The Edge - Headsets - Transducer Type / Operating Principle

Category5 - Transducer Type / Operating Principle

This category is the first combined category in the list. Categories will be combined to decrease the number of headings and make the list more readable at a glance. The goal is to make the list less time consuming to study and get the information you need to make comparisons so it will be a useful tool in your selection of a set of headphones.
 

Transducer Type

Transducers are the devices that convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. The transducers are attached to or are a part of a physical object that moves in response to the application of the mechanical energy.
 

Coil Type Drivers

Coil type drivers, the type that most of us are the most familiar with, use a magnet to hold the driver coil in a neutral position. As energy is applied to the coil the driver moves quickly in and out to reproduce sound. Okay, that's way oversimplified, but if you really want to know how they work there are many article on the web that will go into as much detail as a MIT physics class. For the purposes of our search for a sonic edge it's important to know that when the list says ’dynamic’ under this heading that it is referring to coil type drivers.
 

Electrostatic Type Drivers

Electrostatic drivers are a less common driver type that use a sheet of Mylar suspended in an electrostatic field suspended between two rigid, porous, conductive plates. The front plate, or the plate closest to your ear, is the positive and the plate behind the Mylar, also called the stater, is the negative plate. When no energy is applied to the plates the stater is in the neutral position. As energy is applied to the plates the electrostatic charged stater moves back and forth in response to changes or fluctuations of current.

Other Driver Types

There are other types of drivers that reproduce sound. Another example is the ribbon type. These are actually a variation of the dynamic type but use a flat panel as rather than a cone to push air and bring the sound to our ears.
 
If you want to know more about driver types or transducer types do a web search, but be mindful of the fact that in our computer driven age the word ’driver’ has more than one meaning. It not only refers to the moving part of the speaker or headset that reproduces sound, it also refers to the widget that translates binary code to analog energy so that sound can be reproduced.
 
The transducer type will not always be listed, most manufacturers don't list the transducer type, because most are dynamic. If a headset has electrostatic drivers, the company will list it, therefore, if not listed we assume dynamic. This is a safe assumption in that with respect to sound reproduction the driver type is not as important as the subjective experience.
 

Operating Principle

This part of the category is the way the headset couples to our ears. There are three basic ’Operating Principles’: in the ear, on the ear and over the ear. The in the ear principle are earbuds and those we are not yet covering. The on the ear principle are called superaural. And the over the ear principle are called circumaural. Superaural and circumaural headsets can also either be open or closed.
 

In the Ear - Earbuds

Earbuds we are not yet covering. They are very popular with portable or on the go music players. Their advantage is their size, they are highly portable and can be worn in public with anonymity. Because of their size they do not reproduce sound as well as their bigger counterparts. We write this with reservation, we do not mean to make a sweeping statement about earbuds, in fact there are earbuds designed to primarily be gaming headsets. Further, we recognize that there are well designed earbud gaming headsets that may outperform their superaural or circumaural and as the blog go on we intend to include these.
 

On the Ear - Superaural

These are padded headsets and the padding is placed on the ear. These tend be a bit more transportable than their larger circumaural counterparts and more acceptable to wear in public but are not able to reproduce sound quite as well by virtue of their coupling to the ear, their smaller drivers and the area of their dome.
 

Over the Ear - Circumaural

These are padded headsets that fit around the ear. Their larger drivers, greater area of enclosure and positive coupling principle give them sonic advantage over their smaller siblings. They are large, don't travel as well and can call out for attention in public, an advantage if you want to call attention to yourself, a disadvantage if you'd rather not. As an aside, a general observation, not to be confused with scientific data, superaural and to some degree even circumaural headphones are becoming more acceptable in public. This trend we hypnotise is driven by their better sound reproduction and our acceptance of those who wish to walk around in their own little music cocoon ignoring the rest of the world.
 

Open or Closed

This refers to whether the back of the headphone part of the headset is open to the outside world or sealed against it. Open designs let air and sound from the room in and let sound from the headphones out into the room. Closed designs block sound from entering or exiting the headphones. Open designs can be cooler keeping your ears not to get hot when gaming for long periods of time and allow you to here sounds from the room. Closed designs isolate your sonic environment bring you more into the game and can be hot as they insulate sound they insulate heat, for some this is an issue for some not.
 

Summary

Of the Transducer Types most will be dynamic in design and are dynamic unless otherwise stated. Operating Principles include Earbuds which are, for now, beyond the scope of this series of articles, Superaural or on the ear, are better travelers, and Circumaural or over the ear generally given the nod with regard to sound. Open versus Closed is a matter of personal preference.

