[eyalcat]

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That's the second person to complain about anaemic bass on their Turbulent X drivers. I wonder if there was a defective batch?

How can I tell if it's a case of defective drivers?

 

[parbaked]

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How can I tell if it's a case of defective drivers?

That would depend on where you bought them from.
If you purchased from Turbulent or Symphones, I would contact them and ask them to test and replace if defective.
They may also offer suggestions/solutions before returning

 

[pallentx]

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I personally don't believe in burn in.
 

I don't really believe in burn-in either, but I do remember when I first listened to my Magnum drivers, I was disappointed with the bass response and thought they sounded really thin. Now, when I compare them to my Grado 325is, I hear deep satisfying bass. I don't know if the phones changed - I suspect my ears and my brain adjusted to a different sound. Its crazy how what was initially very disappointing eventually became my favorite headphones. This may or may not be what others are experiencing. I wish there was a way to objectively measure what our phones are putting out and compare them.

 

[eyalcat]

I'm waiting for a Fiio Olympus E10 order, I'll be able to decide what to do after its arrival.
 
Thanks

 

[ozz007]

Quote:

I don't really believe in burn-in either, but I do remember when I first listened to my Magnum drivers, I was disappointed with the bass response and thought they sounded really thin. Now, when I compare them to my Grado 325is, I hear deep satisfying bass. I don't know if the phones changed - I suspect my ears and my brain adjusted to a different sound. Its crazy how what was initially very disappointing eventually became my favorite headphones. This may or may not be what others are experiencing. I wish there was a way to objectively measure what our phones are putting out and compare them.

+1 I left my drivers burning all day and night, and when i came in this afternoon i listen to them, and the anemic sound that greet me the first time when i plug them in was gone, the base is there, not has hard hitting as the V4 but its there. 
 
mids sound a lot better also, they actually sound good now.  leaving them all night working out, did its work. 

 

[7keys]

I was going to buy some magnum 5 drivers because I heard there was deeper bass, guess I should wait. 
 
I've been looking for a bass heavy can to compliment my Sr60's and magnum V4's but haven't been able to find anything. I tried the M-audio Q-40 and right now I have a Fostex T50RP that I'm modding. 

 

[Biscuitz]

Grados won't be bass-heavy unless you get the PS500, or simply EQ the bass up a lot.
 
I don't have as much experience with closed-back headphones, but the best "bassy" headphones I've heard to date are the old Denon lineup. D2000 / D5000 / D7000. When I heard the D2000 & D5000 for my first time ever a couple months back at a local meet, I was shocked. My biggest beef with closed-back headphones is the soundstage always feels cramped, closed in, or suffocating. I had never heard a closed-back headphone with a satisfying soundstage till I heard those Denons. And what I particularly like about the Denons is they are sub-bass heavy, rather than mid-bass heavy. Most basshead cans seem to be mid-bass heavy. I don't like a too-bloated mid-bass, but the sub-bass tilted Denons are...just magic to my ears.

 

[7keys]

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Grados won't be bass-heavy unless you get the PS500, or simply EQ the bass up a lot.
 
I don't have as much experience with closed-back headphones, but the best "bassy" headphones I've heard to date are the old Denon lineup. D2000 / D5000 / D7000. When I heard the D2000 & D5000 for my first time ever a couple months back at a local meet, I was shocked. My biggest beef with closed-back headphones is the soundstage always feels cramped, closed in, or suffocating. I had never heard a closed-back headphone with a satisfying soundstage till I heard those Denons. And what I particularly like about the Denons is they are sub-bass heavy, rather than mid-bass heavy. Most basshead cans seem to be mid-bass heavy. I don't like a too-bloated mid-bass, but the sub-bass tilted Denons are...just magic to my ears.

The Q-40's are supposed to be a bass head can but I found it be mid-bass heavy like you say.
I'm thinking that maybe I'm not going to find a headphone that can reproduce bass like a good subwoofer can, maybe it's just not possible. I will try to audition the Denons though.
 
Although I'm still am very much impressed with the Magnum V4's.

 

[kvtaco17]

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Grados won't be bass-heavy unless you get the PS500, or simply EQ the bass up a lot.
 
I don't have as much experience with closed-back headphones, but the best "bassy" headphones I've heard to date are the old Denon lineup. D2000 / D5000 / D7000. When I heard the D2000 & D5000 for my first time ever a couple months back at a local meet, I was shocked. My biggest beef with closed-back headphones is the soundstage always feels cramped, closed in, or suffocating. I had never heard a closed-back headphone with a satisfying soundstage till I heard those Denons. And what I particularly like about the Denons is they are sub-bass heavy, rather than mid-bass heavy. Most basshead cans seem to be mid-bass heavy. I don't like a too-bloated mid-bass, but the sub-bass tilted Denons are...just magic to my ears.

