[tinyman392]

K....nice to see that...TY..

Remind me to do a more in depth comparison tomorrow.

 

[shockdoc]

TONS of bass. Tough to do a decent comparison to other phones even after careful volume matching because there is just so much bass. On some tracks it sounds AWESOME and on others it's just too much. I'm finding that it's necessary to completely turn off any kind of bass boost and they STILL have more bottom end than my other phones with the bass turned up. Always thought I was a bit of a bass head but these take it to a whole new level. Kinda fun.

 

[shockdoc]

Can anyone comment on how they sound compared to a GRO7 bass edition?

 

[dragon2knight]

  TONS of bass. Tough to do a decent comparison to other phones even after careful volume matching because there is just so much bass. On some tracks it sounds AWESOME and on others it's just too much. I'm finding that it's necessary to completely turn off any kind of bass boost and they STILL have more bottom end than my other phones with the bass turned up. Always thought I was a bit of a bass head but these take it to a whole new level. Kinda fun.

It's just so odd that most all of us think the S5's have a more neutral sound to them...but one or two of you think these are so bass heavy. I'm just not hearing it, and I love heavier music, the type that has more than a little bass to it(Metal and Progressive, Jazz, Classic Rock). Mind if I ask what equipment your listening with? Methinks you might have it a little biased towards the low end to hear so much of it. Do keep in mind, when EQ'd towards the low end, the S5's respond well, with deep, rich bass and a solid sound. But when using a source that's more neutral, like for instance an un amped C3, the signature is smooth and rich, not at all biased in either a higher or lower direction. That, of course, is just how I'm hearing it, but I have had these quite awhile(nearly 300 hours now), and it's not changing on me at all anymore.

 

[jasonb]

My 5 minute impression is also that they are a bit bass heavy. I right away took out 3, then 5dB of bass. I will try different tips and of course burn them in. This is just after a quick 5 minute listen after work before I had to run out of the house with the wife. I will listen more tonight.

 

[tinyman392]

  It's just so odd that most all of us think the S5's have a more neutral sound to them...but one or two of you think these are so bass heavy. I'm just not hearing it, and I love heavier music, the type that has more than a little bass to it(Metal and Progressive, Jazz, Classic Rock). Mind if I ask what equipment your listening with? Methinks you might have it a little biased towards the low end to hear so much of it. Do keep in mind, when EQ'd towards the low end, the S5's respond well, with deep, rich bass and a solid sound. But when using a source that's more neutral, like for instance an un amped C3, the signature is smooth and rich, not at all biased in either a higher or lower direction. That, of course, is just how I'm hearing it, but I have had these quite awhile(nearly 300 hours now), and it's not changing on me at all anymore.

 
These are not neutral, they are a bassy signature... And metal generally isn't a bassy track, they are tend to be recorded poorly and are actually bright.  Classic rock can go either way. My initial measurements of the S5 also state they are bassy. 

 

[dragon2knight]

   
These are not neutral, they are a bassy signature... And metal generally isn't a bassy track, they are tend to be recorded poorly and are actually bright.  Classic rock can go either way. My initial measurements of the S5 also state they are bassy. 

I never said they were neutral, just more towards that, but that they weren't bass heavy. These are NOT bass head IEM's, sorry, but no. I've had more than my share of bass heavy IEM's, and the S5's aren't any where near that. Try different tips, some will color the sound(make them darker and heavier), but when you hit the right combo it evens out, a lot. 

 

[Brooko]

The mids are quite linear, but the treble is rolled off and the bass is emphasised in my opinion. They are definitely warm and reasonably forgiving. An enjoyable sound IMO - but dependent on recording and genre.

 

[dragon2knight]

The mids are quite linear, but the treble is rolled off and the bass is emphasised in my opinion. They are definitely warm and reasonably forgiving. An enjoyable sound IMO - but dependent on recording and genre.

