Headphone bass perception varies with how well headphones seal on each ear

Evidence

There was a clear correlation between the perceived spectral balances and preference ratings and the acoustic measurements of the headphones. The most preferred headphones had the widest and smoothest measured frequency responses and were perceived to be spectrally well-balanced. But not all listeners agreed about the sound of a particular closed-back model that was perceived to have good bass for some listeners but lacking in bass for others. This headphone-listener interaction was found to be related to leakage and how well it fit and sealed on listeners’ ears (see HP4 in Figure 15.8(d) in Olive and Welti, 2012). — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1777

Categorization

• SEED: Angle: leakage as the hidden variable in why the same headphone sounds bass-heavy to one reviewer and thin to another — a case for why headphone reviews are unreliable.