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Posts: 3,524 | Thanked: 2,958 times | Joined on Oct 2007 @ Delta Quadrant
#8
Originally Posted by bexley View Post
This would provide no insight.

What I think you're saying is that you want to measure frequency response, which is a question that's just off the mark in many ways. First of all, frequency response is a product of everything in the chain, definately not just the source. Besides, plugging a source directly into a recording device is nonsensical; think about it: it's the equivalent of trying to judge a camera's colour reproduction while looking through a filter of random colours. Measuring frequency response is not something you can really do well at home, even with high-end recording equipment. But all that is moot, since no piece of consumer technology aims to give flat/balanced frequency response (that is, not boosting some frequencies over others). This is the chief concern for audio recording and mastering, for which unembellished reproduction is needed, but it absolutely is not for consumer products--even the very high end.

Lastly, you shouldn't be worried about the sound quality if what you're doing is plugging a portable device into a stereo via 1/8" for two reasons. First, this is the worst way to transmit an audio signal, but it's all relative so if you consider sound you've heard over 1/8" to be "crystal clear" then we've just got different standards. Second, almost every MP3 player or PDA out there has very similar specs for their amps, which are by no means sophisticated or great. Maybe a few devices have noticeably better quality and a few noticeably worse, but this is again completely subjective since it's not the aim of consumer audio to give balanced frequency response. Play around with your EQ on any device, and you'll probably find something that sounds "better," but it's certainly not more accurate.
Great information! Thank you very much. As you surmised in your last post, you are correct, good frequency response isn't really what I'm after (I just read up on it using wikipedia ), but rather the frequency spectrum (am I using the correct terminology?). I didn't, however, know the difference between the two, so your post shed much light on this fascinating subject.

I wouldn't count on the N810 for that. I wouldn't count on whatever headphones you pick up that claim to go down to 6Hz either though. I can't help but think that, if something like this can be effective, it would need to be done through speakers since the inaudible frequencies can only affect you through your bones (up to half of your hearing is from reverberations through your bones).

Or are headphones supposed to be fine for this stuff?
Actually headphones are a requirement as they are the only way to guarantee that each ear receives the proper output. Speakers would muddle the frequencies together eliminating the effectiveness of the recording.

The ~6Hz is an absolute minimum I've read about and probably far exaggerated. I'd have to do more research. Suffice it to say, low frequencies are the name of the game for this type of audio.

I've researched some headphones that claimed <10Hz. They tend to be expensive "audiophile-grade" headphones. Do you think that these specs are not achievable at home?

How would one test the various audio output properties of the N810?


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Capt'n Corrupt

Last edited by Capt'n Corrupt; 2007-12-01 at 05:17.
 

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