[fernandokolbe]

Hello guys! Hope you can help me. I just bought a AKG K44 for home mixings (I know I shouldnt mix on headphones, but I need SOMETHING to mix because I do a lot of VST recordings late at night) but it sounded like crap on my onboard soundcard. Specially the bass sounded completly awful.
 
Also, I'm looking to buy a audio interface, more probably a M-Audio Fast Track II. My questions are:
 
1) Will the sound quality of K44 improve significantly on Fast Track II?
 
2) If not, what headphone would be good to use on the fast track? Would the AKG K240 sound too low? (I heard that high impedance headpones would not sound good on it. What would be the impedance limit and a good headphone on that range? Or should I get a headphone amp or something like that?)

 

[mich41]

What exactly is "sound like crap" and "ugly bass"?

Does it sound better from any other source? Does anything else sound better from this source?

 

[fernandokolbe]

The sound is muddy, the low keys (i play piano) are indistinguishable, sorry I can't properly explain it in english.
 
But the lower frequencies sounds much better on my cheap SHS3200, lol. Really dunno why. Maybe because K44 is a closed can, dunno, maybe it brings up details of the sustain pedal I can't hear on my cheap earphones...
 
But I would like to know if getting a Fast Track would increase my audio quality, maybe making the lower frequencies more distinguishable.

 

[mich41]

Use the SHS3200


I've never heard K44 so I don't know if it's "supposed" to sound like this.

Generally, impedance may cause problems with bass if the source has high output impedance (onboards typically have about 100Ω) and the headphone has low and highly varied impedance (example: K240 Mk2 - 50Ω typical, much higher around 100Hz i.e. 2 octaves below middle c).

I'd test this K44 with some source known for low output impedance (latest Apple iPods and iPhones are common low impedance sources) and see if it still sounds bloated. If no, go to "amps" subforum and ask for some low impedance amp. If yes, you are looking for another headphone.


EDIT: FT2 will sound better if it has low output impedance and the problem indeed turns out to be caused by impedance. I have no idea what its output impedance is.