This page will help you rate the headphones and determine which have the best performance when comparing different pairs. For the best result, download the tracks and play them from the player, because your browser and OS may distort the signal.

Before testing, start a normal track and set the volume to a comfortable level. Otherwise, there is a chance to ruin the headphones by overloading them.

Frequency Response Range

The first test checks the lower end of the range. Listen until you hear the fundamental low tone. The voice-over tells you what frequency you have reached (eng.): This number represents the minimum frequency that the tested headphones are capable of. Good headphones can reproduce sound as low as 20 Hz, the lower limit of our hearing.

The second test checks the high end of the range. Listen until you hear the main high-pitched tone. Good headphones can reproduce frequencies up to 20 kHz, the upper end of the human hearing range.

However, keep in mind that this limit decreases with age. If all of your headphones suddenly have the same upper frequency limit, and that frequency is lower than the manufacturer's stated, this could mean that the reason is your hearing and not the quality of the headphones.

If you hear strange ups and downs, or anything else that doesn't sound like continuously descending sound, it's likely your sound card is interfering.

Quality

Balance between channels

To correctly reproduce a stereo panorama, the left and right speakers must reproduce all frequencies in the audio spectrum equally. Our test reproduces frequencies from 20 Hz to 10 kHz and sends them at the same level to both speakers. Throughout the test, the signal should sound right in the center of your head, without any deviation.

Binaural test

Binaural recordings are made by placing microphones directly in the ears. When playing back a recording through headphones, this test assumes that each ear of the listener receives exactly the same signal as it did when it was recorded. Our test signal consists of a binaural recording of knocking on a wooden door. When comparing headphones, ask yourself how realistic does the recording sound? Do you feel like the door is next to you? Does this sound like a real wooden door?

When connecting the headset to a computer, it may be necessary to check the quality of our microphone. We can use Skype level programs for this, as well as various network services specially designed for testing the functionality of our device. In this article, I will tell you how the online test of the microphone on the headphones is performed, and what network tools will help us with this.

Options for testing microphone performance and quality

Services for online microphone testing can have two main forms of implementation:

Working with these test instruments is simple, intuitive, and can be recommended to any user. When going to such a resource, do not forget to enable and also allow the service to access your microphone by clicking on the "Allow" button, otherwise the functionality of such services will be simply useless.

Best Ways to Test Your Microphone on Headphones

Let's move on to the list of services that allow you to study the operation of a microphone on the Internet online.

Webcammictest.com

The first of the services that I want to talk about today is webcammictest.com. This service makes it easy to perform a microphone test for free, has a Russian-language interface, and can be recommended to any user. If you need to fix this, follow the action list on the link.

To work with it, do the following:

Online-voice-recorder.com - job test and noises

The online-voice-recorder.com service is an international project with Russian localization in the form of an online voice recorder, which will allow you to record sound from your microphone, and then listen to it online.

To work with a resource, do the following:

Mictest.ru will help diagnose the microphone

Another Russian-language service for online microphone testing. Working with it does not differ from other services of this plan:

Onlinemictest.com

The onlinemictest.com service works in a similar way to the resources of this plan. The only difference is the English-language nature of this site, which, however, will not cause any special problems even for people who are not familiar with Shakespeare's language.

Speakpipe.com

Well, the last test service for working with a microphone online, which I want to talk about, is the speakpipe.com service. This tool has an English-language interface, and works in a similar way to the online-voice-recorder.com service, allowing you to first record any audio segment from the microphone, and then listen to the sound quality (you can check not only on stationary PCs, but also on mobile devices).

To work with the service, do the following:

Conclusion

Online check of a purchased or used microphone on headphones can be performed using the services I described above. All of them have the maximum ease of implementation, and can be recommended to any user who wants to test the performance and quality of the microphone.

Initially, I conceived a comparative test exclusively for home models. The concept sounded simple: headphones for high-quality listening to music at home. And really, where, if not at home, you can thoroughly, with feeling listen to your favorite music in high-quality Hi-Fi headphones? However, a good half of the really interesting modern models with high-quality sound turned out to be by no means intended for home systems. As a result, one test was divided into two parts: four models will compete for the title of the best home headphones, and four more - for the title of the best portable. The general concept has not changed: we choose headphones for high-quality listening to music. At home, on the road, anywhere.

