Poll: IE8 Bass Knob, Which Setting? - Page 3

I was using my IE8 on the lowest setting for a few months. I tried setting it up to the max and the mids were gone, however I could hear the bass guitar in all the metal songs that I was listening to. This setup was too uneven in my opinion. The guitars were overwhelmed by bass. So I set in in the middle (3rd notch) and I still got the extra bass guitar lines in a few songs (which is what I like) without sacrificing the mids that much. I also noticed one more thing - turning the bass knob up improves the soundstage (maybe it is because of the extra air?). So I sticked to the 3rd notch and am happy with that. I am also looking for tips with better isolation than the stock ones - then the experience may change.

By the way, I am listening straight out of iPod 6 gen (2007).

Bass knob full for me.  The bass hump is centered at 100Hz and the bass knob only deals with stuff below 100Hz.  Everything from 100Hz up is unchanged.  The knob lets you have full bass or anemic bass, and that's about it.  To fix the frequency response, EQ it.  Take a wide cut centered at 10Hz, and you'll fix the hump.  Then the earphone is much more balanced, and you can run the bass knob high without an issue and get the bottom end.

Hi I have cowon j3 and was fiddling with the EQ setting (i also use ie8) When I used it with full bass knob, I felt the sound was too dark(?) and not near enough highs.

What do you mean take a cut centered at 10Hz? Do you mean to put 10Hz way lower than others?

Thanks and sorry I don't know too much techinicalities.
 

Right now, my j3 settings are

80Hz; -3; wide

220Hz; -2; wide

780Hz; 2; wide

3.0Khz; 3; wide

13KHz; 2; wide

BBE 9

Mach3Bass 4

3D Surround 6

MP enhance ON

Stereo enhance 3

Reverb off

Currently, I find that the low and bass are excellent but I wish on some songs, that the high would be a little bit more extended without the distortion. Some very high female vocalist sound a little bit recessed. Do you have any tips on how to adjust the EQ. Any tips greatly appreciated!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvw2 

Bass knob full for me.  The bass hump is centered at 100Hz and the bass knob only deals with stuff below 100Hz.  Everything from 100Hz up is unchanged.  The knob lets you have full bass or anemic bass, and that's about it.  To fix the frequency response, EQ it.  Take a wide cut centered at 10Hz, and you'll fix the hump.  Then the earphone is much more balanced, and you can run the bass knob high without an issue and get the bottom end.

Quote:

Originally Posted by j57park 

Hi I have cowon j3 and was fiddling with the EQ setting (i also use ie8) When I used it with full bass knob, I felt the sound was too dark(?) and not near enough highs.

What do you mean take a cut centered at 10Hz? Do you mean to put 10Hz way lower than others?

Thanks and sorry I don't know too much techinicalities.
 

Right now, my j3 settings are

80Hz; -3; wide

220Hz; -2; wide

780Hz; 2; wide

3.0Khz; 3; wide

13KHz; 2; wide

 

BBE 9

Mach3Bass 4

3D Surround 6

MP enhance ON

Stereo enhance 3

Reverb off

 

Currently, I find that the low and bass are excellent but I wish on some songs, that the high would be a little bit more extended without the distortion. Some very high female vocalist sound a little bit recessed. Do you have any tips on how to adjust the EQ. Any tips greatly appreciated!!!!

 

X2

I mean the bass hump centers at 100Hz.  It extends down to 20Hz and up to 1000Hz before flattening off completely.  The hump is not massive, but it's wide and influences a lot of the audio spectrum, especially the lower midrange where it makes the earphone dark/warm.

The knob unfortunately only affects frequencies below 100Hz.  This effectively makes the knob pretty much worthless.  Most people's complaints are about the higher bass and emphasis into the midrange.  A lot of people like the strong bottom end.  If you set the knob high, the bass is flat and extended.  Yes, it's overwhelming, but there isn't much you're going to do without EQing.  If you set the knob low, the bass is anemic.  The higher bass and lower midrange emphasis is untouched, so the response is still messed up.  You just cut out the bottom end and make the low end anemic which isn't really helpful.  The earphone sounds little less bassy, but the problem still isn't fixed and you made another one.  EQing is the only fix.

Generally, I keep the knob set in the middle range.  Every once and a while I want to listen to Tool and with the knob set all the way up it gives the same sound as the overly subbed car I had in high school which I find pleasingly nostalgic.  All the way up the sub base seems to hang around longer than it should which works for some songs, some of the time...Thankfully changing the settings back and forth is quick and easy.  Ironically, the bass knob isn't a feature I expected to use and I saw it as some sort a gimmick before I had the phones...and for a lot of people I bet this perception didn't change after they got the phones in their hands.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvw2 

I mean the bass hump centers at 100Hz.  It extends down to 20Hz and up to 1000Hz before flattening off completely.  The hump is not massive, but it's wide and influences a lot of the audio spectrum, especially the lower midrange where it makes the earphone dark/warm.

 

The knob unfortunately only affects frequencies below 100Hz.  This effectively makes the knob pretty much worthless.  Most people's complaints are about the higher bass and emphasis into the midrange.  A lot of people like the strong bottom end.  If you set the knob high, the bass is flat and extended.  Yes, it's overwhelming, but there isn't much you're going to do without EQing.  If you set the knob low, the bass is anemic.  The higher bass and lower midrange emphasis is untouched, so the response is still messed up.  You just cut out the bottom end and make the low end anemic which isn't really helpful.  The earphone sounds little less bassy, but the problem still isn't fixed and you made another one.  EQing is the only fix.

I have to agree to some degree. Bass knob at full on the HDP listening to stuff like Pendulum and you can see why the bass knob exists, the bass extension really comes out, the IE8s just come alive. But bass knob max from just my iPhone HP out doesn't exactly sound divine.

are these worth an upgrade over $200 set of FS cans?

Honestly, it is pretty subtle to me - I have to listen pretty hard to hear a difference between the lowest and highest setting, but after a lot of listening, I've eventually settled on the middle setting (specifically, between the second and third notch on the dial).

I leave the knob between 0 and the first notch.

Anytime I crank the knob closer to 50% or beyond to 100%, I have a harder time making out the vocals thru the bass.

I leave it near the first notch and use the grey spikey flanges with a light seal.  Ridiculous spaciousness with just the right amount of bass and treble.