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What is “resolution” and “micro-detail”?

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The Noise Floor — What We Don't Know (But Would Like To) — Chat with Resolve & listener

In the latest podcast, Resolve (god bless you) and Listener muse about what they don’t know, but would like to know. I haven’t listened to the entire thing, but in the opening segment, @listener asks: what does the Harman target sound like?

I’m paraphrasing, of course. But there is an actual answer to this, and it’s one that Dr. Olive has often talked about in his presentations and discussions of the Harman research. Three fairly recent examples are posted here fwiw…

"Myths About Measurements" Discussion Thread

Appreciate the reply on this, GoldenSound. And your invitation to get more involved in discussions of measurements. Things are different. But they’re also sort of the same, according to the folks at Harman and their research. Speakers will of course measure differently in a room than they do in the ear of a mannikin. And you can look at and consider both their on and off-axis responses in assessing them, which is something you can’t really do with most or all headphones. Still, in interviews,…

[Resolve]

Well… the point of Listener raising the question was less about the anecdotal response someone might give, and more to do with the fact that the research was done on an ear that nobody uses. So any EQs developed to match the Harman target are done so on the wrong ear. They assumed it would be close enough, however that assumption is proving to be problematic.

So… basically anyone EQing to match the Harman target isn’t actually getting the Harman target. And, all those folks evaluating headphones against the Harman target, when measuring on GRAS systems… are effectively doing so erroneously. I say this also having done so in the past, where we all assumed it was fine to do because that’s what Sean did.

[SSN757]

One of the features I like about the Sonarworks app is that it conducts a A/B test of various sound cuts, allowing the user to adjust the EQ curve to one’s individual hearing preferences.

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@Resolve

Well… the point of Listener raising the question was less about the anecdotal response someone might give, and more to do with the fact that the research was done on an ear that nobody uses. So any EQs developed to match the Harman target are done so on the wrong ear. They assumed it would be close enough, however that assumption is proving to be problematic.

So… basically everyone EQing to match the Harman target isn’t actually getting the Harman target. And, all those folks evaluating headphones against the Harman target, when measuring on GRAS systems… are effectively doing so erroneously. I say this also having done so in the past, where we all assumed it was fine to do because that’s what Sean did.

Thank you for the reply, Resolve.

The Harman target was never intended to be used as a target for EQ. There are many problems with this, which have been known for quite a long time. But there are some (very well-meaning folks) who still can’t seem to get past it. Fwiw, Sean Olive explains what the research was really about, and what it means in the link I posted above, for those willing to be open to taking it in.

In the words of Master Yoda though, first you have to be willing to unlearn what you have learned from others who have misinterpreted it.

You don’t have to take my words or opinions on any of this. Just watch and listen to what Sean has to say. That is the pathway to new enlightenment.

[hottyson]

Lachlan Fennen from Passion for Sound continues slaying it as per usual.
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However, GoldenSound’s latest opinion based summations with highlighted remarkable product features are the bees knees oozing a plethora of his passion. I would definitely welcome continued high quality content like this from GoldenSound in the future. Thanks GoldenSound.

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