The Edge - Headsets - Cable Length

Comments on Category #4

We know what you're thinking: finally, a short article. No, don't worry, we'll find a way to make it longer than necessary, with to much detail, and ramblings, well...sort of like we're already doing.
Just kidding, it can't get any more objective than this...Cable Length is our category #4. Don't overlook this category when choosing a headset. Think about where you sit when gaming, how much cable do you need. Your not going to get custom lengths, so you may have to buy an extension cable.
If you have different spots to lounge while gaming, you'll have to consider the location that will need the longest length of cable. Thankfully you can get extension cables in varying lengths. Don't get 15 meter cable if the longest you'll need is 2 meters just because it's inexpensive, you're not doing yourself any favors, cables can become a tangled mess if not extended.
You will want the cable to be long enough to lay across the area between you and your connection point, you don't want it stretched through the air like a overhead power grid line. With respect to this category, do a little measuring, from the connector point on the console or processor down to the floor, then across the floor to the point on the floor directly below your headset/ear location and up to the headset/ear location. Keep that measurement in mind while looking over the list's data. If the cable supplied is not long enough, you'll need an extension.

The Edge - Headsets - Microphone

Comments on Category #4 - The Mic

Thus far in the 'list' development the 'Mic' category contains one or two of the following type descriptors: Boom, In-line, Dynamic, Condenser, Pre-polarized. This post takes the terms one at a time for discussion.
 

Position or Form

The first two possibilities, Boom and In-line, describe the position of the microphone.
 

Boom

This term is the easiest to understand. A boom style mic is attached to the end of a rod, usually positionable via a flexible rod, called the boom, or it could be positioned by a pivot point allowing the mic to swivel up and down. The actual positioning function of the mic is more appropriately handled in the written or video review segment of the review rather than in the objective list. While true that some booms pivot 270° and others can be attached to either side of the headset, there are issues with the variations that need to be considered and some experienced gained to give that hands on point of view we want.
 

In-line

This term is the second designation of where the mic is located. Like it's name says it's in the line (cable) that leads to the headphone portion of the headset. For those of us familiar with headsets for mobile phones, this is a common alternative to the on the ear bluetooth style earpiece/mic.
 

Microphone Basic Type

The other three terms Dynamic, Condenser, and Pre-polarized are terms that describe how the microphones work from a theoretical perspective. We will stick to general overview of these three terms for now.
Dynamic and Condenser are terms that are not combined, in other words, these are basic principles. We can have a dynamic mic or a condenser mic, it's either or, not both. The other term, pre-polarized can be combined with other terms. For example you may have a pre-polarized condenser microphone.
 

Dynamic Mic

This type of microphone is the simpler microphones in the list so far. These type of mics work on the electromagnetic induction principle, the same principle that the drivers in speaker systems use. An electromagnetic coil is moved back and forth with a cone that moves in response to sound.
 

Condenser Mic

These type of microphones are also called capacitor or electrostatic microphones. There are two plates in the pickup. The front plate is a moving diaphragm the responds to sound and the change in distance between the front plate or diaphragm, and the rear plate, a fixed plate is measured by one of two ways DC biased or frequency. The frequency type can use either radio frequency, RF, or high frequency, HF.
 

Pre-polarized

We are using this as an example of a term that is used in to further describe the microphone's basic type. If manufacturer feels that the term is significant enough with respect to the microphone's operation to note it, the term appears in the specifications or description.
We will note the inclusion of these term types as they occur in the list. The key here is that when you come across a term that has a low, or perhaps even singular occurrence in the list that you recognize that the manufacture is looking to set itself aside from the competition, implying an advantage, and we can respect that, after all, we are in search of the sonic edge.
Pre-polarization, by the way, helps define the directional quality of the mic. It's a good thing.
 

Other Microphone Types

The science behind the way microphones work is beyond the scope of this blog. We want to be aware of the different basic types and have a general idea of how they work as an aid to making our purchasing decision. This is true in any of these type of categories, that is categories that state a type of principle or form. We can group the microphones into two groups, so far, and being aware of the two groups could help us recognize patterns and make observations about the two that are unique to each.
There are other ways to pickup sound and transfer if to another location. Everything from fiber optic to cup and string. If other microphone types appear, we will include them in the. We don't see the cup and string as being practical.

The Edge - Headsets - Marketing

Building Experience - Marketing Influences Opinion

 

First, let's qualify...

