{"id":246993,"date":"2021-05-12T00:28:18","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T21:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/"},"modified":"2021-05-12T00:28:18","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T21:28:18","slug":"how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to understand speaker measurements \u2014 and why they matter"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a408d20cf767\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a408d20cf767\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#Okay_so_why_should_I_care_about_measurements_Cant_I_just_read_the_review\" >Okay, so why should I care about measurements? Can\u2019t I just read the review?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#So_which_speakers_are_the_best\" >So which speakers are the best?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#What_does_a_great_frequency_response_look_like\" >What does a great frequency response look like?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#Thats_it\" >That\u2019s it?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#So_why_arent_all_speakers_flat\" >So why aren\u2019t all speakers flat?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#How_do_I_understand_deviations_from_flat\" >How do I understand deviations from flat?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#I_saw_a_manufacturer_post_a_super_smooth_frequency_response_Thats_good_then\" >I saw a manufacturer post a super smooth frequency response! That\u2019s good then?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#Tell_me_more_about_that_smooth_directivity_stuff\" >Tell me more about that smooth directivity stuff<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#What_does_smooth_directivity_look_like\" >What does smooth directivity look like?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#Frequency_response_and_directivity_together_What_is_a_%E2%80%98spinorama\" >Frequency response and directivity together: What is a \u2018spinorama?\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#So_are_frequency_response_and_directivity_everything\" >So are frequency response and directivity everything?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\/#Id_like_to_learn_more\" >I\u2019d like to learn more!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#How to understand speaker measurements \u2014 and why they matter<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>How do you know if a speaker is any good?<\/p>\n<p>The answer should be obvious. If you like the way it sounds, then it is good. I\u2019m not here to tell you to stop enjoying what you like. But I am here to help you make more educated purchases.<\/p>\n<p>Speakers don\u2019t exist in isolation; most of us want to know we\u2019re getting the <em>best<\/em> sound for our budget and setup. So how can you tell if one speaker is better than another without direct comparison? How do you know your impressions \u2014 or those of reviewers \u2014 aren\u2019t being influenced by expectations about a speaker\u2019s price and reputation? And what do you do when you don\u2019t have a chance to listen to a speaker at all before buying it?<\/p>\n<p>This is where speaker measurements and objective data come in. Knowing how to understand frequency response graphs is one of the most important skill an audiophile can have.<\/p>\n<p>Lucky for us, speaker engineers and psychoacoustics researchers have been studying the nature of \u2018good sound\u2019 for decades. This research has led to powerful insights which show that, to a substantial degree, your preference for one speaker over another can be predicted by data \u2014 frequency response measurements in particular.<\/p>\n<p>So by the end of this article, you should be able to look at a graph like this\u2026<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/L82-Spin.png\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/L82-Spin.png\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>\u2026and know whether it describes a decent speaker, as well as understand what some of its audible flaws might be.<\/p>\n<p>Most of what I know comes from reading what I consider the most important book for any <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>-loving audiophile: <em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Sound-Reproduction-Psychoacoustics-Loudspeakers-Engineering-dp-113892136X\/dp\/113892136X\/ref=dp_ob_title_bk\">Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms<\/a>.<\/em> Written by Dr. Floyd Toole, perhaps the most renowned\u00a0expert on the psychoacoustics of speakers, it summarizes decades of research on acoustics and listener preferences.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve since measured dozens of speakers and have found a remarkable correlation between my listening impressions and measurements, which are almost always performed after weeks of hearing the speaker in my own living room. This guide will hopefully help you understand how to correlate that data with your own impressions too.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Okay_so_why_should_I_care_about_measurements_Cant_I_just_read_the_review\"><\/span>Okay, so w<strong>hy should I care about measurements? Can\u2019t I just read the review?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Some audiophiles believe listening to a speaker is the <em>only<\/em> way to know if a speaker is any good. We all have different tastes in music, after all, so surely speakers are the same?<\/p>\n<p>The problem is, when it comes to <em>sound<\/em><em>reproduction<\/em>, not music, you\u2019re probably not that special.<\/p>\n<p>Research suggests that a significant majority of people will rank speakers similarly once you eliminate variables like a speaker\u2019s price, reputation, or aesthetics. The gold standard of this preference research is the double-blind comparison.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1350580 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-280x210.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-360x270.png 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-180x135.png 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-796x597.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-368x276.png 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-736x552.png 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-632x474.png 632w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-536x402.png 536w\"\/><figcaption>Credit: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/seanolive.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/dishonesty-of-sighted-audio-product.html\">Sean Olive\/ Toole &amp; Olive 1984<\/a><\/figcaption><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2021%2F05%2F11%2Fhow-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: In this test, you can see how differently people rate speakers during sighted and blind listening.\" data-title=\"Share In this test, you can see how differently people rate speakers during sighted and blind listening. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share In this test, you can see how differently people rate speakers during sighted and blind listening. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>In this test, you can see how differently people rate speakers during sighted and blind listening.<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1350580\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-280x210.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-360x270.png 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-180x135.png 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-796x597.