[Zurgace]

If you guys remember my first thread, I did end up buying the Grado SR225i. The Grado SR225i is nearly perfect for me; I cannot get enough of the mids and the highs from them. The bass is lacking though. 
 
The reason I am looking for open-back headphones with plenty of bass is because I used to become fatigued quickly whenever I put on the Sony MDR XB700. Open-back headphones, when looking back at my experience, have much better mids than a closed back. Headphones with large amounts of bass usually come from closed-back headphones though. 
 
The main point is this: Are there headphones with huge amounts of bass with an open-back setup? I mean "huge amounts of bass" as in bass like the XB700 (The deep and impactful part). This headphone will deal with Hip-hop, Pop, Techno, Dubstep, and any other bass heavy music out there. My price range is around $250. I will power it with a e9 and e7 combo. 

 

[mcgsxr]

I am pretty bass driven myself, I recently sold off Beyer DT770's to get into Grados.
 
I have both the sr60i, and the Alessandro MS1i.
 
I have performed some of the mods detailed in the long threads by Bilavideo and others to my sr60i's, and I am closing in on enough bass, along with the stated positives of open phones.
 
In fact, when I use my Grado's with my Millett Hybrid Max amp, I am darn near there for bass.
 
What amp are you using?

 

[Yoga Flame]

Beyer DT990 is an open design known for its strong bass.
 
Sennheiser HD650 also has good bass. Probably less than the XB700 but it can be boosted with EQ. Not all headphones can be EQed like that.
 
You can also do Bilavideo's Grado mod on your SR225 to increase its bass. It involves opening up the headphones and punching holes in the back of the driver. The more holes punched, the more bass is unleashed. It's documented in the SR-60 mod thread.

 

[Zurgace]

Quote:

I am pretty bass driven myself, I recently sold off Beyer DT770's to get into Grados.
 
I have both the sr60i, and the Alessandro MS1i.
 
I have performed some of the mods detailed in the long threads by Bilavideo and others to my sr60i's, and I am closing in on enough bass, along with the stated positives of open phones.
 
In fact, when I use my Grado's with my Millett Hybrid Max amp, I am darn near there for bass.
 
What amp are you using?

I am using a Fiio e9 Amp and e7 DAC combo.
 


Quote:

Beyer DT990 is an open design known for its strong bass.
 
Sennheiser HD650 also has good bass. Probably less than the XB700 but it can be boosted with EQ. Not all headphones can be EQed like that.
 
You can also do Bilavideo's Grado mod on your SR225 to increase its bass. It involves opening up the headphones and punching holes in the back of the driver. The more holes punched, the more bass is unleashed. It's documented in the SR-60 mod thread.

But I like my Grados exactly how they are. I was looking up the DT990 600 ohms version. I felt that it would be a strong candidate. I am uncertain about the HD650 though. Sennheiser's sound might not be my style, because I enjoy the Grados' highs and mids, which are, according to reviewers, forward and "in-your-face". Sennheiser was supposed to be more laid back.
 
Edit- Also, are the DT990 600ohm great for bass heavy material like Techno, Hip-hop, Pop, Dubstep, etc? What about the HD650s?

 

[sling5s]

Easy way to increase bass and impact in the sr225i is too do the tape mod (take black electrical tape or even scotch tape around the bowl pads).
or get flats if you're not using them.

 

[Zurgace]

Quote:

Easy way to increase bass and impact in the sr225i is too do the tape mod (take black electrical tape or even scotch tape around the bowl pads).
or get flats if you're not using them.

Like I stated in the last post, Are these headphones great for Techno, Hip-hop, and Dubstep? I'm looking for headphones that hit the specifications of: Open-back, large amounts of bass, and great for Techno, Hip-hop, and Dubstep. 
 
I really do not want to modify my current sr225i. They are perfect as they are. I use them for Rock, which is a large part of my music repertoire. I just need another pair of headphones that can cover the other niches of my music library.

 

[Alu]

Quote:

I am using a Fiio e9 Amp and e7 DAC combo.
 

But I like my Grados exactly how they are. I was looking up the DT990 600 ohms version. I felt that it would be a strong candidate. I am uncertain about the HD650 though. Sennheiser's sound might not be my style, because I enjoy the Grados' highs and mids, which are, according to reviewers, forward and "in-your-face". Sennheiser was supposed to be more laid back.
 