Criteria for evaluation

When testing a group of home headphones, their sound was evaluated with a stationary amplifier. Testing on portable equipment was for informational purposes only. In the group of portable headphones, the sound quality was assessed when working with several sources: an MP3 player, a tablet, a smartphone and a laptop. The quality of work in the home system was taken into account as additional information about the capabilities of the model, but was not taken into account in the assessment of "sound". The “sound” rating reflects the sound quality in the corresponding system. The ergonomics rating gives an indication of how comfortable and comfortable the headphones are to use, and in the case of portable headphones, this rating also includes ease of storage and transport. The design rating characterizes the quality and reliability of the workmanship. The "price" score tells you how the three previous criteria compare with the cost of the headphones.

Bowers & wilkins p5

The design of the headphones is very unusual, and the design is also original. ear pads are attached to the ear cups with magnets, like grills on acoustics. on the head Bowers & Wilkins P5 sit tightly, but do not cause discomfort. thanks to the soft ear cushions with memory material, a comfortable fit and very good isolation from external noise are achieved. The headband uses only metal parts and leather. The cups have an aluminum body. In general, everything looks very expensive, just gorgeous. For easy portability, the earbuds fold into a compact, flat design. The kit includes a well-made flat fabric cover with a magnetically closed flap and an internal pocket for storing a 6.3 mm adapter and a second cable (both a regular cable with a 3.5 mm jack and a cable with remote control for smartphones). After the powerful models, listening to the Bowers & Wilkins P5 has to get used to less and less depth of bass. The lowest frequencies here are not as full and powerful, but overall the bass is better focused and sounds more elastic, and the mids and highs are simply excellent.

Advantages:

- high quality sound

- compactness

- price-quality ratio

Flaws:

- thin cable

The tonal balance feels fairly even, without perceptible distortions. At first, it seems that the top is softened, but as you listen, it becomes clear: the effect of a muffled top is felt in the pauses between tracks from the fact that the ear cushions of the headphones cut off all external sounds in the high frequency region. The sound, though even, but completely boring and dull, on the contrary, all the music is reproduced brightly, lively, dynamically. The sound is authentic, and depending on the composition, it is either beautiful and gentle, or brutal and harsh. The stage is so wide that it is quite possible to doubt the design, perhaps they are open? There are no genre preferences, everything sounds: classical, rock, jazz, alternative music, electronics without restrictions.

Denon AH-D400

These are the only headphones with amplifier in the test, but they are also capable of working in passive mode. The Denon AH-D400 looks heavy and large, although in reality their weight is not particularly heavy, and the dimensions are modest. On the head, the headphones sit extremely comfortably, well suited for long-term wearing. isolation from external noise is good. The design is not folding, but the headphones hang around your neck well if you move the headband more apart. The wire does not connect to the left, as usual, but to the right earcup. On the left there is a switch and a micro USB port used to charge the built-in battery (a corresponding cable is included). The protrusions on the ear cups act as buttons for working with a smartphone. The headset is built into the headphone, so there is no separate 3-pin cable included. To connect to a stationary amplifier, a complete 6.3 mm adapter is used, which closes the additional microphone contact to ground. And when connecting, say, to a laptop or mp3 player, problems may arise. The delivery set includes a high-quality cover made of dense fabric.

Advantages:

- smooth transmission of midrange

- built-in amplifier

Flaws:

- high price

- no cable with 3-pin connector

The tone of the sound gravitates towards dark, warm shades, there is an early drop in the upper frequencies, which, however, does not extend to the upper middle. Thanks to this, the openness of the vocals and the ability of the headphones to fully convey the rhythmic pattern of percussion are preserved. The mids are generally well balanced to convey the essence of almost any genre of music. the resolution is not the highest compared to competitors, the after-sounds are eaten away a little, simplifying the sound. The bass is noticeably boosted, thanks to which the Denon AH-D400 reproduce very harmoniously electronic music, especially club music, as well as pop music. Blues and rock go well. To a lesser extent, they gravitate towards classics and jazz. When using the built-in amplifier, the character of the sound does not fundamentally change and only the bass is boosted a little.