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-368x276.png 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-736x552.png 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-632x474.png 632w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/BlindVsSightedMeanLoudspeakerRatings-536x402.png 536w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>In these listening tests, 2-4 speakers are placed behind an acoustically transparent screen, and neither the listeners nor researchers can see which speaker is playing music. In the best versions of these tests, listeners can switch speakers on the fly, and a machine will automatically reposition the speakers. This video gives you an idea of how Harman Audio performs its double-blind tests:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Infinity&#039;s Multi-Level Listening Lab - The Final Test\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/72v54dgxa38?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Two of the most important studies on speaker preference were published in 2004 by Harman researcher Dr. Sean Olive (who worked with the aforementioned Dr. Toole). In <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aes.org\/e-lib\/browse.cfm?elib=12794\">the first one<\/a>, a tightly controlled study with 13 speaker models, Olive found preferences could be correlated with comprehensive on and off-axis measurements to essentially 100% accuracy.<\/p>\n<p>A second, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aes.org\/e-lib\/browse.cfm?elib=12847\">more generalized study with 70 speakers<\/a> found it could predict speaker preference from measurements to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roximately 86% accuracy. And these are just two studies of many over the past few decades.<\/p>\n<p>Though the research isn\u2019t without flaws, these are <em>remarkable<\/em> results. Imagine if you had that kind of predictive power with all of your purchasing decisions \u2014 if you could look at a graph or two and be reasonably confident you would prefer a certain phone, TV, laptop, microwave, bike, or whathaveyou over another. While you can of course compare the specs for any of these devices, it\u2019s rare that we have data tying those specs directly to <em>preference<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>With speakers, we have that rare luxury. I\u2019d go so far as to say that speaker measurements are more important than written reviews \u2014 if you know how to interpret them. I\u2019d be completely happy if the people who read my own reviews skim over my written listening impressions and jump straight to the measurements and analysis.<\/p>\n<p>Although measurements are of course most useful when combined with listening, Listening impressions alone are fickle and subject to biases \u2014 and even your mood that specific day. Properly done measurements can be replicated across different measurement rigs to a high degree of repeatability. So\u00a0knowing how to read measurements gives you a much better chance of buying something that you know you\u2019ll like.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_which_speakers_are_the_best\"><\/span>So which speakers are the best?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>These double-blind tests have consistently shown the best performing speakers tend to exhibit three qualities:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>A flat-ish frequency response on the primary listening axis.<\/strong> This is the frequency response measured under anechoic conditions (free of reflections) in order to isolate the sound that <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>s directly from the speaker to your ears in a line-of-sight. The is often called the \u2018<strong>on-axis<\/strong>\u2018 sound.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Smooth \u2018directivity\u2019 or \u2018dispersion.\u2019<\/strong> This is how the speaker\u2019s frequency response changes at angles away from the primary listening axis. This is important because a speaker\u2019s sound e is affected by both the direct sound <em>and<\/em> the sound that reflects off our walls. This is often called the \u2018<strong>off-axis<\/strong>\u2018 sound.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ample bass extension.<\/strong> Few speakers extend all the way down to 20Hz, so it\u2019s an improvement when these frequencies are present. You could argue this is just an another facet of a flattish frequency response, since missing bass means the frequency response is no longer flat.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>There are other things that can have an influence at the highest levels of performance, but these three qualities are by far the most important.<\/p>\n<p>It usually doesn\u2019t matter what type of listener you are. Engineers, researchers, audiophiles, reviewers, and everyday consumers tend rank speakers similarly in double-blind tests, even if their listening skills differ.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1350590 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1211\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-277x210.jpg 277w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-357x270.jpg 357w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-178x135.jpg 178w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-796x602.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-1592x1205.jpg 1592w\"\/><figcaption>Credit: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/seanolive.blogspot.com\/2008\/12\/loudspeaker-preferences-of-trained.html\">Audio Musings by Sean Olive<\/a><\/figcaption><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2021%2F05%2F11%2Fhow-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: In this study, 16 different groups of listeners ranked four speakers similarly, even if the rating given for each speaker varied.\" data-title=\"Share In this study, 16 different groups of listeners ranked four speakers similarly, even if the rating given for each speaker varied. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share In this study, 16 different groups of listeners ranked four speakers similarly, even if the rating given for each speaker varied. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>In this study, 16 different groups of listeners ranked four speakers similarly, even if the rating given for each speaker varied.<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1350590\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-277x210.jpg 277w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-357x270.jpg 357w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-178x135.jpg 178w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-796x602.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/TrainedvsUntrained-1592x1205.jpg 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>Personal taste doesn\u2019t completely disappear, but the best speakers do trend towards having the above qualities. It doesn\u2019t matter if they\u2019re studio monitors or hi-fi speakers.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_a_great_frequency_response_look_like\"><\/span>What does a great frequency response look like?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A flat line.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350591 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"875\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1-280x204.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1-370x270.png 370w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1-185x135.png 185w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1-796x580.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350591\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"875\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1-280x204.