Headphone Reviews

Sidebar 1: Headphone Buying Tips

When auditioning headphones, take along a wide variety of program material. Try to include recordings that use different miking techniques (pan-potting, Blumlein, ORTF, etc.) The ear and brain hear headphones differently from speakers, which changes the way you perceive colorations.

What you hear depends not only on the hardware and software, but also on what's going on inside your head. Don't listen unless you're rested and relaxed. Start by auditioning one of the better 'phones (Class A, B, or top of C in Stereophile's "Recommended Components."). If it doesn't sound right, it might be a good idea to listen at another time.

"Hit and run" listening is usually better than extended listening for catching colorations. The brain does an excellent job of canceling vowel colorations; long listening sessions can produce a total subjective null. (With mild colorations, a full null can occur in 10 to 15 seconds!)

Once the colorations are nulled, the opposite colorations are then superimposed on the sound of the next headphones you audition. This is similar to the complementary afterimages produced when you stare at a brightly colored object, then look at a white surface. You should take a 10- or 15-minute break after extended listening to one pair of headphones. I always do—and stick in earplugs.

More expensive" is no guarantor of "better." Judge only by what you hear, never by the price tag. !S Most headphones are comfortable on most people. But there are exceptions. Once you've found a pair whose sound you like, wear them at least five minutes to see if they pinch your ears, squash your flat top, or make any part of your anatomy sweaty or uncomfortable. If you wear glasses while listening, be sure the headband doesn't crush the eyeglass temples against your head.

Most personal stereos have significant output impedances—from 5 to 40 ohms, and sometimes as high as 100 ohms! (Your power amp's output impedance is close to zero.) This impedance can interact with variations in the headphone's impedance to color the sound. Listen to all the equipment you intend to use your headphones with to make sure their sound is okay on each.

All earpads slowly deteriorate. Foam pads can disintegrate with just a few months of regular use. Vinyl-covered pads can last several years, especially when treated with (snicker) Armor All and cleaned with a suitable vinyl cleaner, such as Tuff Stuff. If you consider your headphones a lasting investment, check on the price of replacement pads. They can be startlingly expensive.

Some headphones vary in response as you move them around on your ear. If the headphones won't stay comfortably in the best-sounding position, you don't want them.

Headphones—especially electrostatic and orthodynamic models—usually need to be thoroughly broken-in before they sound their best. Try to audition a well-used pair—and don't forget to break in the new pair you buy.

Since most headphones sit close to the ear, the pinna does not induce the colorations it would if the sound came from a distant source (such as an orchestra or loudspeaker). The better headphones are equalized to compensate for this effect. However, pinna colorations—not to be confused with pina coladas—vary with the size and shape of the ear. My ears are very average, so most readers can assume they will hear what I did. If your ears are unusually large or small, or have an odd shape, you may find that headphones sound different to you than they do to your friends with normal, decent ears.—Bill Sommerwerck