So more v-shape than the 2.5 I'm guessing?
The Kicker isn't particularly V-shaped, but it does have less of a veil than the stock tuning of the ASG-2.5.
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Hi Luckbad,
I'm torn between getting the 2.5 and kicker. I can get the 2.5 for $500 brand new. Should I get the 2.5's or save a couple hundred bucks and get the kicker. I'm trying to get a pair of headphones with the most bass. Please advise. Thanks.
It really depends on what you're after and what you have at your disposal. If you aren't going to use an amp, definitely the Kicker. If you are going to use an amp but don't want to use EQ, still the Kicker.
If you're cool with using both an equalizer and an amplifier, the ASG-2.5 probably has more bass potential and more clarity potential.
I'm still waiting on some proper gear to come back to me to make a final call. The Kicker sounds good coming from my phone or computer, but I won't be able to make a proper call between it and the ASG-2.5 apart from the first two situations (if you won't use an amp or EQ, get the Kicker) for a week or two.
I'll also mirror my long post I made in the Aurisonics thread now that I've listened for longer.
I have the Aurisonics Kickers (aka Ass Kickers) in my ears right now.
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These are a real win for bassheads. They bridge the gap between the Sony MDR-XB90EX and Aurisonics ASG-2.5.
More clarity and overall refinement than the Sony at a much lower price point than the 2.5.
The veil present with the stock tuning of the ASG-2.5 is barely evident at all with the Kicker (and not remotely close to the ASG-B). I wouldn't go so far as to say that the signature is v-shaped, though. Its treble is still a bit subdued, deftly evading any chance for sibilance. That is much appreciated, because I'm sensitive to treble.
The bass is punchy without encroaching on mids and muddying them up. The drivers are only 9.25mm, but you could've fooled me. I would have believed they're 13mm+.
Continuing to use the Sony MDR-XB90EX and Aurisonics ASG-2.5 as reference points since a lot of bassheads have heard them:
- The Kicker has more bass presence and punch than the stock tuning of the Sony and less than the fully open ASG-2.5.
- The Kicker has less of a veil than the 2.5 and is very similar in treble to the Sony.
- The Sony and ASG-2.5, so far, have the most bass potential with EQ of any IEM I've ever heard. The Kicker might be on par, or at least nearly so. I'm waiting on the return of my Headstage Arrow 5TX (Enhanced Bass) to definitively push the Kicker to its limit.
It's a really nice, smooth sound signature. It has a sense of liquidity coupled with visceral depth and impact.
Compared to the JVC HA-FX1100, the Kicker punches a little harder despite having a smaller driver. It isolates much better than the JVC, which could account for the enhanced feeling of bass.
The Kicker can be adequately driven from a cell phone, but not to ear-bleeding levels. The sensitivity specifications provided are, frankly, confusing to me. The voltage sensitivity is theoretically 136 dB SPL @ 1 Vrms, which would make it 12dB louder than the JVC HA-FX1100.
In practice, I find the Kicker to be about 2dB quieter than the JVC. Maybe that's just the sound signature playing tricks on me. In any case, my Galaxy S5 can drive them well enough that I can't max the volume out without worrying about my hearing, so the point is largely unimportant despite typing about it for several sentences.
For $250, the Kicker is a no-brainer for bassheads and bass-audiophiles. It has a lively, engaging signature without any bothersome treble peaks. Vocals are rendered with excellent clarity, instruments have very good separation, soundstage is good (but not top tier), and its bass is likely to put it on the Top 10 Basshead IEM list in the not-too-distant future.
I haven't even broken these things in. No burn-in at all, just an hour in the ears. So far my only complaint is that certain songs sound a little soft on the Kickers. I currently have no worthy amplifier for the Kickers, but will try them soon with some good amps (I recently sold all of my gear so I could save some money and downgrade to more reasonably-priced equipment... the new stuff isn't here yet). After hearing them with a proper amp, I'll know their true potential.
