Headphone Utility DAW Plugin

Earpad Selector

The H200 ships with faux leather earpads, with a soft cloth option available as a separate accessory. As these materials have different acoustical properties, the Headphone Utility features two equalization curves so you can always enjoy a consistent, reliable output no matter which earpad you prefer to use.

Voicings

The Headphone Utility plug-in offers two voicings that ADAM Audio A Series and S Series customers may already be familiar with.

“Pure” is a highly accurate and neutral sounding option. This is the “flat” setting, ideal for mixing, mastering, and critical listening applications where you really must be aware of all the details and rely on an honest representation from your headphones.

“UNR” or “Uniform Natural Response™” is a dynamic, natural-sounding response curve of ADAM Audio’s own design, which stems from a variety of iconic ADAM Audio legacy products, including the AX Series. It lends itself to production, composition and songwriting as its engaging and present sound can give you more room for creativity and flow. It is also a great option whenever you want to use your headphones simply to enjoy some good music.

Gain Compensation

The Earpad Selector works by equalizing frequencies across the H200’s reproduction range to achieve the target response regardless of the earpad in use. As human hearing is naturally more perceptive to changes in certain bands, false perceptions of the overall sound can occur when equalizations are applied. Gain compensation solves this problem by maintaining a consistent perceived output level, regardless of the equalization that has been made.

Equal Loudness

First presented in 1933, the Fletcher & Munsen curves illustrate how the ear is naturally more sensitive to changes in volume at low and high frequency bands. As these bands are attenuated by the Earpad Selector, the Equal Loudness setting can be used to preserve the overall perception of output loudness to the listener and prevent misguided mix decisions.

Safe Mode

Safe Mode applies the same principles as the Equal Loudness setting, however it does so by only applying negative gain. This setting is useful at higher monitoring levels where the gain compensations used when applying equal loudness could result in clipping.

Off

This mode applies zero gain compensation and differs from the Bypass option as the equalization applied by the Earpad Selector is still active.

Externalization

An inherent aspect of headphone design is the unnatural representation of stereo sound when compared to loudspeakers. This is because the left and right ears are exclusively presented with the left and right channels, unlike with loudspeaker monitoring where both ears hear some amount of both channels. The Externalization feature uses advanced crossfeed techniques to offer a more natural representation of loudspeaker monitoring.

What is Crossfeed?

At its core, crossfeed involves adding carefully considered amounts of the left channel to the right channel, and vice versa. The Externalization feature was built specifically for the H200 and employs bespoke crossfeed across its reproduction range for a more seamless transition from loudspeaker monitoring to headphones. It is particularly useful for mixing applications when you are likely to misjudge left-right pans after prolonged loudspeaker use.

Disable During Render

The Externalization feature is designed for the mixing process to present a more natural feeling of stereo sound. It should be disabled during renders as the audience will not experience the audio through the same monitoring setup. Instead, the Externalisation feature encourages users to make better mix decisions that will translate to natural stereo environments.