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Is flat frequency response a hoax?

I have seen a number of speaker companies claiming that their design has a ruler flat response. They then proudly display a graph with a flat line as if it's an indication of its superior quality. Poppycock.

Flat response is a myth. Everybody has different hearing so there's no reason to expect that there would be a one size fits all frequency response.
We don't all wear the same sized shoes do we? Everybody has different sized feet. 

There are plenty of flat response speakers that sound horrible. I've heard quite a lot. There are many non ruler flat great sounding speakers too.
Do not be duped by this hogwash. 

If the mixing engineer used a pair of speakers that is 3db down in the mids and top end then he may have boosted that region by a similar amount. Now when the track gets played on a ruler flat speaker it sounds too bright. So as you can see, a flat response is useless.







kenjit

Showing 2 responses by soundsrealaudio

soundsrealaudio's avatar
soundsrealaudio
756 posts
 
kenjit 

It is clear that if you put speakers with a "flat response" in a room that has been acoustically treated so that when a flat signal is projected into the room the listener will hear a perfectly flat response.....and if that sounds like BS that is because it is. 
soundsrealaudio's avatar
soundsrealaudio
756 posts
 
kenjit

You are correct regarding all the myths.... my favorite is that xyz is going to make a speaker sound better, i.e. diamond coated tweeters.......perhaps but perhaps not......two layers of MDF used on the front panel....well it depends.....tweeters with nipples on them...look sexy but don't sound sexy. Lots of others. You certainly have my permission to diss speaker manufactures anytime you please, who knows it could make people think. 

simon the reason that manufactures design speakers is to sell them. Please argue with me on that.
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