{"id":429196,"date":"2022-04-09T22:15:08","date_gmt":"2022-04-09T19:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/"},"modified":"2022-04-09T22:15:08","modified_gmt":"2022-04-09T19:15:08","slug":"shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/","title":{"rendered":"#Shopping for headphones? You should know about the \u2018Harman curve\u2019"},"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-6a4e07cfa3d52\" 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-6a4e07cfa3d52\" 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-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/#%E2%80%9CShopping_for_headphones_You_should_know_about_the_%E2%80%98Harman_curve%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Shopping for headphones? You should know about the \u2018Harman curve\u2019&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/#What_the_heck_is_the_Harman_curve\" >What the heck is the Harman curve?<\/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\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/#What_does_the_Harman_Curve_look_like\" >What does the Harman Curve 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\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/#That_doesnt_look_flat_at_all_How_could_that_possibly_sound_neutral\" >That doesn\u2019t look flat at all! How could that possibly sound neutral?<\/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\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/#But_we_all_have_different_tastes_in_music_How_can_one_frequency_response_fit_all\" >But we all have different tastes in music! How can one frequency response fit all?<\/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\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/#So_is_frequency_response_the_only_thing_that_matters\" >So is frequency response the only thing that matters?<\/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\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/#So_should_I_only_buy_Harman_headphones\" >So should I only buy Harman headphones?<\/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\/shopping-for-headphones-you-should-know-about-the-harman-curve\/#Ive_heard_Haman_curve-tuned_headphones_and_I_didnt_like_them_Now_what\" >I\u2019ve heard Haman curve-tuned headphones and I didn\u2019t like them! Now what?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CShopping_for_headphones_You_should_know_about_the_%E2%80%98Harman_curve%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Shopping for headphones? You should know about the \u2018Harman curve\u2019&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve shopped for high-end headphones recently, there\u2019s a pretty good chance you\u2019ve come across something called the \u2018Harman target curve,\u2019 or perhaps just the \u2018Harman curve.\u2019 Maybe you read a review that said a pair of headphones sound amazing because they\u2019ve been tuned to said target. Or perhaps you saw an edgy comment suggesting headphones tuned to the Harman curve suck.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But why exactly are more manufacturers, audiophiles, and reviewers paying attention to the Harman curve?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a lot of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> behind the acoustics of headphones, much of it covered in our primer on <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">speaker measurements<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but in some ways, headphones are even more complex. This post isn\u2019t intended to be an exhaustive guide to headphone measurements, but rather a primer to help you make a more educated purchasing decision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s dive in.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_heck_is_the_Harman_curve\"><\/span><b>What the heck is the Harman curve?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Harman curve is a science-backed frequency response target for headphones. It was created by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/seanolive.blogspot.com\/\">Dr. Sean Olive<\/a> and other researchers at<\/span> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harmanaudio.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harman Audio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the 2010s (Harman is owned by Samsung and includes headphone makers like AKG and JBL) and is the result of several studies trying to pinpoint what makes a great-sounding headphone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basically, the Harman curve <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>ears to be science\u2019s current best answer to the question: \u201cwhat frequency response is the most preferred for the most people?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s worth noting that, as seen with frequency response measurements for speakers, what people \u2018prefer\u2019 is largely interchangeable with what people consider to be \u2018neutral.\u2019 People simply tend to like what sounds most natural to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I should also note that there are several versions of the Harman curve; the target changes depending on whether we\u2019re talking about over-ear headphones\u00a0or in-ear monitors(IEMs, AKA earbuds), for example. And again, the target has been tweaked slightly over the years with ongoing research.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_the_Harman_Curve_look_like\"><\/span><b>What does the Harman Curve look like?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the latest version of the Harman curve for full-size headphones (blue) and IEMs:<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1384395 js-lazy\" alt=\"Harman target curves\" width=\"1200\" height=\"871\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1-280x203.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1-186x135.png 186w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1-372x270.png 372w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1-796x578.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1384395\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1.png\" alt=\"Harman target curves\" width=\"1200\" height=\"871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1-280x203.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1-186x135.png 186w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1-372x270.png 372w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/Harman-Target-IEM-and-headphones-1-796x578.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not that the above only applies to \u2018raw\u2019 headphone measurements without any particular calibration applied. It\u2019s also the response as measured with the specific testing gear Harman uses \u2013 measurements created with other devices are not fully comparable.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"That_doesnt_look_flat_at_all_How_could_that_possibly_sound_neutral\"><\/span><b>That doesn\u2019t look flat at all! How could that possibly sound neutral?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is exhaustive evidence to suggest speakers which have a flat frequency response when measured in an anechoic chamber are preferred by listeners and perceived to be neutral. So why is the Harman target for headphones so far from a flat line?