Audiophile 101: Essential Gear Overview
Image credit @zhugunic https://drop.com/talk/67372/gl-2-k Do I need an amp? What are these acronyms like DAC, DSP, or DSD? What even are all the components that make up an audio chain? Let’s take a beginner’s look at the core, essential building blocks of a digital audio chain, and lay it plain what each piece does. We can cover the major pieces separately, but I’ll still include a few tips to optimize playback here. Please hit the little bookmark button and feel free to check and share this guide whenever you need a reference! For people who need a visual and audible explanation, or are worried it would take too long to get a working knowledge of the audio chain, here is my YouTube video on this subject that is just 7 minutes long! I like writing though, so let’s get started with an overview, then break it down into what each piece does and how an upgrade would benefit the final sound quality. Signal Path Image credit @SpeleoFool https://drop...
Mar 22, 2023
Mass is literally that. Make the driver and baffle heavier, and it will move less from any applied force. Absorption is acknowledging that vibrations are there, but trying to squash them as quickly as possible. Stiffness is sort of this in between that affects the both. So let's address a few common things:
1) dynamat: It adds a tiny bit of mass, but primarily this is a shear based dampener. What that means is it has a layer of sticky goopy stuff, and a stiff metallic layer on top. When you stick it to something that vibrates, those vibrations move the goopy stuff, but the stiff layer on top doesn't move. This causes viscous shear in the goop which absorbs the vibrations.
2) blue tack, plasticine, etc: Common stuffing for baffle plates (especially Fostexen) to make them heavier. That's it. You get minimal absorption from this. Some people try attaching metal bits to the drivers to make them heavier, but that's generally difficult to do
3) stiffness: Things that have better bracing generally want to vibrate/resonate less. If you have a way to brace or stiffen a cup, it will move less. Increasing clamping pressure physically couples a headphone harder to your head. This is somewhat related to stiffness, and effectively connects the headphone to the mass of your head, and again heavier things will vibrate less (no jokes about being dense please!).
Annnnd, I think I had something else but I'm procrastinating from work and need to get back. Cheers y'all.