Challenge accepted! I bet I can build a bassy grado, that even you may like!

 

[Mpemba Effect]

Hmm, I just put together a pair of these into some vibro woody cups. I'm not a huge bass head but I must say I was a bit worried with all the comments on the lack of bass, but in all honesty I'm shocked by how much bass these drivers have. It's a lot more bassy than the 2004 Grado 225s these have replaced. I actually find them too bassy with the Sennheiser 414 pads and had to use more bowly pads to get the drivers a bit further from my head. If you've heard Kramer modded KSC75s with a 120 Ohm adapter, it's getting on to being that bassy.

 

[fleasbaby]

I felt the same way about mine when I had them...they were fantastic though, because they were still crystal clear and accurate with the L-Cush pads.

 

[7keys]

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I'm shocked by how much bass these drivers have. It's a lot more bassy than the 2004 Grado 225s these have replaced. 

What drivers are you talking about, what driver replaced the 2004 grado 225s?

 

[devouringone3]

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Grados won't be bass-heavy unless you get the PS500, or simply EQ the bass up a lot.
 
I don't have as much experience with closed-back headphones, but the best "bassy" headphones I've heard to date are the old Denon lineup. D2000 / D5000 / D7000. When I heard the D2000 & D5000 for my first time ever a couple months back at a local meet, I was shocked. My biggest beef with closed-back headphones is the soundstage always feels cramped, closed in, or suffocating. I had never heard a closed-back headphone with a satisfying soundstage till I heard those Denons. And what I particularly like about the Denons is they are sub-bass heavy, rather than mid-bass heavy. Most basshead cans seem to be mid-bass heavy. I don't like a too-bloated mid-bass, but the sub-bass tilted Denons are...just magic to my ears.

 
PS500 driver has 3 punched holes in it.
 
Those Denons (and AH-D1000-1001, Creative Aurvana Live! and the newer Fostex branded equivalents/replacements) are non-isolating, non-sealing closed-backs; they breath and behave like an open headphone. Sony MDR-R10 is like that too.
 
 
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Hmm, I just put together a pair of these into some vibro woody cups. I'm not a huge bass head but I must say I was a bit worried with all the comments on the lack of bass, but in all honesty I'm shocked by how much bass these drivers have. It's a lot more bassy than the 2004 Grado 225s these have replaced. I actually find them too bassy with the Sennheiser 414 pads and had to use more bowly pads to get the drivers a bit further from my head. If you've heard Kramer modded KSC75s with a 120 Ohm adapter, it's getting on to being that bassy.

 
Yes that's also what I think. But this thread seems to have in it closeted bassheads punching holes in the back of their Grado drivers and then buying Magnums and expecting them to do boom-boom just like their vented Grado drivers do.
 
 
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So I finally go the L-cush for my Magnum v3.5 in Mahogany, and compared to the reversed 414 pad with sock mod, there are more details, the highs are clearer, the soundstage undoubtedly larger, but the bass has decreased greatly in quantity.  They are still there, but it's just so much less.
 
BTW, I am not a basshead by any means, I am fine with the amount of bass on the SR-80 modded with 4 hole punches, but the magnum v3.5 with L-cush has much less bass.

 
You're comparing bananas with oranges, punching even just one (1) hole brings the driver up to an entirely different order of bass volume. If your point of reference is this modded SR80, the stock Magnum will inexorably lack bass to you (that is, if you put it in relation with your SR80). Either change your point of reference, or start punching holes in your Magnum drivers, if bass is really lacking to your taste.
 
Personally I recommend people against punching holes in the felt on the back of their Grado/Magnum driver, simply because it adds distortion and it isn't the sound signature intended by the manufacturer (who has already tuned and re-tuned the bass by varying the thickness of the felt layer).
 
If you want true bass on your Grados, add a large strip of tape around your pads. If you want a lot of true bass on your Grados, add the tape in a sunflower pattern. And the best pad –once you found a way (sunflower mod) to compensate for the airiness induced bass deficiency inherent to foam earpads– is the HD414 pad used the orthodox way (not reversed).

 

[Biscuitz]

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Hmm, I just put together a pair of these into some vibro woody cups. I'm not a huge bass head but I must say I was a bit worried with all the comments on the lack of bass, but in all honesty I'm shocked by how much bass these drivers have. It's a lot more bassy than the 2004 Grado 225s these have replaced. I actually find them too bassy with the Sennheiser 414 pads and had to use more bowly pads to get the drivers a bit further from my head. If you've heard Kramer modded KSC75s with a 120 Ohm adapter, it's getting on to being that bassy.

That sounds really cool actually. I might have kept the X's if mine had more bass. The clarity, detail, and separation were phenomenal, but the bass wasn't there.

 

[Mpemba Effect]

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What drivers are you talking about, what driver replaced the 2004 grado 225s?

 
Turbulent X Drivers sent from Singapore