[deeplove]

Ive been using my Koss KEB24 all day and I decided to swith to the Marshmallows for a bit. The difference? A lot. The bass...It's not really there. My Koss kicks the **** out of the Marshmallows. Actually, the Marshmallows don't have the same amount of Bass and I actually find them to be a bit Harsh on the Highs. I'm using the Headphone out from my Classic. Past 50% volume, the Marshmallows sound a bit harsh compared to the Koss.

Am I wrong to think that the Marshmallows don't have the crazy amount of bass that everyone talks about?

If a bunch of people talk about how "BASS" heavy they, but then advise them Grados or such, would it be wrong for me to think that the mentioned or advised headphones will and I say will lack "BASS", would be a waste?

It's hard for me to understand that the Marshmallows actually lack Bass. Compared to the Koss that I have they sound Bright. The Koss are actually warmer with deeper Bass. Now, I'm talking un-amped and I'm listening to Bass Heavy music. RIght now it's Carl Thomas -Emotional.

I want to hear from people that actually owned the Mallows and upgraded or remained the same. Un-amped Marshmallows...

Am I wrong?

 

[Postal_Blue]

I have not head the Koss so I cannot make any comparison for you. What I can say is that all things aural are relative. I can tell you that compared to Shure E4's and SE310's the Marshmallows have a LOT of bloaty bass. It really comes down to 1) Personal taste 2) conditioning; If you are accustomed to very bass heavy phones then the mallows will sound bass lite, just as they sound bass heavy to users accustomed to bass lite headphones.

 

[deeplove]

Understood.

But...

Say, I'm looking for an upgrade. I do like the sounds from the Koss that I have which are pretty warm and full compared to the Mallows. Then some Open headphones would really not be my choice. Unless that have a nice amount of warmth and bass to them, then they're pretty much going to sound bright and very open.

Right now I'm testing them out again with some bass heavy Beenie Man reggae. The Koss are blowing the Mallows out the water. The Koss are warmer and have a decent amount of bass. What's bothering me from tha Mallows is that the Bass is alright but the Highs are a bit too high. No mids. Is that the lack of warmth I'm talking about? They're actually bright. And I have the Classic EQ on off.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that if open headphones like the Grados or such, will be as bright or such then I will try my best to avoid them. I'm aiming for the ATH-A700 or the Beyers. More for the ATs since I've already tried out the Beyers. But, the Beyeres were running off a crappy source.

Do you think that if the Mallows, to me are lacking Bass; then the ATH A700 would be a bad choice?

I'm looking for a warm and all around headphone for Music, Movies and Gaming.

 

[tpc41]

have you tried the Kramer mod on the marshmallows? This really helped to tame the harsh highs and it allows you to tweak the bass too.

also are you sure they are inserted deep enough into your ears? if you don't get a good seal, the bass stinks. I have a lot of trouble with the marshmallow tips myself.

 

[deeplove]

I make sure I squish them to the point that I get good sounds. The bass is there but not like they've been basically promoted around here. I actually like my Koss better. I looked at the Kramer mod also and I might just pick up another pair so I can really compare. I'm going to get the black ones so I can mod these blue ones.

My complaint, not really a big complaint is that they're not that bass heavy. Once I do the mod, I'll be able to add more to this thread. I really want to try it out now that you reminded me. I don't know how much of an improvement it will make, but a $20 mistake isn't that bad.

How do the Mallows sound amped? DOes it bring out some of the mids, does the bass increase or is it a bright fest that rips through the ears? Any help is appreciated.

 

[tpc41]

there isnt any way to really screw up the mod. You can just try stuffing different amounts of foam in the tube until you get the desired base response. Good luck! It was a big improvement in my opinion.

 

[FlavioWolff]

do some burn in before taking conclusions about harshness and bass lacking

 

[deeplove]

Thank you for the comment Flavio. It was very helpful.

Instead, you could've asked in a different manner as how long have I been using them. Which has been pretty long time. Like I said, my Koss earbuds actually have more bass than them. I will try the mod when I get a chance tpc41 and I'll let you guys know what's up. Right now I tried both again with NIN and the Koss are much better IMO. But let's see how much of a difference the mod can be.

 

[ronnielee54]

I will never for the life of me understand why people like these things. The only mod I have found so far that made me happy with them was the trashcan mod.

 

[tpc41]

i had to undo the trashcan mod when i sold my er6i... but the marshmallows are holding me over till i find some real iems.

 

[deeplove]

Until I can get some cash myself, these will hold up for a while too. Next on my lists, Grados; Audio Technicas and Livewires.

 

[goober-george]

Wow, I didn't notice harsh highs or bloated bass, I thought they sounded dull. Maybe I had a poor seal.

 

[hauntingtheholy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by deeplove /img/forum/go_quote.gif Understood. But... Say, I'm looking for an upgrade. I do like the sounds from the Koss that I have which are pretty warm and full compared to the Mallows. Then some Open headphones would really not be my choice. Unless that have a nice amount of warmth and bass to them, then they're pretty much going to sound bright and very open. Right now I'm testing them out again with some bass heavy Beenie Man reggae. The Koss are blowing the Mallows out the water. The Koss are warmer and have a decent amount of bass. What's bothering me from tha Mallows is that the Bass is alright but the Highs are a bit too high. No mids. Is that the lack of warmth I'm talking about? They're actually bright. And I have the Classic EQ on off. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that if open headphones like the Grados or such, will be as bright or such then I will try my best to avoid them. I'm aiming for the ATH-A700 or the Beyers. More for the ATs since I've already tried out the Beyers. But, the Beyeres were running off a crappy source. Do you think that if the Mallows, to me are lacking Bass; then the ATH A700 would be a bad choice? I'm looking for a warm and all around headphone for Music, Movies and Gaming.

If you want WARM headphones with good bass response are wish to avoid bright sounding phones, forget the Grado's. Scratch them right off your list. I'm not a bass head really, but I was very disappointed with their bass response. I had the SR60's. They were very clear and had lots of detail which could be appreciated, but "weak" and "bright" are the best words to describe them. Oh, and "uncomfortable"

I ended up upgrading to the M-audio Q40's for $100. They can now be had for $90 on Ebay. I'm extremely pleased with them and won't be buying anything else for awhile. If interested, see the thread by Warrior05 on them.

 

[Libertad]

I had this issue until i burned them in i used pink noise and had them on half value for about 1 week and they really cleared up after that but they can only go so far for being $10-$20 buds

 

[deeplove]

What's funny is that for $20 something odd dollars they're great. no kidding. But yes, I'm looking for better with a warmer feel. I've read about the Q40s and they sound really interesting. I've seen images also and they look comfortable. For the price they look good also. But how do they compare with the Audio Technica ATH-A700? DO they sound better, fuller, warmer or like the Mallows, do they have some ???.