WoodyLuvr – Sound Signature Chart

SOUND SIGNATURE CHART

A WORK-IN-PROGRESS

Please know that @ian91 and I both do consider this chart to be a work-in-progress, a truly living document currently only in it’s infancy. We fully accept that it will undergo many radical changes along the way to reach a final useable state. Really, such a chart is like the mythical “golden goose” that so many have searched for and failed to capture… mostly because they were too determined to make it absolutely perfect and/or stubbornly wanting it to fit every known transducer signature type across all transducer mediums. Most likely an impossibility for a number of audiological reasons there simply will always be a few exceptions and those special cases where the chart will fail and/or not completely work. As long as we all understand and accept that we can get pretty damn close to perfecting it through our continued collective determination and thoughtful patience.

This chart is open to any/all constructive criticism

So honestly, any/all suggestions, varying perspectives, and difference in opinions are welcome and will be fully heard out and considered without defensive reaction from our part as we truly want to perfect this chart for the benefit of the entire earbud (and headphone) community.

DISCLOSURE

Also, for full disclosure, a very well-known senior recording engineer (who wishes to remain anonymous for the time being) has been assisting us with this chart and has been using it in a master recording classes that he has been conducting. So we been receiving some very valuable advice from him and his students whom have offered us a many brilliant suggestion and correction that have proven quite helpful.

ONE REQUEST

It is crucial that one does not interpret this chart two-dimensionally but rather views it three-dimensionally using all axes offered. Optimally, this would have been best presented as a sphere or better yet as a circular twisting spiral but in-turn that would have made it extremely difficult to clearly see and to read all the section labels. Literally losing everyone in 3D space. Thus, we are limited to presenting it in two-dimensions for the sake of clarity and ease of presentation.

Please note that we tried our best to stick to the “classic” (more basic) sound signature & tuning characteristic definitions as used by recording professionals & audio engineers and tried our best to avoid ambiguous, hard to agree upon, and/or controversial audiophile terminologies. However, if a solid argument can be made and agreed upon by the majority to add certain terms to the chart it will be done without hesitation and the reverse is true, removing any agreed upon terms that are confusing or creating interpretation or plotting conflicts.

CHART EXAMPLE USE

Longyao-Yinman 龙谣音曼 2.0 600 LE
Sound Signature Chart

Longyao-Yinman 龙谣音曼 2.0 600 LE Sound Signature Plot Description

Longyao-Yinman 龙谣音曼 2.0 600 LE Sound Signature Plot Breakdown

Why do I plot the Longyao-Yinman 龙谣音曼 2.0 600 LE Primary Sound Signature as “Mid-Centric – Smooth/Dark”?

Flathead earbuds’ primary sound signature are generally mid-centric (please view the chart above as this area is quite large) as it is inherent of and intrinsic to this transducer medium’s open-air (open-back like) design. That said many flathead earbuds can and do exhibit VERY strong secondary characteristics that pull their overall sound signature far away from the primary signature into other quadrants (other areas) on the chart (e.g. L-Shape (Basshead); V-Shape; Female Poison; etc.).

Other Flathead Earbud Model Plots

The other plots indicated on the chart are of familiar earbud models and their primary sound signatures only and are offered for comparison purposes only.