[hekeli]

Quote:

Just wondering how these sounded with dubstep and electro? Do they have enough slam? What other headphones do you own? How do the mad dogs compare? 

 
Bass is a difficult subject. It depends completely on whether you are allergic to EQ or not, and what you consider to be "slam enough".
 
Mad Dogs are capable of very nice slam, but IMO atleast +6-9dB boost <100hz is required. This is no different from my LCD-3's (or 2's). Both of these are too neutral by default to "rock out", but they handle EQ just fine. LCD's have the edge on bass details etc, but honestly it's very easy to exaggerate the differences. Bigger difference comes from Mad Dogs being closed (smaller soundstage).
 
Value is very subjective. For rocking electronic music, I've yet to find better value than my $15 "FA-004" clones with $20 Shure pads. They have enough slam even without EQ. It would be easy for me to say that they are "80% of Mad Dogs" for that purpose, even though they are 10x cheaper.
 
disclaimer: I have no idea what "slam" is considered here or elsewhere, but I refer to general impact/punch/weight.

 

[hojomojo96]

Any ideas whether the Audinst AMP-HP could handle these? No exact specs on it, but supposedly it can handle the LCD 2's: http://www.headfonia.com/korean-pocket-rocket-the-audinst-amp-hp/

 

[jazzerdave]

Quote:

Just wondering how these sounded with dubstep and electro? Do they have enough slam? What other headphones do you own? How do the mad dogs compare? 

 
I am far from an expert on these genres.  I listened to some Deadmau5 (4x4=12) and Siriusmo (Mosaik), and those had plenty of impact and extension for my tastes.  They were certainly capable of going overkill (for me) on most electronic music if I really wanted to push it.  I wasn't really getting any distortion even below 40 Hz at very loud volumes.  I'm sure there are a few "bassheads" out there who would crave more, but I really don't have a full-on concept of what they would want.  I'd imagine that with some boost out of an eq as hekeli has suggested, they could satisfy most - if not all - "bassheads".  I also think this is probably heavily dependent upon amplification.  So out of a well-balanced SS amp that puts out >= 1 watt, I can say they've got plenty of bass.  From what I've read, the Bursons could pull even more bass out of them.

 

[clairyvic]

Quote:

Any ideas whether the Audinst AMP-HP could handle these? No exact specs on it, but supposedly it can handle the LCD 2's: http://www.headfonia.com/korean-pocket-rocket-the-audinst-amp-hp/

It gives off 300 mW per channel at 32 olms according to this so that's plenty: http://www.headphiles.org/index.php?topic=4764.0
 
I think i'll get that amp, it's cheap and is very powerful for the price. It sounds like it has "just okay" mids and highs but good punchy bass. So the MD's mids and highs would make up for the lack of them on the amp, and the amps good bass would make up for any weaknesses in the MD bass.

 

[hojomojo96]

Quote:

It gives off 300 mW per channel at 32 olms according to this so that's plenty: http://www.headphiles.org/index.php?topic=4764.0
 
I think i'll get that amp, it's cheap and is very powerful for the price. It sounds like it has "just okay" mids and highs but good punchy bass. So the MD's mids and highs would make up for the lack of them on the amp, and the amps good bass would make up for any weaknesses in the MD bass.

Interesting, I haven't been able to find those specs anywhere -___-
It got good reviews a while ago, I've been considering it for a while. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but considering it got good reviews at the price of $160, I don't see how we can go wrong. Sounds like a good combo for the Mad Dogs.

 

[clairyvic]

It doesn't seem to have alot of reviews besides that one though. :/ Any others?

 

[hekeli]

Quote:

So out of a well-balanced SS amp that puts out >= 1 watt, I can say they've got plenty of bass.  From what I've read, the Bursons could pull even more bass out of them.

 
Too much emphasis is given to amps on these forums.
 
 
It makes no practical difference if I run Mad Dogs (or any of my phones for that matter) from my G109-S (2 watts) or some portable like iRiver H320. You might get marginal help in details etc, but you won't suddently turn your phones into slam monsters.
 
 
Where the power does help is EQing. For a 6dB bass boost, obviously you need to play 6dB louder to gain the same mid/high levels. That's already a considerable amount of more power needed if you want to keep your headroom.
 
It's also much safer for your hearing to boost the bass than to rock out natural phones with high volumes. Good luck with your high frequency hearing. 

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
Too much emphasis is given to amps on these forums.
 
 
It makes no practical difference if I run Mad Dogs (or any of my phones for that matter) from my G109-S (2 watts) or some portable like iRiver H320. You might get marginal help in details etc, but you won't suddently turn your phones into slam monsters.
 
 
Where the power does help is EQing. For a 6dB bass boost, obviously you need to play 6dB louder to gain the same mid/high levels. That's already a considerable amount of more power needed if you want to keep your headroom.
 
It's also much safer for your hearing to boost the bass than to rock out natural phones with high volumes. Good luck with your high frequency hearing. 

 
 
Better amps bring more to the table than just power.  You mentioned detail.  You get this by better amps controlling the drivers better and making them do what the music is asking them to to do.  You put any portable I mean any portable up against a fully balanced amp to some there is a night and day difference.  Especially with harder to drive headphones like orthos, having better control over the drivers are nessacary. 
 
