[Fargoth]

 
Don't get me wrong. Vocals sound great on these things, and I've found them surprisingly comfortable. However, the bass feels weak. I looked into it, and read that people had recommended an amp to drive them. If I get an amp, it's probably going to be portable, something like the FiiO E5. Will an amp strengthen the bass response on these phones, or merely the volume?

 

[TMRaven]

If you use the E5's bass boost, you'll most certainly get stronger bass.   Asides a bass boost, there won't be any night and day differences in bass like some would lead you on to be.

 

[Fargoth]

Quote:

If you use the E5's bass boost, you'll most certainly get stronger bass.   Asides a bass boost, there won't be any night and day differences in bass like some would lead you on to be.

 
A noticeable boost is all I'm looking for. Don't need my head to vibrate, just want the familiar thump.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

If you could stretch your budget then DigiZoid ZO Personal Subwoofer would be a good choice as the bass boost capability on this device is fantastic, I've also got the FiiO E5 but never ended up using it cuz the bass boost is really poor despite being relatively subtle boost, leads to lots of midrange bass bleed and with bass boost disabled it removes a big chunk of the bass (compared to not using the E5) and makes the sound less dynamic so had better results simply tweaking the EQ a bit. The ZO however is a night and day improvement and I couldn't listen without it these days but I didn't buy it for the bass boost though but I use the first level out of 31 selectable levels for my already very bassy headphone for a minor difference and it sounds perfect, a lot better bass quality, also gives more dynamic sound, a bit improvement to soundstage and is very transparent and balanced unless you go heavy on the bass boost ofc. The ZO also provides a bit stronger current than for example E11 which would be a lot more than the rather subtle power E5 delivers.

 

[BotByte]

Adjust your EQ
 
You bought them without any knowledge, regardless you bought some really good cans, but they do have a small lack of bass.
 
Adjust EQ and look into some MDR-V6 pads that increase the bass quite a bit. Add some extra padding inside of the V6 pads and that will serve you a whole lot better then a FiiO E5 which hardly adds anything. I'd say the FiiO E5 adds about 5% bass, and the V6 stuffed pads about 15% more.
 
Also, those who have the FiiO E5. When you slide the bass boost on, the volume of bass increases just a small amount about 10% then dulls down in half a second. This is because of the switch and in the end, the bass boost only add 5% bass to it. Really, don't add a amp JUST BECAUSE, because the FiiO E5 is a really good amp when paired to a can that needs both body and bass, not for people looking for a bass boost button.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Yea it doesn't suprise me if people thought these would be bassheavy being KOSS and "DJ" headphones printed on it. xD The reality though is that they are very mid-centric with a mild bass boost, would put it in-between neutral and basshead's material, it's for those looking for a very subtle bass boost.

 

[Fargoth]

 
Quote:

You bought them without any knowledge

Guilty as charged. I had used the UR-55 before, and assumed, like Wizard wrote, that this model would be bassheavy as well. Ha, I'll take this as an opportunity to expand my musical taste.
 
     Quote:

Adjust EQ and look into some MDR-V6 pads that increase the bass quite a bit.

I'll try both.
 
And if I decide at some point that I still need an amp, I'll look into your suggestion Wizard.
 
 
Thanks all!
 

 

[tdockweiler]

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by BotByte /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
You bought them without any knowledge, regardless you bought some really good cans, but they do have a small lack of bass.
 

 
Sorry, but this is not true IMO. Only if the person is a basshead and or was looking for the amount of bass found on the older M50.
Lack of bass on the DJ100 is due to not getting a good seal, not being properly amped or burned in. The DJ100 has very good bass, but it's not the type found in headphones like the D1100, XB500 and M50. It's very balanced bass and does not bleed into the mids like with some bass heavy headphones. Personally I find that there is a lot of bass impact when required, but it's not overkill. I always felt that they were one step under being bass heavy. The DJ100's main focus is on the mids and then it's bass. The treble is slightly rolled off, but I don't find the treble lacking very much at all. Overall, the DJ100 sounds fairly well balanced despite the forward mids.
 
Then to make matters worse, the bass varies between pads. If you want a lot more bass impact, use the MDR-V6 pads with the foam backing. I was actually complaining with my 3rd pair that they had too MUCH bass (due to the v6 pads)! The mid-bass especially was very bloated. My old pairs were fine with the V6 pads! If there is a poor seal with the stock pads the bass will suffer. This is maybe another reason people say they lack bass.
 
Best thing to do is get a really good amp. As most people know by now, I never suggest them without an amp. A large mp3 player (no Clip, Shuffle or Fuze!) AND an E5 is the bare minimum to me. My favorite portable amp for them is the Total Airhead. I often use them with my Ipod Touch and E5 and even then I don't know if they're at 100%. An E7 would probably do quite well for them. Some say the PA2V2 is quite good for them also.
 
Give these an amp, some good pads and some burn in and these have very very good bass IMO. My 3rd pair needed FIVE days of burn-in to sound like my 2nd pair. First pair needed none. These headphones are totally worth the investment of an amp. It improve basically everything in it's signature.
 
