[BadhairCut]

TLDR Version:
 
I'm enjoying my Creative Fatal1ty MKII gaming headphones more than my CAL's and I'm surprised I wasn't happy with them. Is it that I am more picky than I expected, that I got the wrong headphones for me, or did I possibly get a bad pair?
 
Should I get another pair in the same price range or do you think I need to go higher in my price range?
 
 
Long Version:
 
I have some cheap Yamaha earbuds at work and my Creative Fatal1ty MKII gaming headphones at home. I noticed I really enjoyed my MKII's more than my earbuds, so in my quest to find "good headphones", I learned that there are many preferences when it comes to headphones and one pair doesn't work for everyone in each price range.
 
I needed over the ear headphones under $100 with minimal leakage with a decent low end for listening enjoyment, and from everything I read, the CAL's fit that description. Head-Fi, Innerfidelity, and other sources highly recommended these headphones so it seemed like a no-brainer.
 
Right from the start I was underwhelmed. I don't know what I was expecting, this was my first nice audio purchase, but I expected to be somewhat wowed right from the beginning. When I compared them to my gaming headphones they sounded a little clearer, probably a little less colored, the highs were more prominent, but the mids were a little more recessed.
 
I usually stream music from my phone like pandora, or grooveshark, but I have also tried to test these new headphones with a player where I can adjust the equalizer to get the sound right, and it's still hard for me to definitely say, "yea, these sound much better than my gaming headphones". The bass is especially disappointing. They bass may be more accurate in the CAL's, but they almost feel more bloated and soft and don't sustain as well as my gaming headphones. I am always straining to hear the mids in the CALS as well, no matter how I equalize it. The highs were also a little irritating.
 
So when I return these, do I live with my gaming headphones, or get another pair?
 
I'm interested in the ATH-M50's, but are these just going to be another FOTM, but twice as expensive, and will I ALSO have to buy an amp to power them?
 
I was disappointed with the low end of the CAL's, but I also don't want some basshead xb500's that won't deliver mids and highs. I also need headphones that don't leak sound.
 
I don't think I'm a picky person, but maybe my expectations are too high for a pair of sub $100 headphones. I have listened to them for probably 4 hours now, and I have had them burning in for probably 10 hours, but I think I have given up on the CAL's.
 
 

 

[DaBomb77766]

Well, the CAL aren't known for having thunderous bass.  I think you should just use them exclusively for a few more days and see what you think then.  If you're listening to music, try a better source - higher quality MP3s or HD youtube streams are pretty good.  I doubt you got a "bad" pair though, normally the sound isn't affected by QC issues...

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Difficult to make recommendations when I don't know how those Fatality headsets sounds like, I've seen a person wear them in school though but never got the chance to audition them. Generally it's hard to find what you've looking for under $100 pricerange you want both a bit bassier but also detailed mids and highs.
 
There's one exception which I can bring forth and that's the Panasonic HTF600, for the price it's exceptionally good, it probably has roughly the bass you've looking for but also mids and highs. Then again it doesn't have good isolation, if isolation is important JVC RX700 are better (not excellent but better) but I'd guess you'd find those possibly slightly too weak in the bassresponse. However if you can stretch your budget to $115 M-Audio Q40 would be a nice option, HFI-580 are also almost as cheap and both works ampless but both can benefit by a little amping (even a cheap FiiO E5 would help!), at least Q40 but it does sound good ampless too but bass response gets quite a lot stronger by amping (we're talking roughly Beats By Dre Studio quantity but bass that is MUCH more controlled, textured, <insert any positive thing here> and also great neutral detailed mids & highs.

 

[BadhairCut]

Quote:

However if you can stretch your budget to $115 M-Audio Q40 would be a nice option, HFI-580 are also almost as cheap and both works ampless but both can benefit by a little amping (even a cheap FiiO E5 would help!), at least Q40 but it does sound good ampless too but bass response gets quite a lot stronger by amping (we're talking roughly Beats By Dre Studio quantity but bass that is MUCH more controlled, textured, <insert any positive thing here> and also great neutral detailed mids & highs.

I have been switching back and forth between the two headphones and I do think that the lack of feeling in the bass is bothering me in the CAL's. With my gaming headphones, I can feel the bass, which has a rumble quality to it that the CAL's don't.
 
Maybe I'm a closet basshead, who knows. I do listen to a lot of electronic music like techno and house, but I also appreciate feeling the vibration during the strumming of a bass-line in rock music as well.
 
Thanks for the suggestion.
 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

I have been switching back and forth between the two headphones and I do think that the lack of feeling in the bass is bothering me in the CAL's. With my gaming headphones, I can feel the bass, which has a rumble quality to it that the CAL's don't.
 
Maybe I'm a closet basshead, who knows. I do listen to a lot of electronic music like techno and house, but I also appreciate feeling the vibration during the strumming of a bass-line in rock music as well.
 
Thanks for the suggestion.

Well I'm personally a basshead but I'm also a fan of good quality and I can tell you that you'd have nothing to fear about the bass quantity in Q40 headphones to lower the quality of mids or highs because that's not true, probably the best quantity/punch/impact vs quality bass you'll find sub $200, it's so well separated from mids & highs and frankly I don't find these to be that bassy ampless but then again I'm the person that thinks at least like 7dB boost in bass is needed to sound neutral, otherwise it sounds like there's a lack of bass presence to sound "balanced" to me.
 

 

[Splungeworthy]

Quote:

 
I'm interested in the ATH-M50's, but are these just going to be another FOTM, but twice as expensive, and will I ALSO have to buy an amp to power them?
 
 
 

Yes, you will be impressed out of the box with the M50's, and no, you won't need an amp!
 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

Yes, you will be impressed out of the box with the M50's, and no, you won't need an amp!
 

I think he might find the bass response to be lacking if he wasn't satisfied with CAL, M50 barely has any if at all more bass than the CALs.
 
Here's also some useful FR graphs for CAL:
 

 
Excellent frequency response for the price but yea it's not a huge boost, it's a tiny bit boost but you're probably like me it's not enough to sound sufficient. For comparision here's a graph for Q40 headphones:
 

 
and lastly for M50 (looks to be a little bassier than CALs, better extension but probably won't offer more impact):
 

 

 

[Marximus]

I had the CALs and the HTF600s, and I was more impressed with the Panasonics.  They hit *hard*.  I, like you, found the CALs to have softish wooly bass.

 

[obobskivich]

The CAL is roughly the Denon D1000, and I do recall those lacking something on the bottom end. Try the bigger brother, the D2000, or the Kenwood competitors. Yes it will cost more. To be quite blunt, there does not exist a closed headphone under $200 that I really "like" - all of them have some fatal flaw. Good headphones should be well-damped and not rattle/vibrate on your head though; that isn't a signature of quality. The Denon and Kenwood (and a lot of other headphones) can be made to rattle some, but it's usually under extraordinary circumstances (you wouldn't want to listen to it like that). 
 
The Q40 are probably as good as any you'll find in your price range, otherwise I'd start saving your pennies.