[SmOgER]

Recess

The main difference I noticed versus the other cans was the lack of sub-bass. I had to use bass increments in my EQ presets that were several notches higher to match the amount that sounded good with my M-100. But that also meant that those other cans lacked sensitivity in the sub-bass region, so I got amp clipping (with the Cayin C5 amp) at lower volumes.

Let me guess, you didn't recess 500hz by -10dB on other cans like it is recessed on Vmodas from the factory..

You can try this now. Boost it by 15dB and your subbass will be more or less gone.

 

[DiscoProJoe]

Recess
Let me guess, you didn't recess 500hz by -10dB on other cans like it is recessed on Vmodas from the factory..

You can try this now. Boost it by 15dB and your subbass will be more or less gone.

 
I know you're talking about the response curve on the M-100, but what's your point? My earlier point was that the drivers on those other cans had less sensitivity for bass (and especially for sub-bass) than the M-100. I got amp clipping with those other cans when they were putting out significantly less sub-bass, compared to the M-100.

 

[Mad Mom]

  Just wanted to check one thing, did you make sure they are plugged in all the way? They do need a bit of effort and did you check both sides as the cord can plug into either side. Just wanted to make sure you checked all variables before sending back.
 
 
 

If one side is working and the other is not, wouldn't that mean the plug is in all the way? There are not two plugs required for the headphones to work -- just one -- correct?
 
Just making sure before these go in the mail today.
 
I did contact V-Moda directly instead of going through Best Buy, and everyone here is right, V-Moda is very pleasant to deal with. Thanks to everyone for the advice.

 

[SmOgER]

I know you're talking about the response curve on the M-100, but what's your point? My earlier point was that the drivers on those other cans had less sensitivity for bass (and especially for sub-bass) than the M-100. I got amp clipping with those other cans when they were putting out significantly less sub-bass, compared to the M-100.

You don't get it. That's because when there is no dip in 500Hz, you need more sub-bass for it to feel the same as it would sound if 500Hz was recessed.

 

[DiscoProJoe]

  If one side is working and the other is not, wouldn't that mean the plug is in all the way? There are not two plugs required for the headphones to work -- just one -- correct?

 
Yes, only one headphone cable is required for the M-100. One end plugs into the headphone (you can choose which side), and the other end plugs into your music player / PC / smartphone / amp.
 
The plugs (on both ends) should softly click into place when you plug them in. If both ends have clicked into place and only one side is playing, then you should try another music player, etc., try plugging the cable into the other side of the headphone, or try a different cable. If none of that fixes the problem, then the headphone has definitely gone bad and needs replacement. V-Moda is an awesome brand, so they'll take good care of you. Viva V-Moda! 

 

[gikigill]

Sorry smogger, I am deeply in basshead territory and your EQing doesn't make sense.

Why would you cut/boost 500hz if you running a 9db boost in the 20-60hz zone.

As I type this I'm running Aurisonics 2.5 with a Cayin C5 and a 6db boost from 20-63hz. Boosting or cutting the 500hz sounds weird.

 

[gikigill]

BTW I use preset curves too to see how each headphone responds and which one suits my target response curves.

The SZ2000 and the SZ1000 are brilliant in sub-bass but compromised in portability and comfort while the M100 hits a bit less but much more comfortable. The EQ curve for the SZ makes the M100 monsters at a low volume but they obviously don't have the power handling of the SZ twins.

 

[SmOgER]

Sorry smogger, I am deeply in basshead territory and your EQing doesn't make sense.

Why would you cut/boost 500hz if you running a 9db boost in the 20-60hz zone.

As I type this I'm running Aurisonics 2.5 with a Cayin C5 and a 6db boost from 20-63hz. Boosting or cutting the 500hz sounds weird.

Okay. Let's take a step back. Noticed how most of the bass oriented headphones have a U shaped signature? Yap.

So boosting bass is almost the same thing as recessing mids and if you take a headphone which has a FR with emphasis on mids (or parts of them), you will obviously need to either boost sub-bass more than you would need otherwise OR simply recess mids and make your own U curve.