Edit- Also, are the DT990 600ohm great for bass heavy material like Techno, Hip-hop, Pop, Dubstep, etc? What about the HD650s?

I have to say that I absolutely love the HD650 with Electronic music (f.i. Daft Punk, Shpongle, Infected Mushroom). They produce a really nice bass that is more than satisfying with that kind of music. I was actually taken aback by the quality and quantity of the impact they have, as I really didn't expect them to be that intense down there. That's what she said. This is on the setup in my signature.
People do tend to say that they are laid back, I find that not to be the case specifically with that kind of music. Rock, yea, I definitely heard more fun cans with guitar-heavy tunes. Never heard a Grado other than the HF-1 either, planning to change that in the far away future.
 
And here's a testament to their performance: I was actually never that much into Electronica, but the Senns changed that. Reaching for the Shpongle albums much more often than usual as of lately.
 
You could potentially look into the HD600, which was very different from my 650 when I experienced them. Not as laid back, definitely not as "warm"-sounding, which is not a bad thing of course. I didn't listen to any Electronic music though, so I can't compare in that regard. I only used orchestral tunes while auditioning them, and I preferred the sound and openness of the 650.

 

[acidbasement]

If you have the opportunity to A/B compare them, I'd suggest getting either the HD600 or HD650, the latter of which has a bit bassier signature.

 

[Zurgace]

=853&graphID[]=2241&graphID[]=1193]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=853&graphID[]=2241&graphID[]=1193
 
that is a graph of the frequencies for the DT990 600 ohm, HD650, and the XB700. Neither the DT990 nor the HD650 come close when it comes to bass, but the DT990 has a bit more on the low end. I know that I shouldn't base my entire opinion on these graphs, but I am worried that if I end up with the DT990 or the HD650, it would not give me that head-rumbling bass the XB700 gave. In fact, are there any headphones that come close to or exceed the XB700 in bass and still have great mids and highs?

 

[wind016]

Quote:

=853&graphID[]=2241&graphID[]=1193]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=853&graphID[]=2241&graphID[]=1193
 
that is a graph of the frequencies for the DT990 600 ohm, HD650, and the XB700. Neither the DT990 nor the HD650 come close when it comes to bass, but the DT990 has a bit more on the low end. I know that I shouldn't base my entire opinion on these graphs, but I am worried that if I end up with the DT990 or the HD650, it would not give me that head-rumbling bass the XB700 gave. In fact, are there any headphones that come close to or exceed the XB700 in bass and still have great mids and highs?

Absolutely none of them will give you the head rumbling bass of the XB700. The XB700 is one of the bassiest headphones for even closed headphones. Open headphones just won't do it so let your hopes up.

 

[Zurgace]

I was afraid of that. But is there an open headphone that comes close? How many open headphones out there that have a decent bass for a basshead. From scouring the forums, I see the HD650 and the DT990 come up. Are there any more?

 

[ssavage]

Maybe just get either and when the bass is supposed to hit then thump the side of the phone with your palm? lolol

 

[wind016]

Quote:

Maybe just get either and when the bass is supposed to hit then thump the side of the phone with your palm? lolol

MUAHAHA
 
 
I don't think any open headphones will come close and I've heard a lot. If you want maximum bass impact, closed is the only option. Beyers are kind of bassy, but it's not even close to the XB700...

 

[Graphicism]

FWIW I haven't found a better headphone for Dubstep / D&B than the Sony XB500, if you're looking for more detail (which the XB lacks) then you will have to loose some of that flabby bass. The Grado SR325i are the bassy Grados, again like any grado they are still geared towards rock in that they're treble forward. DT990 as mentioned is the so-called bassy open Beyerdynamic and worth a try. I'm not sure the Fiio amp would handle the 600 Ohm variants, regardless for brighter headphones like the DT990 and SR325i I would suggest going with a tube amp.

 

[shamrock134]

I'm heavily into DnB and Dubstep and the only cans that come close to satisfying me are the XB700s, Ultrasone Pro900 and to a slightly lesser extent D7000s.
 
I've not tried the HD650 or DT990, but I can safely say the HD600 will not provide enough bass.