Whoa, thanks! Had no idea that existed. I'll definitely try it out.    I got so frustrated lately that my $10-20 EX10LP's were sounding better than my $170 1R's. This definitely looks worth the time and small investment.

Thanks for the rec. I'll look into the V-MODAs, but am concerned about the comfort.   Actually, having been away from my Sony MDR-1R's for a while got me to put on my old Sennheiser 448's. I'm blown away by how much better the bass is on these than the Sony's from a portable audio source.  ...

I do primarily use them with my iphone (5c). The sound card is a sound blaster Z.   I do like the warmth of mids, but miss that low bass response. It's really frustrating to put in my $30 sony EX earphones and have them, as far as I can tell, blow the 1R out of the water in both categories...

Honestly I was trying to avoid having to carry around an amp. I've never had one before and ideally I'd like to not require one. I can definitely see its merits, just wondered if there's a way around it. I never considered myself a basshead, and still wouldn't - but listening to Kendrick Lamar...

So I have a pair of Sony MDR-1R's and love them for their comfort and profile. I put a strong emphasis on comfort since I like to listen to music for long periods of time. The cups and fit (I have a fairly narrow head) are just perfect. But recently I started to listen to more hip-hop on them...