[sameesamdon]

Hi Guys,
 
I am a basshead and I am looking for a good bass headphones for a cheap price. I have been searching forums and threads and found the following list that suits my price range and bass needs(not in the order of my preference)
 
1.AKG 81DJ
2.HD 212
3.GRADO 60i
4. SONY XB 500
5. SONY XB 700
 
I ordered HD 212 two days ago on ebay only to know that they are out of stock so I am hopeless and looking forward to purchase something out of the above list.(I can still find them on ebay from other sellers though)
 
Can you guys help me make a good decision because I am already dissapointed with my Plantronics Gamecom 777 7.1 purchase two weeks before(they are good but they lack the puncy bass boom I like to have)
 
recently I had the chance to listen to BOSE on ear hadphones and they are really really nice I should say. I like bass particulary. The kind of bass BOSE has would be ok but they are expensive.
 
HD212 has a good reputation for bass headphones so that's why I chose it over others. And SENNHEISER is said to be a good brand.
 
Can you guys please list the above in the order of music quality and bass quality(dance type groovy bass I mean)
 
And also are there any other headphones I have missed in my search of good bass headphones?
 
Your help is much appreciated.
 
THANK YOU.
 
Sam..

 

[crinacle]

I guess you'll have to cancell 2. and 3. if you're looking for a basshead 'phone. You can add the HFI-580 and the Pro700 MKII to your list as well.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Actually HD 212 pro is a very bassheavy headphone close to K81 DJ (more deep bass, slightly less upper/mid bass than the AKG) and XB700 (a bit less deep bass but a bit more mid/upper bass than XB700). Maybe the bassiest of Sennheisers but definitely not the best sounding out of them but it was my first decent headphones I bought. Did you get my PM reply sameesamdom? Looks like you got my PM reply roughly at the same time you posted this thread.

 

[il1us10n]

AKG K81dj/ K518LE- quite possibly the best supra aural sub $100 headphone IMO, however try before you buy if you have a large-ish head as they can be very uncomfortable due to their clamping force.
 
HD212- no comments since i dont own these, neither have i tried them, but from what i've read about them, the bass is muddy and uncontrolled
 
Grado sr60i- take these down from this list right away, as they probably wouldn't satisfy your bass needs
 
XB500- absolutely smashing for the price, great forward bass and mids but slightly recessed highs
 
XB700- more neutral and balanced (compared to the XB500) with deeper sub-bass as compared to the very loud mid and upper bass of the XB500, slightly more laid back presentation
 
more recommendations- Koss Portapro, Senn PX100ii, Cresyn CS-HP600, Denon AH-D1100

 

[sameesamdon]

Hi Friends,
 
The Ultrasone Headphones seem to get a very positive responses but that beyond my price affordability. So I chose these 5 headphones at the end.
 
HD212 seems to be out of the market. XB 500 seems to get a lot of attention. XB 700 is said to be pretty laid-back. AKG81 is said to be more punchy.
 
I am a pretty big hip hop trance rap pop fan who like bass music. I listened to music in Dre Beats today and it soundsok. BUT it lacks a bit of clarity and the bass is not really very punchy. Its all over the place.
 
I do not undertnad the difference among mid, upper and low base. I am very sorry about it.
 
So to explaing what I would like, I like the base to be punchy(sort of I feel like dancing to it), I like the base to be fully there but not muddy as in Dre beats?
 
 XB is quite cheap. Just 60 AUD if I purchase a manufacturer refurbished one from the US? Or 80 AUD from Australia(on ebay as of today) HD 212 is 100 AUD.. and XB 700 is 115 AUD from USA. There is one from a Chinese seller for 60 AUD but the seller has low reputation .
 
So among XB 500, XB 700 and HD 212 what would satisfy my requirement? I am leaning towards XB 500 after your responses.
 
Please advise.
 
Many thanks guys
 
Sam

 

[sameesamdon]

To add my source, I will be using the headphone with my Nokia X6 and personal computers WITHOUT any AMP..

 

[il1us10n]

go with the XB500, you wont be disappointed 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Well XB500 has the good thing that it's very easy driven headphone and your sources aren't the most ideal (Nokia X6 and a laptop). But it should be stated like I did in my PM to you it's not the most clear sounding headphone at all as it's very unbalanced but for a true basshead it might even be a good thing but yea it also has a lot of EQ potential (which then again doesn't help much if the equalizer is of very bad quality though).

 

[sameesamdon]

Hi friends,
 
I also would like to post the reply I got from the member RPGWiZaRD for the benefit of others as well(Cos only I know how much time I wasted and purchased this crap Plantronics GameCom which does not fullfill my need. Its not a bad one.. But it does not worth the price)
 
this is the review by RPGWiZaRD:
 
1. AKG K 81 DJ or K518 DJ which are the same but newer with a different color scheme (or the LE versions with only 1.2m cord meant for portability) have strong bass and kicks/punches hard, the mid/upper bass is a bit stronger compared to subbass/deep bass so if you like deep bass then you might get slightly dissappointed, it does handle deep bass very well compared to many other headphones but the mid/upper bass is still stronger in comparision though and deep bass is a bit rolled off. These are also "on-ear" and clamps VERY hard out of box and are probably among the most uncomfortable headphones to wear and headband stretching is pretty much a requirement. Otherwise I was a bit disappointed with the soundstage, felt very closed-in like in a cave but it also had very direct "in-your-ear" sound with a touch of warmth due to the rolled-off highs. Good headphones for portable use if you can whitstand their comfort.
 
