2017 - 10:51pm

So I guess I should just eat at my local hell's kitchen. I should remain oblivious to it being a source of enough cases of foodborne illnesses to fill an entire hospital ward. I should do this just because life is to be enjoyed, not examined. Smart cookie there, except I just tossed my cookies following your advice. ;P Seriously though, here's my informal philosophy: always strive for the very best through careful study and observation; don't succumb to the pitfall of analysis paralysis; and, above all, always remember to have joy in the journey. Most users here would probably say they believe the very same things. No one here is advocating to quit listening to their headphones, instead relocate to an isolated hilltop monastery, and there madly stare at a computer screen comparing graphs for years on end until our eyes are bloodshot red, all in the name of obtaining humanity's most proficient headphone. A little thought-provoking analysis never hurt anyone, pushing the envelope here and there and reaching a little higher. In reality, this is the end goal, not the end in itself. So relax, take a deep breath and... merry Christmas!

Upcoming Klipsch HP-3 review

Submitted by markus on December 13, 2017 - 1:01am

Since the Klpisch and the AKG K812 have a very similar FR from 800 Hz to 7 kHz, it would be useful to include a comparison between these to in your review. Those two are very different sounding dynamic headphones. And measurement noobs could understand how to look closer at IR. And what is not present in measurements.

Very similar..

Submitted by xnor on December 13, 2017 - 12:52pm

except for the up to 5 dB differences within that range and the huge differences outside it, especially in the lower mids and entire bass range which completely change the tonality of the headphone, the additional resonance at 8-9 k and at around 14 kHz.

Submitted by markus on December 13, 2017 - 11:10pm

Tyll is smart enough to EQ the rest, lift the pads to lower the bass, you hardcore objectivist.

I don't understand what these

Submitted by xnor on December 14, 2017 - 11:18am

I don't understand what these huge differences have to do with objectivity/objectivism. If these sound the same to you, even within the narrow range that you have mentioned, then you shouldn't look for these headphones but instead shop for $10 ones.

I wrote that these are very

Submitted by markus on December 14, 2017 - 12:55pm

I wrote that these are very different sounding dynamic headphones and that this would remain even when the FR would be adjusted on both headphones. You imply to me dumbness. That's kind of typical for objectivists who know it all better.

Why?

Submitted by gibtg on December 14, 2017 - 6:50pm

If you say they're so different why do they need to be compared? I would imagine they should be compared to the Fostex TH-series because there's a possibility that's where the drivers are sourced.

Lift the Pads!

Submitted by gibtg on December 14, 2017 - 6:53pm

Lift the pads, are you joking? These are $1,000 headphones, they are measured to be what they are, who's going to be listening to $1k headphones with chunks of foam sandwiched between their head?

Exactly!

Submitted by gibtg on December 14, 2017 - 6:51pm

Couldn't agree more.

LCD-2C?

Submitted by gLer on December 13, 2017 - 8:41am

Hi Tyll - just checking how the LCD-2C review promised for last week is coming along? :) I suspect it’s one of the most highly anticipated reviews of all time!

Focal Clear Review Video

Submitted by Chiumeister on December 18, 2017 - 11:57am

Tyll,

Are you posting a review video of the Focal Clear?

frequency range names..the standards

Submitted by zobel on December 19, 2017 - 2:24am

Bass.........20 Hz to 250 Hz
Midrange....250 Hz to 2500 Hz
Treble......2500 Hz to 20,000 Hz

This represents the range of Human hearing, and divides the frequencies into the old standards of Bass, Mids, & Treble. These have been the widely accepted definitions for many years.

In the table below, the further subdivisions are useful to more accurately describe the audible spectrum, which have developed over time, to describe the ten octaves we can hear as illustrated below. Note also the frequencies that most refer to as ("presence") and ("air" or "sparkle"). It is important that we use these standards in naming the different bands of frequencies in order to have a common language. If not referring to this standard, the only alternative is to talk in terms of the frequencies in Hz, and mention only the numbers.

Sub Bass...........10 Hz to 25 Hz
Low bass...........25 Hz to 50 Hz
Mid Bass...........50 Hz to 125 Hz
Upper Bass........125 Hz to 250 Hz
Low Mids..........250 Hz to 500 Hz
Central Mids......5oo Hz to 1000 Hz
Upper Mids.......1000 Hz to 2000 Hz
Low Treble.......2000 Hz to 4000 H ....('presence region'
Central Treble...4000 Hz to 8000 Hz 3 kHz to 6 kHz)
Upper Treble.....8000 Hz to 20,000 Hz .('air/sparkle' 10 kHz & up)

New Dynamic King

Submitted by sszorin on December 20, 2017 - 6:45am

According to this review - http://musicalhead.de/2017/12/17/test-audio-technica-ath-adx5000/ - Sennheiser HD800/HD800S is comprehensivekly and convincingly dethroned. The king is dead, long live the new king : ATH-ADX5000