Immersive Hi-Fi Headphones: Features and Maintenance Methods
Hi-Fi is the abbreviation for High-Fidelity, meaning 'high accuracy reproduction.' Its definition is: reproduced sound highly similar to the original. So what kind of reproduced sound qualifies as Hi-Fi? To date, a definitive conclusion remains elusive. Audio professionals use various instruments and methods to measure numerous indicators determining the Hi-Fi degree of equipment. Audiophiles, however, often rely on their ears to judge if equipment meets their Hi-Fi expectations. Assessing the fidelity of reproduced sound requires not only high-performance equipment and software but also a good listening environment. Therefore, correctly measuring the Hi-Fi degree of audio equipment still involves differences between objective testing and subjective evaluation.
Hi-Fi Headphone Features
1. Clean sound foundation, free from any unpleasant 'hiss,' 'hum,' or 'boom.'
2. Good balance; timbre never too bright or too dark. Energy evenly distributed across high, mid, low frequencies. Smooth, natural transitions between frequency bands without abruptness or harshness.
3. Good high-frequency extension, delicate and smooth.
4. Deep low-frequency extension, clean, full, elastic, and powerful; no sense of flabbiness or slowness.
5. Minimal midrange distortion; transparent and warm. Vocals natural, intimate, with thickness and magnetism; no exaggeration or nasality.
6. Good resolution, rich details; even minute signals reproduced clearly.
7. Excellent soundstage depiction; wide and open. Precise and stable instrument positioning. Sufficient information within the soundstage; no sense of emptiness.
8. Minimal dynamic compression; good sense of speed. Low distortion or minimal distortion at high volumes.
Maintenance Methods
1. Avoid sleeping with headphones on. This can lead to the cable tangling around your neck or twisting together, potentially damaging the housing. If necessary, hang the headphones above you using an elastic band attached to the headboard.
2. Wipe sweat off the headphone cable after use. These bodily secretions are invisible killers of the cable, leading to aging, cracking, and eventual breakage over time.
3. Always turn down the source volume before use. Excessive volume from the output device not only harms your ears but can also damage the diaphragm folds (light) or burn out the headphone voice coil (severe).
4. Keep headphones away from strong magnets. Otherwise, the magnet's strength in the driver unit diminishes over time, reducing sensitivity.
5. Keep headphones dry. Moisture can cause solder joints inside the unit to rust, increasing resistance and leading to channel imbalance.
6. Protect the plug area. Placing devices like MP3 players in pant pockets can easily bend the plug/wire junction, causing wire breakage.
7. Do not disassemble headphones casually. This can lead to permanent damage.
8. Avoid outdoor use in winter. Cold weather makes cables stiff and brittle; excessive bending can easily snap them. Do not heat the cable; high temperatures accelerate aging.
9. Keep away from chemicals. The paint on the headphone housing can dissolve in organic chemicals.
10. Keep the earpiece grille clean; minimize driver unit exposure to dust.
11. Avoid pulling, crushing, or other forms of human-induced damage during use.
12. Avoid using brand new headphones immediately for CS gaming. The game's sound effects can be overly stimulating for the still-tight diaphragm of new headphones. 'Burn-in' with gentler music first.
13. Headphones cannot withstand frequent dropping or sudden high-altitude pulls, which severely damage the overall structure, voice coil, diaphragm, and cable.
14. When unplugging, grasp the plug itself, not the cable.
15. Headphones are personal items; avoid sharing. Clean thoroughly if shared, especially earbuds.
16. When coiling the cable, avoid sharp bends; use a gentle curve to prevent wire breakage.
17. Most earbuds have sound-damping cotton over the rear vent to prevent dust ingress (accelerating aging); do not remove it. Most also have a fine mesh over the front opening to block larger dust particles. Use foam tips during long-term storage.
In summary, users should note that headphones designed for portable players are highly sensitive due to the limited battery power (output typically only a few milliwatts). Consequently, their power handling capability is low. Using such headphones with desktop CD players or computers requires extreme caution; excessive volume can deform the coil and diaphragm, causing rubbing or burnout.
Hi-Fi Headphone Features
1. Clean sound foundation, free from any unpleasant 'hiss,' 'hum,' or 'boom.'
2. Good balance; timbre never too bright or too dark. Energy evenly distributed across high, mid, low frequencies. Smooth, natural transitions between frequency bands without abruptness or harshness.
3. Good high-frequency extension, delicate and smooth.
4. Deep low-frequency extension, clean, full, elastic, and powerful; no sense of flabbiness or slowness.
5. Minimal midrange distortion; transparent and warm. Vocals natural, intimate, with thickness and magnetism; no exaggeration or nasality.
6. Good resolution, rich details; even minute signals reproduced clearly.
7. Excellent soundstage depiction; wide and open. Precise and stable instrument positioning. Sufficient information within the soundstage; no sense of emptiness.
8. Minimal dynamic compression; good sense of speed. Low distortion or minimal distortion at high volumes.
Maintenance Methods
1. Avoid sleeping with headphones on. This can lead to the cable tangling around your neck or twisting together, potentially damaging the housing. If necessary, hang the headphones above you using an elastic band attached to the headboard.
2. Wipe sweat off the headphone cable after use. These bodily secretions are invisible killers of the cable, leading to aging, cracking, and eventual breakage over time.
3. Always turn down the source volume before use. Excessive volume from the output device not only harms your ears but can also damage the diaphragm folds (light) or burn out the headphone voice coil (severe).
4. Keep headphones away from strong magnets. Otherwise, the magnet's strength in the driver unit diminishes over time, reducing sensitivity.
5. Keep headphones dry. Moisture can cause solder joints inside the unit to rust, increasing resistance and leading to channel imbalance.
6. Protect the plug area. Placing devices like MP3 players in pant pockets can easily bend the plug/wire junction, causing wire breakage.
7. Do not disassemble headphones casually. This can lead to permanent damage.
8. Avoid outdoor use in winter. Cold weather makes cables stiff and brittle; excessive bending can easily snap them. Do not heat the cable; high temperatures accelerate aging.
9. Keep away from chemicals. The paint on the headphone housing can dissolve in organic chemicals.
10. Keep the earpiece grille clean; minimize driver unit exposure to dust.
11. Avoid pulling, crushing, or other forms of human-induced damage during use.
12. Avoid using brand new headphones immediately for CS gaming. The game's sound effects can be overly stimulating for the still-tight diaphragm of new headphones. 'Burn-in' with gentler music first.
13. Headphones cannot withstand frequent dropping or sudden high-altitude pulls, which severely damage the overall structure, voice coil, diaphragm, and cable.
14. When unplugging, grasp the plug itself, not the cable.
15. Headphones are personal items; avoid sharing. Clean thoroughly if shared, especially earbuds.
16. When coiling the cable, avoid sharp bends; use a gentle curve to prevent wire breakage.
17. Most earbuds have sound-damping cotton over the rear vent to prevent dust ingress (accelerating aging); do not remove it. Most also have a fine mesh over the front opening to block larger dust particles. Use foam tips during long-term storage.
In summary, users should note that headphones designed for portable players are highly sensitive due to the limited battery power (output typically only a few milliwatts). Consequently, their power handling capability is low. Using such headphones with desktop CD players or computers requires extreme caution; excessive volume can deform the coil and diaphragm, causing rubbing or burnout.