I’m quoting this from a website article that goes into excruciating detail on timbre
"Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, ALTHOUGH, it ALSO depends upon the sound pressure, staging, depth and the temporal characteristics of the sound.”
So frequency response is really just a small portion of the timbre equation. It is a very important part of it, but too many other parts of the equation are required to just use a statement of dark, warm, bright, cold, etc.
So to me timbre is how a headphone makes an instrument or vocal sound. Something with good timbre sounds life-like, a horn sounds like a horn. This is separate from frequency response. A bad timbre would be farther from life in it’s tone
Yes, good stuff. It really is the overall sound of the entire frequency spectrum, the staging, pressure, definition, separation of all audible things. An example is the HD600. Some consider this a bit shouty/brightish with the upper mids boosted at 3500 khz, but overall the timbre is intimate, natural and warm.
Although I, as a drummer and bassist, believe the sub bass is the only part of the frequency not as natural sounding as it rolls off, but the overall timbre of the HD600 is natural. It is the sum of all it’s parts.
Honestly, audiophile terminology confusion is one of the main culprits of hobbyists disagreements. People can say what they want about Z, and I at times am at odds with the things he says…but I really appreciate the fact that he tends to stay away from a lot of the terminology and when he does use it, he tries (and sometimes fails painfully) to describe it in layman’s terms to his audience. That really is one of the best things Z does for his audience as he knows a lot of people watching his videos are new or newish to the hobby.
TLDR, Timbre is a tricky and fickle thing and is sensitive to your entire source chain of parts, from audio source all the way to headphones.
Your gear, source and power delivery can effect these things as well. It is why so few can overwhelmingly agree wholeheartedly on sound. Let alone different human qualities such as size and shape of ear, jawline, headsize effecting seal, distance of driver, etc.
I started an off topic post on audiophile terminology so that this thread doesn’t become highjacked.
Eww no it’s a good headphone but in the realm of these two you’re asking about LCD 1 lacks a lot in comparison. But for a mobile headphone it’s not bad.
I mean I would personally take the lcd1 over a sendy driver lol