What is the harman target response curve Applying the same method, an ideal headphone for me should have a response that is the sum of my HRTF and this Ideal loudspeaker target. This essentially means that out of the many types of sound signatures that exist, most people, if they had to choose, prefer the Harman Target. It costs US $89 on Amazon including Prime shipping. Sean Olive have been working diligently for the last couple of years on defining a new headphone target response curve. most people use EQ as a way to improve their headphones; using the Harman target is one such way to improve what you have, while having many benefits (implementation Headphone reviewers getting the new B&K 5128 have to move on from the famous Harman Target, which we've all gotten used to using for a long time. I prefer a -3dB low shelf adaptation to the Harman target curve. You can modify the response to create a more natural sound. According to Dr. You can’t EQ the response at your eardrum without measuring it at In this case, it is the free-field response. the idea coming from their own research on speakers finding that the preferred response was pretty much flat The target curve is individual. You have to do this first to avoid comb filters that won't respond to EQ. I like the look and feel of the MDR-7506: The Our headphone target response is a hybrid; it follows the Harman target response in the bass and mid ranges, but its treble range is based on the Diffuse Field response of the HMS (dummy head). Also, please try to EQ your headphones/iems if you want to hear Harman curve and don’t believe these so-called Harman target headphones. The measurements are made in SoundCheck and then saved to an Excel template which performs the necessary I typically see the Harman target curve represented as a thin line on an amplitude vs. But to the OP's question the flattest target curve is not a curve. Apr 7, 2023 #23 A "flat" curve is a straight line horizontal line when measured. Some target curves are more preferred than others; there’s some evidence of segmentation in listener tastes. The curve is, in fact, a careful balance between individualization The Harman curve, also known as the Harman target response, is a research-based frequency response curve that aims to provide the best possible sound quality for headphones and speakers. I purchased this headphone last year due to reputation of getting some of the highest scores relative to Harman preference curve. It aims to pinpoint the sound that most people find pleasing when listening through B&K target curve has Harman-like looking on lower frequencies while it starts to go lower than flat after 1K. A "neutral" curve would be the I’d like to start a couple of lists of neutral (or close to neutral) over-ear headphones. The This REW Tool also has an auto-eq feature to try its best to match the target curve. May 29, 2024 #1 Part 3 covers the products and target curves that have already been released onto the market. Today I did a little experiment: I downloaded the Harman 2018 over ear target curve from AutoEQ repository and also the headphones measurement available there. The Harman Target Curve is built around several critical components that define its audio profile. See rational here and here; NOTE: the score then calculated is not comparable to the scores derived from the default Harman target curve if not otherwise noted. In If you're working with target curves, then you first needs to elaborate on what you (or Sonarworks) mean by "flat" when referring to those custom headphones. The second graph is meant to show how closely the response that emerged from their headphone testing panel tracks that from their loudspeaker The Harman target was derived to sound similar to neutral loudspeakers in an acoustically good room, since usual music recordings are mixed for such. 6khz energy is too much now. Their very thorough research has lead them A smooth curve indicates a more natural sound, while jagged peaks and dips can suggest uneven frequency reproduction. One for closed, and another for open. It looks like a kindergartner wired up their mems mic in Fig. While the Harman Curve pioneered the creation of a human-tested target curve, learning how to communicate the sound signature of a given pair of headphones for a given buyer is a work in progress. The results It’s hard for me to believe it’s been seven years since researchers from Harman International presented the landmark paper “The Relationship between Perception and Measurement of Headphone Sound Quality” at the Using the Harman Target Curve for Perfect Headphone Frequency Response Discussion SPOILER: If you already use Sonarworks, this will ultimately achieve the same result (for free). The following is how the Sony WH-1000XM4 measures on the GRAS 43AG standardized measurement rig relative to the combined Harman target curve (Harman 2013 bass but Harman 2018 mids and treble). Sometimes this also won't do The over-ear Harman target bass shelf is around 6 dB, so a class 2 listener would prefer a 9-12 dB bass shelf. But looking at a review article written by Toole entitled "The Measurement and Calibration of The Harman earphone target response curve has been widely used to guide the design of earphones, yet the studies on which it was based did not properly cover the full audible spectrum. It'll sound atrocious. EQ is a tool used for a certain goal, not something that has an inherent purpose itself. (I checked out a few articles and the panel they did in 2013) So my question is whether this target is purely for what is the average 'nice' sound, or whether it is the response needed to get a flat signature when the sound reaches the eardrums. I find most headphones to be thin sounding. When I check MR4's frequency response as you see above, the speakers are bright on high frequencies. I just use those - and generally end up keeping things on +4 or 6 most of the time. MATCH RESPONSE TO TARGET will quickly do its best to match the curve given the limitations you provide in the settings. innerfidelity. The Harman Target Response Curve is also part of the EQ assessment. Small tweaks to fix the general response curve is the obvious answer to any issue with a pair of headphones. Sounds "natural" but not accurate Harman's curve with speakers eq'd to flat in room too much 6khz and too quick roll off compared to diffuse field Etymotic target peak is at 2. However, Dr. This is going to be an oversimplification, but the Harman target was designed by first capturing the frequency response of reference tuned speakers in an untreated room (basically the opposite of diffused field I‘m primarily interested in the room curves and how they apply to speaker testing/evaluation here. There is no agreement on what the “old meta” is, nor are manufacturers all aligned in tuning towards The Harman curve, by definition, says we’ll play music back to people and ask them if they prefer it with a bit more bass or treble, then create a curve based on the average of that preference. Key Components and Specifications of the Harman Target Curve. And bass shelf simulates the reflections of the wall. I then used REW to equalize the headphones to the downloaded Harman target curve and, unexpectedly, the result doesn't The new auto target curve — with a lifelike response tuned to your speakers’ individual character. A custom curve, like the Harman curve is *not* flat. It was developed by Dr. EQ each speaker to its target. We find that the Olive-Welti approach is much better for delivering good-sounding headphones, however, it This is a review and measurements of the Sony MDR-7506. To enable us to give you the best information about the earbuds and headphones we've tested, we created our own Gear Lab target response curve, aka the Harman took the preference data sets they extracted and then applied the same response curve to a GRAS(?) rig for recording which is what the published target curve is. Yet it seems more What they did is putting head-and-torso-simulator (HATS) and record the frequency response from the ears when listening to the good speakers in a good room. Free Field used pure anechoic chambers with ruler-flat bass What is the target frequency response/curve of a well treated room? Thread starter Auditory Cortex; Start date May 29, 2024; Tags flat response frequency response harman harman target room acocustics room calibration room correction room equalization studio monitors studio room A. Personally, I enjoy the Harman target curve. Though, it's IMO a bit overdone. In the audio world, the development of the Harman Curve came into existence after conducting extensive research on the type of sound preferred One such curve is the Harman target curve. I see people creating these crazy custom target curves with boost and cuts everywhere and wonder why they are taking a speaker with a relatively smooth response and messing with it. Do you think this makes your headphones These target curves are commonly referred to as the Harman curve. Those who have the 3rd Plus, Harman Target Response research preference ratings do not take into account soundstage and imaging. That's because, around the ear I think a reference curve is very useful, you can look at deviations from it and get some idea what to expect a headphone to sound like. based on the graph i would say people have on average a preference towards “flat Here’s how most headphone reviews may be leading you astray by oversimplifying the Harman Target Curve. The Preferred Listening Response Curve from Knowles, a major manufacturer of miniature speakers (i. A "neutral" curve would be the The Harman 2017 target was validated to sound better than 30 models different models of in-ear headphones that all measured relatively poorly in "A Statistical Model that Predicts Listeners' Preference Ratings of In-Ear Headphones," but it was not validated to sound better than the 2016 IE target in a published paper. So Therefore I listen to music as low-volume as I can make it, shooting for roughly average human speech volume of 65 dB or sometimes lower, while still getting perceived equal volume across the freq spectrum, so I require So to answer your question, the Harman target IS the equivalent of flat, on headphones. Keep reading though if you'd like to understand how model-specific headphone calibration works, and how you can manually apply it yourself system-wide. At its core, the curve emphasizes a balanced frequency response across different listening environments. I do have a curve, but it just knocks off a couple of dBs off the peaks at 70 Hz in the left and right channels, whereas your curve effectively flattens frequency response across the spectrum. I have tried other target curves and this sounds the most pleasing to me in my room. The chart shows the target frequency response of an ideal pair of The goal of the Harman target curve is to act as a guideline for manufacturers to tune their headphones to replicate its sound. The Harman Target Curve is becoming known in The Harman earphone target response curve has been widely used to guide the design of earphones, yet the studies on which it was based did not properly cover the full audible spectrum. When one corrects a headphone with EQ, that can affect the overall holistic evaluation of the sound. (From: AES) The five target curves tested were: Har2019: A translated version of the original Harman IE 2019 curve for the B&K 5128, with slightly elevated bass relative to the average and peaks in the mid-treble range. I’m using -8 dB at 20,000 hz at my listening position. But goal number 1 is transparency, whether people prefer that After reading your post I got the urge to re-examine the situation around the Harman target curve and the ATH-M50x. This curve, first proposed in 20131, was based on research by Sean Olive and his team to find the curve that listeners liked best. In the final compensated frequency response graph, the Harman in-room target response curve is represented as the Honestly, if you're really just concerned with headphones, I would focus on that, and ignore the Harman speaker target. Making a target curve mathematically 'flat' is straightforward, but subjectively, it doesn't sound good to us. When a frequency response curve is above the middle line, that means the speaker is louder than the target at In this range, it appeared the HD6XX and the closed back headphones could both target the Harman response curve and achieve similar sound. In 2013, when Harman generated its first target response for headphones its most obvious departure from the DF response was The 10-band EQ for the XM5s is designed to make the frequency response curve look closer to the Harman Target curve. I understand that the target curve for Audyssey Movie Ref has a slight roll-off. 14 shows the frequency response curves that each group preferred. The curve typically I use a modified Harman target curve. The test data might be a bit biased from yours due to the test I find the Harman curve a bit bass-heavy for me. The Harman curve was produced using headphone measurement gear designed to the original IEC 60268-7 standard , which delivered valid and consistent results up to only This sequence, inspired by the Harman research referenced above, applies the Harman target curve for in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones to a measurement made in SoundCheck to yield the predicted user preference for the device under test. A. note: see Covering topics like target curves, and especially the Harman Target, is fraught with opportunities for misunderstanding. We measured it with our ear simulated mounted in a head/torso. I’m mainly interested in headphones which currently have measurements on the HBK 5128. I thought Harman curve is the frequency response of AKG/Harman Kardon. I also prefer a more No, the harman curve is specifically for over ear headphones. And another one in the recent few years for The Harman target was based on taking truly flat speakers from an anechoic chamber, and measuring the response in a room with good acoustics. The system is “tuned” when the average measurement matches the target curve. Hi Chris. This is because the Harman target This Harman curve has a larger emphasis in the bass range and less emphasis in the treble range. Or does Audyssey select the appropriate roll-off for the room. I'd look for a set having flat frequency response (a known starting point to add seasoning always helps), comfortable to wear, and is fairly easy to drive unless I had a "strong" headphone amp. Reply reply defiant00 • Good to know. There is a science behind it to back up this claim. So I'm curious, do I just have a taste and hearing that differs from the majority, do people here generally like this kind of sound? I know plenty of people love the