Sennheiser MOMENTUM

Sennheiser MOMENTUM design is minimalistic, purely utilitarian retro. The headband attachment to the cups is extremely simple in design and is not covered with decorative elements. From a design point of view, a Y-shaped cable with a twisted pigtail would fit very well. However, the cable is supplied quite normal and only connects to the left earphone. The 3.5 mm jack is implemented in a very unusual way. Its aluminum body is divided into two parts by means of a hinge so that the cable can be oriented from coaxial to the connector to L-shaped. the attachment of the cable in the earcup is also specific, the connector is not simply inserted, but literally screwed in along the thread on its body. The only thing that confused was that the cable itself was rather thin, and this applies to both the wire with the headset remote control and the long wire with a 3-pin connector for stationary equipment. The headphones themselves are lightweight, they sit comfortably on the head, the weight is not felt. The ear cushions are lush, soft, pleasant to the touch. The clamping force is above average. This does not cause discomfort, and the fixation provides reliable. The design is non-folding and the headphones are quite large for portable use.

Advantages:

- high quality sound

- comfortable fit

Flaws:

- utilitarian design

- large dimensions without folding

For carrying and storage, a zippered hard case is available that will only fit in a large backpack, not in a laptop bag. The sound is distinguished by high resolution and well-balanced tonal balance. They sound a little lighter than the B&W P5 and are even more neutral in character. The middle sounds open, clear and crisp. The high frequencies are comfortable, but not at all due to the early falloff, they are reproduced in sufficient quantity. bass is deep, well focused and dynamic. Sennheiser MOMENTUM are positioned as headphones for portable technology, but, in my opinion, these are more likely good home headphones, which come with a cable for use with a smartphone. In a home system, by the way, they sound excellent.

Yamaha HPH-PRO400

These headphones look like a part of a space suit - large, white, streamlined. The fit is average, the pillow presses a little from above and the pressing of the ear pads to the head is quite strong. The ears are completely covered, although my ears were a little cramped inside the ear cushions. The design is very strong, reliable, the cups fold inward for easy portability and storage. The stylish bag with the company logo is also designed to facilitate transportation. However, this does not reduce the large size of the headphones themselves, so prepare to allocate enough space for them in your bag and leave them at home if you take a flat case on the road. The set includes two cables - a short one with a headset and a long one without it. Both are flat, as a result of which they are not at all prone to entanglement. They are made of exceptionally high quality, and in terms of solidity, the headphones themselves are matched. By the nature of the sound, the headphones are very fast and in any music they focus on dynamics, tempo, and rhythm. But what can I say - you start to beat the rhythm involuntarily, even when listening to classical pieces. the tone of the sound is dark, but, despite this, there is no sense of an early fall of the high frequencies and the atmosphere of the recordings is conveyed well.

Advantages:

- energetic, fast sound

- convenient flat cable

Flaws:

- large dimensions

- not the most comfortable fit

The bass is tight, firm, deep and a little boomy. In some compositions, it turns out to be a bit too much. The stage is quite wide, without the limited sound field characteristic of a closed construction. Jazz is reproduced beautifully, with good resolution, classics are large-scale, and rock, pop and electronics are exactly the genres for which the Yamaha HPH-PRO400 headphones seem to have been created. In general, they are very fond of bright, energetic music with a pronounced rhythm. Despite the size and power, the headphones were initially set up to work with portable equipment. Indeed, they sound much more harmonious with gadgets than with a stationary amplifier. There is too much bass in the home system.

AKG Q701

The ear cups are large in diameter, but the ear cushions are quite dense, almost rigid, which reduces the degree of comfort, and then the spring-loaded headband cushion presses from above. But AKG Q701 is so large that it will suit even owners of a very large head. The structure is quite flexible, it looks light, but does not seem fragile. The quality of the materials is good, the shiny parts are made of metallized plastic, but they look absolutely convincing, like real metal. The wire connects to the left cup, the connector is quite specific - mini XLR. It is undoubtedly reliable and is often used in professional equipment, but it will be difficult to find a replacement for a branded cable. The AKG Q701 is the author's model, tuned according to the preferences of the great musician, composer and producer Quincy Jones. Indeed, the sound of AKG Q701 turned out to be extremely curious, albeit ambiguous. The headphones seem to send you backstage to watch the performance as close as possible, but not from the auditorium, but from the side, from the side.

