Defective E500?

[Stoney]

Todd:

at this post, I wrote:

Does anyone else hear splashy lower treble?
I wrote:

Update: Splashy lower treble....
I recently commented that I found the lower treble of the E500 a bit splashy, even after significant break in.

But I took the hint to try other ear adapters. The reasoning was this: the treble response of all headphones depends strongly on the resonance between driver and eardrum. If the alignment of the dips and peaks in the headphones (often deliberately put there, such as the Senn HD650 and others), doesn't line up in frequency properly, one can hear quite an emphasis. More than this, the impedance at that frequency can be unfavorable, causing an underdamped condition.

Result: I found it worse with smaller ear flanges, and much, much better with the triflanges, which increase the length of the tube. Midrange is flatter, I think, as well.

I'll try these for awhile....

I tried the long flanged tips for a while now. They tame the treble crunchines nicely. But it tips the tonal balance so much so that I need to set my iPod to "Treble Booster."

Anyone else have these issues? Or are my units defective?

[Stoney]

(crosspost from http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showp...7&postcount=11


I have written about how the E500 with standard tips (or silicone/clear versions too) sound splashy in the lower treble.

Trying the other tips, only the triflange fixed this, but it tipped the tonal balance down so much I needed the treble boost EQ in the iPod.

Now, I've tried modifying the triflange (I bought the three-pair pack for $9 from Amazon). First, I tried cutting off the last flange and its stem. This was good, but the upper treble was now emphasised too much and a bit forward in imaging (sign of a resonance).

Next, I cut off just the flange, leaving a bit more tip sticking out. Now the treble emphasis is so high in frequency that it doesn't bother me much. Adds a bit of top end sparkle.

I think removing the last flange changes the aim of the exit of the tube, allowing it to aim more at my eardrums, hence no more treble rolloff. I had found that the tips of the triflange would contact skin and be blocked as I worked them into my canals, a sure sign that the tips were at an angle. Without the flange, the tips seem to aim true.

So, don't give up and keep trying those tips....