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1-370x270.png 370w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1-185x135.png 185w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-1-796x580.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Thats_it\"><\/span>That\u2019s it?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>I mean, basically.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_why_arent_all_speakers_flat\"><\/span>So why aren\u2019t all speakers flat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Because it\u2019s really hard to do right. Also some designers don\u2019t agree with the science mentioned so far and prefer to tune things \u2018by ear.\u2019 And most speakers can\u2019t extend all the way down to the lowest bass frequencies.<\/p>\n<p>Still, aiming for flat is a good goal, one that means that the speaker is likely to reproduce the recording accurately. To give you a more realistic idea of what to expect, here\u2019s an actual speaker with one of the flattest responses I\u2019ve measured.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350593 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"231\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154-280x54.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154-540x104.png 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154-270x52.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154-796x153.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350593\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154-280x54.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154-540x104.png 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154-270x52.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c_Splice-e1620760873154-796x153.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>This would be considered fantastic performance; flatter than this and you are pushing the limitations of my measurement system. Here\u2019s another one, albeit with less bass output:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350594 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"740\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190.png 1000w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190-280x207.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190-365x270.png 365w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190-182x135.png 182w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190-796x589.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350594\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190.png 1000w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190-280x207.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190-365x270.png 365w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190-182x135.png 182w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Splice_190-796x589.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>There are some things you should know though.<\/p>\n<p>When I say \u2018frequency response,\u2019 I mean the <em>anechoic<\/em> on-axis response \u2014 a measurement that does not include the effects of room reflections. This is the direct sound that heads from the speaker straight to your ears in a direct line of sight.<\/p>\n<p>The most popular methods for capturing an anechoic response include an anechoic chamber, a fancy robot called the Klippel Near-Field Scanner, or a less accurate DIY method called a \u2018<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/audio.claub.net\/software\/FRD_Blender\/White%20Paper%20-%20Accurate%20In-Room%20Frequency%20Response%20to%2010Hz.pdf\">quasi-anechoic<\/a>\u2018 measurement to eliminate reflections from data. I use the latter method because I ain\u2019t got that kind of money.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Klippel NFS: Near Field Scanner - Construction Timelapse\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A7sSkDPh-U0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The anechoic response is important because although rooms do affect the sound of a speaker, our ears are quite good at hearing a speaker \u2018through\u2019 a room (especially above the bass frequencies). This is much the same way you can tell your friend\u2019s voice apart from someone else\u2019s whether you are in your apartment, a restaurant, or an airport.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, studies show that even if speakers sound a bit different in different rooms, people will tend to <em>rank<\/em> them similarly regardless of the listening space.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_understand_deviations_from_flat\"><\/span>How do I understand deviations from flat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Frequency response is typically divided into the lows\/bass, mids, and highs\/treble. Different sources divide the frequency ranges differently, but <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly speaking, 20-250 Hz covers the bass, 250 to 2,000-4,000 Hz covers the mids, and everything above is the treble.<\/p>\n<p>If the frequency response dips in a certain region, it means that part of the sound will sound quieter during playback. If it is higher, that region will be more audible. For example, this fictional (very bad) speaker\u2026<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350595 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1142\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-280x195.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-388x270.png 388w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-194x135.png 194w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-796x554.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-1592x1109.png 1592w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350595\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1142\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-280x195.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-388x270.png 388w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-194x135.png 194w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-796x554.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c146a1-1592x1109.png 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>\u2026might be described as having an exaggerated bass, a recessed midrange, and\/or bright treble. A bit of deviation in any single region isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing \u2014 sometimes a bit of extra bass is even enjoyable for the extra tactility \u2014 but combining so many issues is a problem.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to get more nitty-gritty about how deviations in different frequency ranges affect different parts of sound, here\u2019s a handy chart from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com\/tutorials\/how-to-interpret-graphs\/frequency-response\/\">DIY-Audio-Heaven<\/a>:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350596 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1358\" height=\"636\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1358px) 100vw, 1358px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2.png 1358w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2-280x131.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2-540x253.png 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2-270x126.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2-796x373.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350596\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1358\" height=\"636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2.png 1358w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2-280x131.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2-540x253.png 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2-270x126.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/descriptors2-796x373.