[FreedomG]

I've done research, been looking around and I mostly see Matrix M-Stage.
 
Right now I'm using an Asus Xonar DG, I just want to find something in the 100 dollar range that will bring out the bass in the Q701's.
 
I hear some people say the E10, but will it bring out the bass? Will the M-Stage bring it out more? Any comments are helpful, thank you.

 

[theeyealtering]

2 things...

1st - The Q701 isn't an especially bassy headphone. You might want to make sure you aren't chasing a sound from it that it won't provide.

2nd - I personally wouldn't run a Q701 off an E10. It will sound better than your sound card, but it still won't sound right. IMO the Q701 sounds weird without a decent amp. Sibilant, lacklustre, it's no good. Maybe you could compensate by using bass boost or something, but now you're just moving further away from the kind of neutrality the Q701 is aiming at.
You mentioned Matrix M-Stage, that's a great choice. It wont turn them into a bassy headphone, but it will make them sound clearer, more spacious and the bass will be punchier.

 

[FreedomG]

It's just on most songs the bass is non existent, I listen to lots of types of music. But my 240's have more bass than my 701's.. I love clarity, that's why I got them. But there are clear songs that have deep rolling lows and I love hearing that. So you really think I should just wait and save up for an M-Stage? I mean before I drop the 300 on it, I really want to know how much it will help compared to my 150 ohm sound card.

 

[mikeaj]

EQ to correct a lack of bass won't fix everything by any means, but quite arguably that's a shift towards greater neutrality, not that that's necessarily the goal to have.  
 
You pretty much want different headphones or possibly EQ.  A better amp (any price) will improve things, but it probably won't change the frequency response or anything significantly enough to change your mind about the setup's bass.

 

[jackwess]

Quote:

 
You pretty much want different headphones or possibly EQ. 

 
Yeah, probably they are not your cup of tea and you need more bassy headphones. The "Q" versions do fine with bass, but you can't go far if you want to play bass heavy songs. 

 

[wilky61]

I dunno... I used my Q701 with an E17 for about a month. I typically had the bass boost set to either +4 dB or +6 dB (e.g., 70s rock, jazz, funk, etc.), but I eventually realized that most of my hip-hop sounded better at +0 dB... It was as though the inherently bassy music didn't need any bass boost and as though the Q701 reproduced it fine as it were.
 
 
Quote:

 
Yeah, probably they are not your cup of tea and you need more bassy headphones. The "Q" versions do fine with bass, but you can't go far if you want to play bass heavy songs. 

 

[FreedomG]

Thanks for the reply guys, but you got me all wrong. It's not about bass heavy songs. If I'm not playing a flac song I literally cannot hear bass.. Regardless can someone tell me what a decent amp will do for me? Just raise volume or will I see real improve in soundstage and sound? Also any recommendations will grab my attention right now.

 

[PurpleAngel]

The Fiio E11 plugged into the Q701 might do the job for you.
Even better, you might find a used O2 (Objective 2) headphone amplifier for around $100.
A hybrid tube amplifier like the Little Dot 1 + Hybrid, might also work.
There are several threads on Head-Fi were all they talk about is amping the Q701,
just do a search for "amping the Q701" on Head-Fi.

 

[FreedomG]

I did, I did.. I just wanted to know if one or the other might make it punchier, besides that.. Umm, can you tell me what your cans do for you pre-amp/post-amp?

 

[FreedomG]

Sorry, I don't have the most knowledge in this department and I misread what you said. But one last question, I'll be on my computer and only my computer when I use these.. Should I get the STX or the E11 in your opinion? 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Sorry, I don't have the most knowledge in this department and I misread what you said. But one last question, I'll be on my computer and only my computer when I use these.. Should I get the STX or the E11 in your opinion? 

 
The STX comes with a fairly good DAC (Digital to Analog Converter), way better then the Xonar DG's
The STX has 7.1 surround sound, the DG is only 5.1
Because of the STX's impedance of 10-Ohms, it's best for headphones that are 100-Ohms or higher.
The Q701 is 55-Ohms
The E11 has a much lower impedance, which is a positive for driving 55-Ohm headphones, over the STX.
the E11 runs off a rechargable battery, the STX gets it's power from the computer's power supply.
I personally would get the STX, I plug 50-Ohm headphones into it and they sound fine.
At least with the STX, you can replace the 3 current op-amps (operational amplifiers)
with op-amps that increase the bass.
 
You can sell off your current Xonar DG for a few dollers.
Check eBay, sometimes there are good prices for a used STX.

 

[FreedomG]

You've been so helpful, okay so last thing is do you think if I go with the FiiO I should go with the E11 or E10, I literally never take it out of this room. Not once has it left my desk in over 6 months.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

You've been so helpful, okay so last thing is do you think if I go with the FiiO I should go with the E11 or E10, I literally never take it out of this room. Not once has it left my desk in over 6 months.

The E11 does not have a DAC, the E10 does.
The E11 is considered the better amp over the E10
For use with the Xonar DG, get the E11.

 

[FreedomG]

I really don't want to deal with batteries though o.O Or is not that bad? I mean I'm using these for hours a day, sometimes 10 hours a day.. It's summer and I get my gaming on, so do you think I should still go with it?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

I really don't want to deal with batteries though o.O Or is not that bad? I mean I'm using these for hours a day, sometimes 10 hours a day.. It's summer and I get my gaming on, so do you think I should still go with it?

For $12 (or more), you can get a battery recharger and two spare batteries,
The ones sold from China may not last as long as they are labeled (mA), but the prices are so cheaper it does not matter.
The E11 ships with a 800mA rated battery, so get generic China batteries rated for 1200mA or 1500mA or higher.