EDIT: These things will suffer badly without an amp. Trust me on this and just get one! It will be worthwhile in the long run if you get other headphones. A PA2V2 or an E7 is quite cheap. The idea of an unamped DJ100 makes me sad

The V6 pads can only do so much and the bass will still suffer without an amp despite sounding like there is more of it. The V6 pads cost $13-$15, so it's a much better idea to  just get a $25 E5 if you can. Of course I suggest something a little more powerful of course.
 
 

 

[Trikky99]

Completely off topic:
 
I hated Fargoth haha

 

[TMRaven]

The amp won't make as much of a difference as just a completely new headphone.  That would be my personal action on the matter-- much rather spend 100-150 on ultrasone dj1 or denon d1100 than say 200 on koss dj100 and fio e7/ personal subwoofer.  Amping and burn-in are both highly overhyped, biggest differences will come from the actual headphones themselves.  
 
 

 

[tdockweiler]

 
Quote:

The amp won't make as much of a difference as just a completely new headphone.  That would be my personal action on the matter-- much rather spend 100-150 on ultrasone dj1 or denon d1100 than say 200 on koss dj100 and fio e7/ personal subwoofer.  Amping and burn-in are both highly overhyped, biggest differences will come from the actual headphones themselves.  
 
 

So much wrong information here, at least when talking about the DJ100. Yeah I know it's your opinion and that's OK.
Sorry...trust me with the DJ100 it DOES make a lot of difference when amped. Strangely, these things are picky about amping and often it just won't like the amp you've given it!
But yes, for those wanting tons of bass with tons of bass impact, it's best to look elsewhere. The DJ100 will never get to be very bass heavy and I think it's wrong for anyone to expect this.
It's funny how on the box it says "Extreme Bass Response".
 
As for the burn in "myth" I will say this...
 
1st pair..sounds good after opening box (accidentally killed this pair modding it...oops!)
2nd pair...sounded awful out of the box. Needed THREE days of burn-in to sound like my first.
3rd pair..even worse out of the box. TERRIBLE. Needed FIVE FULL DAYS of burn in to sound great...what the heck
 
Some people have had a similar experience with the DJ100 as well. 95% of my headphones need ZERO burn-in.
 
I can assure you, the DJ100 will make you believe in burn-in

 

[TMRaven]

And this is coming from a guy who can only hear subtle differences on a 600ohm beyer between his iMac and a Little Dot tube amplifier, where the majority of head-fi says the 600ohm beyers are virtually unlistenable without an amp-- such nonsense.
 
I'm not trying to say you won't find a difference between amping and burn-in, I'm saying it'd be most beneficial to get a headphone with a completely different sound signature all-together.  In other words, I'm being a practical realist here, and not an audiophile.  I feel it's the best course of action to take with newer members, as most audiophile talk comes off as extremely, extremely esoteric.
 
In short, only amp after you've found a headphone with a sound signature to your liking, never amp a headphone with a sound signature that isn't to your liking.  Headphone should always come first.
 

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

And this is coming from a guy who can only hear subtle differences on a 600ohm beyer between his iMac and a Little Dot tube amplifier, where the majority of head-fi says the 600ohm beyers are virtually unlistenable without an amp-- such nonsense.

In short, only amp after you've found a headphone with a sound signature to your liking, never amp a headphone with a sound signature that isn't to your liking.  Headphone should always come first.
 

Haha, I remember listening to my DT-880 600ohm out of an Ipod Touch for 45 minutes once because I didn't want to go downstairs where I had my amp. The volume was stupid low, but it was listenable. It was worse than an unamped K701 for sure though! I've yet to find a headphone that's truly horrible unamped or "unlistenable". A year ago I did claim the DJ100 was horrible unamped, but not quite. For me, I just refuse to do it since I don't like how it sounds. Seems like a lot of it's sound (and even soundstage) suffers. I actually went out and bought other portables so I didn't have to use an amp with it.
 
I think my point of all these posts is that the DJ100 really deserves an amp to really get an idea of it's signature and what it's capable of. Without one it's just not the same and at it's best. You can still get an idea of what it's like, but for anyone who likes it's signature, it's worth the purchase of an amp. The DJ100 is quite amazing with a good amp. I still haven't found anything closed I like more, but the KRK KNS-6400 has come close. The bass on that is kind of pathetic compared to the DJ100 though, but it's a studio monitor so no big deal. BTW who the heck would have thought such a small headphone would need an amp?!
 
Personally the bass quantity is perfect on the DJ100 for me. Any more and it would bleed into the mids and it's sound would be ruined.
 
 
 
 

 

[Fargoth]

Update! Decided to make things real simple and get myself a fresh pair of Just Beats!

 
No, don't worry, not really.  The MDR-V6 pads are in. Embarrassing question: I got the original pads off the DJ100, but can't seem to get the MDR-V6 pads on.  Any tips?

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Update! Decided to make things real simple and get myself a fresh pair of Just Beats!
 
 
No, don't worry, not really.  The MDR-V6 pads are in. Embarrassing question: I got the original pads off the DJ100, but can't seem to get the MDR-V6 pads on.  Any tips?

 
Don't scare me like that

 
Best way to put the V6 pads on is to hold them at the edge with your hand and work your way around inch by inch to insert the pad into the crack that is around the edge of the DJ100. With lots of practice I can do it in about 10 seconds! Keep hoping to find some M50 pads in stock somewhere, but haven't had much luck. Back ordered until September!