stock Anandas though, and there's a huge difference between the stock sound and the A comparison of different 5128 target curves indicates that the diffuse field response is not liked despite its status as the current IEC target curve. It is what you are likely to get from a well designed loudspeaker. And as said above in the listening tests on which Harman was based on, the listener differed a bit in their preference on the amount of bass. Flat from 200-1200hz, Rolloff starting around 1200 hz up. It isn't a target it seems like the purpose of EQ is to push the headphone's unique tuning towards what's called the 'Harman Target' curve. Auditory Cortex Member. The Harman curve, on the other hand, is a target frequency response curve that was developed based on research into what listeners find most pleasing in headphones. Here, I am expanding that concept to the full frequency response of the speaker and room in what we call a target curve. The second obvious question you might be asking is: Some people say that the Etymotic target is flat, some say that the Harman target is flat, some say that the IEF Neutral target is flat, some even say that the Harman target is purely a preference-based target curve (which isn't true, even Dr. most people use EQ as a way to improve their headphones; using the Harman target is one such way to improve what you have, while having many benefits (implementation Choose Target curve . It isn't a target Just to keep beating the not quite dead horse, please do not call it a target curve. is similar in intent to the “preferred headphone target response” identified by Olive, Welti and McMullin (Ref. Your ears naturally boost the "ear gain" region around 3k when sound is coming from that specific angle and distance where loudspeakers are usually placed relative to the listener. Occluding IE devices generally must have very good fitting/seal in the user's ear canal for best performance. 3. More About the Harman Target Curve . Frequency response refers to the range of bass, "The Harman target curve is a rough approximation of what is acceptable in tonality to disregard individualization for precise tonality and spatial audio. Although the preferred curves are much higher above 10 kHz than the Harman curve, the levels are not so high as to be impractical to obtain with reasonable hardware. Related: What is The Harman Response Curve? The I would like to hear what everyone thinks about the Harman target curve and what YOU think is “neutral” As a disclaimer, I would like to mention that I HATE the sound of the Harman target curve, at least in the IEMs I’ve tried with it (TFZ S2 pro, Tin T4, and Shuoer Tape). Headphones with a response curve similar to this target Jeez, everybody who reads the description immediately understands that this ranking is just an objective based approach only about the tonal characteristics which as we know play the biggest role in the sound quality perception, like Floyd Toole says if tonality is wrong then nothing else matters. com) An important thing to note is that the Harman Curve is ever-changing. The Harman curve with the bass boost Not every target curve reflects the preferences of large bodies of listeners. Set delays first. Such a target curve has the best chance of being preferred, or requiring the least modification to be preferable compared to an arbitrary curve. It's obviously fair to give it a Harman bass shelf as well, or to tone down the 6k peak if you want to. Be careful to double check that your Q settings are giving you the The resulting target frequency response curve has a 15 dB boost at 3 kHz, and is very wobbly above 5 kHz, due to specific resonance and phase effects that occur at specific distances and The basic idea of the Harman target curve is that you can measure your speakers in your non-ideal room and EQ them to roughly match a response that listeners prefer, compensating for Harman has done two types of research: one was preference for loudspeakers which showed that listeners want a smooth, sloping down response. Oratory1990 says otherwise: The Harman target curve (below) for a loudspeaker shows about a 1db fall per octave. Here are the Harman reference room measurement targets: Yet we didn’t see a surge in headphones claiming to use the Harman Curve -- not even from Harman companies AKG, JBL, and Harman Kardon, although other manufacturers had quietly confided to me that they were basing their designs on the Harman Curve. One key specification is the emphasis on low frequencies. And should I have any of these on? (I game a bit, I mainly care about the sound in CS:GO so I can find enemies by ear, so I prefer stereo, I haven't found any issues with entertainment, but I'd rather not mess with it). All of this contributes to why using the word “meta” to describe a target curve is extremely confusing. Pin this image to save article How effective are the AKG K361 and K371 professional studio headphones at implementing the Harman reference curve, and why do professional users benefit from this? Those were the first AKG professional headphones where the Harmon Target Curve was applied. It could be the same for Diffuse Field, etc. That is what the Harman Target is based on. I've read some articles from Innerfidelity about the Harman Target Curves, and it is mentioned in one of these articles that "since stereo recordings are optimized to sound good through loudspeakers in a room, they will only sound good through headphones that simulate the response of a loudspeaker system in a room". As the "creator" of the "new Harman target curve" I can clear up some misunderstandings. The width of the transition band (I use 60-160) is also I like my speakers' in-room response flat with a low frequency shelf. Do Listeners Agree on What Makes a Headphone Sound Good? Although the initial test results of the Harman target curve were encouraging, they were based on a small Since then, the harman target curve has been tested in multiple studies among a wide range of listeners—experience level, nationality, gender, and age—to see whether it was truly universally appealing (Olive et al. Audiophilia I also came across this lengthy comment by Oratory1990 on the differences between different headphone targets and why the Harman target seems to be the top preference. (Picture credit: www. For headphones, the Etymotic curve is aimed towards a more neutral sounding response. Did read here somewhere on this forum that Floyd Tool explaind that the Harman target key(s) are developt only with forward firing speakers so i asume if you have a bass back port of bipolair speakers it will not make sence to use the Harman target curve which raise the question are all target curves developt for forward firing speakers if so how usefull are they. A 2014 study tested 283 listeners with simulations of different headphones in the market, and surprisingly, they have found that a remarkably The reviewer kept mentioning this Harman Target response curve. In this range, it appeared the HD6XX and the closed back headphones could both target the Harman response curve and achieve similar sound. There are some pretty good curves available out there based on the Harman curve that vary only in the bass boost. Also, I think once we have a good Harman preset for a given headphone, it's fairly easy to derive other target curves from it : "Harman + additional filters = new target". There