[SomeGuyDude]

I don't know, in my experience, bass usually turns into this rounded, vague blob at the bottom on underpowered headphones. Like, it's there, but I wouldn't call it coherent or tight. Like, my old Beyer 770 and my current Beyer 150, the bass on those is just super flabby out of my BTR5. It's not until I feed them more power that the bass really tightens up and slams and rumbles. But those headphones are pretty inefficient in general. So in contrast, X2HR + BTR5, they retain an okay amount of punch, but they just don't rumble so much as hum until I give them more power.

But I suppose it's kind of a chicken-or-the-egg thing. Like, all my more powerful amps also cost more money, and that extra cost probably also includes improved tuning over my less expensive amps. So is it the extra power that's responsible for the improved bass I hear, or is it the improved audio characteristics, or is 50/50, or 60/40, or 80/20, etc etc.

Correlation does not equal causation, so I can't say for sure it's just the power responsible for my improved bass experiences, but at the very least it can be clearly observed that different amps absolutely influence the sound reproduction of a headphone, whatever the reason for that is. And there's a lot of fun to be had in experimenting with headphone and amp pairing, so hopefully the Heavys do have a fully passive mode so we can have that kind of fun with them.

So yeah, I'll be sitting on my hands until we learn more about it in this regard.

Okay there's a lot happening here.

For one, what you're talking about is "underpowering headphones," as in not giving them enough power from your amplification. This has nothing to do with the quality of the headphone. A 600ohm headphone doesn't inherently sound better than a 32ohm headphone, but if you give a 600ohm headphone the kind of power that a 32ohm headphone needs, obviously it's going to sound bad.

There is absolutely no type of sound that "needs a lot of power." Headphones don't have to be high resistance or low sensitivity to be capable of being loud and dynamic. Final Audio makes some of the best headphones on the planet and those things can be run out of a cheap dollar store mp3 player. Yes, amps can color the sound, but there's this 100% faulty notion that all headphones "scale." If the headphone can get up to full volume without cranking the amp to its full power, then it's getting all it can possibly need.

I see way too much around here where people seem to think that any and all headphones need burly amplification, or that headphones that need said amplification are inherently going to sound better than the ones that don't. It used to be that way for mechanical reasons (hence older headphones being 250-600ohm) but it's not anymore. Headphones can be piss easy to drive and not need some big amp and deliver every bit of "slam" possible.

I also admit I have a disdain for when people talk about the bass "tightening up" or having "hum" instead of "rumble" and other totally non-technical terms because it's all super hand-wavy and vague and has no connection to the actual physics of the technology.

 

[HipHopScribe]

Not sure who here is interested but the Heavys (designed by Axel Grell of Sennheiser) KickStarter is live and they smashed their goal in less than 45 minutes. For $150 a 4-driver wireless set of over-ears "tuned for metal" sounds like a more than worthwhile gamble.

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...red-for-heavy-metal?ref=checkout_rewards_page

While I'm skeptical of the multi-driver set-up I decided to take a run at it given the relatively low price. It's also nice that it seems like it will have a true passive mode, given that they say it can be used without a charge, which has become rarer and rarer for Bluetooth headphones. I do wonder how different passive mode will sound given that it sounds like the dosimeter tech they're using probably requires the on board electronics to work

 

[trellus]

While I'm skeptical of the multi-driver set-up I decided to take a run at it given the relatively low price. It's also nice that it seems like it will have a true passive mode, given that they say it can be used without a charge, which has become rarer and rarer for Bluetooth headphones. I do wonder how different passive mode will sound given that it sounds like the dosimeter tech they're using probably requires the on board electronics to work

Yeah, clearly they will behave differently passively, and I’m curious to see how different. I’m also skeptical of the multi-driver setup but it’s Axel and it was too cheap for me not to gamble.

 

[tonedeafmelomaniac]

Has anyone tried Beyerdynamic 700 pro X? Reviewers say that recessed mids isn't a problem anymore.

 

[Crimvel]

Anyone has an Closed Back suggestion
<500 $
They are for my worktravels so portability is a must and not much of AMP Power.

