Headphone sound quality depends on fit and acoustic seal around the ear
Evidence
Headphones are closely coupled to our head and ears, and their positioning, fit and acoustic seal around the ear can significantly influence their sound. For this reason, headphones are designed and tested on headphone test fixtures that aim to simulate the anatomical features of an average human head and ear usually including the pinna, ear canal and ear drum. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1708
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Headphone bass perception varies with how well headphones seal on each ear — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1777; Headphone sound quality opinions vary with ear coupling and leakage; Leakage-dependent bass makes closed-back headphone sound quality vary across listeners (+5 more)
- yield-rescued: below the book’s yield-target cutoff, included anyway for connecting to: Headphone bass perception varies with how well headphones seal on each ear — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1777; Headphone sound quality opinions vary with ear coupling and leakage; Leakage-dependent bass makes closed-back headphone sound quality vary across listeners (+5 more)
Broader Connections
- Headphone bass perception varies with how well headphones seal on each ear
#expands(0.95) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1777 - Seal leakage makes closed-back headphone bass highly listener-dependent.
#expands(0.93) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1748 - Headphone sound quality opinions vary with ear coupling and leakage
#expands(0.92) - Open-back headphone responses are consistent across listeners due to seal independence
#complicates(0.85)