Agreed. Just know that "warm" and "bass heavy" are two entirely different things, all of you do be careful on how you state a signature, the words that you use to describe a sound are very important. Folks reading this may think that these are perfect for V-Dub and the like....and really there is far better for that elsewhere. I agree with Brooko, it really depends on what your listening to, and to a certain extent, the tips your using make a real difference here. 

 

[shockdoc]

I've been listening almost entirely to acoustic music, flat (no EQ whatsoever) out of every source I have...iPod Classic, Nano (gen 1,2, and 4), Shuffle, Clip+, headphone jack Denon receiver, headphone jack out of Toshiba Satellite, usb to Saber DAC out of Toshiba, even a really old iRiver and Sony MP3 player and there is more bass than any other IEM I own. I'm not complaining. I actually like the sound although like I said , with certain tracks it's still too much bass. I'm actually getting a little too used to it I would say and my TDK IE800's now sound rather lean in comparison. Haven't tried any different tips yet, just the ones that came installed as is my custom when I get any new headphone. I figure (perhaps wrongly) that there's a reason the maker sends them out with a particular tip installed and I always start my review with that tip. Maybe mine are an aberration with so much low end?

 

[shockdoc]

Oh, also listened to them with no EQ out of my old Samsung Galaxy S that I use mostly as a DAP and several other phones. Same result.

 

[dragon2knight]

  Oh, also listened to them with no EQ out of my old Samsung Galaxy S that I use mostly as a DAP and several other phones. Same result.

Well, this is odd to me to hear for sure. No matter what I played through them, I got a warm but not heavy bass signature. Try a few different tips out, the Comply's especially, that might change it for you I hope. Oh, and the stock tips are usually medium/silicon, all of the Brainwavz I've gotten have had those installed right off. I guess that's what they consider to be a standard size for most folks. I make it a point to try out all of the tips as soon as I can, giving each at least a few hours(if they're comfy enough that is), and stick with the one(s) that fit/sound the best to me. Everyone will be different here, but as a tester, you should try them all to find the right ones for you 

 

[tinyman392]

  Agreed. Just know that "warm" and "bass heavy" are two entirely different things, all of you do be careful on how you state a signature, the words that you use to describe a sound are very important. Folks reading this may think that these are perfect for V-Dub and the like....and really there is far better for that elsewhere. I agree with Brooko, it really depends on what your listening to, and to a certain extent, the tips your using make a real difference here. 

 
Bass heavy != bass head.  Warm would be something like the HiFiMan RE-400 or RE-600.  These are beyond that.  There is definitely a distinct sub-to-low bass focus on these that does make them boomy.  Though they aren't at the quantity of what most people view bass-head headphones, these certainly wouldn't disappoint them (and may be enough for some*).  They still sound fantastic regardless though.  Excellent texturing that's very beautifully rendered.  And I disagree, these are great for stuff like V-dub, rap, electric, etc.  Especially in the price range.  They aren't near neutral (RE-400 is what I'd consider near neutral; these are a few steps above).  
 
*Note, there are two types (ok 3 if you combine requirements) of bass-heads:

• Ones looking for only bass quantity
• Ones looking for bass quality (depth)
• Ones looking for both

 
I feel that these will satisfy those in group 2 and possibly 3.  No, it's not bone rattling, but it is bass-heavy still.
 
EDIT:
 
I should note that things have tightened up in the first 30+ hours of burn in.   

 

[shockdoc]

Definitely going to roll tips soon. Like I said, I kind of like all the bass (on most tracks). Just surprised that it's so much more noticeable than on my other IEM's. Just hooked it up to my E11 (out of the Toshiba and Saber DAC) and I definitely can't add any bass boost whatsoever. It's just too much. I was listening to Lindsey Stirling's Beyond The Veil and the bass impact without any boost is stunning. Almost sounds like the 15 inch Paradigm powered sub in my theater room.

 

[suman134]

  Exactly , i have been saying this , and against re-400 , this bass is too much to handle and say s5 is a balanced phone .