[ahunatu]

I agree with your assessment of so called "flat" headphones not correctly portraying the music. Whenever I listen to speakers the bass is pretty huge. The problem with many warm/dark headphones is the bass dominates the treble too much. 
 
My favorite headphones for a while now are the JVC S500. I wish I could find something with that frequency response but much better resolution. Most people call it bassy but to me it's balanced. SZ2000 seems like the perfect fit but it's so overpriced and I doubt it would be a huge step up in resolution. 
 
I did like the M50x but I keep going back to the cheap S500 because it seemed to have the right amount of treble. The M50x's treble was definitely tamed from the previous M50's and overall it's a fuller sound but the old M50's had a better treble imo. 

 

[Zukaka]

I have exactly same bad feeling about these headphones. I am going to return these headphones. It's good I find somebody else to have the same opinion.
 
I don't know why some people here and on youtube say how neutral response these headphones have. If you hear less bass that still does not mean it has flat output. If it had flat output then why I cannot get any deep bass out of it even if I increase bass input a lot? I own many headphones and drive them with FiiO E11. Some of them are bass shy, but if you input more amount of bass then they shine. But These ones simply refuse to play bass which tells me they are not neutral sounding at all beacuse neutral means when output is similar to input.
 
Oh yeah, and those extra bigger cushions that they include, don't even bother yourself to try them. They reduce the non-existent bass even more.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I have exactly same bad feeling about these headphones. I am going to return these headphones. It's good I find somebody else to have the same opinion.
 
I don't know why some people here and on youtube say how neutral response these headphones have. If you hear less bass that still does not mean it has flat output. If it had flat output then why I cannot get any deep bass out of it even if I increase bass input a lot? I own many headphones and drive them with FiiO E11. Some of them are bass shy, but if you input more amount of bass then they shine. But These ones simply refuse to play bass which tells me they are not neutral sounding at all beacuse neutral means when output is similar to input.
 
Oh yeah, and those extra bigger cushions that they include, don't even bother yourself to try them. They reduce the non-existent bass even more.

 
I just talked to Brian at NVX on the phone. He told me that the headphones should have a good amount of bass and that mine are probably defective. He even offered to personally test a new pair to make sure it was working properly, then send it to me for free! In the meantime, I'm sending the old pair back to him to be examined, and he's covering the shipping for that too! So at the least, I am impressed by the dedication the company has to their customers.

 

[Zukaka]

I doubt that can be the reason. Because if so then more likely only one can would be defective. How can both of them be the same bad?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I doubt that can be the reason. Because if so then more likely only one can would be defective. How can both of them be the same bad?

 
It's possible that both are defective, but also possible that neither are.
 
I'll wait until I receive the new one that he is personally testing to make sure it's working properly.

 

[keanex]

Shrill is not how I've ever heard anyone describe a working pair.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Shrill is not how I've ever heard anyone describe a working pair.

 
I will receive the new tested pair on Friday. Here's hoping it's better than the old unit!
 
Edit: Looks like I won't receive it until the 27th...

 

[Music Alchemist]

Just received the replacement unit. Sounds the same as the other one. My old unit was not defective either.
 
No offense, but anyone who thinks these sound neutral or accurate has no idea what music is supposed to sound like. Music is not supposed to sound thin, tinny, and artificial. Even my cheap USB speakers sound more linear and accurate, despite the fact that they have even less bass. I suppose they're decent headphones for some people, but nowhere near good enough to my standards, and certainly not worth my $100 when I hardly enjoy them.

 

[keanex]

I mean no offense, but since your used to Bose I take your opinions as someone who's eating fine food after having a life of eating junk food. I guess warm and bassy is more accurate to you but the graphs prove you wrong. I guess I'll be straightforward if you want to be crass.

 

[Brooko]

Hi Music Alchemist
 
Sorry - I only just saw this thread now.
 
My 2 cents.
 

• In my first review of the original HM5, I was very surprised by how neutral they were, and how close sounding they were to my HD600 at the time - a little leaner to be sure, but it is what I heard, and evidently was similar to many of the reviews at the time.  Remember - this was 3 years ago.
   
• In my latest follow up review (http://www.head-fi.org/t/748855/review-revisiting-the-brainwavz-hm5-a-retrospective-plus-bonus-look-at-pad-and-cup-options), I raised the point that the bass was a lot lighter than what I remembered.  I'll quote from the summary:
   

  HM5 - SUMMARY

  This may yet be the longest overall review I’ve written, but even for a budget headphone, it has been totally worth doing. I’d forgotten how good the HM5 actually sounds, and what surprised me this time was the new knowledge that they actually sound less like my HD600 and more like my T1 tonally.
   
  The HM5 gives a stunningly clear and vivid presentation which overall is well balanced, if just a little bass light to be truly neutral. It is very well built, extremely comfortable, and has good options for pad and cup changes (hopefully more coming in the future). It also responds extremely well to EQ.
   
