Okay, I seem to have been taken out of context and my point misconstrued.....
Let me elaborate. There are too many people to quote that have picked up on a few things I've said, so I'm going to reply generally.
Firstly, I was specific about pointing out that my comparisons were with poor quality phones, and as such, my dealings with the EX71 were supposed to be viewed in accordance with this experience. My opinions were challenged on this, so let me say again, I have NEVER had the pleasure of comparing EX71s to good quality canalphones. What I was saying was that if you're listening to dance/bass heacy music, these phones provide a lot of fun for comparitively little price. (I'm aware of the fact that I'm comparing price with phones that I've never used.) My opinion remains that, for bass-heavy music, you're going to struggle to find something this fun for this cheap.
Secondly, I think it was lindrone (respect, I've read much of your 'work' on this board, people love you and hate you in equal measure, although the hate is only because of how much you make people spend.) Anyway, I digress, lindone mentioned that my point was valid with the "tight, refined bass" comment with several phones, but not with the E5. Well, this is what I've heard before. But in the UK, the E5 remains vastly out of reach for most. £400 is just too much for phones. How many US readers would buy them at $700? However, lindrone illustrated my point rather well. I'm looking for that deep and dirty feel, I'm getting it for $50 with the EX71s.
Another reader mentioned that he listens to dance/electronica a lot and prefers his ER4s. I have two comments to make about that. Firstly, that's cool, and good to hear they work for you. in fact, it's excellent news, because I seem to struggle to find any good advice on bass heavy music without people resorting to an air of superiority, just because there's some strange misconception that bass orientated = lower class. I don't subscribe to this philosophy. A lot of my other music (I listen to all sorts,) requires very little bass. I never look at any genre and judge it on which has the higher or lower sonic range. It's all just sound, at when you get right down to it. Anyway, if there's any more advice on this type of music and the best way to hear it, I'm all ears.
But another point I'd like to make to this reader (Chris is his name,) is that when I go to a nightclub that plays this music, I love the bass feeling I get, and tight/refined is definitely not the feeling I get when I'm in there. So while I respect your view that you feel it doesn't need the muddy, dirty feel, that is only your view. I like the dirty sound, it reminds me of when I'm having a great time in a club, and that's pretty good for a $50 set of cans.
Please don't take any of this as a sleight on what you prefer, this is my opinion, and it's biased in that I haven't used great phones.
Anyway, I'll have some soon, as I'm about to buy some E3s from iDealSound. I can join the elite and moan at newbies for buying EX71s soon.
Thanks to everyone so far for the input and advice/opinions I've read, both directly to me and indirectly.