Advantages:

- comfortable soft sound

- smooth, unforced bass

Flaws:

- uncomfortable fit

The stage is built wider than in closed models, but the space is not conveyed as wide and scale as in the Beyerdynamic DT990. the resolution is high, and the length of the echoes is medium. Best of all AKG Q701 convey vocal range. The upper middle is reproduced somewhat muffled, in addition, the area of ​​sibilants is muffled, so that the harshest sounds do not hurt the ear. The high frequencies are softened, veiled and do not draw attention to themselves. the bass does not seem deep at first, but it is worth listening to a good recording of the double bass and it becomes perfectly audible how the lowest registers are being worked out. after prolonged listening, you get used to so many low frequencies, and all the other headphones begin to seem too bass. the resolution in the low-frequency range is excellent, but there is a certain imposing, unhurried bass in the bass, as if he says: “take your time, brother, I was made for blues and soul”.

Beyerdynamic DT990

The headphones are quite heavy, but thanks to the soft headband cushion and equally soft, pleasant to the touch ear cushions, the weight is well distributed and even with prolonged listening, there is no discomfort. The design is open, so your favorite music will be perfectly heard by everyone around you. Cups and holders are made of aluminum, there is no ringing when tapping, all parts are absolutely inert. round cable, non-removable, leads to the left cup. The open design is felt from the first notes - the stage is wide, spatial, the after-sounds are long, absolutely full, without cuts. The tone of the sound is light, the music is served easily and with some coolness. The vocals sound very articulate, close, lively, as if the performer is standing half a meter away from you. The high frequencies are legible, the upper mids are emphasized. In the lower mids and bass, the clarity is slightly reduced, with the result that in some compositions percussion may dominate the main rhythm section. the bass is simply excellent, very deep, with excellent controllability, without forcing certain parts of the range. On energetic music, I would like to add density and drive to the sound, as, for example, Sony MDR-1R headphones do. best of all, Beyerdynamic DT990 reproduce classics, jazz, complex rock music, somewhat worse - modern pop music, simple directions of rock music, club electronics, although the problem here is not in the headphones, but in the music itself and the quality of the recording, advantages and disadvantages which become apparent.

Dignity

- open design

- a high resolution

- comfortable fit

Flaws

- non-removable cable

The sound as a whole is felt as very authentic, clear, clean, not causing serious criticism, except, perhaps, the excessive monitoring of the sound. However, the headphone amplifier also has a monitor character in our system. As soon as we changed it to another, tube, with a characteristic coloration and warmth of sound, Beerdynamic DT990 sounded quite differently - more sincerely and warmly, but at the same time retaining its other advantages.

Fisher Audio FA-002W

The ear cushions are large so that they wrap freely around the ears. The pressure of the ear cushions from the sides is very noticeable, which makes the fit tight, very well insulated from external noise. The material for finishing the ear cushions is leather or felt, to choose from. The decent weight of the earbuds can only be felt after prolonged wear. Y-shaped cable, high quality. Headphone connection is realized on monaural 3.5 mm jacks. Wooden cups are made of Karelian birch, and more than 20 different types of wood are available, each of which has its own individual sound. Our version is characterized by the developer as the most balanced, neutral, well conveying complex music. You can also install branded open design cups with metal mesh. The tonal balance of the Fisher Audio FA-002W is really exceptional, there is absolutely no feeling of emphasizing any particular parts of the range. The bass is quite decent, neat, resilient, well controlled. In terms of bass depth, they only slightly lag behind the leaders of the test. The middle is so even that sometimes you even want to bring something like that into the sound, but, moving from composition to composition, you understand that this very quality is the main feature of the model. With Fisher Audio FA-002W, any music becomes clear and interesting. They do not have the highest resolution, but the sound is the least colored and the intonation accuracy is higher, due to which there is no mess in complex polyphonic compositions, the rhythmic pattern is not confused.

