[RPGWiZaRD]

If you get the chance to use your iPod at bestbuy as the source powering the XB500 then I'd suggest trying beforehand trying to make a curve like the one I posted here previously using EQu to get to hear the full potential of XB500 as far as sound quality goes too.

 

[john unc]

Quote:

If you get the chance to use your iPod at bestbuy as the source powering the XB500 then I'd suggest trying beforehand trying to make a curve like the one I posted here previously using EQu to get to hear the full potential of XB500 as far as sound quality goes too.

Hey RPG,
 
Well, I DID get over to Best Buy but I didn't see your post in time and just didn't think to go ahead with EQu before trying them out.  I took my iPod inside though and plugged them up...man, they're really powerful!!!!  I was quite impressed, esp. considering that I tried out the top-end Beats pair that they had and the XB500 rivaled them pretty well.
 
I could see what you were saying about the bass splashing into the mids a bit, but you're right, I think that using EQu and boosting up some of the higher frequencies will make the XB500 a great pair suitable for my needs!  They're pretty freaking comfortable too, and not too bulky.  I've heard that the XB700s are just outrageously massive.  I was also really impressed with how well the XB500 isolated the sound (as I will likely want to listen in quiet environments at times).  Granted, it's loud in Best Buy, but my brother had to put his ear against the headphone in order to hear anything leaking out.
 
I won't be rushing to make a purchase as I still need to actually return my Senn HD 428s to Amazon, but feel free to let me know if you have any other suggestions.  Overall though, your recommendation for the XB500 proved to be a solid one!  Thanks a lot!
 

 

[john unc]

Hey Graphic/RPG/others!
 
I have a question related to frequency/impedance.  First, I'd like to reiterate that I'm listening primarily to an iPod.  Here are some of the tech. specs for the iPod and the Sony XB500s:
 
iPod...
 
Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz
Impedance: 32 ohms (I think, but the Apple site isn't clear on this)
 
Sony XB500...
 
Frequency Response: 4 Hz - 24,000 Hz
Impedance: 40 ohms
 
Here are my questions, I guess:
 
(1) Since I'm listening to an iPod, how much do these specs matter?
(2) Will the iPod power the XB500s well?  How would the performance of the XB500 compare to the XB700 which has an impedance of 20 ohms?
(3) What other info do you guys think would be useful to know about frequency response, and esp., about impedance?  At what point is an AMP necessary?
 
I'd also like to mention that I looked extensively at impedance-related forums but I just couldn't find anything specific and definitive!  Hoped you guys might have some insights

 
Thanks a lot!
 
Best,
 
John

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

1. Not much at all. Manufacturer specs are often proven to not reflect real world experience. Reviews/feedback > specs. When you talk about this topic I can't help but bring forward the word "synergy" though. Some equipment just functions better together than others, may it be the source/dac or amp or whatever. For example my AKG K518 DJs sound horrible out of my Audigy 2 ZS soundcard with no soundstage or positional cues etc heard while from my TV they sound much much better with wide soundstage and better overall quality with really realistic sounding bass etc besides the greater soundstage too.
 
2. XB500 is among the very easiest driven bassy headphones around, it's actually significantly easier driven than big brother XB700 despite XB700 is 24 ohm. XB700 improves quite a lot by amping while XB500 barely anything at all or possibly could even get worse if you use a cheap amp that brings even more warmth which many lower cost amps do which will lead to even more smooth sound and loss of fine details. (both FiiO E5 and Gary's PA2V2 made XB500 sound worse than ampless for me)
 
3. Even 24/32 ohm headphones sometimes benefits a lot from amping such as Denon D2000, Beyer DT770 premium, XB1000. But most of the time around 80~100 ohms starts usually be a good indication of that amping starts becoming necessary and 250/300/600 ohm will sound really bad and quiet without amping. Read tests/reviews though!

 

[john unc]

Quote:

I have owned M50 but I sold them quite quickly due to lack of bass for my taste but yea I'm a basshead. The bass is in IMO only relatively lightly boosted to the point it will never overpower the rest at all and it's recommended so often here for it's versatility, works "good" for most genres, not bad and not superb in any just decent/good for all genres. I was personally dissappointed with soundstage though, the XB500 has better soundstage of those two since it's not fully closed due to having some bassvents at back of the cups and this makes the XB500 sound a bit "airier" in comparision.
 
As for EQu... I'll let the following video speak for itself, the author is also among the most helpful people I've seen and he gladly tries to add features that his customers are requesting for and he's very kind, it's some of the best $3 you could ever spend owning an iPod Touch. Yes it's more than capable of doing what I was talking about:
 

 
Here's also my recommended EQ curve for XB500:
 
 
 
 

Yo RPG, I just got my Sony MDR-XB500s (loving them by the way, the bass makes me quite happy

), but I recently went to purchase the EQu program and it says that it only works with iPod touch 3rd/4th generations.  I have the 2nd gen iPod touch

.  I'm very satisfied with my new phones, and while I'm not desperate for EQing or anything, it would be cool to mess around  with.  Any suggestions for other EQ programs/apps that would rival EQu for the iPod touch 2nd gen.?  I'll be looking at some other forum posts for guidance as well, just figured I'd see what you think since you originally suggested it to me.
 
John

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Well there's this alternative http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/equalizer/id321267949?mt=8# but unsure about the compability. EQu and that one is the only know I know of. Here it only says "iPod Touch" whereas the EQu specificly said for iPod Touch 3rd gen or 4th gen and since it doesn't specify which generation perhaps this Equalizer would work with 2nd gen too.
 
EQu is the better of them but Equalizer still beats the built in EQ by far, here's a comparision between EQu and Equalizer http://www.ifans.com/blog/17367/ - The biggest disadvantage with Equalizer seems to be the limited specific 7-band frequency adjustments only and it distorts a bit more than EQu does.