Headphones dont like my hair.
Thats an unfortunate truth for someone who has spent half of his lifebeingalittleobsessedwithheadphones.
Its a bigger problem than you might think and we can measure it.
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I first noticed this problem back in 2018 whiletesting a pair of high-end noise-canceling headphones.
I was still ready to declare the headphones junk until I got my hair cut to a neat fade.
On IEMs, its usually pretty obvious when you have a bad seal.
With headphones, the difference can be more subtle.
IthoughtI was already getting a great seal as the headphones were providing decent noise isolation.
These headphones, like so many others Ive tested since, just didnt like my hair.
Take theJBL 710BT, a pair of headphones I bought because they areremarkably neutralfor the price.
But theyre good enough for these comparative purposes).
In blue is the headphones performance with a proper seal.
Thats a dramatic loss of bass.
A bad seal is enough to completely change the character of a pair of headphones.
Even a few decibels lost can make or break your perception of a pair of headphones.
What about noise-canceling headphones?
Noise-canceling headphones make things a little more interesting.
This is often a great thing as it makes headphones much less finicky about positioning.
But increasing the bass beyond the headphones default tuning comes at the cost of distortion.
Now, the effects of distortion are often exaggerated in the audio world.
In reality, it takesquite a bit of distortion before most people notice it, especially at bass frequencies.
Its a complicated topic thats beyond the scope of this article.
Nevertheless, pushing a driver beyond its limits doesnt usually yield pleasant results.
Heres some more data for you.
The frequency response changes, but the difference is far less dramatic than with the JBLs.
Again, this is normally a good thing.
Heres the distortion with the good seal.
And the distortion rises even significantly higher as I approach the headphones maximum volume.
Someexperimentsshow people are unable to detect much higher distortion levels than the ones presented above.
What can I do about it?
Move tufts of hair out of the way, or try repositioning your glasses a bit.
It is worth noting that earpads are an integral part of a headphones sound especially closed-back headphones.
Yes, I know: weve already established that some headphones simply cant handle a substantial bass boost.
High-end headphones can often handle a substantial bass boost without it becoming clearly audible.
All that matters is that the headphones actually sound good.
If you cant hear the distortion, it might as well not be there.
But noise-canceling headphones with an open design are practically unheard of.
Manufacturers can do better
Look, Im not saying headphone makers hate curly-haired people with glasses.
I shouldnt have to get a haircut for optimal sound quality, but here we are.
Many wireless earbuds, including Apples AirPods Pro, now check for a proper seal during the setup process.
Thats something that will take time and money.
