[jaykemp]

could anyone tell me the best sounding and most convenient file format i should be using for listening to music while im out and about with my iPhone and headphones? everything i have is mp3. as i don't want to take up too much file space. some 320kps, some 192.. after a while none of them sound great! there must be a way i can get better quality sound out of my headphones. They are not too crappy. sennheiser hd 25's adidas edition. any thoughts anyone?

 

[billybob_jcv]

If you are listening to 320K MP3, then your issue is not the file format. I suppose it could be the way the file was ripped or a poor quality source recording, but a 320K MP3 has all the information you need to have good sound. Creating a lossless file of a cr@p recording will only get you a cr@p lossless file. In addition, sending the best lossless file into headphones you do not like will not make them sound better. IMHO, the best way to change the sound you hear is to use different headphones. We might be able to help more if you tell us what you like and do not like about the HD25.

 

[jaykemp]

what i like about the hd25's - small size, not restrictive around my neck. light weight. general sound quality i feel is usually ok.  
what i don't like - the bass i sometimes not deep enough or seems absent!  highs can be a piercing sometimes. build quality could be better. 
 
as you mentioned above, "Creating a lossless file of a cr@p recording will only get you a cr@p lossless file" i think this might be the case with some of my music files. especially the older songs that are hard to come by now. 

 

[Head Injury]

  what i like about the hd25's - small size, not restrictive around my neck. light weight. general sound quality i feel is usually ok.  
what i don't like - the bass i sometimes not deep enough or seems absent!  highs can be a piercing sometimes. build quality could be better. 
 
as you mentioned above, "Creating a lossless file of a cr@p recording will only get you a cr@p lossless file" i think this might be the case with some of my music files. especially the older songs that are hard to come by now. 

Different songs are mastered differently. Some are great, most are godawful. There's really nothing to do about it except keep an ear out for the best masters available for an album.
 
In the short term, there's no way you can improve the sound of the files you have. 320 kbps is transparent to lossless for 99.9% of listeners. 192 kbps is transparent to most listeners too! And you won't improve sound quality by taking those lossy files and converting them to a new format either. Your best bet will be to play around with apps, find a good EQ or DSP app that you like, and take the time to try to fix the flaws you find. Or get different headphones, there's lots out there.

 

[grumpybrit]

  what i like about the hd25's - small size, not restrictive around my neck. light weight. general sound quality i feel is usually ok.  
what i don't like - the bass i sometimes not deep enough or seems absent!  highs can be a piercing sometimes. build quality could be better. 
 
as you mentioned above, "Creating a lossless file of a cr@p recording will only get you a cr@p lossless file" i think this might be the case with some of my music files. especially the older songs that are hard to come by now. 

I'm new here so i cant"t offer much advice, but i find this too with some old songs. very difficult to find good quality versions! i prefer listening to older music when i am on the move, but after a while my ears get tired! I hope you find a solution

 

[JK1]

Another factor might be that your player  isn't using a crossfeed circuit. When listening to speakers, both ears hear both speakers, but the speaker further from each ear is very slightly delayed and slightly lower in volume. When a crossfeed circuit is used when wearing headphones, each ear hears both channels, however one channel is with a very slight delay, and a slight reduction in volume. Usually this is very user adjustable.

 

[jaykemp]

  Another factor might be that your player  isn't using a crossfeed circuit. When listening to speakers, both ears hear both speakers, but the speaker further from each ear is very slightly delayed and slightly lower in volume. When a crossfeed circuit is used when wearing headphones, each ear hears both channels, however one channel is with a very slight delay, and a slight reduction in volume. Usually this is very user adjustable.

cross feed circuit? is this something built in to certain headphones?

 

[JK1]

  cross feed circuit? is this something built in to certain headphones?

No, it is in the firmware for some players. For example, Rockbox has it. I use the crossfeed on my $35 Rockboxed Clip+.

 

[jaykemp]

  No, it is in the firmware for some players. For example, Rockbox has it. I use the crossfeed on my $35 Rockboxed Clip+.

aah i see. when im out on the move i usually just listen off my iphone. using the standard player on it. is rockbox something i can use on iphone? sorry for my total lack of knowledge.. but that is why im here after all.. to learn!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  aah i see. when im out on the move i usually just listen off my iphone. using the standard player on it. is rockbox something i can use on iphone? sorry for my total lack of knowledge.. but that is why im here after all.. to learn!

 
It's an alternate firmware, not an app. A wheel iPod for example can boot with both iTunes and Rockbox, but you can't install the latter into an iOS device.

 

[jaykemp]

   
It's an alternate firmware, not an app. A wheel iPod for example can boot with both iTunes and Rockbox, but you can't install the latter into an iOS device.

aah i see.  maybe something i can use with iphone then

 

[billybob_jcv]

I've never used it, but I found this: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/canopener-for-headphones/id690996855?mt=8

 

[thatBeatsguy]

I've never used it, but I found this: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/canopener-for-headphones/id690996855?mt=8

Oh yeah, CanOpener! 
OP, I'm pretty sure @Malfunkt can fill you in on the details.  

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Oh yeah, CanOpener! 
OP, I'm pretty sure @Malfunkt can fill you in on the details.  

 
 
There's also Neutron Music Player on iOS now (originally it was just Android) if you want to use a manual parametric EQ with basically unlimited range of settings on each of its four EQ bands.

 

[Malfunkt]

  Oh yeah, CanOpener! 
OP, I'm pretty sure @Malfunkt can fill you in on the details.  

  could anyone tell me the best sounding and most convenient file format i should be using for listening to music while im out and about with my iPhone and headphones? everything i have is mp3. as i don't want to take up too much file space. some 320kps, some 192.. after a while none of them sound great! there must be a way i can get better quality sound out of my headphones. They are not too crappy. sennheiser hd 25's adidas edition. any thoughts anyone?
 

Well, I have a pair of HD25s. 320kbps CBR or 256 VBR (or even 192 vbr) is very good. For the part i'm using high-quality mp3 or mpeg 4 AAC podcast files. 
 
The HD25 is only going to be able to resolve so much. I love those headphones, and they have a great balance, but when I want higher quality I'm listening to my HD650s. Big difference. Out and about, the file quality is not the issue. My best on-the-go headphone sound is from my MDR-7550s, and for convenience/fun Sony's new XB950BTs. 
 
Cross feed apps can help, for certain genres, especially jazz ensembles or small classical ensembles. I listen to a lot of electronic music, which for the most part doesn't have realistic placement of instruments. For the best sound quality I listen without cross feed to this music on the HD25. 
 
CanOpener is a good app, and I make use of the Pencil EQ for my Xb950BT from time to time. The HD25, I would rarely EQ it. Its a great headphone for pretty much everything. 
 
If  'after a while' your music is not sounding so good, it could be fatigue. Do you listen at loud volumes? The HD25 I use mostly for JD work, and it has a very high SPL that will creep up on you. I find I actually lower my music volume over time when I'm on the go. It helps quite a bit, diminishes ear damage and listening fatigue. Also, something may sound quieter, but then after a few minutes you acclimate and can hear the details.