  On the value stakes, I’ve seen the HM5 go for as little as $90 (MP4Nation NY special), but even at its current retail price of $130-140 (considering the accessories Brainwavz bundles with it) I consider it very good value – and would have no reservations recommending it to someone with similar tastes to mine.
   
  The HM5 could suit:
  People who like a neutral to brighter presentation, and value clarity and instrument separation
  People who look for a lot of contrast and detail
  People who also are willing to EQ the bass slightly to meet their preferred signature People who like modding and looking for a headphone with plenty of options  
  The HM5 probably will not suit anyone who:
  Looks for a lot of warmth and bass impact
  Is treble sensitive
  Does not like a brighter headphone

  
  
  I can understand what you're saying - and I do think that maybe something has changed in their manufacture over the last 3 years.
   
• I think you also need to take your own bias / preference into account.  This is the reason I always state mine before every review I write.  I know that my "reference point" for my preferences is a lot more neutral (and likely tending toward the brighter side) than most.  I tend to think that yours may be actually tending more toward a warmer signature.  Nothing wrong with that - you just need to be honest about what you personally look for, and then find a reviewer who thinks the same way.  Then it's pretty easy to ID appropriate cans you'd like.
  
  I'll show you what I mean.  You have in your profile the QC15 and LP2.  The DT880 is one of the most neutral cans I've owned.  Here is their frequency response compared:
  
  
  
  Notice the bass response difference. If you are used to elevated bass (and it appears you are), then anything that is actually neutral is going to sound bass light to you.
   
• There is a difference between neutral (flat) and natural.  People often confuse the two. Again the DT880 or SRH1840 are arguably very neutral headphones.  They don't really accentuate any frequencies.  David Solomon in his epic flagship comparison described both as neutral as well - in fact the SRH1840 was described as the most neutral can in the entire comparison. People find it bass light though.  That's because in the "real world" a slight mid-bass hump is what most of us find more natural sounding.
  
  I've seen a lot of people argue about which is the most neutral between the HD600 and DT880.  Often they're debating two different things.  The DT880 is unquestionably more neutral.  But the HD600 sound more natural / life-like.  The difference is in the bass presentation.

 
For you personally - assuming you're looking for a closed over ear headphone - I'd suggest probably first port of call might be a Sennheiser Momentum over ear.  Or a cheaper one if you can still find them might be a UE6000.
 
Hope this helps.

 

[Music Alchemist]

I mean no offense, but since your used to Bose I take your opinions as someone who's eating fine food after having a life of eating junk food. I guess warm and bassy is more accurate to you but the graphs prove you wrong. I guess I'll be straightforward if you want to be crass.

 
I never said warm and bassy is more accurate to me. But I know what real music sounds like. I have heard it countless times in real life, on many headphones (not just warm and bassy ones), speakers, music studios, concerts, the list goes on. Sorry, the XPT100 sounds awful to me. And frequency response is only the beginning of its problems.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  There is a difference between neutral (flat) and natural.  People often confuse the two.

 
I strongly suspect that many headphones with a frequency response that is technically close to neutral are not reproducing the audio anywhere close to as it is heard in real life. Perhaps my hearing itself is not neutral as well. @Head Injury made an argument about truly neutral headphones being the ones that are thought of as warmer and darker. I don't claim to know; all I know for certain is that these headphones do not sound accurate to me - not even close.

 

[Music Alchemist]

You have in your profile the QC15 and LP2.

 
The LP has far too much bass, and the QC15 was pretty boosted in the bass as well. I am not a basshead; I just want the amount of bass that is in the recording.
 
It's not like boosting the bass would make the XPT100 sound good to me. I already tried that.
 
Also notice my previous comment:
 

Even my cheap USB speakers sound more linear and accurate, despite the fact that they have even less bass.

 

[keanex]

   
I never said warm and bassy is more accurate to me. But I know what real music sounds like. I have heard it countless times in real life, on many headphones (not just warm and bassy ones), speakers, music studios, concerts, the list goes on. Sorry, the XPT100 sounds awful to me. And frequency response is only the beginning of its problems.

 
And most live music is overly bassy because that's what people want. I've heard the QC15 and sure it's more similar to boomy sound systems and poor sound the sound guys mix at shows, that doesn't mean it's better. If you're eating at McDonalds often you can't expect a good burger to suit your palate, especially when the cost isn't near the same.
 
I'm 99% sure you like music bassily reproduced. I say this because I see shows many times a month in many venues in Philly. The sound is not even close to being comparable to what a decent headphone will sound with a CD recording. You definitely prefer bassy headphones and you're associating that as natural, but that's not natural. The venue's engineer is not only adding his preference to the mix, but considering the crowds preference. 

 

[keanex]

   
The LP has far too much bass, and the QC15 was pretty boosted in the bass as well. I am not a basshead; I just want the amount of bass that is in the recording.
 
It's not like boosting the bass would make the XPT100 sound good to me. I already tried that.
 
Also notice my previous comment:
 

 
You say that you don't like bass heavy headphones yet the graphs show that they are not even close to linear.