[Sound Quest]

Ok, so I know the bass response on open-back headphones will never be as heavy as the bass response that can be achieved with closed back.
 
To be honest, i'm not looking for heavy bass. It's just that with most open-back headphones i've tried, i've been left a little disappointed with the low end. Yes, they're generally more clear and honest sounding, but I find that they lack a bit of fun.
 
I'm looking for an open-back headphone that provides a bit of oomph, but without sacrificing too much clarity.
 
I just want an open-back headphone with a little more emphasis on the mid-bass.

 

[chrislangley4253]

Sennheiser HD650

 

[Sound Quest]

Quote:

Sennheiser HD650

 
Thanks for the recommendation.
 
But i'm looking for something that won't cost 1000's of dollars in order to get the best out of them.
 
The 650's are very demanding headphones from what i've heard.

 

[soundeffect]

Hey just keep in mind that most people who first go into this site sought after heavy bass then they adjust (some can't). With open headphone you got to be flexible and give up a little bit of bass and gain other quality. Give your ears a little bit of time to adjust and focus on other quality it offers.

With that being said:

Look into either the he400 or beyer dynamic dt990 250 ohms pretty good bass

If these don't do it for you you might want to look into closed

 

[Sound Quest]

Thanks for the response. I've given some open-back headphones a fair chance. I tested them while they were already broken in. And although I can appreciate the clarity that they can offer, I just can't agree with the low end.
 
As I say, i'm not looking for thick over baring bass. I'm just looking for an open back pair of headphones that offer a bit more kick, but can still deliver the goods in the mids and highs.
 
I'm not interested in closed back. They're just not capable of replicating the soundstage of open-end cans.
 
I find that if the headphone doesn't offer me adequate low end, the highs cause me far too much fatigue. (Usually because I have to crank the volume up to get any sort of kick)

 

[soundeffect]

That's why you see so many people looking for that holy grail. You will find that you can't get everything you want exactly, really close yes, but you have to fork some money and even then it's not garantee'd. People don't spend thousands of dollar for no reason.

The dt990 I recommended might be bright.

If you do decided to go closed try looking into getting a used Denon d2000 they are harder to come around as they are discontinued but they do pop up on the for sale forum. They have good soundstage for a closed headphone and the bass is good on those.

 

[Sound Quest]

Quote:

That's why you see so many people looking for that holy grail. You will find that you can't get everything you want exactly, really close yes, but you have to fork some money and even then it's not garantee'd. People don't spend thousands of dollar for no reason.

The dt990 I recommended might be bright.

If you do decided to go closed try looking into getting a used Denon d2000 they are harder to come around as they are discontinued but they do pop up on the for sale forum. They have good soundstage for a closed headphone and the bass is good on those.

 
Although Denon can create fantastic sounding closed back headphones, their quality control concerns me. Apparently most Denon models aren't very durable.

 

[soundeffect]

Had mine since 2010, no problem. Depends on how you handle your gears.

 

[In Over My Head]

Quote:

Had mine since 2010, no problem. Depends on how you handle your gears.

+1
 
I strongly recommend auditioning LCD-2

 

[chrislangley4253]

Quote:

 
Thanks for the recommendation.
 
But i'm looking for something that won't cost 1000's of dollars in order to get the best out of them.
 
The 650's are very demanding headphones from what i've heard.

You heard entirely wrong. They are fairly easy to drive. My preferred amp is the Objective 2 because it gives me oodles of overhead, but something from Fiio will drive the Sennheisers just fine. I like the E17.

 

[baconbriefs]

The Superlux HD681 EVO has some nice mid-bass and slightly rolled-off highs.
 
It also costs <$50.

 

[djevoultion]

If you give us a list of the open back headphones you have auditioned it would make it easier to point you in the right direction. 
 
Cheers

 

[TMRaven]

What's your past experience with open headphones?  That way we can get a good idea if you're chasing an impossible dream or not.  From my experience the open headphone with the most mid-bass is the DT990.

 

[Mani ATH 87]

Quote:

You heard entirely wrong. They are fairly easy to drive. My preferred amp is the Objective 2 because it gives me oodles of overhead, but something from Fiio will drive the Sennheisers just fine. I like the E17.

I kind of disagree with this. hd 650's can be driven with cheaper amps, but more expensive amps pair better with them. This was the reason I didn't bother going for a 600 or 650, I didn't want to spend the additional money to really drive them.

OP, what kind of budget are you looking at exactly?

HE-400's have great bass for an open headphone. Going up in price the HE-500's are also great, and continuing to increase price LCD-2's as well.

Audio Technica ad900x is a nice balanced headphones. Not basshead level, but the bass is present.

Ultrasone pro 2900
beyer dt990

There are many options at many price points

 

[imackler]

Its a weird world where we don't buy a good product because it can't be as good as it could be. Imagine not buying engagement rings because you couldn't afford the best diamond or a home because you couldn't make the biggest improvement. I think the HD650 has great bass, lots of it and if you're into that kind of thing, someone could be very happy w/ the HD650 and E09K. IMO, don't let perfect be the enemy of really, really good.