are a few target curves that are used as standard references to ensure a flat monitor environment. Spread the loveThe Harman curve, also known as the Harman target response, is a research-based frequency response curve that aims to provide the best possible sound quality for headphones and speakers. Hi, oratory1990. In the headphone and IEM space I've noticed that people tend to refer to headphones with flat measuring bass as neutral, but from my own listening using Oratory's EQ presets on various headphones and the Quarks DSP, any headphone that alligns with the Harman target sounds a LOT more like a pair of reference speakers than any so-called I arrived at my target curve after years of using it to make customers smile. Some people find that IEM, and other Harman tuned IEMs sound fine. I think it is easier to EQ a flat bass to the target than to reverse it for most people so I would actually prefer if the headphone standard was the Harman target with flat bass and almost every device had a bass slider. As a newbie, using B&K made sense for me since it's high-freq curve eliminates MR4's bright high-freqs while it adds a bit of bass just as Harman target. I miss to a little explanation about all people have a natural and favourite “sound Hi. Olive: “The Harman target is intended as a guideline and is not the last word on what makes a headphone sound good. Very individual. If one measured a perfect Harman curve headphone on a BK rig, the resulting FR curve would not match the Harman target since the coupler and anthropomorphics aren't Harman's research found IEM frequency responses lacking in ear gain compared to their target did not receive high preference ratings from listeners in blind tests, with the Harman target most preferred of all. In a 2017 presentation, Dr. Harman argues against the notion that it's impossible to find the best sound for headphones Their combined research established the Harman Target Curve, which was the basis of the AKG Reference Response acoustics target. Reply reply I would like to hear what everyone thinks about the Harman target curve and what YOU think is “neutral” As a disclaimer, I would like to mention that I HATE the sound of the Harman target curve, at least in the IEMs I’ve tried I miss a bit you don’t talk about the “Harman target” that for me is is the real “flat” target and the guide to select the iems I like to buy and enjoy. Misleading title, which is why one guy said these are the best and another said this is better than the LCD 4. , earbuds. The best known, scientifically defensible ones do, specifically, the Harman Target and now the Knowles Preferred Listening Response Curve. The new Auto Target Curve more faithfully reflects the inherent character of the measured system, minus the adverse effects of the room. " The average of what those people chose is the Harman target. 1) but adapted for the EARS. You can EQ to flat with speakers in a room, but it is almost impossible to achieve that in headphones. The Harman Target Response Curve is quite similar to the balanced sound signature. I think they assumed this ia the WHY the Harman Target and WHY you should try it. Most curves out there are still produced with standard 711 couplers, and those response curves shouldn't be compared against (or EQ'd to) this target curve. So basically, it's like this: 1) Look at the frequency response measurement graph and note where the dips and peaks are and how far they deviate from the Harman Target Response Curve. The Harman target began as a target to replicated neutral speakers in a room. I learned about Harman research last year and decided to try to EQ my desktop headphones, Sennheiser HD650. The preferred 16-kHz it seems like the purpose of EQ is to push the headphone's unique tuning towards what's called the 'Harman Target' curve. I think those are the things I like most about Harman. “The Harman target is intended as a guideline and is not the last word on what makes a headphone sound good. After some research, I was still confused. We typically use sound signatures to summarize the general shape of a frequency response curve. Joined Feb 3, 2024 Messages 10 Likes 8. So I take Harman curve and inspirations from other IEMs that sound very good in real life to develop my own target for EQ and reviewing IEMs. Pretty sure that curve he posted though is the wrong curve to be using, even for loudspeakers. Target Response Curve The target response curve is the measurement that we like to achieve post equalize of the system. 1. This should render the headphones completely neutral sounding. I miss to a little explanation about all people have a natural and favourite “sound signature” (warm, neutral, cold, etc) and how it influences our opinions about one headphone/iem or another. Therefore in terms of accuracy Headphones are imperfect, whereas speakers are not (as long you have perfect Anechoically Flat Speakers in a perfectly treated room, and organised in an equilateral triangle with the speakers & listener at each of the This is the Graphic EQ the DTS:X Ultra comes with, can someone guide me? Graphic EQ on DTS:X Ultra. A target curve, or “house curve”, is a visual guide to tune your audio system. If you have any suggestions along these lines, please post them below. The target response curve doesn't change, so if something else changes them other variables will have to change as well in order to maintain the same 'answer'. It's a balance between individualization and mass appeal Some people find that IEM, and other Harman tuned IEMs sound fine. Over the next few months, I experimented with many different bass response curves. I find Harman target too shouty and This Harman curve has a larger emphasis in the bass range and less emphasis in the treble range. Both options mentioned above by lithium work just fine. Sean Olive, head of acoustics research at Harman International, is now challenging its widespread misapplication. Adjusting a less-well-designed loudspeaker to have the same shape of room curve will not produce the same sound quality. It is not a target curve. Harman Target for headphones in 2013, 2015, 2017 as well as IEMs in 2017. Plenty of upper mids energy, cuts down on the mud in the lower midrange, and has a solid bass foundation. With the Auto Target Curve, a system can be quickly optimized without the user needing to make a single adjustment. That is what our subjective data tells us and there is a logical explanation for it. These EQ profiles were averaged into what is the modern Harman target. why the Harman Target by oratory1990 (it's a great read) TL;DR: the Harman Target is more than just what 'average people prefer'. Our target curve philosophy is rooted in preference variability; small peaks and dips in any given response ultimately fall within preference bounds, so reducing their presence won't significantly impact The golden standard for target curves is that they should allow us to produce headphone and IEM measurements which, when inverted, ought to produce a perfect compensation curve. They came out about five or six years ago. The curve typically I miss a bit you don’t talk about the “Harman target” that for me is is the real “flat” target and the guide to select the iems I like to buy and enjoy. There is no substitute for starting with a Blame audiophiles and audio reviewers who have popularized the Harman curve among laypeople without explaining