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first part of the answer lies with our own bodies. When listening to speakers \u2014 or, you know, instruments and voices \u2014 much of the sound passes through your head and torso before arriving at your eardrums. Sound coming from the left speaker will pass through your noggin, causing its frequency response will change before it arrives at your right ear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We call this modification of sound the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Head-related_transfer_function\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">head-related transfer function<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (HRTF). Our brains, clever things they are, use this modification of sound in order to figure out where sound is coming from.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem with headphones is that their proximity to your ear doesn\u2019t allow for these frequency response changes to happen. Sounds leaving your headphones have a direct line of sight to your ear canals. So instead, it\u2019s up to manufacturers to find a way to roughly emulate the HRTF in their headphones\u2019 frequency response. Headphones with a truly flat frequency response will sound awfully dull.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1384392 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"924\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-280x158.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-479x270.jpg 479w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-796x448.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-1592x897.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-1200x675.jpg 1200w\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1384392\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"924\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-280x158.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-479x270.jpg 479w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-796x448.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-1592x897.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-1-of-3-1200x675.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But we also don\u2019t just want headphones to replicate the sound of speakers in an anechoic room. Nobody listens to speakers in an anechoic chamber, after all (well, except for scientists). So the second part of the Harman curve is replicating some of the characteristics of an in-room speaker response.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a good speaker is placed in a room, its sound develops a slight tilt, (more on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in our <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">guide to speaker measurements<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) with more bass and less treble. The speaker is <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly still perceived as neutral, but your brain uses that room tilt to help place the sounds leaving the speaker as existing in your room.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scientists at Harman figured that since music is generally mixed to be listened to on speakers in a room, then ideal headphones would try to replicate the sound of good speakers in a room, leading to some of that big bass bump in the Harman curve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final curve was determined by responses from study participants, but the fundamental principle remains the same: the best headphones are the ones that sound the most like the best speakers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"But_we_all_have_different_tastes_in_music_How_can_one_frequency_response_fit_all\"><\/span><b>But we all have different tastes in music! How can one frequency response fit all?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s the thing: you\u2019re probably a lot less special than you think.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Harman research found that, as with speakers, the vast majority of people have similar tastes in headphones, and that preference can largely be predicted by frequency response data. In one study, researchers found that measurements could predict the preference for over-ear and on-ear headphones to a remarkable 86 percent accuracy. For in-ear monitors, the model was even more accurate, at 91 percent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One study (Olive et al., 2014) tested listeners in different countries, age groups, and experience levels. Although participants gave different individual scores to different headphones \u2014 trained listeners tended to be more critical, for instance \u2014 they <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ranked<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> headphones very similarly.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1384394 js-lazy\" alt=\"AKG K371\" width=\"444\" height=\"705\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 444px) 100vw, 444px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_.jpg 820w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_-132x210.jpg 132w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_-85x135.jpg 85w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_-170x270.jpg 170w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_-796x1264.jpg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2022%2F04%2F09%2Fharman-curve-for-headphones-explained%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The AKG K371 closely tracks the Harman curve.\" data-title=\"Share The AKG K371 closely tracks the Harman curve. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The AKG K371 closely tracks the Harman curve. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The AKG K371 closely tracks the Harman curve.<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1384394\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_.jpg\" alt=\"AKG K371\" width=\"444\" height=\"705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_.jpg 820w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_-132x210.jpg 132w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_-85x135.jpg 85w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_-170x270.jpg 170w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/61SYGiR2hFL._AC_SL1356_-796x1264.jpg 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All that being said, person-to-person variations do exist. Older study participants as a whole tended to prefer brighter headphones due to hearing loss, while women tended to prefer a bit less treble energy. Some users preferred more or less bass. Different specific recordings might benefit from slightly different headphones, due to something called the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/seanolive.blogspot.com\/2009\/10\/audios-circle-of-confusion.html#:~:text=Audio's%20%E2%80%9CCircle%20of%20Confusion%E2%80%9D%20is,a%20standardized%2C%20calibrated%20monitoring%20environment.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">circle of confusion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. And we all have different heads and bodies with somewhat different HRTFs, making the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">perfect<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> headphone for an individual listener hard to predict.