“It’s a Thing of Beauty”: Man’s DIY Audio Measurement Tool Puzzles the Internet

Homemade DIY Measurement tool draws horror from internet

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Function over form at its finest.

Recently, Redditor, u/hurtyewh, showed off his $15 homemade audio measurement tool on the r/headphones subreddit, garnering mixed reactions from the community. Described by the OP as a “thing of beauty,” it has attracted both admiration and skepticism.

"It's a thing of beauty"
“It’s a thing of beauty.” (From: u/hurtyewh)

Audio enthusiasts often use frequency response measurement tools to evaluate sound device performance. The measurement tool generates a frequency response graph (seen below) that shows the relative loudness of each frequency that the headphone reproduces. 

Frequency response graph of the Sony WF-1000XM5. Measurements conducted on an IEC-711 compliant coupler.
Frequency response graph of the Sony WF-1000XM5. Measurements conducted on an IEC-711 compliant coupler.
Crinacle's setup. (From: Crinacle.com)
Crinacle’s  GRAS 43AG-7 setup. (From: Crinacle.com)

High-end measurement tools, such as the GRAS 43AG Ear & Cheek Simulator, could cost up to $9000. Hence, this steep price prompted u/hurtyewh to “macgyver” a budget-friendly version.

OP did not provide any evidence supporting the tool’s effectiveness, which casts doubt on its reliability.

The post has sparked some cheeky comments:

While some prefer to be more straightforward about it:

A few take a professional stance:

Personally, this is the most relatable:

Credit: Reddit

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