it properly. most people use EQ as a way to improve their headphones; using the Harman target is one such way to improve what you have, while having many benefits (implementation harman harman target curve head-fi tv hftv ie 900 ie900 iem in-ear monitor sennheiser sennheiser ie 900 sennheiser ie900 Replies: 5,139 Forum: Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors I read the guide on how the harman target curve was created (ideal room measured by artificial head) and how the form of the ears plays an important role in that, but what I don't understand is: If you take your normal measurement gear where you want to measure an exactly flat frequency response and you do the following experiment: it seems like the purpose of EQ is to push the headphone's unique tuning towards what's called the 'Harman Target' curve. There are some more complicated The red curve is the ear drum response after the speakers in the Harman listening room have been EQ’d to remove room effects. The only 2 true Harman curve headphones I’ve tried are the AKG N5005 & the Moondrop KXXS (which looks similar to the Oratory Target?) Neither of them had a satisfactory bass experience for me. It just so happens that this curve is different from the loudspeaker preference curve, and the explanation is partially explained by the translation between diffuse and free field responses. You can use the arithmetic tool in REW (select A/B, then I have covered their use in previous articles with respect to optimization of low frequency response. For example, in a 3 way+ sub system I play the left tweeter, midrange, midbass and sub and EQ them to a target. The closer the frequency response curve measuredunder B&K HATS is to the target frequency response curve, the more theearphones can reproduce soundstage imaging in terms of frequency response. If you voted and feel like it, share your IEMs and EQ presets if you use them! Note: This is a poll about the Harman target curve for IEMs, not their separate taget curve for headphones! The Harman target is based on preference. The Harman target curve is a rough approximation of what is acceptable in tonality to disregard individualization for precise tonality and spatial audio. I know THX Mode is Some thoughts on room EQ and the "Harman" curve This discussion illustrates some fundamental issues with respect to room equalization. For example we can derive an Optimum HiFi preset from any Harman preset just by a couple of additional filters, as said by Oratory himself. I tried equalizing Audyssey tries to target a flat response, so audyssey brings the response (hopefully) closer to flat once the speakers are in your room. Even Oratory himself has said tests showed the Harman IE target to be preferred on average to his USound target (which has reduced ear-gain) in quiet conditions. Below 500Hz, however, it seemed like the Harman response curve broke down for the open-back Sennheisers. Which seems like a ton. But goal number 1 is transparency, whether people prefer that Especially the target curve is a tricky thing to nail down because Innerfidelity and Headphone. If you mean flat response when compensated to Sonarworks' target curve, then adding the Harman curve on top of that will be catastrophically bad. The Harman Curve is an averaged response that people polled said that they preferred. A headphone with flat bass will sound thin and not correct. Harman's research focuses on how speakers and headphones should sound based on human hearing characteristics. Audiophile ears will notice a boost in bass and treble, which might make you think this curve can’t be that accurate. What is the target frequency response/curve of a well treated room? Auditory Cortex; May 29, 2024; Speaker Reviews, Measurements and Discussion; Replies 6 Any target curve, be it the Harman curve or the SoundGuys headphone preference curve, is more descriptive than prescriptive: headphones that sound good often have frequency responses that measure close to these curves. I don't like the use of it as a "target" however, as the implication is that deviation from the curve is a fault, and that all manufacturers should be trying to perfect Harman compliance or face bad reviews. e. In the final compensated frequency response graph, the Harman in-room target response curve is represented as the middle line in the graph. Others coined the term "shouty-gate". Reply tutetibiimperes • Additional comment actions. We did a spatial average +- 30 degrees by rotating the head. Headphones with a response curve similar to this target 2. Reply reply equalizin • This is absolutely true. sounds weird Hraman curve 2017 Less 2-4khz altogether. The response is a combination of the direct and reflected sound and will have a downward sloped curve. Even then, Harman's predictive model that mathematically evaluated deviation from the Harman Target Curve (for headphones) only correlated 74% with those virtual listener preferences (which, in turn, only correlate 72% with real life). Sean Olive. the harman curve on the other hand is an average of listeners preferences relative to some specific test rig, correct? in the shown graph it looked like the two (df & harman) are remarkably similar, but the narrator says that people don’t usually like the diffuse field response. It also sounds thin to me and I am a trained musician, Tonmeister, AES . , 2014). The Harman curve with the bass boost and somewhat tamed highs is more The Harman Target is a frequency response curve that aims to simulate how we naturally hear sound in typical listening situations. I spend many pages in my book discussing this in detail, but here are some simplified thoughts. ; SoundGuys: A balanced curve with a gradual 5 dB dip from 500 Hz to 5 kHz and a return to Apparently, the Harman target curve tries to mimic the sound that the artist/engineer had in mind when creating the music. Common ones include: Flat / neutral – No emphasis to any particular frequency. And you can imagine that the shape is what defines the compensation curve. That’s wrong. The mids sound Does Harman Target Curve for Headphones Respect Music Producer's Authorial intent? Eary; Oct 3, 2024; Audio Newbie/Beginner Technical Forum; Replies 12 Views 2K. The preferred level at 16 kHz for the youngest group is similar to the level at 1 kHz. Olive shared that those target curves may not apply to in-ear headphones, i. Analytical – Emphasis in treble, with “bright” being the more extreme case. 2) Using the notes, EQ the headphone so its frequency response matches the Harman Target The Harman curve is a science-backed frequency response target for headphones. According to Sean Olive the harman target fits to a preference loudspeaker target (10 db downward slope from 20 to 20k Hz). Like, for me it's impossible to drill a 5mm nozzle hole and he can give birth to a baby rhino through his ear. But testing has shown that people subjectively like the sound of the Harman curve. Hi. But there is still room for user preference. So in theory, this gets my headphones close to the Harman target* using a very intuitive and painless process. We did a Harman was very clear from the start that their aim was the preferred target response. This is going to be an oversimplification, but the Harman target was designed by first capturing the frequency response of reference tuned speakers in an untreated room (basically the opposite of diffused field (3) Target curves: The "HEQ" target is, according to the EARS manual, based on the Harman target, but MiniDSP is not going into the specifics of how close it is, or how it was created. If the speakers used in mixing and mastering fit that preference curve, a headphone following the harman target may approximate the same sound. The chart shows the target frequency The Harman curve—the well-known, science-based “target curve” for headphone and earphone frequency response—has been with us for almost a decade. The choice of target curve is subject to More About the Harman Target Curve . It would be pointless, and detrimental, to apply the curve to speakers. In fact, the first set of passive headphones I’ve received from a Harman company using the Harman Curve only No, the harman curve is specifically for over ear headphones. The Harman 2019 IE Target scored the highest in blind tests (Ed. com measurements are not directly comparable with the measurement system used by Sean Olive and others for their Harman target response research. It is considered the best sound signature to tune your headphones, producing the best sound quality possible. 3 The mic is supposed to go INSIDE the eartip to properly check for seal. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if you want to EQ it it to your preference, that’s down to you. Harman and the other curves had a different testing process to achieve their conclusions. Moondrop Variations are great headphones, but what I specifically like is their frequency response being close to Harman curve. As @JJB70 said, you can EQ to taste. Since we seem to be evaluating speakers based upon how closely they adhere to the Harman room curve (as opposed to flat anechoic response), and if there are sub curves available, what was/is the rationale to use the one we do? Other than Harman Headphone Target is the best we got unless you create your own personalised Target Curve. The DF target was built in a very different way. It was created by Dr. Finding the best target response curve is still a moving target, particularly for in-ear headphones or earbuds. Professionals and audiophiles can hear an improvement in treble and I loaded up that curve in Dirac, created a new preset, and now with that preset things are sounding "right. After analyses, they Using the PDF for your headphone model, copy over all of the filter settings into a system-wide 10 band parametric EQ. It addresses vehicle environment His hypothesis was that the best way to come up with a target response for headphones was to place a pair of good speakers in a “regular” listening room similar to the control rooms of recording and mixing studios, and measuring the frequency response with an artificial head setup. Factors like unique room acoustics, in the form of how reflections, modes, etc occur in the space, show up via measurements and absolutely impact the process. The Harmon curve is great, and a good baseline, but the design of the headphone, whether it's open or closed, semi-open etc, how far the ear is from the driver node or membrane, what type of material the pads are, the back volume and how its damped, what size and type the driver is all make a difference to perceived frequency response, and what's enjoyable to different listeners. I think they assumed this ia the Remember the Harman Curve isn't a "flat" curve. ” – Dr. Sean Olive and other researchers at Harman Audio in the 2010s (Harman is owned by Samsung and The highest rated target curve in this study soon became known in the audio indus-try as the Harman target curve and is widely influencing the design, testing, and review of headphones. I looked at this and my first thought is that this is not what the Harman target looks like, then I realised it is a frequency compensated curve to the harman target and not a frequency response curve. It is detailed yet relaxed and lively on the low That’s it! According to their desktop EQ guide their headphone correction curve. But that is a AKG K371-BT headphones are tuned with Harman Curve. Went to sleep and the The Harman target was based on taking truly flat speakers from an anechoic chamber, and measuring the response in a room with good acoustics. Nonetheless, it captures the crucial features that are most shared. Headphones with the most flat frequency response subjectively sound too unimpressive, so the creators of the Harman Curve did research to figure out how to change the flat headphone frequency response target to get the best subjective Yep, it was the dotted red line (RR modified in-room loudspeaker target curve) that I found matched the Harman 2013 Headphone Curve when applied to their eardrum measurement, albeit between 100-300Hz it contained a bit too much energy vs the Harman 2013 Headphone Curve, where instead in that 100-300Hz area it was a closer match to the preferred in room (3) Target curves: The "HEQ" target is, according to the EARS manual, based on the Harman target, but MiniDSP is not going into the specifics of how close it is, or how it was created. In general, the Harman Curve is very similar to the previously mentioned balanced sound signature, where you tweak the response a bit to come out as more natural. Warm – The K371 is designed with the Harman Target response curve in mind, which aims to provide a sound most pleasing to a wide demographic of people surveyed. com/what-is-the-harman-curveFor all of our latest products, news and more, My experience with it is that is makes my headphones sound a lot more clear, getting rid of any "veils" and "muddiness," essentially achieving a flat response, but it is not using the Harman Target Response Curve, so it does not make the boosts that HTRC does to make the headphone sound more like full-range speakers in an ideal acoustic space Hello everyone. Let's call this target response the Neutralguy Target: I looked at this and my first thought is that this is not what the Harman target looks like, then I realised it is a frequency compensated curve to the harman target and not a frequency response curve. Pin this image to save article For that reason our predictive model only considers deviations from the harman target up to 10kHz. They were designed to this target so that when Nous voudrions effectuer une description ici mais le site que vous consultez ne nous en laisse pas la possibilité. To enable us to give you the best information about the earbuds and headphones we've tested, we created our own Gear Lab target response curve, aka the Harman Target Response Curve in Development I won't go into too much detail in this article as I've written extensively about it, but researchers at Harman International lead by Dr. Harman’s reference listening room is neither fully reverberant nor fully I’m currently experiencing a bit of confusion about how much bass the Harman EQ has. It is an average of the preference of 11 people listening to some decent speakers at Harman. 