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But these variations in preference tended to be much subtler than audiophiles often claim. Listeners tended to prefer Harman curve-tuned headphones despite individual differences, so it appears the overall contour of the Harman curve remains largely preferential over other tuning methods. Much of the variation in preference could be accounted for if headphones allow for quick bass and treble adjustments, enabling them to be flexible for an even wider variety of listeners and genres.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_is_frequency_response_the_only_thing_that_matters\"><\/span><b>So is frequency response the only thing that matters?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are certainly other things that will affect your listening experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a headphone has excessive distortion or an intense resonance at a certain frequency, it might not sound great. It usually takes a massive amount of distortion for listeners to poorly rate a headphone, but it does happen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes a headphone might track the Harman curve really closely but have a stray peak that you find really annoying. And the Harman curve doesn\u2019t fully account for the spatial qualities of headphones, which vary depending on their size and design. Two headphones can have similar tonal balance, for instance, while demonstrating different spatial qualities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pure sound quality aside, there are certainly other important qualities to consider. Some people won\u2019t buy headphones without noise-canceling, for instance, and many listeners consider comfort to be paramount. Other headphones might not get loud enough for your uses, and still others might have too much latency for your tastes. These quality-of-life characteristics are often just as important as sound quality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still, when it comes to tonal balance, frequency response is king.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_should_I_only_buy_Harman_headphones\"><\/span><b>So should I only buy Harman headphones?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the target curve as it\u2019s currently known was developed by Harman, its headphones are far from the only ones to follow the target. Some headphone companies independently arrived at frequency responses that closely track the Harman target before it was developed, while others have since tweaked their headphones to match the curve.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, not all of Harman\u2019s headphones match the curve, especially some of the companies\u2019 older models.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ive_heard_Haman_curve-tuned_headphones_and_I_didnt_like_them_Now_what\"><\/span><b>I\u2019ve heard Haman curve-tuned headphones and I didn\u2019t like them! Now what?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Firstly, you should allow yourself at least a little time to adapt; if you\u2019ve been listening to poorly tuned headphones for a long time, your ears may have a bit of acclimating to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if that doesn\u2019t help, that\u2019s fine too. The Harman curve was never supposed to be the end-all-be-all for sound quality. Instead, it provides a starting point backed by science, which is a big step forward from the haphazard tuning many headphones had a couple of decades ago. Although most listeners are similar in their tastes, it\u2019s possible the optimal headphone for you might vary somewhat from the Harman target.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nonetheless, I\u2019d still argue it\u2019s important for any headphone enthusiast to have experience with a headphone tuned to the Harman curve because it is a useful reference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1384393 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"924\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-280x158.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-479x270.jpg 479w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-796x448.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-1592x897.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-1200x675.jpg 1200w\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1384393\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"924\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-280x158.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-479x270.jpg 479w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-796x448.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-1592x897.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-2-of-3-1200x675.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Harman curve is increasingly becoming an industry standard, so it provides a point of perspective for headphones that deviate from their sound. Say a review claims headphone A has less bass than headphone B, the latter of which follows the Harman curve. If you have experience with Harman-esque headphones, you\u2019ll have a stronger understanding of the reviewer\u2019s impressions and how they might relate to your own tastes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Headphone acoustics is a field of continuing research, especially as binaural audio, Dolby Atmos, and other spatial audio techniques become more popular. We may find that the ideal headphone response continues to evolve over the next decade; some companies are looking to tailor headphones to the individual\u2019s hearing, for instance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But in the meantime, buying a pair of headphones tuned to the Harman curve doesn\u2019t guarantee you\u2019ll like them, but it\u2019s simply your safest bet for getting something you\u2019ll actually enjoy.\u00a0<\/span>\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><\/p>\n<\/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\/harman-curve-for-headphones-explained\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Shopping for headphones? You should know about the \u2018Harman curve\u2019&#8221; If you\u2019ve shopped for high-end headphones recently, there\u2019s a pretty good chance you\u2019ve come across something called the \u2018Harman target curve,\u2019 or perhaps just the \u2018Harman curve.\u2019 Maybe you read a review that said a pair of headphones sound amazing because they\u2019ve been tuned to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":429197,"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\/2022\/04\/JBL-Harman-3-of-3.jpg&signature=08ad4ab9f3c3afebf9e9a0fc71180199","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-429196","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\/429196","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=429196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/429196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/429197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=429196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=429196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=429196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}