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>And here are how different instruments correspond to different frequency ranges, courtesy of the Independent Recording Network (an interactive version <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/alexiy.nl\/eq_chart\/\">here<\/a>):<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350597 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1624\" height=\"1425\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1624px) 100vw, 1624px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6.png 1624w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-239x210.png 239w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-308x270.png 308w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-154x135.png 154w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-796x698.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-1592x1397.png 1592w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350597\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1624\" height=\"1425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6.png 1624w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-239x210.png 239w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-308x270.png 308w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-154x135.png 154w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-796x698.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c29af6-1592x1397.png 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>(In case you\u2019re wondering why the piano only goes up to the mids, it\u2019s worth noting that \u2018treble\u2019 as used in <em>acoustics<\/em> does not necessarily line up with treble as used in <em>music<\/em>.)<\/p>\n<p>A few more things to keep in mind. Firstly, it\u2019s worth noting peaks in the frequency response are generally a bit more audible than similarly-sized dips.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350598 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1136\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-280x194.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-390x270.png 390w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-195x135.png 195w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-796x551.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-1592x1103.png 1592w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350598\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-280x194.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-390x270.png 390w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-195x135.png 195w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-796x551.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c38c5b-1592x1103.png 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>Second, a large, shallow dip or dip or bump in the frequency response is often more be audible than a narrow dip or peak. This is because while we can be very sensitive to changes less than 1dB in the frequency response, we\u2019re more likely to hear them when the deviation covers a wide range of frequencies.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350599 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1144\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-280x195.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-387x270.png 387w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-194x135.png 194w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-796x555.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-1592x1111.png 1592w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350599\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-280x195.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-387x270.png 387w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-194x135.png 194w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-796x555.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27c5272e-1592x1111.png 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>Lastly, most people can\u2019t hear very well beyond 10kHz, with our hearing getting worse the older we get and the louder we listen to music. There also isn\u2019t much music content up there. While it doesn\u2019t hurt to keep this region flat too, deviations in this region are less likely to be problematic than most other places in the frequency response.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"I_saw_a_manufacturer_post_a_super_smooth_frequency_response_Thats_good_then\"><\/span>I saw a manufacturer post a super smooth frequency response! That\u2019s good then?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It <em>might<\/em> be good. There are two things you should be particularly careful about when looking at a frequency response, especially when it\u2019s posted by a non-independent party like a manufacturer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vertical scale<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the easiest ways of tricking someone into thinking a speaker is better than it is by using an exaggerated vertical scale. A typical standard, and the one I use for all of my measurements, requires 50 dB on the Y axis to be equal length to the distance between 20Hz and 2kHz on the X axis.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350600 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"834\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad-280x195.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad-388x270.png 388w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad-194x135.png 194w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad-796x553.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350600\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"834\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad-280x195.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad-388x270.png 388w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad-194x135.png 194w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad-796x553.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This aspect ratio highlights flaws more than most measurements posted online. But now here is the same exact measurement with a compressed Y-scale:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350601 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"665\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short-280x155.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short-487x270.png 487w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short-244x135.png 244w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short-796x441.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350601\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"665\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short-280x155.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short-487x270.png 487w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short-244x135.png 244w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/fake_bad_short-796x441.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That looks way better than the speaker actually is. You should <em>always<\/em> look at the Y-Axis scale before making an assessment about a measurement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Smoothing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s exactly what it sounds like: smoothing out the frequency response. For example, I use 1\/24 octave, and generally don\u2019t like to see anechoic responses using more than 1\/12 octave smoothing.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s common to see measurements at 1\/6 to 1\/2 smoothing to hide flaws or just because it looks \u2018prettier.\u2019 Combine a tall vertical scale with smoothing, and you can easily clean up a messy speaker. For an exaggerated example:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350602 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"735\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned-280x172.