[impoeticpoet]

just wondering:

I have these mdr-v6's and they sound great. However, they sound rather "cold" and "dead" sometimes, especially when I plug them into my sb live output jack (I don't have the money to invest in a new soundcard); they just sound so lifeless. just wondering if it was typical.

also, when i use winamp, i use the equalizer setting to "full bass/treble" so it doesn't sound so dead. Is that ok? I mainly listen to mp3's; therefore, I didn't want to buy a pair of cans that were "too" good. Mainly Linkin Park and Blink-182 -esque music.

Thanx

 

[dhwilkin]

They can sound that way, depending on the source and recording. I've heard that WinAmp's built-in EQ is not very good, and ends up hurting the sound quality. I'm a bit surprised you're upping the treble and bass, those are usually the areas it's detractors claim are too high to begin w/, it's the mid-range that may be cold. I think Joe Bloggs (resident EQ fan) knows of a better EQ for it. Also, you might be hearing the mp3 limitations, if they're encoded at < 192k or a bad encoder.

Actually, the V6 are studio monitors, so they were meant to be good at exposing flaws. You could always try some other headphones. Cheapest would be the value-leader Koss KSC-35. Next would probably be the Senn 280 and Beyer 250-80.

 

[discoman]

I felt the same way when I got my V6 a year ago. Under $100, give Grado SR-80 a try.

 

[delenda est Sony]

Unfortunately Imp, if you dislike the V6 sound for your music, (which it sounds like) a new sound card, more power, or different WinAmp settings will not help.

Try the Grado SR series. 80s might help for $80-95 or so, but I prefer the SR60s---cheaper at roughly $60-65 and bass is less uncontrolled than on the 80s. The 125s are best of all the sub $200 Grados, but go for $125-$150. The Grado is the liveliest headphone for pop/rock, but its sound is controversial. It is the complete opposite of the V6 though which may be what you need for happiness.