Overlay headphone frequency-response curves: from our library or your own measurements. Smooth, normalise, compare two at a time and download the chart.
A free headphone frequency response comparator in the style of the squig tools: overlay FR curves from our library (Harman targets and references) or upload your own measurements (REW, .frd, .csv), with 1/N-octave smoothing, normalisation, an A−B difference view and PNG export. Everything runs in your browser — files are never uploaded.
How to read the chart
The horizontal axis is frequency (bass on the left, treble on the right, logarithmic); the vertical axis is level in dB. After normalising, what matters is the shape: more level below 200 Hz means more bass warmth, the rise into 3 kHz is the natural ear gain (compare it against a target), and narrow peaks above 5 kHz often point to sharpness or sibilance. Use 1/12-octave smoothing for tonal balance, and the difference view to see exactly what changes between two headphones — or between your measurement and a target.
Frequently asked questions
What is a frequency response curve?
It shows how loud a headphone plays each frequency, from bass (20 Hz) to treble (20 kHz). It is the single most descriptive measurement of how a headphone sounds: more level in the bass region means a warmer sound, a big peak at 3 kHz is normal (ear gain), sharp treble peaks can mean sibilance.
Can I compare curves from different websites?
Be careful: no. Each measurement rig (coupler, pinna, positioning) imposes its own signature, especially above 8 kHz. Comparing two curves from the same rig is meaningful; mixing rigs is misleading. That is why the tool warns about it.
What is the Harman target?
A reference curve developed by Harman research (Olive & Welti) describing how most listeners prefer headphones to sound, with versions for over-ear (2018) and in-ear (2019). The ones included here are approximations traced from the published charts, useful as a visual reference.
What file format do my measurements need?
Plain text with two columns per line: frequency in Hz and level in dB (space, tab, comma or semicolon separated; comments with # or * are ignored). REW's «Export measurement as text» and .frd files work directly. Files are parsed in your browser and never uploaded.
What do smoothing and normalising do?
Smoothing averages the curve in fractions of an octave (1/12 is the usual choice) so rig resonances don't distract from the tonal balance. Normalising shifts each curve so they all read 0 dB at the chosen frequency (500 Hz by default), making shapes comparable regardless of absolute level.