In had my Meze 99 Neo for a longtime but they are falling apart.

 

[NickT23]

Anyone has an Closed Back suggestion
<500 $
They are for my worktravels so portability is a must and not much of AMP Power.

In had my Meze 99 Neo for a longtime but they are falling apart.

DT 770 pro period 80 ohms. At least for me. But honestly Fostex TH X-00 or 600 series line.

 

[monkey4054]

Anyone has an Closed Back suggestion
<500 $
They are for my worktravels so portability is a must and not much of AMP Power.

In had my Meze 99 Neo for a longtime but they are falling apart.

For travelling? Definitely the Sony WH-1000XM4.

 

[NickT23]

For travelling? Definitely the Sony WH-1000XM4.

To me wireless still have problems for that overall depth tonality, sound quality wise. but insane isolation and ANC.

 

[NickT23]

Given the sound signature and lack of staging, you can rule out many different genres of music. In practical terms, both could make good mastering and production tools, though im not sure that was the intended target.

HI I manage to find one MP after 2 years. Pm me for fun. Probably out of topic here. Am referring to music general, maybe for classical listener and less for progressive rock. I find there are many similar (treble, mids, airiness) qualities between rock/metal and classical despite two completely different genre, fast pace and slow pace.

 

[NickT23]

I don't know, in my experience, bass usually turns into this rounded, vague blob at the bottom on underpowered headphones. Like, it's there, but I wouldn't call it coherent or tight. Like, my old Beyer 770 and my current Beyer 150, the bass on those is just super flabby out of my BTR5. It's not until I feed them more power that the bass really tightens up and slams and rumbles. But those headphones are pretty inefficient in general. So in contrast, X2HR + BTR5, they retain an okay amount of punch, but they just don't rumble so much as hum until I give them more power.

But I suppose it's kind of a chicken-or-the-egg thing. Like, all my more powerful amps also cost more money, and that extra cost probably also includes improved tuning over my less expensive amps. So is it the extra power that's responsible for the improved bass I hear, or is it the improved audio characteristics, or is 50/50, or 60/40, or 80/20, etc etc.

Correlation does not equal causation, so I can't say for sure it's just the power responsible for my improved bass experiences, but at the very least it can be clearly observed that different amps absolutely influence the sound reproduction of a headphone, whatever the reason for that is. And there's a lot of fun to be had in experimenting with headphone and amp pairing, so hopefully the Heavys do have a fully passive mode so we can have that kind of fun with them.

So yeah, I'll be sitting on my hands until we learn more about it in this regard.

Why bluetooth amp ? I have used both headphones and it cannot reach its potential with BTR5. That X2 can scale to like even $1000 plus amp. But very little in return.

 

[monkey4054]

To me wireless still have problems for that overall depth tonality, sound quality wise. but insane isolation and ANC.

Shure SRH840, AKG K371. The Fostex headphones would be a great choice, but I wouldn't consider them very portable or great for travelling.

 

[MardukSonofEa]

Anyone has an Closed Back suggestion
<500 $
They are for my worktravels so portability is a must and not much of AMP Power.

In had my Meze 99 Neo for a longtime but they are falling apart.

I know this is a headphones thread, but are IEMs an option for you? You will get far better details and tonality for the price as opposed to a closed back, plus they're easy to power.

I'd look at something like Moondrop Variations or Thieaudio Oracle.

 

[Crimvel]

I know this is a headphones thread, but are IEMs an option for you? You will get far better details and tonality for the price as opposed to a closed back, plus they're easy to power.

I'd look at something like Moondrop Variations or Thieaudio Oracle.

Sadly IEMs are not an option after my Earcanal OP.

 

[SubaruSumeragi]

Anyone has an Closed Back suggestion
<500 $
They are for my worktravels so portability is a must and not much of AMP Power.

In had my Meze 99 Neo for a longtime but they are falling apart.

IMHO the sennheiser HD25 are by far the best mobile headphone for metal

 

[sp33ls]

[deleted as it's duplicative]