Dignity

- even tonal balance

- lack of genre

- the possibility of an upgrade

Flaws

- narrow stage

- specific design

Among the shortcomings, one can note a narrowed scene, due to which sounds are concentrated somewhere inside the head, and some general pallor of the sound, apparently arising from its universality. But if most competitors play some genres perfectly well, and others at C grade, Fisher Audio FA-002W play all equally well and may well be recommended for monitoring listening, comparing music or audio devices.

Sony MDR-1R

The 1R series represents a balance between home monitors and portable monitors. In appearance, everything is quite solid, massive, in an adult way, quite suitable for a Hi-Fi system. At the same time, there are two modifications in the line that cannot be called home in any way - one with active noise cancellation, and the other completely wireless, with Bluetooth. The third, basic model 1R, which was included in our test, has no additional functions, except for the second cable with a headset remote control, and in fact is quite home. The ear cups are medium in size, but the ear cushions are narrow, allowing them to wrap around the ears. The fit is comfortable, the weight is not felt, there is no discomfort with prolonged wearing. The upper mids and highs are softened and slightly muted, which generally darkens the tonal balance, emphasizing the vocal range and bass lines. This approach to sound tuning significantly increases the degree of listening comfort - annoying percussion does not clog the ear, the violin sounds comfortable, there are no sibilants. In general, the middle sounds very warm, soft and even lively.

Advantages:

- comfortable and expressive sound

- fast, clear bass

Flaws:

- early fall of the high frequencies

The bass is not the deepest, but forced in terms of level, driving, which is especially felt in club music, blues and rock music with a pronounced rhythm section. The rhythm of the sound is generally good, but the sound is slightly lacking in percussion. The bass sounds very clear, fast. Despite the characteristic frequency response with an early falloff at HF, almost any genre of music is reproduced very worthily. Compositions in which the atmosphere plays an important role sound slightly worse than others. For example, contemporary Peter Gabriel will be more difficult to fully appreciate than the early Genesis albums with his participation. The resolution is average, not a record, but not low either. The after-sounds are selected a little earlier than on other models, which gives the sounds completeness and roundness. The stage is of medium width, clearly wider than you would expect from a closed setting. The main advantage of listening can be infinitely long.

results

The fact that portable headphones, on average, turned out to be more expensive than home ones, is quite obvious, because the former are more complex in design. And if we talk about the sound quality in the same average way, home models are still in the lead. But the turning point has already been outlined - the only sympathy prize went to portable headphones. It seems that the share of purely home headphones will gradually decline in favor of large, high-quality universal models like the Sennheiser MOMENTUM and Sony MDR-1R.

The main surprise and handheld test winner is the Bowers & Wilkins P5. These headphones turned out to be the smallest in the entire test and the cheapest in their group. Initially, they were not perceived as contenders for victory, but when listening to it, everything turned upside down. B&W P5 proved to be quite competitive even against the background of solid home models, and the advantage over classmates was obvious from the first sounds. B&W has established itself as an expert in sound quality and, quite unexpectedly for everyone, has made the most advantageous offer in terms of price / quality ratio. This became another serious argument in the final determination of the group leader.

A strong competitor to Bowers & Wilkins P5 is Sennheiser's new product, which has no less outstanding sound, is just as comfortable to sit on the head, but has a less sleek design and is more convenient to use at home than outdoors. Also among the portable ones, I would like to note the Denon AH-D400 headphones, which are very convenient when working with a smartphone outside the home and sound good in a home system.

In the home headphone group, all models without exception showed a more pronounced audiophile sound - with high resolution, with a tangible scale. It was not easy to choose a leader, as each model has its own strengths and weaknesses. The advantages of the Fisher Audio FA-002W include an even tonal balance, good dynamic characteristics and the possibility of upgrading, and the disadvantages of this version are a narrow stage and not the highest resolution. In general, it is they who can claim the title of the most even and neutral. Sony MDR-1R and AKG Q701 are headphones with character that will surely find their listeners.

