Short Circuit
One of the most common issues with certain in-ear headphone models is a short circuit in the acoustic design. Many budget-friendly earphones are assembled without proper sealing between the speaker and the housing. This leads to an acoustic short circuit, where sound waves from both sides of the diaphragm escape through the gap between the speaker and the casing. As a result, low-frequency sounds are severely weakened, leading to a lack of depth and impact. The overall audio experience becomes thin, with exaggerated highs and no real bass presence. It's like listening to a vocal performance that’s overly focused on clarity but lacks warmth or emotion.
This issue also reduces the sound pressure level, making the headphones feel quieter than they should be. The smaller the driver size, the worse the effect tends to be. If you're using small earbuds, you might notice that the bass just isn't there, and the sound feels flat or lifeless.
2. The Silence Effect
Sometimes, the problem isn’t just about leakage—it’s about silence. Some earphones use foam rings or rubber sleeves that, while intended to seal the ear canal, actually absorb sound instead. These materials can dampen the audio output, especially at higher frequencies. This "silence effect" may seem subtle, but for those who value accurate sound reproduction, it can be quite noticeable. The result is a dry, lifeless sound with less detail and a loss of natural harmonics.
Another example is the sound tube inside the earphone. In some designs, this part is used more as a structural element rather than an acoustic one. When the rubber sleeve is placed over it, the flexible inner part of the tube can act like a muffler, reducing both low and high frequencies. This leads to a lack of depth in the bass and a loss of clarity in the highs, making the sound feel unbalanced and unnatural.
3. Reverberation Interference and Inter-Frequency Distortion
Reverberation is a natural part of sound, adding depth and space. However, when headphones themselves introduce unwanted reverberation or inter-frequency modulation distortion, it can make the audio sound muddled and unclear. This often happens in the cavities within the earphone housing, where smooth surfaces reflect sound waves unpredictably. These reflections can interfere with each other, altering the original waveform and causing distortion.
Similar to standing wave interference in speaker design, this issue is difficult to fix without compromising sound quality. Adding sound-absorbing materials inside the cavity could help, but it would also reduce high-frequency response, which is not ideal. Good earphones should preserve the natural reverb of the source material, not add their own.
4. Acoustic Cavity Design
Unlike traditional speakers, in-ear headphones typically have two acoustic cavities: one in front of the driver and one behind the back cover. Both play a crucial role in shaping the sound. If these cavities are too smooth or improperly sized, they can cause unwanted resonance and distortion.
A large front cavity, for example, can weaken high and mid-range frequencies, making the sound feel distant and lacking in clarity. On the other hand, a thick and short sound tube may push the treble too close to the ear, resulting in harshness and an imbalance in the frequency response. The shape and volume of these cavities directly affect how the sound is delivered, so careful design is essential for good audio performance.
The article comes from China Headphone Exchange.
Lc Fiber Coupler,Lc To Sc Coupler,Sc To Lc Coupler,Mpo To Lc Adapter
Ningbo Fengwei Communication Technology Co., Ltd , https://www.fengweicommunication.com