 
Keep in mind that this post is not meant to serve as a completely fact checked article, it is meant to serve as an example of marketing. The source of this article comes from recollections of the story as told to me by associates of mine in the high end audio business in the mid eighties, in other words, memories of a few years ago. So, with this qualifying statement out of the way, and keep in mind that other views and comments on the body of the story are welcomed and encouraged. Read this as a story from memory based in truth and open to correction of the facts. Use it as a marketing story that illustrates how our opinions are shaped by marketers who understand human nature.
 

VHS, Beta, Video Disk

In the 1970's three video playback formats were developed by three different companies. VHS, Beta and Video Disk. VHS was developed by JVC, Beta by Sony, and the Video Disk format by RCA. All three formats were released and the respective companies had a look at the competition.
The RCA Video Disk format required that prerecorded disk were purchased to use the format as could be done with either of the other two formats. This format had a superior picture as compared to the other two formats but you couldn't use the format to record and playback. JVC and RCA were not threatened by the format and the market showed little interest. The format was used by a select number of customers and, as an aside, it could be argued that the Video Disk evolved into the Laser Disk format after an at first unforeseen rental market developed. Then the Laser Disk, which was an analog format that read the frequency of light return from a laser to recreate video and audio evolved into the CD and then the DVD formats which used light return but to read binary code rather than frequency. So, in the long run the better base idea won, at least for now. Back to the story at hand.
With the ability to record, we had two formats remaining. The folks a Sony must have had a party after seeing the VHS format compared to Beta, just as JVC must have gone into damage control mode. Beta was just undeniably superior. The tapes were smaller, the picture better, the recording times longer, and Sony was what all the pros were using worldwide.
JVC goes to Hitachi and other major manufacturers and offers the rights to product VHS at a deal with the understanding that they would not market Beta machines in the North American market. The story goes that JVC understood that the European and other markets would go for the Beta format in that they recognized Sony as a superior product manufacturer and would be more likely to devote more discretionary income to a better format.
The target consumer in the North American market was in college and recognized that Beta was a better format and reasoned that they would by the far more affordable VHS format for now and switch to Beta when they could. What they didn't anticipate was the amount of recorded hours that they would have making it impractical to switch formats. Beta did sell in the states to the more discriminating but held a virtually none of the market within five years.
There was never an affordable Beta format unit sold in the US. VHS dominated the market until the affordable recordable DVD format replaced it, almost three decades of dominance.
From this manufacturers took a cue and make sure that both the CD and DVD formats were made compatible one company to another. The other lesson learned by the manufacturers was by Sony. With the development of the high definition format, that is HD-DVD vs Blue Ray, Sony didn't let a competing, and possibly inferior product, win. Now, only a few years later it's hard to remember that there was a high definition format other than the Blue Ray disk.
 

Building Experience

The manufacturers, namely Sony, learned from their marketing mistakes how differing products competing for the same market can hurt their sales and equate to winners and losers, but what can we as consumers learn from the VHS vs Beta story.
The first point is that we should a little digging is needed to get behind the hype and that many manufacturers are looking to fill a price point rather than accomplish a sonic goal. Other manufacturers are building products to accomplish a sonic goal and then setting a price based on a balance between what market dictates and what their margins need to be to stay in business. The latter is the company type we want in that they like their jobs and income helps them do what they like, the former is in business to make money.
The other point is just the history itself. It helps to be aware that when backed into a corner with a product that could ruin a company, that company can turn to the marketing pros and its up to the marketing department to make lemonade...and they can. Its fine to buy lemonade, none of us want to by a lemon.
There are flaws if you take the story as an analogy for VHS vs Beta compared to binaural vs multi-driver. Indeed, when you buy a headset, driver configuration is only one consideration. The two are not competing formats in that one will win and one will lose. The reason to know the VHS vs Beta story as it pertains to headsets is to understand the marketing portion of the story not the competing format angle.
It is our intention to review the products based on their merit and not on their marketing. We want to keep in mind that the marketing of a product does not have a bearing on it's performance. Just because a product is well marketed does not make it a great product, it also does not make it a bad product; marketing just helps the product sell.