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned-441x270.png 441w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned-220x135.png 220w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned-796x488.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350602\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned-280x172.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned-441x270.png 441w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned-220x135.png 220w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Fake_bad_megacleaned-796x488.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Smoothing can be useful for assessing trends while ignoring harmless minor deviations, especially for in-room measurements. But when it comes to anechoic measurements, it should only be used in conjunction with higher resolution measurements.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily, it\u2019s usually pretty easy to spot smoothed measurements because they look unnaturally smooth. Even the best speakers have some jagged bits to their measurements.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tell_me_more_about_that_smooth_directivity_stuff\"><\/span>Tell me more about that smooth directivity stuff<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When we listen to speakers in a room, we don\u2019t just hear the sound that travels in a straight line towards our ears \u2014 what we call the direct sound. Our ear-brain systems make it such that, for a small window of time, delayed sounds actually contribute to the sound of a speaker. The strongest contributions typically come from the very first bounces off of your walls, floor, and ceiling; we call these the \u2018early reflections.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>It makes sense if you think about it \u2014 and not just with speakers. After all, why don\u2019t we hear all the reflections when someone is speaking in a small room?<\/p>\n<p>Well, because that\u2019d be annoying and we could never understand each other or know where sounds are coming from. So instead, our brains \u2018add\u2019 these loudest reflections to the direct sound to create a single apparent sound source (thanks brain!). It is not until the reflections are delayed much more that we hear them as distinct sounds, (think echoes and reverb in a large venue). This is related to something called the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Precedence_effect\">precedence effect<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So you might imagine why having high-quality early reflections is important if these are being added to the direct sound. If the direct sound is flat but the cumulative early reflections have a large dip in the midrange, for example, the speaker will\u00a0sound like it is recessed in the midrange to some degree. Likewise, the soundstage will likely become fuzzier and less stable when the early reflections do not resemble the direct sound closely.<\/p>\n<p>One important thing to note: Because our ears are horizontally aligned, having smooth horizontal directivity is important for both soundstage and tonality. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll usually find vertical directivity is worse than horizontal directivity; it has less of an impact on the soundstage, although it still makes important contributions to tonality.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, when people say \u2018smooth directivity,\u2019 they\u2019re usually focusing more on the horizontal portion.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_smooth_directivity_look_like\"><\/span>What does smooth directivity look like?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>There are many ways of displaying a speaker\u2019s directivity performance. The most basic way \u2014 and my preferred method \u2014 is by simply graphing a speaker\u2019s frequency response at different angles.<\/p>\n<p>A typical speaker will have a frequency response that tilts downward as you move further away from the on-axis sound, but it should maintain the same basic shape. Here\u2019s a fictional speaker at 0 and 60 degrees off-axis:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350603 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1095\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-280x187.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-404x270.png 404w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-202x135.png 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-796x531.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-1592x1063.png 1592w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350603\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1095\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-280x187.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-404x270.png 404w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-202x135.png 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-796x531.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-2-1592x1063.png 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>Now here is a more typical off-axis graph of what is considered a very good real speaker:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350604 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"591\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4-280x138.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4-540x266.png 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4-270x133.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4-796x392.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350604\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"591\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4-280x138.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4-540x266.png 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4-270x133.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Untitled-4-796x392.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>You can see the response changes smoothly as you move further away from the on-axis sound. Usually, only the front hemisphere is included because it makes the largest contribution to the sound.<\/p>\n<p>Now here is a speaker that does not have good horizontal directivity:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_86c7681.png\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_86c7681.png\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>(You don\u2019t usually see speakers quite this bad nowadays, but I\u00a0<em>have<\/em>\u00a0seen them.)<\/p>\n<p>Even though it maintains a fairly linear direct sound, that off-axis dip suggests that the soundstage will be fuzzy and\/or unstable, likely to fall apart if you are not perfectly centered in front of the speaker.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s one more situation. What happens if the direct sound is awful, but the directivity is still good? It might look something like this:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_8df115f.png\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_8df115f.png\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>This speaker will clearly have compromised tonality due to the large dips in its response, however, the relationship between the on-axis and off-axis curve is nonetheless still smooth. In practice, this would likely lead to a speaker with uneven tonality but a good soundstage.<\/p>\n<p>For reasons beyond the scope of this piece, the good thing about such as speaker is that you might very well be able to apply EQ to them to fix their tonality. A bad frequency response can be fixed with EQ, but bad directivity cannot; it is inherent to the speaker\u2019s design.