2. HD 212 Pro were my first entry into more serious headphones. I really loved them back then, they were like sounding perfect in my ears but as I've moved on I realize the sound quality isn't really that spectacular. I still find the bass to be its strong point, otherwise it's quite "V-shaped" frequency response with strong bass and a bit recessed mids and boosted highs, also it sounds a bit more laid-back overall and not as up-front / "in-your-face" as the previous headphone for example. The highs are quite bad quality especially, thin, stringent comes into into my mind and not very clear, like scratching a metal box kind of sound. The bass is about similar in strength as the K81/518 but it has more deep bass boom and just a bit less mid/upper bass boost than those so it's fairly balanced deep/upper bass response, with a slight lean towards deep bass so it's a bit "softer" bass response but the quantity of it is still huge.
 
3. Grados are open and open headphones aren't usually great as basshead material. There's a bit of a mid bass punch but these clearly lack in deep bass response and quickly rolls off after 100Hz. Also they are very aggressive sounding with lots of "in-your-face" upper-mids and highs screaming into your ears kinda as that's where they are focused on. I would stay away from these.
 
4. Sony XB500 is my personal favorite headphone so far despite it's low cost but it has to be stressed I use a very high quality EQ to balance it out a little bit as without any EQing it can be somewhat "muddy" sounding due to the unbalanced frequency response mainly from a bit excessive bass emphasize in the very uppermost bass range (200~300Hz). This headphone has probably as strong bass response as you can get with a headphone. The only other headphone with similar bass strength I've tried would be the new JVC HA-M5X, however these are even more unbalanced than XB500 so unless you're prepared for heavy-duty EQing you should stay away from the JVC HA-M5X. The bass response on XB500 is very strong both in deep bass as well as mid/upper bass, it's very flat emphasized bass response in the entire bass range (10 ~ 300Hz or so) so you get lots of all kinds of bassnotes. It hits with lots of impact, the first headphone I really can "feel" the bass and not just hear it as the air tries to escape beneath the pads giving an air-tickling effect in heavy bass songs. Otherwise this headphone is very forward / "in-your-face" sounding but has quite good soundstage unlike the K518 DJ and it's also warm sounding with rolled-off highs for a smoother sound. Also these are like the easiest driven headphones I've ever tried and will go very loud out of any device without any need of amping.
 
5. It's bigger brother got a bit less bass quantity, the deep bass is of similar strength but it starts rolling-off before entering the mids already at 100Hz or so which causes the bass to be VERY deep bass focused and compared to XB500 it lacks punch and impact and remains always a lot "softer" but the deep bass rumble is still heard a bit all over the place. It's also got a bit more recessed midrange and a bit higher emphasized highs, so while XB500 is more of a "slanting slope" frequency response from the lows to the highs the XB700 is more of a V-shaped frequency response but the highs aren't as boosted as say on HD212 for example so it sounds less "thin" and better than those than those in this regard. Big soundstage and HUGE pads.
 
6. M50 I wouldn't personally concider a true basshead's phone, the bass is IMO rather gently boosted to the point it will never interfere with the mids or highs, it's just "there" but it's not really that strong but it extends reasonably well as well as offering some "punch" to it but it's just lacking in quantity IMO. Otherwise the soundstage isn't particularly impressive but the mids and highs both sound very good for the price.
 
I Really do appreciate this review.
 
 
 
 

 

[sameesamdon]

Hi again,
 
Does that mean XB 500 is not good enough to be played with Nokia X6 or laptop?
How about XB 700 or HD 212 on that regard?

 

[il1us10n]

I think what RPGWizard means is that to get the best out of the XB500, you would need a good software EQ. like he mentioned in his earlier post, the XB500 is geared towards the lower end of the frequencies (bass) which can result in muffled vocals and not very good overall clarity. think someone who is talking to you over the telephone while covering the speaker with a cloth. to balance the humongous bass out with a little voice clarity and some treble sizzle, you would need a good software EQ, something which i doubt the Nokia X6 provides. what he means by them being easily driven is that they will sound loud enough straightaway without the need for an amp from any given source

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

Hi again,
 
Does that mean XB 500 is not good enough to be played with Nokia X6 or laptop?
How about XB 700 or HD 212 on that regard?

No I meant it as the opposite way it might be good for those sources as they are very weak ones which would give XB500 a bit more benefit as this headphone sounds reasonably near its full potential even from very weak sources.
 

 

[sameesamdon]

Thanks a lot for the explaination mate NOKIA x6 has an EQ with 8 bands and its got some pre arranged set ups like Bass booster, Classical , Pop and things like that. Will that do?
 
 

 

[sameesamdon]

OK I posted my reply just as you replied to the post. It explains everything.
I am decided FINALLY
 
I am going to purchase XB 500 tomorrow.. Hope I will be satisfied with it..
 
WIll post my comments on it when I recieve it. Might take 10 days I guess.
 
One more thing, the US seller sells it for lesser amount and I am wondering if there are any fake products like Not Original ones??? Cos I read many review about the GameCom about its deep base and got wrong at the end I just thinking if the product is not original cos its made in China..(I know everything is now made in China
 
Thank you very much..

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

Thanks a lot for the explaination mate NOKIA x6 has an EQ with 8 bands and its got some pre arranged set ups like Bass booster, Classical , Pop and things like that. Will that do?

Even the phone got an 8-band equalizer? O_o that's quite sweet and should be enough. If you want you can post which frequencies the bands are listed as and about how many steps or how high (or low) can you adjust the values of each band so we could recommend a more "balanced" sounding setting that would provide better clarity in case you wouldn't be happy regarding what you hear.
 
Is this the correct bands?