Honestly, I like bass. Not the current music bass, but the thump from Grateful Dead's Touch of Grey. Occasionally I like heavy bass, but typically just the pop from the drum kick. The Harmon/Kardon BT's are my headphone for every kind of music. I have the Klipsch Image One's but I find them muddy and have too much bass (still A LOT better than the Beats stuff). Now the Harmon/Kardon BT's were a lot more than the K172's (regular pricing, not the fact that I got the 172's for $50 essentially), but perhaps there is a cost of having the Harmon/Kardon name; I feel some manufacturers have this aura, such as H/K, B&W, and I am really curious of how much is marketing cost vs AKG and the like, with less marketing hopefully. I do love the Harman/Kardons, and they sound amazing, slightly recessed treble, but balance is neutral more so. The FIIO E12 really throws in the nice pop in the bass with the bass boost, and I am hoping it will do the same with the 172; I don't want heavy bass, just maybe get a little boost from the 172's. What I am looking forward to is a potentially more bright sound, if I don't like it...well it didn't break the bank.