[cmski29]

This is my first post here, so be gentle

 
I ordered a pair of Sony MDR-XB500's a 2 weeks ago, and they just came in 3 days ago. I heard lots of reviews of how the bass was huge, and there was lots of it, and that it's one of the best bass headphones you can buy. Thing is, mine have very little bass. You can only really feel the bass if you turn the volume up to full blast, and then it starts to hurt your ears because everything else is too loud.
 
So I found an article about modifying them here
http://moneyexpertsteam.blogspot.ca/2012/11/how-to-mod-sony-mdr-xb700-headphones.html
 
and a topic here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/553762/sony-xb-700-mod
 
Would this mod improve the bass in any way? I don't want to take my headphones apart unless I know the outcome of doing it.

Thanks!

 

[PurpleAngel]

What source(s) do you plug the headphones into?

 

[cmski29]

I use my iPod and my laptop, and to be honest, they sound better on my iPod. EQing them to the hip hop setting on my iPod helps a tiny bit, but still not much. Also, I've noticed they're really quiet until about 70% volume.
 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

I use my iPod and my laptop, and to be honest, they sound better on my iPod. EQing them to the hip hop setting on my iPod helps a tiny bit, but still not much. Also, I've noticed they're really quiet until about 70% volume.
 

The XB500s are 24-Ohm, so the low impedance headphone output of the iPod is better for driving 24-Ohm headphones.
Getting a Fiio E10 for use with the laptop, should help with over all sound quality.
Not sure why there is the lack of bass?

 

[lukEM22]

Headphones in general don't produce as much bass as the speakers you're probably used to. When iI first got the xb500s iI was let down, but you get used to it and then over time it will start to sound like a lot of bass.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

You could buy for example a digiZoid ZO2.3, it pairs well with XB500 but I'd recommend sticking to level 2 - 4 bass boost setting out of 32 or so.

 

[BrokeStudent]

Quote:

This is my first post here, so be gentle

 
I ordered a pair of Sony MDR-XB500's a 2 weeks ago, and they just came in 3 days ago. I heard lots of reviews of how the bass was huge, and there was lots of it, and that it's one of the best bass headphones you can buy. Thing is, mine have very little bass. You can only really feel the bass if you turn the volume up to full blast, and then it starts to hurt your ears because everything else is too loud.
 

Thanks!

 
 
What you can do (if you are able to EQ) is turn down all the frequencies you don't like to hear and make a smooth curve to 0db in the bass regions. Then once you turn up the volume, the mids/highs won't be as piercing but it will allow the bass to come through more.

 

[SmOgER]

Yep, EQ the crap out of them. You will be blown away. 

If I can get the bass to the point where it starts to hurt ears on S600's, then you can do pretty much the same on XB500's..
use Radsone or similiar music player, I don't have much experience on iOS anymore, so can't tell you much. 
 
PS. Maybe you've got the fake ones...?

 

[cmski29]

Quote:

Yep, EQ the crap out of them. You will be blown away. 

If I can get the bass to the point where it starts to hurt ears on S600's, then you can do pretty much the same on XB500's..
use Radsone or similiar music player, I don't have much experience on iOS anymore, so can't tell you much. 
 
PS. Maybe you've got the fake ones...?

 


They make fake xb500's? I don't see why anyone would want to lol.
 
I got them from here http://www.toners.ca/Consumer-Electronics/Headphone-Microphone/Sony-MDR-XB500-Extra-Bass-Headphone and they seem to be a reliable website.
 
Also, I have to say that I liked the bass better on the *cough*beats by dre studios*cough*, but that could be because I might a defective pair. Would I be able to get them replaced by sending them back to sony or something by any chance?

 

[MadMolly]

Could be it not the type of bass your looking for.  I preferred the bass on the xb700 because it has more sub bass (slow/rumbly bass).  Like the kind of bass you here at a movie theatre.  I felt the xb500 was better suited for the "thud" kind of bass (mid bass, fast/punchy).
 
But yeah, try EQing everything else but the low end down like BrokeStudent said.  See if that works.
 
Try contacting Sony maybe, ask if that is a credible retailer.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Everything you described has me puzzled. The XB500 is literally so bassy that it's dumb. Something tells me that your pair is defective or something because the mids/treble on the XB500 are so distant and muffled that turning it up to a point where they're "too loud" in that range, would have the bass peeling your skin off and making you deaf. The XB500 makes acoustic music bassy. It's just so crazy bassy. Even a foot tap or a tap on a guitar body in an acoustic session sounds like the Hulk punched a space ship. So the fact that you're not hearing much bass, and you prefer the bass of the Beats... and the really weird fact that you are getting mids/treble so loud you can't stand it on them (is that possible?), makes me again think... you must have a defective pair.
 
Very best,

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

Heya,
 
Everything you described has me puzzled. The XB500 is literally so bassy that it's dumb. Something tells me that your pair is defective or something because the mids/treble on the XB500 are so distant and muffled that turning it up to a point where they're "too loud" in that range, would have the bass peeling your skin off and making you deaf. The XB500 makes acoustic music bassy. It's just so crazy bassy. Even a foot tap or a tap on a guitar body in an acoustic session sounds like the Hulk punched a space ship. So the fact that you're not hearing much bass, and you prefer the bass of the Beats... and the really weird fact that you are getting mids/treble so loud you can't stand it on them (is that possible?), makes me again think... you must have a defective pair.
 
Very best,

 
LOL, yep I agree about everything said here xD

 

[NA Blur]

I am guessing your XB-500 are fakes.  You should hear a ton of bass from them no question.
 
Take a look at the charts from the link below;
 
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=1153&graphID[]=3241
 
See how the XB is +15 dB above the HE-500 from 20Hz to 120Hz?  That is serious bass emphasis.  If you do not hear it then there is something wrong with your set.  My guess is that they came from China and are fakes.
 
The place you got them from has a 1-year warranty.  I would say get a refund if you can and buy them from a reputable dealer.
 
Some people prefer the Sony MRD-V6 over the XB-500 so you may want to go that route if you want more control on the low end rather than huge amounts of bass.

 

[cmski29]

Quote:

I am guessing your XB-500 are fakes.  You should hear a ton of bass from them no question.
 
Take a look at the charts from the link below;
 
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=1153&graphID[]=3241
 
See how the XB is +15 dB above the HE-500 from 20Hz to 120Hz?  That is serious bass emphasis.  If you do not hear it then there is something wrong with your set.  My guess is that they came from China and are fakes.
 
The place you got them from has a 1-year warranty.  I would say get a refund if you can and buy them from a reputable dealer.
 
Some people prefer the Sony MRD-V6 over the XB-500 so you may want to go that route if you want more control on the low end rather than huge amounts of bass.

IF they are fakes, how would I go about finding out if they are fake? Is there any indicators in terms of the design?
 
Although I don't think they are actual fakes, more so they are just defective. I'll try to replace them as soon as I get the chance I guess. What other headphones would you guys recommend that are just as/more bassy than the XB500's and that are in the $60-70 price range, if there are any?

 

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