The Edge - Headsets - Driver Type / Size

Comments on Category #3

Review of Driver Definition

The third heading or category is 'Driver Type / Size'. In an earlier post we discussed what a driver is, so to review a driver is a component of a speaker or, in our case headset system. The word 'driver' is often used interchangeably with the word 'speaker' and most of us think of the conical moving portion of the headset as a speaker. If a headset is binaural, it typically has only one driver per side and in this case the driver is the speaker portion of the headset system.
In the case of the multiple driver per side like 5.1 surround sound system headsets the moving cones are more accurately referred to as drivers. If we refer to the speakers in these systems, we could be referring to the group of drivers and components that make up each side.
Therefore, in both cases we will refer to the individual moving cones as drivers and will not use the term speakers unless referring to the components as a whole that make up one side of the headphone portion of the headset.
 
 

Type

Binaural

There are two basic types of headsets binaural and multi-driver. The 'type' portion of the category refers to the number of drivers per in the headset.
The binaural type is a stereo headset or one driver per side. To recreate surround sound these type of headsets use a surround sound processor. It can be in the form of sound card which the headset plugs into and the sound card connects to the gaming console or it can be a more elaborate, and expensive, component again connecting between the headset and the gaming console. The card or component decodes the surround sound information from the gaming console then synthesises 7.1 surround sound information to be sent to their binaural headsets to give the sonic edge we are looking for, that is being able to tell where the in-game sound is coming from, front, back, left, right, up, or down or a combination of these.

Multi-Driver

The multi-driver type of headset contains, we know it seems obvious, but there's a twist, multiple drivers. Notice that we did not include the two words 'per side' at the end of the last sentence. Well that's because there are two configurations of the multi-driver setup. The first configuration is what we expect, each earphone contains either three or four drivers. These headsets come with a sound card that decodes the surround sound information and sends the proper signal to proper driver, making it possible to locate the in-game source of the sound directionally.
The second type of multi-driver setup is a concept that was highly anticipated by the gaming community. The design features five drivers mounted in the top of the headband and ports or tubes that carry the sound to the earphones. The drivers are left rear, left front, center, right and left.
 
 

Size

The 'size' portion of this category is, well, the size of the drivers. With most of the manufacturers their data does not contain the size of the drivers. Size is incorporated with the driver type category and reported if the information is readily available from the headset's producer.
 
 

Comments

This category is the first category that raises debate. The two types represent two schools of thought or design approaches to giving us the sonic edge. This will be the subject of much speculation, and opinion in future posts, but for now at least in building the list, keep in mind that this is the objective part of the search and for the list we will talk physical configuration rather than how well they work.
With that said, here are the initial comments. The binaural headsets recreate surround sound with the use of a sound processor that synthesises surround sound, usually 7.1, through two drivers, one per side. The advantage these headsets have is the use of larger and, their manufacturers claim, better quality drivers for higher quality sound.
The multi-driver headsets use their surround sound processors to direct sound to individual drivers to, as is the claim of their manufacturers, reproduce more directional surround sound.
These two approaches are so different we suspect that we will find two camps of gamers each with their own bias sets firmly entrenched. This is the general tone of most of the reviews we have read. For example one reviewer stated that the headset he uses and prefers is much better than anything he has heard. He doesen't state what he has heard or used, he doesen't talk about his experience other than to say that he has had to replace the headset multiple times and each time the manufacturer stands by the product and sends him a replacement at no charge.
Back in the dark ages of video three formats of video playing devices were developed by three different companies and released within a short period of time. This presented the consumer market with a choice. Two of the formats, VHS and Beta could record, the third, the video disk could not record, it could only play disk, which were the size of a long play record (LP). This put the video disk at a disadvantage. Most people envisioned themselves time shifting TV shows and being able to play tapes that they purchased. This put the video disk out of the picture, so to speak, and with Beta players priced at one and a half time the price of VHS, VHS took the market, well the North American market anyway. There were other major factors that caused us to go for the least desirable of the three formats, and this discussion will be continued in the next post.
 
 

Next

In the next post we will discuss the VHS, Beta, Video Disk marketing, why did we choose what turned out to be the least desirable format and how can we apply this history to our choice of a gaming headset.

The Edge - Headsets - Form Factor

Comments on Category #2

The next of the categories is a basic, Form Factor.
It is as simple as is says, what is the form the headset takes. Headsets are defined as headphones or earphones with a microphone. For now we are not considering earphone or earbud type headsets. So, for now, part of our form factor parameters are set, all of our examples are headphone type headsets. Other design differences are how the headsets couple to the ear, this is covered in a separate category.
This category is used to describe how the headset is worn, basically over the head or behind the neck. This category may be changed to a different name as the list develops. There are other categories which may be refined as the list goes forward.
Due to the number of categories in the list there will be a challenge to format it in such a way as to make it easier to read at a glance. In it's present form, a number of scroll pages are necessary to view all of the categories. Our goal is to format the list so that it can be used as a tool for easy reference rather than a study guide.
Our second category, 'Form Factor', could have a name change or by combined with another category if it continues to reflect only two choices. It isn't alone, in more ways than one.

