[kulicuu]

Inspired by this forum, I finally figured these ER4S's out. I select Bass Boost in the iPod/iPhone, and then I amp them through my NAD 7000 integrated receiver selecting Bass Boost, Loudness Comp, AND dialing the bass up two notches. Now these things have bass. And it's good tight bass. I finally realize how much power it takes to overcome the impedance in these things, and really I'm enjoying them in a new way for the first time. I mean I've had good experiences with them, mostly focused on high end detail; just never realized that they actually are capable of delivering low-end at this scale.
Actually, after a few more minutes and tracks, I'm getting it's 'losing composure' in the low end some places. Would that be the NAD7000 or the etys? What is the nature of an old integrated amp like that as a headphone amp? I would have thought more than enough power, but I don't know anything at all about the circuitry.

 

[Menisk]

That'd be the bassboost on the iPod/iPhone. It uses digital gain and no precut. Essentially it makes the digital signal clip. You'd be best using no EQ on the iPod/iPhone and winding the bass up more on your NAD

 

[kulicuu]

Yeah I figured that out a few minutes ago. I even tried dialing the volume out on the iPhone and compensating on the NAD. It was still there(the flubby 'decomposure' in the nether-bass regions). But to be fair, this was with dialed back treble to -3, dialed up bass to +3, bassboost, and loudness comp, and too much volume. So. Still. Wondering.

 

[kulicuu]

As mentioned I have the iPod too, with a Sendstation dock that doesn't work on the iPhone. But my iPod's(2008 classic 160GB) drive is locked(broke) at 29GB capacity, so I can't move music onto it without reformatting it. So I switch back and forth.

 

[MrGreen]

I like them without bass boost (although I find some acoustic jazz to be lacking in bass)

 

[sonnybobiche]

Varies by album. A Jazz album like Kind of Blue can survive some low end EQing, but a modern rock album will definitely clip. This can sound very, very bad. I could actually hear the movement of the driver in addition to the "bass" it was producing, so I gave up on it.

 

[kulicuu]

I like them without the bass-boost too, it's just a different experience. All that mid-range detail is exquisite. Reading people here talk about how it /could/ produce bass, I had to try it. True enough, the ER4S can produce real bass, it just seems to take a lot of current to do it. Anyways, bass will never be full range for headphone listeners until we get the undershirt-wearable subwoofers off the design table. Even without a dedicated sub, when I listen to my speakers in a room, half the bass experience is felt rather than heard. Headphones not so much able to match that.