[ZJee]

What are the best on ear headphones for a bass head? I can go up to £250

Strictly for bass id suggest the beyerdynamic dt-770 32 ohm, of even better, the denon AH- D2000. The fostex TH X00 have very solid bass aswell, plus much better detail, mid range and over all tonality. Id suggest the X00 the most but it will be a bit above your budget, so if you want to save up for it you wouldnt regret it. You can find the d2000 for about your budget, and dt 770 well under.

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

Can't wait to test the sub-bass of my incoming Oriolus Mk2 with one of my favorite Vaporwave tracks.

 
https://hkedream.bandcamp.com/album/-

 

[Pharmaboy]

I may or not qualilfy as a basshead. I absolutely LOVE bass--but I'm referring to the quality and quantity of bass in all music, not just electronic. For example when the full power of a slap-string funk bass comes at me through the right headphones (or through powered speakers & sub)...bliss.
 
I did own the JVC-HZ1000's. The bass was mind-bending, but the overall sound wasn't (sold them). So maybe bassheads don't want me in their club.
 
Regardless, I have a bass story. I've been on a rampage lately, buying & selling headphone amps. The more I do it, the higher the price tags get (it's an addiction). About a month ago I got a used Violectric V281 headphone amp/preamp. It's quite overpowering in a Teutonic way--extremely composed/competent, every button & function known to man, yet not in your face at all sonically. But you could probably arc-weld with it.
 
Anyway...naturally it drives my headphones, even a planar, like it's a big fly-swatter vs house flies. The bass is ridiculous, wonderful, epic. But that's not the story.
 
The story is what happened the 1st time I used it as a preamp w/my powered speakers (Swan M200 MKIII's) + subwoofer (SVS SB-1000). I've set them up & fine-tuned to sound as good as possible on a wide range of music, everything from bass-heavy reggae to classical. It's a good system. After using 3 other headphone amps with it (all different sizes/designs/power outputs), I thought I knew what the system can do.
 
Until the V281. I listen to streaming classical most of the day, so after putting in the V281, I'm hearing this in the background and it sounds...very impactful & large (even at low volume). So I turn off the streaming classical, crank it to moderately high volume, and put on one of my favorite reggae recordings. KaBAM! Think I lost a couple fillings...and may have a hernia. The bass from this thing is INSANE. I don't mean "elevated" or "EQ'd." It's just all there. The entire bass range + lower midrange have incredible authority, impact, dynamics--like live music.
 
To check it out, I listened to recordings of demanding bass instruments, like string bass in jazz; marimba in jazz & classical. Everything is right where it should be, not hyped or distorted. Yet the music hits like a sledgehammer.
 
(I'm in love with the V281!!)

 

[smodtactical]

Should the ZMF Ori be on this list ? Or any other ZMF headphones?

 

[Pharmaboy]

I own an Ori (planar) and have heard the bigger/pricier dynamic HP, Eikon, at length. IMO the bass from each is extremely good.

I think both belong on any "headphones w/great bass" list. They are voiced somewhat similarly, but don't sound identical, in the bass or anything else. Planar drivers sound different in some ways from dynamic drivers (I love planars). They both have crushing bass: great levels/volume of bass, as well as lots of resolution & timbral accuracy. Bass instruments sound very different (as they do in real life).

But the real payoff w/both headphones is how good everything else besides the bass is: both have amazing soundstaging for closed backs (Eikon slightly better than Ori, but both are way up there on the "great soundstaging" list); both have excellent mids & treble (again, Eikon by a nose in mids).

 

[smodtactical]

How does the ori bass compare to eikon?

 

[Pharmaboy]

It's different. Will try to describe (going by memory of Eikon's sound).

The Eikon's bass sounds (to me, anyway) flat as a pancake from the lowest notes all the way into the upper bass range. I didn't hear any peaks or valleys in frequencies; and the bass is contained, in no way affecting the midrange (which is pretty special, too). The Eikon's bass slams like crazy--it's very dynamic. It has the best sub-bass I've ever heard (but it's there only when music calls for it). The bass is high in resolution--note plucks, stopping/starting of notes, timbre of bass instruments--all are rendered as well as I've ever heard a headphone do. This is bass that's not really warm or even hinting at bass-boost: it's neutral. It's also musical--not just shaking the listener's head for effect. Low frequencies come through as real music. So IMO the Eikon has high resolution, neutral yet musical bass that "does the technicalities" extremely well.

The Ori's bass is also very musical, accurately rendering instrumental timbre with great dynamics. But it's different from the Eikon in 2 ways:

1. Ori's bass is not quite as flat...it's slightly elevated compared to the mids & treble. The sub-bass is totally there & sounds level to me (same level as mids & treble), while the rest of the bass is somewhat north of flat/neutral...perhaps a little "hump" in the mid-bass (no way to measure this). It's very easy to hear the timbral character of different instruments. So this bass is somewhat warm, very musical, and relatively high resolution (not quite as high res as the Eikon, but few headphones are)
2. Bass from the Ori's planar driver sounds subtly different vs the Eikon's dynamic driver: it's extremely smooth, yet explosive whenever the bass level goes up in music. Because the Ori is so smooth & laid back, it's startling when huge bass notes suddenly roll out of those earcups

• These qualities are IMO pure planar characteristics...I hear them to some extent on every planar I own or have auditioned, and it's one of the subtle-but-significant benefits of planar sound

All these words are about differences, but regardless--both headphones have truly amazing bass. I'm listening to the Ori right now & the bass is crushing. It has a thick yet supple quality that pleases me to no end.

The only other headphone I've heard that has bass in the neighborhood of these 2 headphones is the 3+X more expensive planar, Final H8000.

 

[smodtactical]

What about the Meze 99 classics for this list? Also what about the HD630 VB ? DT 1770 ?