The Edge - Headsets - Pricing

Comments on Category #1

Pricing is our first category, MSRP that is.
24 Manufacturers with 121 models...so far. For each model we will list the statistics published by their respective producer. The categories will fall under two main headings for the two main components of the headset, a headphone section and a microphone section.
The categories are not yet finalized, some may yet be added and some may be deleted. There are some categories that are set and those are the ones we focus on in the next few blogs.
 

Category - Price, MSRP

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, MSRP. According to the most basic of economic theory, retail pricing follows the same rules and is set by the rules all product and service pricing follows, that often referenced law of supply and demand. Ask the typical salesperson how they set their prices and they will hold their head up and spout, "supply and demand", without having any idea what he has just said. It's more of a cliche that a rule, much less law, that we all are assumed to have a vast understanding of. So, in practice, "supply and demand" being evoked by a salesman translates to "I have no clue."
The laws of supply and demand are best left to economist who study the marketplace. Years ago while listening to public radio, an economist in giving advice directed to the small business owner summarized the simply stated, yet complex law with the statement, "you set your prices to be as busy as you want to be." Given that you have a product or that people want or need, a high price will lower sales, a low price will raise sales. The trick is to set prices so that you maximize net profit, which in a small business is your paycheck.
So, what does this have to do with MSRP. "Companies are in business to make money." How many times have you that. For some companies the statement is true. There are some companies that are in business because the person or people who started the business had an interest in what they were or are doing, and started the business because it was something they enjoy, the exchange of money lets them keep doing it without having to get a job. Fortunately for those of us looking for headsets the latter is often the case. Couple that with the number of companies and you've got a formula for competitive pricing, good offerings and often updated products.
 

What is MSRP

As the name implies this is a price that the manufacturer "suggests" the product to be sold for. Legally, at least in the US, prices cannot be set by the product's manufacturer. They sell on the open market to distributors or directly to retailers and in some cases directly to the end user, that is, in the case of headsets, to us the gamers.
When a manufacturer sells to anyone short of the end user, they can determine their price to the distributor, then the distributor determines the price to the retailer and the retailer sets price to the consumer.
It is worth noting that some manufacturers have created a sort of loophole in the law by having written into its retail agreements that the potential retailer is required to agree to and sign is wording that recognizes and acknowledges the law that states that retailers are free to determine their own prices and that MSRP are merely suggestions or guidelines, and additionally they recognize that manufacturers are within their rights to choose their retail representatives and that does not preclude cutting off a retailer who chooses to sell their products for less than MSRP. You can find examples of this in the electronics industry where companies put large percentages of their budget into advertising to promote a product line that, in reality is very inexpensive to produce. These products are well known, well liked and in most cased really good products, just priced at a point where better choices per dollar are available, just not as well known or well marketed.
 

Determining MSRP

How does a company set is suggested selling price. This is not universal, not a law, rather it's a rule of thumb. Something to keep in the back of your mind as a starting point to understand pricing in electronics. It goes like this. If a product costs x to produce then the MSRP is about 4x. This gives the producer room for profit as well as the distributor and the retailer.
What does this mean for the less common, or less traditional sales structures, namely the direct seller and the manufacturer that is a high exposure advertiser with low product cost. The direct seller usually produces less units and sells at a higher profit margin. The advantages are that the price is usually less than it would be traditionally or the products are of a bit higher quality at their price. On the other hand the heavy advertiser delivers a lesser product per dollar. In the case of the strong advertiser, the company is not making inferior products, their advertising cost just place more cost on their products.
The manufacturers that step up with the big marketing money add value to the industry overall, they serve to make us aware of the existence of new products and improvements of existing products. Their reward for this is that they make the sales to the consumer who is making the impulse purchase, no research, that's cool, I'll take it...and that's all of us from time to time. Again, it doesn't mean that the product can't be the best in a particular price point, indeed, if it is, it dominates the market and owns that segment.

Selling or Street Price

In the current market MSRP is just a point to start looking. The suggested price can serve as an alarm system in that if we visit a site to purchase an item and the site has the item above what we know to be the MSRP, we have an issue. When we decide on that one headset, the street price, or what we will need to hand over to obtain our new edge, is what we need to know.
 

