[ab111]

I recently bought a used RSA Hornet "m" and was very excited to be getting this amp with all the great reviews. I am not a huge basshead but I am somewhat of one. My rig is an iphone 2g > silver x copper lod > penguin ultra caffeine (bass boost on) > triple fi 10's. I was pretty happy but I wanted just a tad more bass.

After reading lots of reviews saying how great the bass is on this amp and how it is very punchy, which is what I wanted, I ended up buying this amp from another head fi'er. Needless to say I am very disappointed. While the mid range has come forward a bit and the soundstage has opened a bit the bass has dropped off lots, almost no punch to it at all. To note I am listening to 320 mp3's and alac files.

So the question is what is causing this? Is it the headphones or the amp? I enjoy the triple fi 10's treble and detail but all I wanted was more punch to my bass. What would solve this, different headphones or a different amp? Also I am planning on getting a new DAP. I am undecided on getting the newest iphone when it comes out this summer or get a dedicated mp3 player. I am wondering if that alone would solve it. I was also looking at the Arrow 12HE as I understand it has 2 bass boost function.

Any advice would be great.

 

[AVU]

you simply can't have a good seal.

 

[ab111]

I don't think that is the issue. I am using sony hybrid tips. When I take them out you can feel the suction and the tips are inside out from this suction. I will try different tips and foam to see if there is a difference but I doubt its the seal.

*I have tried medium and large silicon tips that came with the tf10's. Mediums are too small but the large fit well. There is no change in the bass but there is a slight treble change from the hybrids to the silicon tips. I also tried foam but no dice.

I think its either I was expecting way too much out of this amp bass wise or I need a more bass oriented iem. What do you think W3? MTPG? ie8, but I heard they were "open". I don't want any one to hear the music I am listening to even at moderately high volumes.

 

[techenvy]

its not the triplefi, its the source and amp,  i dont put much stock in tiny amps, i had same problem as you, you really must eq the triple and get large amp,, lisa  plus triple plus eq will punch your face off  im a punch junky,  also triple respomd remarkable well to eq,, the problem lies with your dap.   apple thinks monkey s dont know how to eq , so they use presets, which is fn stupid. you need a cowon s9 which has eq for grown ups, plus flac.
 dont give up on triple,   i reccomend downloading fubar 2000 and eq up the 55- 110 hz and you will be impressed, i assure you.  

 

[oldskoolboarder]

You need to find the right combo of gear for your ear.
 
Using my iPhone 3G -> - LOD -> Hornet M -> Thinksound Rains, I have more than enough bass.  I've used the same setup w/ my UE 5EB's, but those IEMs are too muddy.  I've used this also w/ my Shure 840's and Grado HF2's and still satisfied.
 
I should also note that I don't use any EQ on my iPhone and I play mostly Apple lossless files.

 

[Young Spade]

Hmm yea it sounds like you might need a different player. From my experiences the iPods sound a little tinny (little emphasis on bass/more on highs) but overall aren't that great.
You might do better with a "meatier" player like the Sony DAPs which have a more prominent bass/midrange. 
But like techenvy stated you should try a player with EQ if you want to go that route.... the cowon players have a great EQ if you're into those players.

 

[ab111]

I have been thinking about getting a sony dap but I will have to look into their line outs as I would not want to amp via the headphone out. I am also contemplating getting the ie8's. If I may quote Skylab "Bass: A+: powerful, deep, tight, punchy – awe inspiring, actually. Bass performance I thought only home amps and their much bigger power supplies could really provide. The Hornet is unparalleled in this regard. Jaw dropping bass performance, which never ceases to amaze me, even after having owned this amp quite a while." is what he wrote about the Hornet M.
 
Also to note, I find I am getting a bit more punch to my music but its still not enough to satisfy my semi basshead needs. I am not sure if its burn in of the amp, I am not the first owner so I am unsure how many hours were put on it, or more likely burn in of my ears to get used to the change in sound due to the amp.
 
I think my plan now is to find a sony dap that has a line out to my Hornet to ie8's. I think this will give me the sound I am looking for but who knows til I am able to test it.