[LizardKing1]

Now now, bros, don't flame me please. I know this has probably been answered, but Ireally couldn't search it this time - and I am an avid user of our forum's search funtion.
 
My story is this: I own a Sony NWZ-A845 player, and it's quite nice. Soundstage isn't that great, instrument separation sucks, and all that, the noise cancelation is amazing. Anyway, this player seriously lacks on it's bass skills. I have to equalize the hell out of it to get something decent. Apparently the treble is also pushed backwards, I think it was Shigzeo mentioning that (can't really comment, I can't interpret treble good enough to form an opinion).
 
Now, I will soon be ordering a Fiio E7 which will mainly server it's purpose as an external soundboard, and since my ebay shipper offers a free LOD cable, I'll get the L5 - Sony's LOD - and try to use it as an amp with the a845. Now... my question is, will that lack of bass be compensated? I always imagined the digital signal, when not equalized, to be "pure", neutral, and then when it gets converted and reaches the amp, THAT'S where it gets it's color. It might become bassier, maybe brighter - all those qualities, are they placed there by the software, the internal DAC, or the amp? - in which case my lack of bass issue will be over =D

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Ideally it shouldn't. If your headphones sound different, ideally, it shouldn't be because the response changed, but because without it the source/player was having difficulty driving it. It's the DAC that should really determine the sound and the active components, even the analog output stage, should just be amplifying it.
 
Now, if it's solely the bass response...the E7 I think has bass boost, so even if it's reasonably transparent, flicking thsi on will change the response.

 

[LizardKing1]

Really? So you can«t have something like a bassy amp, or a mid-emphasizing amp? Well what I really want is for neutrality with a bit more punch and emphasis on the lower section, and I love the fact you can adjust that (on Gorillaz, I want my head to rattle!). I'll get the Fiio E7 anyway, I was just wondering which of the components determined how the sound gets colored. Thanks!

 

[Drake22]

Each analog portion of the chain has it's own frequency response, and that includes your dac, amp, headphone, cables and connectors in between. All that gives you final picture of frequency response of whole chain which you will hear. Then your ear has its own frequency response too
 
so yes it is possible to manipulate your chain but up to a point. For example if your dac has no bass whatsoever but your amp has loads, it won't come out neutral, the bass might not appear at all since the amp doesn't get to amplify it. But if it's vice versa and your source has loads of bass but amp is bass light, then it would be ok