Klaus Heinz: Why do speakers sound different when they measure the same? - with HEDD Audio

►► Correctly set up your speakers, no matter what room you're in. Free workshop → https://www.acousticsinsider.com/phantom-speaker-test/

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A quick thought experiment:

Say you compare two speaker systems that go down to around 40Hz.

One is your typical 2-way with a 6" driver.

The other is a massive old-school 4-way system with double 18" drive units, BUT high-pass filtered to 40Hz as well.

Do you think they'll sound the same?

If designed correctly, they'll both have a (more or less) flat frequency response.

And if you play both at the same volume, shouldn't that give you the same sound?

Even if you've never heard a system like the second one, I'm sure you can imagine that the answer is a big, hard:

HECK NO. Not even close.

But why is that?

How can speaker systems sound so different when they largely measure the same?

To answer this question, I've invited Klaus Heinz, former CEO of HEDD Audio and arguably the world's leading expert on Air Motion Transformers, to join me in conversation.

I think we hit the nail squarely on the head in explaining just how limited measurement data actually is when trying to understand how a speaker sounds.

Or in other words: If you've ever wondered how measurements differ from what you're hearing, this video ist for you.

Timecodes:
00:00 - Acoustics Insider and HEDD Audio
00:48 - Klaus Heinz: Why do speakers sound different when they measure the same?
03:04 - How has 55 years of playing the piano affected your professional work?
10:45 - Catching the loudspeaker bug in divided Berlin.
13:33 - The problems with the original Air Motion Transformer (Oskar Heil)
18:30 - The original amplifier invention predating the Air Motion Transformer
20:51 - Oskar Heil invented the dome tweeter and FET transistor before anyone else
22:47 - Klaus Heinz’ improvements for the Air Motion Transformer
24:12 - Measurements cannot capture the complexity of a real sound field
32:21 - A linear response is not the gold standard
34:04 - Why measuring dynamics is so difficult
37:00 - Things we can measure, but are not part of the typical data set
38:53 - Speaker design goals are not clearly defined
40:51 - Can we hear phase shift in loudspeakers?
46:38 - Looking 10 years into the future of speaker design
50:02 - Wrapping up my discussion with Klaus Heinz of HEDD Audio
51:04 - Setting up your speakers correctly, no matter what room you’re in

- HEDD Audio - What is HEDD Audio? -

Heinz Electrodynamic Design (HEDD) is a Berlin-based creator of cutting edge loudspeaker and headphone solutions. Founded in 2015 by physicist Heinz Klaus and his son, Musicologist Dr. Frederik Knop, HEDD products include studio monitors, subwoofers, and main speakers – as well as the signature HEDDphone®. Producers, sound engineers, recording artists, and high-end enthusiasts worldwide seek out HEDD for use in music production, mastering, and home HiFi. HEDD’s mission has been to build products aiming for complete accuracy and outstanding signal fidelity in Germany, that can accommodate a diverse range of sounds and eclectic spectrum of musical tastes.


- HEDD Audio & Acoustics Insider - What is it about? -

Welcome to this video series in collaboration with HEDD Audio! In this series I'm going deep into different aspects of studio speakers and subwoofers to show you how they work, how to use them in your home studio, and the pros and cons of different types of speaker designs. I'll be using acoustic measurements with Room EQ Wizard (REW) and Rational Acoustics SMAART, and I'll talk to experts, specialist and speaker designers. To do that I am partnering with HEDD Audio, which gives me the opportunity to go into a depth and breadth that I wouldn't be able to do on my own. I use HEDD Type20 MK2 speakers every day myself in my own studio and I couldn't be happier with how they perform. Otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to this partnership. I'm very excited to go on this deep dive with you and to show you how you can get the most out of your room and speakers.


Related blog post on Acoustics Insider:
https://www.acousticsinsider.com/klaus-heinz-why-do-speakers-sound-different-when-they-measure-the-same

Darko Audio Interviews with Klaus Heinz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPJu7OUSZU0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU5dWrePni4

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This means that for any successful sale generated through this link, a small provision is paid out without any extra cost to you. Of course feel free to buy the products anywhere else as well. The link is merely a proposition to have a closer look at the product. :)
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Get your own HEDD speakers here to support Jesco and Acoustics Insider → https://hedd.link/MK2JescoYT **