[cn11]

Sorry, missed your post for a bit... here's the graph I was referring to:
 
 

 
Quote:

Wow, what graph is this?  Link?  The DBA is supposed to have more bass than the ER4 FWIR.  I actually can live w/ the ER4S bass as long as I don't screw up the seal.  Any less though, forget about it.  Sounds like some Beyer DT440s I was listening to recently.

 

[Anaxilus]

I wonder what factor Vodka played in that graph.  When I get my DBAs I'll find out how the bass compares to the ER4S which is better looking than that.

 

[slaters70]

The DBAs deliver somewhat more bass than the Etys, but both can be EQ'd a tad if needed, as you already know with the Etys. But even without EQ, the DBA bass is not deficient, just not overpowering. And agree, that freq graph chart has little credibility (as do most charts and graphs in my humble opinion).
 
Anyway, here's what Joker posted in his DBA (scoring it a 10 out of 10 for SQ), re the DBA bass. As most anyone who owns them agrees, they are not MTPGs, IE8s or (apparently) FX-700s on the bass side, but that doesn't mean they are missing any bass detail:
 
As with the ATH-CK10, the bass of the DBA-02 is tight, controlled, and well-extended. I find the CK10 to be ruler-flat down to the lowest limits of my hearing and the DBA-02, while not quite as good, comes very close (beating out the CK100 and a slew of other high-end earphones). The low end is quick and detailed. I do feel that the CK10 is just a hair more immediate in terms of impact and seems to move more air than the DBA-02 does. However, the bass of the DBA-02 has somewhat better body and texturing, which makes their low end sound slightly more powerful and a tad more natural and realistic. It should be noted that while I consider both earphones to be very well-balanced, for those used to something like the MTPG or Senn IE8 both will still fall square into ‘bass-light’ territory. 

 

[soozieq]

Well, if the DBA's deliver less bass impact than the CK10, then they'd definitely be too bass-shy for me without any EQ. I remember Shigzeo praising the CK10 bass, but admitting that it had no impact, a fact myself and several other owners agreed with. EQ is an option of course, if you have a decent EQ, but if you had no way of EQ'ing them, you'd be stuck with the bass as it was.
 
I'm kind of curious to hear them now, since they sound the polar opposites of my JVC's, and right now, I'm down to only one pair of phones, but I've been holding off getting a backup pair till there was something that caught my eye. And since I have a decent EQ on my Sony.......... hmmm.

 

[rawrster]

If you didn't like the CK10 I wouldn't bother really. They are more similar than they are different. They use the same drivers I believe but tuned a little bit differently. The bass impact is slightly better but not by much. Impact is probably closer to the e-Q7 which you have heard but in the same area as the CK10. Extension is better on the CK10 in bass and the upper mid spike the CK10 has is not there in the DBA-02. That's pretty much all the differences between the two in a nutshell.
 
Also how did this thread turn into talk about the DBA-02

 

[slaters70]

"More impact for the CK10s, but more "body and texturing" for the DBAs." Interesting distinction by Joker on the bass differences.
 
And yes, the DBAs respond very well to EQ. I have in my possession a Sony A818, a friend's (he bought it from me), and I was listening to the DBAs with it last night, with a +1 on the Clear bass and a +1 on the 0.4 slider, and they sounded pretty darn amazing, and the bass was all there. The experience was so positive, in fact, I bought a Sony S545 16GB to add to my player collection, because while I don't miss the X all that much, I do miss the Sony EQ system. Also, I think the warmer Sony sig is a good match with the DBAs. If the Touch or the ZuneHD had that EQ, it would be great (though I do like the Touch with the updated OS). So I will probably sell off the ZuneHD16GB to pay for the Sony.
 
Anyway, agree, back to topic (I had already written this. No more on the DBA here).

 

[cn11]

 

[size=10pt] I can't even begin to quantify which one has the 'better' bass response as both are described in seemingly equals.

 

 "...I find the CK10 to be ruler-flat down to the lowest limits of my hearing and the DBA-02, while not quite as good, comes very close (beating out the CK100 and a slew of other high-end earphones). The low end is quick and detailed. I do feel that the CK10 is just a hair more immediate in terms of impact and seems to move more air than the DBA-02 does. However, the bass of the DBA-02 has somewhat better body and texturing, which makes their low end sound slightly more powerful and a tad more natural and realistic. It should be noted that while I consider both earphones to be very well-balanced, for those used to something like the MTPG or Senn IE8 both will still fall square into ‘bass-light’ territory." 

 

When making statements that the CK10 'moves more air than the DBA does', while in the very next sentence stating that the DBA's bass 'sounds slightly more powerful and a tad more natural and realistic'.... well, it's hard to understand. 




[/size]

 

[size=10pt] And anyway, as you noted, yes let's get this back onto the FX700's since we've already established neither of these phones have anything remotely close to the bass response that the JVC's do. 




[/size]

 

[KLS]

 
Quote:

Let me chime in a little here @ KLS. What Koonhua and I said about the smaller tips is accurate, and those seem to give the best clarity and transparency. For me, however, there was too much sacrifice in bass slam with the smaller tips. So, probably about a month ago or so cn11 recommended I try the UE transparent tips on my DDMs. He said it offered more clarity and helped bring the treble out more on the Radius. He was correct. Then I began thinking how might those Ultimate Ears tips work on the FX700. I found an extra pair of large single flange transparent UE tips in my collection box. I popped those babies on the FX700 and wow!! It kept the bass (maybe cut it strength down just a little); brought the mids a few slight notches forward for me; and tightened the treble up but didn't lose the sparkly extension. Perfect!! Clarity and transparency are all intact.
 

