[BassInMyFace]

Over the past year, I have listened to audio primarily through my UE SuperFi 5 EB IEMs using both Foobar and my Clip.  As a borderline basshead, I can say that I have been very impressed with their ability to produce exceptional bass.  About a week ago, I purchased the new AT ATH-Pro700MK2 headphones and have been listening to them non-stop.  They supposedly are one of the best bass headphones to satisfy bassheads.  While they are almost completely broken-in (I'm sure there is still a little more to go), I am satisfied but not thrilled as I was hoping to be.  This pair is supposed to be like attaching two subwoofers directly to your head, and while they produce amazing bass quality/quantity, I still believe my IEMs deliver may deliver bass better...
 
It makes me wonder whether headphones or IEMs produce bass better.  I would tend to think headphones can produce great bass due to their large drivers, and IEMs produce bass well by creating a seal within the actual ear canal, but I am not sure which actually produce bass better.
 
What is the general concensus on that matter?
 
I understand EQs, amps, and other audio components can help to produce a great low-end, but I am curious to know which produce bass better from an engineering/design perspective - whatever you would like to call it.
 
(This is not meant to be a specific headphone/IEM comparison thread, so let's keep the "Pair A creates better/more bass than Pair B" comparisons out of this one.)

 

[BotByte]

I see fullsized as not "simulating"
 
Let me explain this:
 
Think about a open can, HD598 for example, that I'm not wearing
 
The headphone body is designed to position the driver onto my head in a certain way and allow the comfort that they headphone will never touch my ear.
 
Taken, some headphones do not have this, for better or worst.
 
But the headphones design if to also position and use the air and open spaces to create a better sound from the drivers.
 
When I say "simulating" I saying that the play from the open air can and the structure created to make that certain sound, in a IEM or some closed cans, the headphones has to simulate that open ness or that structure that allows the driver to operate correctly.
 
Like speaker boxes, you need a certain amount of room to space that speaker to allow it to operate correctly.
 
 
Now there is a drawback to this, a lot. 
 
I see IEM's as a portable system and not for anything like home use. I also have ear problems and stuffing my Brainwavz into my ears every so often is good, but I listen to my music all day, and if I had them in all day, I would be a wreck.

 

[BassInMyFace]

Based on your last paragraph, I'm interpreting your opinion as a matter of portability and not which produce bass better to differentiate the two.  Interesting.
 
Other opinions on this topic?

 

[2enty3]

I don't have any scientific proof, evidence or article to back me up, but I feel that most IEM's ALWAYS produce more bass. I mean this in terms of quantity and loudness, not necessarily quality.
 
Also, I have noticed a bass "increase" by pushing the headphones against your head, which would probably mean the closer to the ears, the more bass you feel.

 

[BassInMyFace]

Quote:

I don't have any scientific proof, evidence or article to back me up, but I feel that most IEM's ALWAYS produce more bass. I mean this in terms of quantity and loudness, not necessarily quality.
 
Also, I have noticed a bass "increase" by pushing the headphones against your head, which would probably mean the closer to the ears, the more bass you feel.

Physics would make me want to believe the same simply due to the fact of inner-ear isolation.  I feel that when a proper seal is created, the low frequencies have no where to go but directly into your ear canal.  I wish we could have some sort of a definitive answer though...
 
Any other input?
 

 

[BassInMyFace]

No one else has additional input?

 

[slapshot30]

Meh, I somewhat agree. I am always needing to use an amp to boost the bass of my headphones when my IEM's do just fine. The reason why I like headphones more for bass is because you can "feel" it more in my opinion. The cups surrounding your ears and feeling the vibration against your head and on your ears. That feeling is what I like so much about bass. IEMs simply can't give you that feeling because the sound just goes straight into the ear canal.