Headphones designer talking to an SOS reviewer about his process and challenges - OLLO Chat EP 08
Welcome back to another episode of OLLO Chat! This time, we’re doing things a bit differently. I had the pleasure of speaking with Sam Inglis, Editor In Chief of Sound on Sound, who gave us a peek behind the curtain of the review process for pro audio and HiFi gear.
In this episode, we dive deep into how reviews are made, why objectivity is tricky, and how headphones really get tested when no one’s watching.
What's "Flat" and Why Does It Matter?
One of the first things we tackled was the elusive concept of "flat" sound - what does it really mean? Sam shared his perspective on how certain headphones, particularly in the closed-back category, often feature a noticeable peak between 3 kHz and 8 kHz. It’s a frequency range that many manufacturers boost to make the headphones sound more impressive at first listen. But Sam pointed out that this “impressive” sound may actually be crucial for certain languages, especially when it comes to faithfully representing speech.
We also discussed how the idea of "flat" has evolved in recent years. Sam recalled the first time he heard a pair of headphones that sounded truly flat - the Shure SRH1840, which came out over 10 years ago. Fast forward to today, and Sam has noticed that more headphones, including the OLLO X1, deliver a sound that’s remarkably close to that ideal flat profile right out of the box. It’s a sign that the industry is catching up to what audio engineers have been striving for all along.
Calibration: A Headphone Dilemma
Next, we dove into the complexities of calibration - something that’s a bit more nuanced with headphones than with speakers. With speakers, we have tools like room correction systems that help us achieve a more neutral sound. But with headphones, it’s a whole different ball game. While he uses room correction for his Genelec speakers, Sam prefers to switch calibration on and off with his headphones. For him, it's about understanding how the headphones naturally sound and then hearing the changes that occur when he makes them “flat.”
Reviews, Bias, and Getting It Right
We moved on to the review process itself and talked about the influence of prior knowledge when reviewing a new product. Can a review ever be truly objective? Not really. But there are ways to do it responsibly. Sam matches products with reviewers who use them how they’re meant to be used. His own method is grounded: use it properly, do the job with it, then write about how it holds up.
Sam makes it clear: experience shapes everything. He knows what works, what doesn’t, and trusts his ear first. Online opinions? He checks them, but only after his own take is clear. And sometimes, his view doesn’t match the crowd - like the Gibson robot tuners he actually liked, despite the internet backlash.
The topic of Sound on Sound's approach to reviewing also came up. Sam revealed that he doesn’t often speak to the product creators during the review process unless it’s a smaller company. With bigger brands, it’s harder to get direct access to the designers, but Sound on Sound does use its influence to reach out for clarification when needed. This interaction can sometimes lead to those “Aha!” moments when a feature that initially seemed pointless turns out to have a very specific purpose.
The Long History of Sound on Sound
For those of you curious about the legacy of Sound on Sound, Sam shared that the magazine was founded in 1985, but its roots go back further in the world of home studio recording. Sam joined the team in 1998, and since then, he’s been a cornerstone of the publication’s audio reviews. He humorously added that once you’re in at Sound on Sound, it’s like the Hotel California - you never really want to leave.
00:00 Intro
01:15 What is flat?
02:30 Headphone calibration methods
06:10 Moving in and out of the sweet spot as a mixing tool
09:58 Sam's approach to reviewing audio products
15:12 How does brand reputation affect objectivity?
20:19 Talking to product creators during reviews
22:19 Talking to SoS readers and choosing reviews
24:26 The history of SoS?
25:06 Is SoS' audience mostly Western or global?
26:00 Understanding the limits of your knowledge
29:40 Fact-checking and owning up to mistakes
Sam Inglis takes on the X1 in SoS:
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ollo-audio-x1
About Sam Inglis
Editor In Chief Sam Inglis has been with Sound On Sound for more than 20 years. He is a recording engineer, producer, songwriter and folk musician who studies the traditional songs of England and Scotland, and the author of Neil Young's Harvest (Bloomsbury, 2003) and Teach Yourself Songwriting (Hodder, 2006).
About Sound on Sound
www.soundonsound.com
https://www.facebook.com/soundonsoundmag https://www.instagram.com/soundonsoundmag/
https://x.com/soundonsoundmag