To my ears as well, smaller tips vs larger tips on FX700 sound totally different. I think I like the smaller tips more, as they give me more clarity, but I miss the bass slam when use with larger tips.
 
Thanks for the tips I will give it a try. Though I have sold them to a close friend of mine.
 
Sorry to continue from the discussion off topic, just want to say that I recently audition a pair of IEM fom Roland, the RH-PM5, my impressions was: it's like the CK10 with more bass impact, less treble energy, forward mids with a fuller body, better transparency. Not that anybody cares about this ^^;
 

 

[slaters70]

I see they are $295. Pretty steep. Worth it? Start a thread.

 

[KLS]

Have a look here slaters70

 

[james444]

Quote:

Hi James, just wondering what tips are you using on FX700? I think koonhua90 and ericp10 discussed about how tips could change the sound of FX700 earlier in this thread, and I agree with them. To my ears, using smaller tips, which offer less isolation and loose seal, gives the best clarity and transparency. Bass quantity is reduced, tighter and no more bloated. Mids is brought upfront as well.

 
Quote:

James, I think you were on holidays when they discussed about this 

 
Quote:

Let me chime in a little here @ KLS. What Koonhua and I said about the smaller tips is accurate, and those seem to give the best clarity and transparency. For me, however, there was too much sacrifice in bass slam with the smaller tips. So, probably about a month ago or so cn11 recommended I try the UE transparent tips on my DDMs. He said it offered more clarity and helped bring the treble out more on the Radius. He was correct. Then I began thinking how might those Ultimate Ears tips work on the FX700. I found an extra pair of large single flange transparent UE tips in my collection box. I popped those babies on the FX700 and wow!! It kept the bass (maybe cut it strength down just a little); brought the mids a few slight notches forward for me; and tightened the treble up but didn't lose the sparkly extension. Perfect!! Clarity and transparency are all intact.

 
@KLS and Eric, I got my FX700 back from dfkt and what can I say? You guys are dead right about the tips! Like I said I've been using stock tips from day one and never questioned them, because they sounded great to my ears - with the exception of that slight upper bass hump. But now I tried UE tips and some smaller silicons (of unknown origin) and both sound even better than the stock tips. Switched back and forth a bit and finally gave my nod to KLS's suggestion about smaller tips and loose seal. Sorry Eric I'm less basshead than you, but I concede the UE tips are great too.
 
Now, with smaller silicons and a loose seal, tips barely touching my ear canal, the FX700 sound nothing short of amazing. No more upper bass emphasis, deep and tight bass, a tad more forward mids and even (am I just imagining this?) slightly smoother highs. Clarity and transparency are awesome, in short everything sounds 'right'.
I'm a natural-born sceptic, but this one is a winner, so thank you guys for making my best dynamic driver IEMs even better!

 

[ericp10]

James you're quite welcome. I give a lot of credit to Chris for pointing me the UE tips too. It's always great when we tweak something we love to make our hearts flutter even more. The FX700 is a beast!!!
Quote:

 
 
 
@KLS and Eric, I got my FX700 back from dfkt and what can I say? You guys are dead right about the tips! Like I said I've been using stock tips from day one and never questioned them, because they sounded great to my ears - with the exception of that slight upper bass hump. But now I tried UE tips and some smaller silicons (of unknown origin) and both sound even better than the stock tips. Switched back and forth a bit and finally gave my nod to KLS's suggestion about smaller tips and loose seal. Sorry Eric I'm less basshead than you, but I concede the UE tips are great too.
 
Now, with smaller silicons and a loose seal, tips barely touching my ear canal, the FX700 sound nothing short of amazing. No more upper bass emphasis, deep and tight bass, a tad more forward mids and even (am I just imagining this?) slightly smoother highs. Clarity and transparency are awesome, in short everything sounds 'right'.
I'm a natural-born sceptic, but this one is a winner, so thank you guys for making my best dynamic driver IEMs even better!

 

[KLS]

Glad you like the smaller tips james
 
The first to discover this is ericp10, koonhua90, and cn11. I was just suggesting
 
So james are you going to write another review for FX700?

 

[DaEMoNteNTAcLe]

now i felt like i want the fx700 m04r..
i do hope james is gonna do another review comparison..

 

[james444]

Quote:

Glad you like the smaller tips james
 
The first to discover this is ericp10, koonhua90, and cn11. I was just suggesting
 
So james are you going to write another review for FX700?

 
Quote:

now i felt like i want the fx700 m04r..
i do hope james is gonna do another review comparison..

Hold on folks, smaller tips for the FX700 are a nice improvement, but no reason for another review. It's not like I had crucified them in the first place and would have to withdraw my rating now, LOL! Ok, I admit to having imputed them with a slight upper bass hump, so I'm going to eat my words and hereby declare that...
...the FX700 with smaller tips and loose fit have no upper bass hump whatsoever and sound overall even better than before!
 
Happy now?