If you take cans with ∩ shaped signature. If you boost bass without touching the mids you can make them neutral. So you what, let's say you futher keep it boosting with positive sub-bass gain... +5dB +8dB... Yet you will hit clipping before you will get anywhere near close to basshead territory. You can't have screaming mids and overwhelming bass at the same time. So what do you do, just write them off? Buy a more powerful amp? No, you go and learn how the EQ works.


Of course I'am talking here in terms of "extreme uncrompromised all bass" which I'am honestly not a huge fan of (unlike many of you here on this thread apparently). I need my mids to stay. But let's keep this "extreme" for the sake of the argument.

BTW I use preset curves too to see how each headphone responds and which one suits my target response curves.

If you take the neutral FR as a reference then that can make some sense, otherwise sorry but it's just dumb. 2 non-flat and not matched nor synchronized FR curves don't merge very well.
You don't just take one EQ preset and see which cans respond the "best" to it when it takes a couple of minutes to alter that preset to suit whatever cans you want. That's the whole point of EQing, right?

PS. As a real down to earth example, my SE-MJ561BT EQ preset sounds absolutely garbage on JVC S500s, same goes for other way around. And if one wants to compare bass response with EQing, he first needs to make sure that mids are leveled out on both cans. EQ has more than 2 bands you know.

 

[gikigill]

But you're only pushing the extreme left freqs, so the overall U shape still stays except a bit of variance at the very extreme left.

I gave an example of how I use a particular 20-60hz boost and try it on different cans.The only difference is 3/6db.

 

[SmOgER]

Except one pair of cans can come from the factory with a FR of
+5dB at 40Hz and -5dB at 100Hz,
while another one
-5dB at 40Hz and +5dB at 100Hz,

The latter one might have more capable drivers yet just not factory tuned the way you want them to, but with your "universal" preset it will sound that the first one is the clear winner which would be false.

You see, if you gonna use EQ, it just doesn't make sense to limit yourself to specific narrow range of settings and not go all the way solely based on the FR of the SPECIFIC headphones.

 

[gikigill]

You're clutching at straws if you have to resort to a - 10db factory defect to support your argument.

It makes sense when all I need is a sub-bass boost on the train.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I tried comparing two versions of a song I mastered. At around an average intensity the song sounded more refined on my ATH-700, but the M-100 responded better to a more aggressively tuned intensity. Does this sound about right to the audio engineers here? I'm tempted to master it with with the latter despite many engineers disliking the louder approach.

 

[Danpyre]

  I tried comparing two versions of a song I mastered. At around an average intensity the song sounded more refined on my ATH-700, but the M-100 responded better to a more aggressively tuned intensity. Does this sound about right to the audio engineers here? I'm tempted to master it with with the latter despite many engineers disliking the louder approach.

With mastering, definitely use something closer to neutral.  A lot of mastering engineers say headphones suck for mixing and mastering, because they can rarely ever get to actual neutrality.  They only use headphone for a very specific part of the mastering process and speakers for the rest.

 

[SmOgER]

With mastering, definitely use something closer to neutral.  A lot of mastering engineers say headphones suck for mixing and mastering, because they can rarely ever get to actual neutrality.  They only use headphone for a very specific part of the mastering process and speakers for the rest.

Exactly. Otherwise it would be just like this dude running around and trying different headphones with EQ presets made specifically for one set of VERY non-neutral sounding headphones.

You can't master your music with unusual sounding headphones. Try it out how it would sound with warm cans for final minor adjustments - sure, but not master.

You're clutching at straws if you have to resort to a - 10db factory defect to support your argument.

It makes sense when all I need is a sub-bass boost on the train.

Unless you are saying that anything which is non-neutral is defective I don't see how this could be a 'defect' by any means. You don't say that M100s are defective having -10dB at 500Hz and -15dB at 2kHz, right?

 

[Thesonofkrypton]

Does anyone own the Sennheiser Urbanite XL and compared it to the M100?