Summary - Minimizing the Price Effect

Price is an important element in any purchasing decision, we don't want it to be the only one. Price, while an objective category, influences the subjective portion of the review more than any other category.
To help minimize the effect of price, we will rate the products with four different parameter sets. Rather than a good, better, best system, we will use an A, B, C, D grading system where A will be the best product available regardless of price. Products that are A rated are the best available, they could cost $10.00 or $100,000.00, price does not factor in at all. Products that receive a grade of B are products that are well above the curve. Owning a product with a B grade will make a great addition to a system and cost is a small part of the purchase decision. Products with a C grading are good products, again a good upgrade to any system and will gain that goal of having a sonic edge and price a major factor; these products give a lot of return for the monetary unit spent. Grade D are products that function, but may not improve your gaming experience beyond not waking up the rest of your family. D graded products are functional and possibly an grade above the mono bluetooth headset, but not a first choice for an edge.
We'll talk more about the grading system and have more detail about what is required for the various grades in future posts, but, for now, keep in mind that we are trying to minimize the price effect found in so many reviews that allow the reviewer to avoid making any real judgment that is useful to the gamer by having conclusions that all start with the "at this given price point, you would be hard pressed to find a better..." line in an attempt to retain their credibility. Unfortunately, this doesn't help the reader with a genuine opinion or give the manufacturer any helpful feedback, it simply comes off as another advertisement.

The Edge - Headsets - List Update

List Update

We have identified twenty four (24) manufacturers of gaming headsets. Our list contains one hundred twenty one (121) individual models. Color options will not be one of the listed categories in that we are focusing on sound over looks and the color or graphics of the headset should not affect sonic reproduction.
Four headset manufacturer's names begin with "A". These first four headset producers have 14 of the 121 models. AKG has 6 models, Altec-Lansing has 4 models, Astro Gaming has 2, and Audio Technica has 2. We have completed the initial data compilation for these first four manufacturers leaving us with 20 manufacturers and 107 models for preliminary research.
The next blog will begin to discuss the categories. We'll take them one at a time with discussion for each.

Data Gathering

Gathering Comparable Data

This blog will begin to deal the data parameters. What information do the manufacturers provide and how can we use that information to begin to get a feel for how the products compare.
 

Manufacturers Supply Data

One point to keep in mind is that most data comes from the manufacturer. When you read specs about products and try to compare one company's data directly to another company's data just be aware that each company does it's own testing; there is not a central testing facility where all manufacturer's send their products to have them tested and specifications issued. This is not to imply that companies are not accurate in their testing, rather, products are tested on differing equipment under controlled but varying conditions among the industry.
They test their own products, and publish the results. The companies use good testing methods and produce products that perform as advertised with respect to the published specifications. All companies have quality control methods in place to insure a consistent product. It could be argued that testing by an independent organization of all products on the same testing equipment would produce more comparable results by limiting the variance among test equipment. This type of testing is preferred in testing speakers to limit the variance among testing rooms, however, with headphones and headsets the largest sonic variable, namely the room in which the test are done, is not as critical in that, headphones and headsets are, by nature, a closed environment. Even with open design models, the room does not have a notable effect on testing. Therefore, data reported by the manufacturers, can be useful for comparisons among manufacturers.
It is reasonable to assume that a manufacturer wants to publish figures for products that help them sell their products, so, if the manufacturer had a frequency response number that was out of line with it's competitor's products the manufacturer would not want to have a product in it's line that did not meet the standards of the competition, the product would not hold up in the market place. It is not reasonable to assume the manufacturer would publish data that was not independently verifiable. What the company will do is do further research and develop the product until the product comes up to the specification they are shooting for.
 

Data Mining

We are in the process of gathering as much objective data such as frequency response, cable length, manufacturer's suggested retail price and other facts and figures that can help us make comparisons. In gathering the data we are compiling a chart that will be useful for comparison. In building the chart so far, it is evident that some manufacturers supply more data than others. We will first simply gather all data and build the chart. Then we will contact the manufacturers and try to fill in the gaps or, if we find a category to be of no or minimal use we may eliminate it.
 

Progress Reports and Defining Categories

The next few blogs will be in the form of progress reports or category definitions. As we build the chart, we will let you know were we are relative to the initial compilation. As the categories shake themselves out, we will define what they mean and how they can be used to compare headsets. Also, as we start to form opinions about various manufacturers and their models we'll outline what brought us to the opinion.