People always think better or more powerful amps is all about how loud it can get.  Not the case.  They just do everything better.  Bass is more tight and right.  Soundstage will open up more.  The mids come through better, Vocals are more crisp and clear.  You can't get these things out of a ortho with a portable.

 

[hekeli]

Quote:

 
 
Better amps bring more to the table than just power.  You mentioned detail.  You get this by better amps controlling the drivers better and making them do what the music is asking them to to do.  You put any portable I mean any portable up against a fully balanced amp to some there is a night and day difference.  Especially with harder to drive headphones like orthos, having better control over the drivers are nessacary. 
 
People always think better or more powerful amps is all about how loud it can get.  Not the case.  They just do everything better.  Bass is more tight and right.  Soundstage will open up more.  The mids come through better, Vocals are more crisp and clear.  You can't get these things out of a ortho with a portable.

 
Sorry that I made you explain the standard head-fi voodoo. Let me quote myself again:
 
"won't suddently turn your phones into slam monsters"
 
This was my point and nothing else. If you hear "night and day" differences in other areas, that's fine. But no matter how powerful or expensive amp you get, you don't suddently turn neutral headphones into basshead ones without EQ.
 
edit: Let's just add that I understand someone might be satisfied with Mad Dogs bass as is. There are certainly headphones with less bass available. But I have a hard time imagining some dubstep lover not wanting atleast 3dB boost. 6dB is pretty satisfying already. I have no problem getting to 12dB for the nice subbass energy. It handles fine.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
Sorry that I made you explain the standard head-fi voodoo. Let me quote myself again:
 
"won't suddently turn your phones into slam monsters"
 
This was my point and nothing else. If you hear "night and day" differences in other areas, that's fine. But no matter how powerful or expensive amp you get, you don't suddently turn neutral headphones into basshead ones without EQ.

 
 
O - yea.  True that.
 
However,  Sorry no voodoo here.  Hours upon hours of listing experience here - I can sure tell the difference between a Mad Dog on a portable and a Mad Dog on my B22.  Yes it will turn the Mad Dog into a better headphone with more and better bass.  Not Slam Monsters though.

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

 
 
Better amps bring more to the table than just power.  You mentioned detail.  You get this by better amps controlling the drivers better and making them do what the music is asking them to to do.  You put any portable I mean any portable up against a fully balanced amp to some there is a night and day difference.  Especially with harder to drive headphones like orthos, having better control over the drivers are nessacary. 
 
People always think better or more powerful amps is all about how loud it can get.  Not the case.  They just do everything better.  Bass is more tight and right.  Soundstage will open up more.  The mids come through better, Vocals are more crisp and clear.  You can't get these things out of a ortho with a portable.

 
I'll beg to differ here. I've had a few balanced amp. I put the nfb-6 against the fiio e09 and odac and there was a difference but it was not night and day. Not close. Driving modded fostex t50p's.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
I'll beg to differ here. I've had a few balanced amp. I put the nfb-6 against the fiio e09 and odac and there was a difference but it was not night and day. Not close. Driving modded fostex t50p's.

 
I was referring to my 4 channel fully balanced B22 - and yes - this and a portable NIGHT AND DAY

 

[reddragon]

Even like the best portable? Like rsa sr71b, alo mkr3b, triad audio l3?

 

[paradoxper]

NIGHT and DAY is just a bit much. Sure, you'll have big improvements in bass control, detail retrieval and soundstage.
However it is far from NIGHT and DAY. IMO, you should know better than to throw around the NIGHT and DAY BS.
Very, very little in this hobby is night and day. Unless something is wrong with the gear on one side or another.
 
And to really clarify: I believe an example of this, although not as exaggerated has to be the HE-6 driven by Lyr.
While not portable, still not powerful enough. Comparatively to a speaker amp
The difference are readily apparent across the entire spectrum, The Lyr can drive the HE-6, but it's really
not powerful enough. Not without veiling, etching and smearing the sound. But in NO way is it NIGHT and DAY.
 
And other ortho's this can't and doesn't apply to. You can pit the Mk3 against any headphone amp (fully balanced or se) or speaker amp
and while the LCD-2 or LCD-3 (for example) will sound better on the latter, it's much closer than what you make it out to be.

 

[preproman]

I think we need to clearly define what night and day is.  Also to keep things in it's proper perspectives I'm taking about 1. Orthos, 2. portables. and 3. A fully balanced 4-channel B22 which gives you double of everything, voltage, CURRENT witch the orthos loves, and slew.
 
Night and Day:
Telling the difference from one sound to another sound Immediately.  
 
When I listen the my Mad Dogs on my B22 I get some of the very best sound these headphones can putout (IMHO)  I then put my Mad Dogs on my iPod and I can immediately tell the difference between the two - Hence: Nigh and Day - *Immediate*
 
Now If I go from my B22 to my M^3 - No it's not a night and Day difference.  I have to take some time to tell the difference between the two.
 
Lets use you scenario but alter it a bit.  The HE-6 on a speaker amp is a night and day difference than the HE-6 on a portable.  Same thing applies here. As soon as you switch from one to the other you would be able to tell the difference immediately.  HE-6 on a speaker amp vs. the Lyr you may need some time to tell witch one is witch.  Not *immediate* there for not night and day.
 
I do apologize if you guys can't tell the difference in something like this.  It's really simple.  Do the test your self.  I have.