[Harimwakairi]

I recently made this post here on the forum:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=217674

After using the headphones for two weeks, I've come to a few conclusions:

1) I get a better seal with the black foamy tips. I roll them between two fingers to compress the foam, pop them in my ears and let them expand until I can no longer hear my coworkers.

2) Live music sounds better with these headphones than anything else I've ever used. I now understand how it's possible for people to become obsessed with trading bootleg recordings.

3) I have found the bass... I think.

One of the reasons I like canalphones (and I've been using them for about seven years now) is that they cut out so much outside noise, I can keep the volume quite low and still hear the music easily (my typical level is about a tenth of the way across the volume bar on my fourth-gen iPod, if that means anything to anyone).

I was listening to an Audiobook the other day and had to turn the sound up a little bit because it was apparently mastered at a lower level than my mp3 stuff. When I decided to go back to listening to music, I forgot to change the volume to match, so it came up louder than I usually set it.

I realized that at the higher volume, the bass was right where it should be. It was as if the high-end frequencies had been increased in volume only slightly and the lower end had been increased by a large amount. I fiddled with the volume a bit, I found when lowering the volume, the bass faded faster than the treble.

Is it normal for this to happen? Does the lower amplitude of the signal make it harder for the phones to put out lower frequencies? Is it possible the iPod doesn't put out an unbiased signal as the volume goes up and down? Is this something an amp with a bass boost might cure, as was suggested in the previous thread? Is it possible my ears may somehow be more sensitive to high frequencies as opposed to low and I therefore just *think* the bass is coming up slower?

And finally, is it possible that I'm simply listening to the music at too low a volume, and all this is completely normal? At the setting I used for the Audiobook, the music was just a little too loud for my comfort. I'd love to get a full sound at the lower volume, if possible.

I realize I've just asked half a dozen questions in a row, and it's impossible for any of you to actually hear the volume levels to which I'm referring, but if you can offer any advice, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[vYu223]

I think getting an amp may solve your problem. And while you're at it, maybe you should consider getting the P to S cable.

 

[rb67]

You may consider buying an amp. I used to run my headphones right out the line out jack in my computer (onbard via envy24 card). I've been using an amp recently, and the difference is night and day. The bass is much more present and the treble is less aching. This is simply running through a JVC stereo system headphone out. Not phenomenal but certainly a huge change.

I'd recommend trying a pocket amp. I had a CMOY with my ipod a few years back and it was a great combo. The PA2V2 seems to be a well made amp and I would recommend that. I had the amp Gary used to make before that, and it is excellent workmanship. Plus he will fix it for life! You can find them on ebay or you can message him directly or you can buy used from these forums. Give that a shot, if it doesn't work out you can always sell it. It won't break your pocket and resell value is very good.

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harimwakairi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was listening to an Audiobook the other day and had to turn the sound up a little bit because it was apparently mastered at a lower level than my mp3 stuff. When I decided to go back to listening to music, I forgot to change the volume to match, so it came up louder than I usually set it. I realized that at the higher volume, the bass was right where it should be. It was as if the high-end frequencies had been increased in volume only slightly and the lower end had been increased by a large amount. I fiddled with the volume a bit, I found when lowering the volume, the bass faded faster than the treble. Is it normal for this to happen? Does the lower amplitude of the signal make it harder for the phones to put out lower frequencies? Is it possible the iPod doesn't put out an unbiased signal as the volume goes up and down? Is this something an amp with a bass boost might cure, as was suggested in the previous thread? Is it possible my ears may somehow be more sensitive to high frequencies as opposed to low and I therefore just *think* the bass is coming up slower? And finally, is it possible that I'm simply listening to the music at too low a volume, and all this is completely normal? At the setting I used for the Audiobook, the music was just a little too loud for my comfort. I'd love to get a full sound at the lower volume, if possible. I realize I've just asked half a dozen questions in a row, and it's impossible for any of you to actually hear the volume levels to which I'm referring, but if you can offer any advice, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Yes this is completely normal when listening to balanced speakers & headphones. It is because our ears track differently to loudness at different freqencies. Anything below 80-85db is going to sound bass shy & as you go up over 100dbit may sound somewhat bass heavy. Tracking of loudness in the midrange is about 10db=2x loudness to the human ear whereas in bass it takes a lot more of it to be heard but once it becomes audible the tracking is 4db=2x loudness so the bass catches up to the midrange very rapidly & seamingly surpasses it as you go over 100db.listening to music for long periods of time though over 85db is not recommended. If you hear a lot of bass at low volumes from an earphone the earphone is not properly balanced & will obscure details in the midrange & top end at normal listening levels. The tracking that I refer to is human perception not the linearity of the drivers as that remains constant in well designed drivers.