We studied the preference of 32 magnitude frequency response curves obtained from various closed circumaural headphones. These curves were measured with a high-frequency Head And Torso Simulator (HATS). We also compared them with previously proposed curves, including adaptations of the de facto target frequency curve (the Harman curve) by means of lab-based listening tests involving a total of 56 participants (30 in Denmark and 26 in Japan). We found that the highest-rated frequency response curves seem to have a boost (< 5 dB) at low frequencies (< 125 Hz) and a larger boost (5–10 dB) at frequencies between 2–8 kHz. When compared to the previous target curve, the highest-rated frequency response curves have a higher level at frequencies > 6 kHz. This last finding suggests the need for an updated headphone target curve based on more accurate HATS measurements. Surprisingly, our findings also indicate that the preference of these curves did not seem to be influenced by cultural differences.
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