Headphone with really good Bass response under 60$ ?
Oct 29, 2012 at 3:57 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 13

splitsecond

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Hi guys, i am looking to upgrade from my current Headphone "sennheiser hd201" to something with better bass response, my budget is under 60$ from Amazon.com, i really like how hd201 sounds but bass is minimal,, need something which is an upgrade from hd201 in BASS department and should be good at mids and vocals or atleast should not be worse than hd201 in clarity.
will be using it for 
Music 70% (Mp3/flac   all kinds of music)
Movies 30%
very little gaming
 
 
My current speaker setup is Altec Lansing vs4121 which i don't like a bit,, because its bass is so FAKE, they produce bass unnecessarily for song which don't have bass notes and there is is no way to control it with EQ,bass is always there in these speakers no matter what is playing ,, mids/vocals are like tin sounding in these speakers. So dont need headphone sounding similar to my speakers.
 
 
My Requirements:
Very Good Bass 
Mids/vocals/treble should be good (atleast as good as hd201 or better)
I don't like harsh or sharp treble
Easily drivable with PC inbuilt audio (only be using with pc)
Headphone type- Open/closed  doesn't matter
 
 
I looked at reviews of few  models like Sony XB500, said to have best BASS but i fear if its an downgrade from my current hd201 in other sections like vocals/mids etc,i am not audiophile but need something enjoyable. Also checked reviews of jvc 700/900, ATH 35 but its not clear if they have good bass response.
 
My pc inbuilt audio is Sound Max AD1988 said to be better than realtek chips, may upgrade to Asus Xonar DG in few months but not sure.
 
My only way to source it is through Amazon.com so wont be able to test any.
 

 
Oct 29, 2012 at 9:22 AM Post #3 of 13
thanks for replying, so if i go for Sony XB500 it will be a downgrade from hd201 in terms of mids/vocals/treble ?
 
How is Sennheiser HD 419? heard they have good bass, will it be equal to hd201 in mids/vocals/treble?
 
Oct 29, 2012 at 10:30 AM Post #4 of 13
You'll have to eq the bass up a little, but its certainly there. You won't get the same booming bass as the Sony mdr-xb500, but you'll get smooth, and accurate bass response, and it can handle being pushed. You're mids and highs will only improve. With sennheiser you either get exactly what you paid for, or better :D
 
I have also found that the xb500 have a fairly good mid section, but sacrifices the highs a bit. They are a really fun headphone but they aren't very accurate. The Audio techinca atm-m35 look like a good headphone, but not for what you want, they seem to be more of a monitoring headphone.
 
Oct 29, 2012 at 12:16 PM Post #5 of 13
Quote:
You'll have to eq the bass up a little, but its certainly there. You won't get the same booming bass as the Sony mdr-xb500, but you'll get smooth, and accurate bass response, and it can handle being pushed. You're mids and highs will only improve. With sennheiser you either get exactly what you paid for, or better :D
 
I have also found that the xb500 have a fairly good mid section, but sacrifices the highs a bit. They are a really fun headphone but they aren't very accurate. The Audio techinca atm-m35 look like a good headphone, but not for what you want, they seem to be more of a monitoring headphone.

this basically sums it up. If you dont mind the suggestion, Why not just save that 60 bucks and keep saving for another upgrade? You could save for something REALLY special... Not that your sennheiser is not, but they really shine once you save a bit more. 
 
cheers
 
Oct 29, 2012 at 1:31 PM Post #6 of 13
thanks to  GabeyGabe & KCxSmacker for replying 
so my final question is,  if i go for xb500 will it be worse than hd201 in mids/vocals?
 
You'll have to eq the bass up a little, but its certainly there. You won't get the same booming bass as the Sony mdr-xb500, but you'll get smooth, and accurate bass response, and it can handle being pushed. You're mids and highs will only improve. With sennheiser you either get exactly what you paid for, or better :D
 
 

  At default settings do hd419 have much better bass than hd201? i tried EQing 201's bass but its not good at that. Is there any Sennheiser model under 70$ with good bass?

 
 
Quote:
this basically sums it up. If you dont mind the suggestion, Why not just save that 60 bucks and keep saving for another upgrade? You could save for something REALLY special... Not that your sennheiser is not, but they really shine once you save a bit more. 
 
cheers

But i can only think about a big upgrade only after 6 months, the problem is my hd201 is worn out,and is in really bad condition,should have been replaced some months ago,so need urgent replacement,  i have been using it for last 4 years and more than 3000hrs :) , to me its sound certainly better than 300$ speaker setup my friends have in their homes.
 
So i will be going for xb500 or hd419 whatever be the outcome, or any other?
 
Oct 29, 2012 at 1:51 PM Post #7 of 13
Oct 29, 2012 at 3:36 PM Post #9 of 13
The Sony ZX700 are great sounding but MA500 are even better (detailed) with more bass but they are open back.
 
Oct 30, 2012 at 2:00 PM Post #10 of 13
^but they are over 60$
 
Quote:

 
      thanks you, i read the reviews and its good
Quote:
I think the xb500 will be a great headphone but will not match the mids/vocals you had before, but thats just becuase I think the xb500 has to much bass that is bloated. 

    ok, what about Panasonic HTF600  =   hd201+more bass?
 
Nov 5, 2012 at 9:13 PM Post #11 of 13
Quote:
 At default settings do hd419 have much better bass than hd201? i tried EQing 201's bass but its not good at that. Is there any Sennheiser model under 70$ with good bass?

    First point I'm going to bring up is: Why not go for the HD429? They are just under 60 bucks on amazon, and you'll get an excellent pair of headphones at the price point, and it is worth the extra 10-20 bucks. That being said, the 429 will have better, clearer, more accurate highs, mids, and even bass than you're 201. The bass isn't over accentuated out of the box, but thats actually why I love this line sennheiser put out (the 419-449). The bass is never overpowering, unless you want it to be. If you have a song with a bass part thats really low in the mix, it stays there. On the other end of the spectrum, if you have a dubstep, or a song featuring Victor Wooten, the bass can and will pump out just as the artist intended. Like I said prior, the headphones can and are meant to be pushed, it can handle the Ipod bass booster with absolute ease (although If I were you I would find a "better" ipod eq as the bass booster brings the mids/highs down a lot, I suggest acoustic, or rock maybe, find something that suits you though) So for your purposes I would highly suggest you get the Sennheiser HD429. Once again, bass isn't gonna be super loud out of box, but its fixable. Also, as with most full sized headphones, I suggest you give some burn in time before you decide whether you like them or not. I was very disappointed with my hd439, and left them plugged into my speaker amp for a day or two (of constant playing) They were better, but now (after roughly 1 month of ownership) they sound incredible. A few other things to note is that your ipod will drive these without any issues, they are pretty good at isolation, and they get a little sweaty after a few hours use. The 429 do not have a removable cable, which is a feature you should start considering a big factor in your next headphone purchase. Hope I helped, and heres a link to the headphones I was talking about. http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-429-Headphones-Black/dp/B0065VKQ34
 

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