7khz Accurate, neutral, maybe The red curve is the ear drum response after the speakers in the Harman listening room have been EQ’d to remove room effects. Part 3 covers the products and target curves that have already been released onto the market. It critiques and compares each of them to the Harman curves, thus fulfilling the purpose of this series: to evaluate the assumptions and evidence for the Harman curves, compared to alternatives. AKG K371 Series Professional Studio Headphones, available in wired and Bluetooth models, The Harman Curve is a frequency response target curve for headphones. And also on a GRAS system, for comparison to the Harman over-ear target. It was also an attempt to simulate the sound an audio engineer would hear with two studio monitors in front of them in a treated room (the cliché ‘as the artist intended) The reason why we should EQ our Key Components and Specifications of the Harman Target Curve. In the headphone and IEM space I've noticed that people tend to refer to headphones with flat measuring bass as neutral, but from my own listening using Oratory's EQ presets on various headphones and the Quarks DSP, any headphone that alligns with the Harman target sounds a LOT more like a pair of reference speakers than any so-called The problem with all target curves is the human factor and their big heads/ears. BTW I'm The Harman target is based on the response of properly tuned speakers in a treated critical listening room. Forum Donor. My blind guess would be that they observed the deltas between curves measured on the EARS and GRAS43 with the same headphones, and subtracted those differences from the Harman target Harman In-ear Target Response Curve (2015): Its design is specific to in-ear headphones because it accounts for the unique characteristics of in-ear monitors to optimize their sound performance. The Harman curve essentially is a target frequency response of what a pair of “good” headphones should exhibit when measured with specialized equipment. I was extremely pleased with the outcome. The Harman headphone target looks very similar to the Etymotic(neutral) curve outside of the bass, but has boosted bass for more supposed enjoyment. The bass tends to be nice, but thats it for me. We all know different people hear things differently, but according to what I've learned, these The basic idea of the Harman target curve is that you can measure your speakers in your non-ideal room and EQ them to roughly match a response that listeners prefer, compensating for speakers that have a non-ideal response and (to a much lesser degree) a room that is too live or too dead. Oct 19, 2024. A model of a human head was placed in an anechoic chamber with Our research over the past 7 years has led to the Harman Target Curve, a frequency response preferred by the majority of listeners, and a measurement tool and model that accurately predicts listeners’ sound quality ratings of a headphone based on how much it deviates from the Harman Target Curve. this i don’t understand. Harman is not a target but the result of anechoically flat speakers in a reflective real room. RarePika • Alright, then maybe trying a good flat headphone would be better then. [2] The frequency measurement is tested by "Free Field Laboratory" of MOONDROP R&D Center, for reference only. and one more thing. The Harman Target Curve was based on a measurement at the primary listening seat in our listening room using Revel F208 and a JBL M2 calibrated to the Harman Speaker Target. My question is the high frequency roll-off the same for every receiver? I've read that its about 3-4 dbs. My blind guess would be that they observed the deltas between curves measured on the EARS and GRAS43 with the same headphones, and subtracted those differences from the Harman target This is the Graphic EQ the DTS:X Ultra comes with, can someone guide me? Graphic EQ on DTS:X Ultra. Remember the Harman Curve isn't a "flat" curve. The same speakers would measure flat in an anechoic chamber as abm0 states. I have the HD660s myself and while its not my favorite headphone for pure music listening (still damn good) its my most The Harman Target Curve was based on a measurement at the primary listening seat in our listening room using Revel F208 and a JBL M2 calibrated to the Harman Speaker Target. I processed the frequency response curve that Oratory has for those headphones through the AutoEq and got the curve similar to that from the AutoEq repository, only more precise with 17 parametric equalizers. Harman Automotive Curve (2017): Its adaptation focuses on optimizing sound quality in automotive audio systems. -It's a horisontal line. Bugal1998. While the h Harman curve 2015 more bass boost and elevated 3khz+. Here are the Harman reference room measurement targets: I sometimes use variations of the Harman curve for some reasons. Here are two PDF slide presentations from Sean Olive and team that document While the Harman Curve pioneered the creation of a human-tested target curve, learning how to communicate the sound signature of a given pair of headphones for a given buyer is a work in progress. There is no such thing as a "flatter" pair of headphones than a pair that have been manually EQ'd to match the Harman target curve. Their goal is to replicate the listening experience we would have when music is played through loudspeakers placed at The Harman Target Curve is a specific frequency response curve developed through extensive research. If the Harman target truly tries to capture the response of a flat studio monitor in a headphone, that seems to be at odds with what Sonarworks is saying. I like to do So to answer your question, the Harman target IS the equivalent of flat, on headphones. However, these classes were determined through cluster analysis of preference ratings given to a set of headphones, so are partly dependent on the frequency responses of this set. For Harman, a bunch of researchers sat people in a room with some headphones, gave them control of an EQ, and said "do what you want to make the music sound good. I tried equalizing Frequency Response & Tonality. These include the Harman The Harman target was derived to sound similar to neutral loudspeakers in an acoustically good room, since usual music recordings are mixed for such. Different HRTFs exist based on how and what you’re measuring; the Harman target is a different HRTF. These headphones were my favorite for comfort, but with EQ they are Having been involved in headphone projects, I can say that the Harman response is not my preferred target response, and I much prefer the targets used by Crinnacle and Oratory Grapher 1990 (sadly his website has vanished, but still active on social media) when assessing headphones which do not have the Harman bass bump. HouseCurve displays the selected curve on the magnitude plot when there are measurements: Creating and editing curves . The And, finally, I will repeat that the "Harman/Toole - you name it" room curve is not a generalizable "target" curve. freq chart, as if the goal were to achieve that target precisely. Edit: to be clear and to answer your question more directly, the target curve is the Harman's target is designed to simulate how people hear loudspeakers inside a room. If you were lucky enough to build a speaker capable of 20-20k, and were observing of the Harman curve, you'd want 20k about 10db down from 20-Hz. They also created a measurement tool and model that accurately predicts listeners’ sound quality ratings of a The Harman Curve is essentially a specific target frequency response that produces the “best possible sound” for headphones. Thank you. However over time it became a preference target because Harman research took a bunch of different listens and put them in the room with the flat speakers and let them EQ the bass and the treble. What's clear (and some of our guys are now doing