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s worth noting that a speaker can have good directivity in different ways. For example, some speaker will opt for \u2018wide directivity\u2019 which shows up as measurements that tilt less off-axis. Other speakers have \u2018narrow\u2019 directivity, which means a quieter, more tilted off-axis response.<\/p>\n<p>There aren\u2019t strict definitions for what is narrow and what is wide, so these terms are best used when comparing two speakers. Neither is better than the other, and this is just a matter of preference and interaction with your room.<\/p>\n<p>Wider directivity speakers mean louder reflections, which tends to mean a larger soundstage at the expense of some imaging precision. Narrower directivity speakers may have more focused imaging, but a smaller soundstage.<\/p>\n<p>For example, this speaker\u2026<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350613 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1244\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1-203x210.png 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1-260x270.png 260w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1-130x135.png 130w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1-796x825.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350613\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1244\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1-203x210.png 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1-260x270.png 260w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1-130x135.png 130w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Wide-1-796x825.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>\u2026has wider directivity than this speaker\u2026<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350606 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1285\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow-196x210.png 196w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow-252x270.png 252w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow-126x135.png 126w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow-796x852.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350606\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow-196x210.png 196w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow-252x270.png 252w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow-126x135.png 126w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/narrow-796x852.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>\u2026as the response on the former doesn\u2019t tilt as much. You can see how by 60 degrees (the pink line), the latter speaker\u2019s response has tilted downward much more. I\u2019m simplifying things a bit, but this suggests the wall reflections will be quieter, and the speaker will likely have a narrower, but perhaps more \u2018precise\u2019 soundstage.<\/p>\n<p>There are other ways of demonstrating directivity, with the most common alternative being a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.audioholics.com\/loudspeaker-design\/loudspeaker-measurements-2\">polar map<\/a> (sometimes called a contour plot, heat map, or beamwidth graph). Here\u2019s an example of a great speaker:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1350607 size-full js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"462\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627.png 800w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627-280x162.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627-468x270.png 468w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627-234x135.png 234w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627-796x460.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1350607 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627.png 800w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627-280x162.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627-468x270.png 468w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627-234x135.png 234w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/8c-Horizontal-Contour-e1620762408627-796x460.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>You can read more about these <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.notion.so\/How-to-understand-speaker-measurements-30e66da0dc3448c189429087c3c7ba69\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Many times directivity measurements will also be \u2018normalized\u2019 to the on-axis response meaning that rather than showing the true response at off-axis angles, they show how much the measurement varies compared to the on-axis.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequency_response_and_directivity_together_What_is_a_%E2%80%98spinorama\"><\/span>Frequency response and directivity together: What is a \u2018spinorama?\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The single most important graph you\u2019ll see me use in my reviews is called a \u2018spinorama,\u2019 so-called because creating one requires rotating a speaker about its horizontal and vertical axes to capture the frequency response at <em>70<\/em> angles.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a measurement format that has become increasingly popular in the past few years among objective reviewers, developed by the researchers at Harman, and now part of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/files.mpxlive.com\/Uploads\/Files\/live\/cta\/cea62c7f-df80-42a7-9560-f1270aa9a1fa.pdf?v=636543112460800000\">ANSI\/CTA-2034-A standard<\/a> for speaker measurements.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/HDI-Spin-2.png\" width=\"1200\" height=\"964\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/HDI-Spin-2.png\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2021%2F05%2F11%2Fhow-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: This is a spinorama for a very competent speaker.\" data-title=\"Share This is a spinorama for a very competent speaker. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share This is a spinorama for a very competent speaker. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>This is a spinorama for a very competent speaker.<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/HDI-Spin-2.png\" alt=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/HDI-Spin-2.png\" width=\"1200\" height=\"964\" class=\"\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>It is basically a speaker measurement Cliff\u2019s\u00a0Notes, summarizing a speaker\u2019s frequency response and directivity in one handy image. Although analyzing a speaker\u2019s performance can require some nuance, and comparing two very good speakers may require more information than present in the spinorama, this singular graph is usually enough to separate the \u2018good\u2019 speakers from the \u2018bad\u2019 speakers.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s my summary of what each of the above lines means (note that the colors are not standardized, these are just the ones I typically use).<\/p>\n<p>The On-Axis (green) and Listening Window (white) curves represent the \u2018direct\u2019 sound of the speaker before any reflections, and they should be relatively flat.<\/p>\n<p>The On-Axis is measured with the speaker aimed directly at the microphone. The Listening Window is an average of 9 angles (H represents horizontal, and V represents vertical): 0\u00b0, \u00b1 H10\u00b0, \u00b1 H20\u00b0, \u00b1 H30\u00b0, \u00b1 V10\u00b0.<\/p>\n<p>The Listening Window accounts for the fact most people don\u2019t sit perfectly still or centered, so it is generally the more important of the two, especially for living room listening. It also helps eliminate inaudible deviations in the frequency response that sometimes only show up when the microphone is <em>exactly<\/em> on-axis.