What Is the Harman Curve? Does It Really Give the Best Sound Quality?
Buying headphones is always a challenge. After all, you can’t tell how they are going to sound until you’ve actually tried them on. Although, there is a metric you can use that guarantees good sound quality regardless of the type of listener you are: the Harman curve.
In this guide, let’s learn what the Harman curve is, why it’s so popular, how it was made, and whether it really offers the best sound quality possible for headphones.
What Is the Harman Curve?
The Harman curve is a theoretical target sound signature said to produce the best sound quality that most listeners would prefer. It was developed in 2012 by a team of scientists and audio engineer Sean Olive, who described the signature in “The Relationship between Perception and Measurement of Headphone Sound Quality” viaSean Olive’s blog.
If you’re unaware, sound signature refers to the tuning of sound frequencies (bass, mids, and treble) of a headphone, which results in a unique pattern or “curve” in its frequency response. There aredifferent types of sound signatures, with each one having different properties.
The goal of the Harman target curve is to act as a guideline for manufacturers to tune their headphones to replicate its sound. Harman argues against the notion that it’s impossible to find the best sound for headphones since every listener has different preferences.
Since audio tuning is one of the biggestfactors that affect sound quality, different brands tune their headphones differently to stand out from their rivals. Some brands go for a flat or balanced sound, while others go for a more fun-sounding V-shaped sound.
How the Harman Curve Was Made
To establish the Harman curve, the team conducted a series of blind tests with 283 participants from four different countries across 11 test locations. To minimize bias against certain demographic groups, the sample included a broad range of ages, listening experiences, and genders, with most of the participants being Harman employees.
The paper also mentions, “Virtual versions of the different headphones were reproduced over a single high-quality replicator headphone by equalizing it to match the measured frequency response of each headphone. This removed any potential biases related to visual (brand, model, price, design) and tactile (weight, clamping force, feel of materials) cues that might cloud their judgments of sound quality.”
It also found that “Female listeners preferred less bass and treble than their male counterparts. Younger and less experienced listeners preferred more bass and treble than their older, more experienced counterparts. The older listeners (55+ years) were the exception here, preferring significantly more treble and less bass.”
Given all this data, the Harman target was established as the best one-size-fits-all sound signature that is most likely to be loved by pretty much any listener in the world.
Does the Harman Curve Really Sound the Best?
If you’re looking for a new pair of headphones or wireless earbuds, the Harman curve is the safest reference point available. Headphones that match the Harman curve are most likely to sound good, whether you’re a trained or untrained listener. That way, you know you probably won’t be disappointed with your purchase.
If you don’t want to bother researching for headphones that match the Harman curve sound, the easiest way to experience it is to buy Samsung Galaxy Buds. Since Samsung acquired Harman International in 2017, its Galaxy Buds lineup offers the closest match to the curve.
That said, the Harman curve is not the ultimate gold standard for sound quality; there’s no such thing. Listening is a very personal experience, so there’s no guarantee what sounds best to others will sound best to you too. The only way to know that is to try out different headphones yourself.
Use the Harman Curve to Find Good Headphones
The Harman curve is an incredibly useful indicator to judge the sound quality of a headphone before buying it. If you have some time to spare, we highly recommend reading Sean Olive’s paper to understand more about how the Harman curve was established.
There are tools and graphs available online that you may use to compare the sound signature of your desired headphones against the Harman target to ascertain their sound quality. But do note that headphones that deviate from the Harman target don’t necessarily sound bad; like we said, the curve is not the gold standard but simply a guideline.
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