Beyerdynamic DT990 headphones, which showed the highest class of sound quality, with a luxurious open sound and unsurpassed resolution, won confidently and unconditionally. They rightfully receive the laurels of the winner in the group of home models.

Headphones are one of the most important accessories purchased for use with a computer, TV, or smartphone. With their help, you can not only listen to music without distracting others, but also watch movies or any other media files where there is some kind of audio track.

They range from large professional devices to the small headset that comes with most modern phones. Connecting them to any household appliance is quite simple, so even a person who has never dealt with technology before can cope with the task. But what if the headphones are already connected and you need to check their performance? There are several different methods at once, which you will learn more about in this article.

How to properly test headphones for sound quality

To begin with, you should understand that there are a huge number of ways to check the sound quality of headphones, but each of them is designed for a different purpose.

In addition, all this diverse variety can be divided into two groups: online tests, when you just need to go to the site, run the test and start checking. Another method involves the need to download some programs and applications to your computer. Such a check will be more objective and complete, not only because it can be more narrowly focused than the others, but also because in this case possible distortions in the browser, on the site, failures in the Internet connection, and so on are excluded.

With the help of high-quality files, you can check the difficult performance of one of the two speakers or headphones as a whole, but also find out a large number of characteristics of your device, the quality of certain parameters.

Audio tests for checking headphones

The first option is the universal test, which can be easily found on YouTube.... This is a video that will allow you to determine the frequency of the headphones, positioning from different sides and some other indicators.

This is a great way to determine if a manufacturer is bona fide - read what frequency is stated in the specifications and check the bass and treble limits with a test.

IMPORTANT! Please note that the human ear can only pick up frequencies in the 20–20,000 Hz range - this is our maximum capability. Therefore, do not get fooled by the promises of sellers about higher frequencies - there will be no sense from this, you will not hear them.

This method is suitable for any type of headphone, which makes it versatile.

Another test is to test one of the speakers. It so happens that the sound seems quieter and deaf and there is a suspicion that one speaker has completely ceased to perform its functions. The most popular in this category are two videos at once. In the first one, a knock is sent to each of the headphones at different times, similar to knocking on a door. If the speaker is not working at all, and not just becoming quieter, you will immediately notice it.

In another case, sounds of a certain frequency enter the speakers, which also allows you to determine the performance of each earphone. This method is suitable exclusively for this task - all other parameters cannot be determined in this way. Therefore, we will consider a few more verification options that you can use.

The easiest way is to check with a music track - it can be a new song by your favorite artist or any other found on the Internet. The main thing is that it is of high quality. Find the file in the format you want - let it be a professional recording.

You can only check the quality very approximately, but on the other hand, if you are planning to listen to music with the help of an accessory, then such a subjective assessment will make it possible to understand whether the sound suits you. And also in this way you can simply check if the device is working.

IMPORTANT! When downloading any files for testing, make sure that the player through which they will be played is also of good quality. After all, the signal source also plays a huge role - if it compresses the sound, deforms it, then one cannot expect a good result.

Besides, there are several programs at once that can be downloaded to your computer. Through them, the verification will be more extensive and accurate.

For example, RightMark Audio Analyzer is a professional testing program, which, however, is also suitable for an ordinary user. However, it can be difficult for a beginner to understand.

RealSpace 3D Audio Demo is another program that can be downloaded from the official website.

Testing of wireless headphones has some differences. These are not essential nuances, but they are, nevertheless, important. For example, it is important that the bluetooth with which the accessory is connected is updated to the latest version. To do this, you need to download the necessary drivers from the website of the manufacturer of your laptop or computer.

In addition, if you test through a cable, then there is a high probability that the sound obtained in this way will appeal to you more. This is not surprising - for all their advantages, wireless devices are still slightly inferior in quality to those used in conjunction with a wire.

Now you know how you can find out and check the various characteristics of your headphones. This does not require special equipment, any knowledge and skills, as well as experience in such procedures - any user can download several files or open some sites to conduct diagnostics online.

Thus, you will learn not only about the performance of the accessory, but also the level of its frequency, bass quality, sound depth and much more. Or you can simply find a high-quality recording of your favorite song and understand whether you like the new headphones or not!