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350608 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"2022\" height=\"1237\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2022px) 100vw, 2022px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13.png 2022w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-280x171.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-441x270.png 441w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-221x135.png 221w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-796x487.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-1592x974.png 1592w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350608\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2022\" height=\"1237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13.png 2022w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-280x171.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-441x270.png 441w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-221x135.png 221w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-796x487.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_27d7aa13-1592x974.png 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>As the first and loudest sound to arrive at our ears, the direct\u00a0 sound has a huge impact on our perception of tonality. The other curves, meanwhile, represent the \u2018off-axis\u2019 sound \u2014 the sound that will reflect off your walls.<\/p>\n<p>The Early Reflections curve (blue, top) is particularly important, as discussed earlier. It calculated by taking the average of five averages, each representing the sounds that are likely to reflect off the walls in most rooms:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Front:<\/strong> 0\u00b0, \u00b1H10\u00b0, \u00b1H20\u00b0, \u00b1H30\u00b0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Side:<\/strong> \u00b1H40\u00b0, \u00b1H50\u00b0, \u00b1H60\u00b0, \u00b1H70\u00b0, \u00b1H80\u00b0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rear:<\/strong> \u00b1H90\u00b0, \u00b1H100\u00b0, \u00b1H110\u00b0, \u00b1H120\u00b0, \u00b1H130\u00b0, \u00b1H140\u00b0, \u00b1H150\u00b0, \u00b1H160\u00b0, \u00b1H170\u00b0, 180\u00b0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ceiling:<\/strong> \u00b1V40\u00b0, \u00b1V50\u00b0, \u00b1V60\u00b0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Floor:<\/strong> \u00b1V20\u00b0, \u00b1V30\u00b0, \u00b1V40\u00b0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The ER curve should generally tilt down a few dB from 20Hz to 20kHz; how much will depend on the speaker\u2019s directivity characteristics. The most important thing is that its shape roughly matches the direct sound, indicating the reflected sounds are similar in character.<\/p>\n<p>The Sound Power curve (red, top) represents an average of the speaker\u2018s sound in all directions. It\u2019s not as useful as the other curves for speakers that mostly radiate sound forward, but it should generally look like an even steeper version of the ER curve.<\/p>\n<p>The Predicted In-Room Response curve (purple) estimates how a speaker will measure in a real room by combining data from the LW, ER, and SP curves. It is, in a way, a refinement of the ER curve. For the majority of speakers, the PIR curve looks <em>very<\/em> similar to the Early Reflections curve but tilting a tiny bit more, so it is often omitted.<\/p>\n<p>If there is a bump in the response that persists in each of the top curves, it is likely to be a resonance in a speaker. Resonances are bad, as they tend to be extra audible, often the cause for a specific type of boominess or harshness in a speaker.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1350614 size-full js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1100\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-280x188.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-403x270.png 403w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-201x135.png 201w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-796x534.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-1592x1068.png 1592w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2021%2F05%2F11%2Fhow-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: An exaggerated example of a resonance. They are usually subtler than this, but can still be very audible.\" data-title=\"Share An exaggerated example of a resonance. They are usually subtler than this, but can still be very audible. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share An exaggerated example of a resonance. They are usually subtler than this, but can still be very audible. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>An exaggerated example of a resonance. They are usually subtler than this, but can still be very audible.<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1350614 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-280x188.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-403x270.png 403w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-201x135.png 201w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-796x534.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_280eba92-1592x1068.png 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>The Directivity Index (red, bottom) and Early Reflections DI (blue, bottom) curves tell us how similar the off-axis sound is to the direct sound. These are calculated by subtracting the Sound Power and Early Reflections curves from the Listening Window, respectively.<\/p>\n<p>Smooth DI curves are a quick and easy way to assess directivity performance. However, one flaw of the spinorama standard is that it does not distinguish between horizontal and vertical performance when the latter is more important for the soundstage.<\/p>\n<p>For this, I personally choose to calculate a \u2018Horizontal ERDI\u2019 (yellow, dashed) which only considers the horizontal elements of the ERDI curve. This line in particular should be very smooth for a good soundstage.<\/p>\n<p>An ideal spinorama might look something close to this:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/03\/Ideal-Spin.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/03\/Ideal-Spin.png\" class=\"\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>But again, no speaker is quite this good. Meanwhile, a godawful spinorama might look something like this:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350619 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"934\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c-270x210.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c-347x270.png 347w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c-173x135.png 173w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c-796x620.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1350619\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c-270x210.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c-347x270.png 347w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c-173x135.png 173w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_2826622c-796x620.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>Thankfully, I haven\u2019t seen a speaker quite this bad.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_are_frequency_response_and_directivity_everything\"><\/span>So are frequency response and directivity everything?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No, but they sure get you <em>really<\/em> close to the full story.<\/p>\n<p>You might\u2019ve noticed I\u2019ve said nothing about distortion so far, the classic audiophile bugbear. That\u2019s because quantifying what qualifies as \u2018bad\u2019 distortion is really hard. There\u2019s no reliable research I\u2019m aware of that shows a clear link between a certain amount of distortion and speaker preference.