some work to determine the best target curve for a broad range of listeners) is that the shape is correct. Comparing the IEM's curve to the target curve can give you an idea of its tonal balance. Finally, input the 10-band EQ that works best for you. The main advantage here is being In this case, it is the free-field response. The "Harman" target curve is the idealized frequency response that headphones should have in order to give a tonally balanced sound. Speakers are calibrated to match a target curve to ensure that music produced on that system will translate with predictable results to the widest audience. it started with the premise that the response at the ear of a listener using flat speakers in a room would be the preferred sound on headphones/IEMs, whatever. The frequency response of a speaker system in a given room. Also headphones with extra treble like many Beyers clearly show such when compared to Looking for more info on this topic? Check out our blog here! https://dekoniaudio. " Strange that the widely circulating Harman curves would not have a downward slope for the upper mids and treble, but I The target response is then smoothed to 1/6th octave to reflect the fact that a target curve is about general tonality and not small frequency deviations. Sean Olive and his team at Harman International Industries in the late 2000s, and it has since become a widely accepted standard The Harman curve for headphones, by definition, is the curve that tends to be preferred by listeners. For reference, the Harman 2018 bass is substantially elevated - far too much for what I think most audiophiles would And for what it's worth, the Harman target does state that you should adjust for taste in treble and bass. The radio button was accidentally in the “bypass” mode because I was experimenting with turning the curve on and off. Headphone reviews have long relied on the Harman Target Curve as a benchmark for sound quality. Can someone explain to me, why the RAW Curve is displayed at a different height, in comparison to the Harman? Click to expand It’s level matched automatically, so if based on an average and if the bass/treble are below the target then the midrange will be higher, if based of a single frequency (1kHz for instance) then that’s that. Sean Olive stated this himself). ” The same is true of the other curves in this and other listener preference studies. Me and my friend have made ourselves custom IEM shells and god damn our ear canals are different. Harman's own research shows that there are definite, and significant differences in the quantity of I like my speakers' in-room response flat with a low frequency shelf. I have a question regarding target curves and MultEQ calibration. It essentially matches the H&M DF curve and is there for comparison (and validation?). Thanks! Reply reply More replies. Sean Olive and his team at Harman International Industries in the late 2000s, and it has since become a widely accepted standard And of course, we can’t forget the recent explosion of planar IEMs which tend to have a distinct frequency response to other IEMs. EQ one side to a target curve. B. This can be done by opening the FILTER TASK panel on the right side, and showing the various batch tools. I also do not think it applies directly to headphones so I'd be leery of using it blindly. In 2013, when Harman generated its first target response for headphones its most obvious departure from the DF response was The Harman curve, by definition, says we’ll play music back to people and ask them if they prefer it with a bit more bass or treble, then create a curve based on the average of that preference. Another name for the Harman Curve is the Harman target The Harman Target Curve mirrors the perceived tonal balance of an accurate loudspeaker in a reference listening room. Also headphones with extra treble like many Beyers clearly show such when compared to Right but the point of boosting 2k is to adhere the upper midrange to the Harman curve, which generally fixes the tonality. Bass is up about 2 dB from LF rolloff in room to 120 hz. No one concluded or suggested that this should be a target for people tuning their systems. eqMac has presets for many different headphones. One person's flat wouldn't be flat for another person with a different shaped ear canal. When applied, the curve should eliminate all frequency response distortion. Any clarification appreciated, The five target curves tested in the study. Colored – The opposite of being flat / neutral, with emphasis in several ranges. The bass of the Harman target is based on the preferences of people in a study. Zim Active Member. The AMOUNT of boost at low frequencies is subjective. Joined Jul 9, 2021 Messages 125 Likes 230 Location Kangarooland. So the harman curve is less flat, less "audiophile" in that sense, but a The B&K curve tends to have a similar shape to the Harman curve at lower frequencies, but differs in the higher frequencies. Harman Target. Credit to Struck 2013. The Harman target curve is what frequency profile the sound should have by the time it reaches your eardrum in order to sound to you like good speakers in a good room. I’m wondering if perhaps I’m going to mesh better with a When Harman did this with their speakers and headphone measurement rig (Gras 45 with mannequin), the result was the Harman headphone target. I would love to hear feedback from you fellow headphone enthusiasts. For sure it is all about preference, but as Sean Olive has had literally hundreds of participants over the years take part in headphone perception testing, most tend to have the same preference. The original Harman Curve was developed for over and around-the-ear headphones. Apparently the reason for this, is that Harman states a typical room ads about 1db/octave back. Personally, I addressed that issue by first applying a generic Harman equalization to my R70X, then measuring the average in-ear response, then matching the response to the Harman 2018 curve at 1 kHz, then calculating the difference between the two and adding the delta to the generic Harman equalization. The second obvious question you might be asking is: What is the Harman target and why is it considered a “target” curve? This starts getting into more technical literature Second shows target curve of their loudspeaker reference, and the cyan line shows the response that is yielded when you subtract the contribution of the dummy from the measured response for headphones. 2. It was created by placing a pair of tuned speakers in a Harman listening room and measuring the frequency response with a modified version of a market-available HATS system. Nonetheless, the Harman curve, in whatever form, lacks compensation for other binaural cues, such as crossfeed. Sean Olive and The Harman Curve determines the target frequency response curve of headphones and pinpoints what levels must be enhanced and which should be reduced. Look for Target Curves: Some graphs include target curves, like the Harman curve, which show an ideal frequency response based on research. , headphone drivers) and microphones, is basically an update of the Harman curve. If you voted and feel like it, share your IEMs and EQ presets if you use them! Note: This is a poll about the Harman target curve for IEMs, not their separate taget curve for headphones! Fig. . lawp dhtcw jwtms jxnak xqu rriifpuuy tiat dabfbjzx jki smhbq