<\/p>\n<p>In the aforementioned preference studies, distortion was measured for each speaker, but found to have few links to preference.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the types of distortion measurements available to most reviewers are fairly rudimentary. And while distortion may <em>sometimes<\/em> correlate with some artifact you\u2019re hearing, more often than not it can be described by something in the frequency and directivity.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1324484 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"2186\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-158x210.jpg 158w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-203x270.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-101x135.jpg 101w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-796x1061.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-1592x2122.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-1122x1496.jpg 1122w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-840x1120.jpg 840w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-687x916.jpg 687w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-414x552.jpg 414w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-354x472.jpg 354w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1324484\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"2186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-158x210.jpg 158w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-203x270.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-101x135.jpg 101w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-796x1061.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-1592x2122.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-1122x1496.jpg 1122w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-840x1120.jpg 840w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-687x916.jpg 687w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-414x552.jpg 414w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-6-of-6-354x472.jpg 354w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>To quote Dr. Toole on the subject:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>\u201cThe result of this is that traditional measures of harmonic or intermodulation distortion are almost meaningless. They do not quantify distortion in a way that can, with any reliability, predict a human response to it while listening to music or <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a>. They do not correlate because they ignore any characteristics of the human receptor, itself an outrageously non-linear device. The excessive simplicity of the signals also remains a problem. Music and movies offer an infinite variety of input signals and therefore an infinite variety of distorted outputs. The only meaningful target for conventional distortion metrics is \u201czero.\u201d Above that, somebody, sometime, listening to something, may be aware of distortion, but we cannot define it in advance.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>When it comes to distortion, I personally only worry about it if I can clearly hear it.<\/p>\n<p>Although not distortion in the traditional sense, one type of deviation to keep in mind is what is often colloquially referred to as speaker \u2018compression\u2019 or a \u2018limiter.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Many modern speakers with built-in amplifiers use DSP to push bass performance beyond what they\u2019d be able to do in a traditional design. In these situations, the DSP is programmed to reduce bass output once you turn up the volume beyond the speaker\u2019s comfort zone. This means that the speaker\u2019s frequency response will actually change significantly at different volumes (directivity remains the same). In these situations, I will typically capture a frequency response at different levels to give you an idea of the speaker\u2019s output.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, I want to reiterate that this article is about a speaker\u2019s anechoic performance. Below 300-500Hz, the room begins to have a larger effect, and it has a massive impact on a speaker\u2019s bass performance. I\u2019ll have a separate write-up on optimizing a speaker\u2019s performance in-room.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Id_like_to_learn_more\"><\/span>I\u2019d like to learn more!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Even if you don\u2019t agree that a flat speaker with smooth directivity sounds best, you still benefit from knowing how to <em>interpret<\/em> measurements. Let\u2019s say you know you prefer a little more treble and bass than most, perhaps because you have hearing issues or like to listen very quietly (bass is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Equal-loudness_contour\">harder to hear at low volumes<\/a>); measurements can still tell you that too!<\/p>\n<p>So if you want to learn more, I can\u2019t recommend Dr. Toole\u2019s book enough. It provides an incredible wealth of knowledge with myriad citations. If you have an hour to kill, you can check out this lecture which summarizes many of the concepts:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Floyd Toole - Sound reproduction \u2013 art and science\/opinions and facts\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zrpUDuUtxPM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>My friend Erin over at <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/hardisj\">Erin\u2019s Audio Corner<\/a> just released an excellent and comprehensive series of videos describing measurements and more:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Is Frequency Response?  ||  Understanding the Measurements Part 1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dltza-EGtCg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>As did <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCWp1NY1KXGwcOh1RxKp_-FA\">Audio Science Review<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Understanding Audio Frequency Response &amp; Psychoacoustics\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TwGd0aMn1wE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>If you want to know where to find more speaker measurements and perhaps try the data with your own impressions, here are some other resources that publish extensive frequency response and directivity measurements \u2014 some of them with spinoramas, some in other forms.<\/p>\n<p>There might be others I\u2019m missing, but hopefully, this provides a good selection of resources to get started. Better yet, the amount of available speaker measurements is increasing all the time. It\u2019s a great time to be an audiophile \u2014 at least one who sees value in the data.<\/p>\n<p><i>Did you know we have a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>letter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013<br \/>\n            <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/share.hsforms.com\/1tNyJLC_3RjuVWih9ygK_6A47gef\">and you can subscribe to it right here<\/a>.<br \/>\n            <\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/how-to-understand-speaker-measurements-and-why-they-matter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How to understand speaker measurements \u2014 and why they matter&#8221; How do you know if a speaker is any good? The answer should be obvious. If you like the way it sounds, then it is good. I\u2019m not here to tell you to stop enjoying what you like. But I am here to help you&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":246994,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/plugged?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/Snag_18eed0.png&signature=01cb205a0e45b38be88bfa7b3db8a4a1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-246993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}