~~Perfect Techno Setup~~

[commando]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WmAx I don't know what one considers 'lack' of lower bass. Using a sine wave generator, I can hear distinctly, to approx. 25Hz on this headphone. I could hear 21Hz, barely. Taking into account F-M curve, then it would seem like at least my MDR-CD3000 does not have any problem with reproducing frequencies near the average median limit of human hearing. Most music contians little content below 30Hz, usually. Maybe you meant the overall amplitude of the bass, relative to mid/high range? In that case, I might tend to agree that the MDR-CD3000 seems to have perhaps slightly lean bass, at least too me. However, it has quite a bit of bass compared to perhaps the leanest full size closed I have heard: Koss PRO4AA. -Chris

To my ears the really deep bass isn't strong. It could be my source, which i'll find out next week. If not it's the cans which are having problems, so i'd have to have them looked at... I hope not because i'd have to ship them from NZ to the states and back

 

[md01]

Quote:

Originally Posted by commando To my ears the really deep bass isn't strong. It could be my source, which i'll find out next week. If not it's the cans which are having problems, so i'd have to have them looked at... I hope not because i'd have to ship them from NZ to the states and back

From research I gathered that cd3k don't go deep, but do have substantial bass presence. Perhaps, you'll feel different once you get your ppa. I would be curious how you'd feel when using a different source (for comparison).

 

[commando]

Quote:

Originally Posted by md01 From research I gathered that cd3k don't go deep, but do have substantial bass presence. Perhaps, you'll feel different once you get your ppa. I would be curious how you'd feel when using a different source (for comparison).

I'll post somewhere about it when I get it... just keep an eye on the headphone forum for a thread with a title about CD3K/PPA/DAC/Pimeta, or something like that

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek Actually, the Perreaux is a sound that would match Senns from what I've seen... IMHO if you want something for Techno, try a Gilmore. Great treble, slam, speed, and really good bass. I can vouch for them now that my V2-SE just arrived today. I think the Gilmore Lite is small enough to be portable? I dunno if it can be battery powered though...

The Battery powered Lite hasn't been released yet, but I think it will be soon. How about a set of RS-1s with the battery powered Gilmore Lite and a decnt CDP? That should be way under $1000 if you grab the RS-1s used. Figure maybe:

450-500 Used RS-1s
250-300 for Gilmore Lite and battery pack (sheer speculation)
200 left for a source...

Of course you could always put that extra money into a PS-1s and really get some serious bass...

 

[Kush_]

Quote:

I love downloading 100 new songs a day from Klite and just listening to them

Don't use Klite to download electronica... soulseek is much better

 

[superjohnny]

Ok i've been wanting to say this since I read this thread this morning. I'm going to chime in as the voice of reason. The UE10 Pros are great headphones, no doubt, but is that really necessary? You'd be better off spending $800-1000 on a nice setup and paying off $1,000 in your student loans.

Spending $1000 on portable headphones when you're in school in rediculous. Wait till you make the big bucks before you get yourself into financial trouble. I can tell you I am completely happy with my ER4-p's & iPod. It sounds wonderful and costs <$500.

 

[JeffL]

Quote:

I think JeffL needs to experience a really good SACD (or equivalent) recording of a stand-up bass. I heard that recently on a not-so-great-with-bass amp and it blew me away. I didn't really feel it, since that amp had no bass slam, but I heard bass like i've never heard it before. I was like, "Woah, so THAT'S what i've been missing in my system." (Up until a few days ago hadn't received my Gilmore amp)

I certainly would like to experience what you're talking about. Bass has a very ambient quality too it. Not all bass is meant to be felt. In the case of a good standup bass guitar, we aren't talking a whole lot, nor frequencies that extend too far down.

Rap and electronica for a change of pace, have bass extending down into the low 20s and farther, and this you feel. Especially in most clubs where the SPLs easily reach 110dB+. The impact depends on the frequency and the amount.

With good headphones, including Shures (notably the E5) or other canalphones you can hear the bass, but you can't feel it. IMO, natural bass can still be felt, such as the rumble of a train going by, etc. In terms of instrumental music, the only nonamplified, nonelectric instruments I know of that would put out bass that could be seriously felt would be the drums.

Listening to techno and electronic, notably stuff that is *made* to be played loud, will never sound to hot on a pair of headphones. The bass is an important part of delivering the burst of adrenaline that the dancers and ravers both experience, and learn to expect from the music. Headphones, for me, provide a very different listening experience for this type of music.

 

[toaster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffL With good headphones, including Shures (notably the E5) or other canalphones you can hear the bass, but you can't feel it.

i listen to my e5's on a second gen ipod with 192-320 encodings and i'd beg to differ that you can't feel the bass. (i can only imagine what kind of bass the e5's, sensas and ue's can put out when hooked up to a sweet system...)

 

[pbirkett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by commando The CD3K is a bit of a double edged sword for electronica. I listen to a fair bit of it myself, and without EQing it the bass just isn't strong enough. Ask me again in a week, my DAC and PPA w/ triad diamond buffer are arriving (upgrade from Sonica/Pimeta) so my opinion might change...

I agree, the bass does need EQing (about +3db in my system), but once you do, the bass is just WHAM!! Most people who listen to my rig probably would not want to boost the bass, but I am a bit of a basshead, and to my ears, the Sony's respond VERY well to a bit of bass boost.

Has your PPA got bass boost? If it has, then use it, definitely helps.

Once the bass on the 3k's is EQ'd, IMO still nothing touches it for electronica.

 

[10068]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffL I certainly would like to experience what you're talking about. Bass has a very ambient quality too it. Not all bass is meant to be felt. In the case of a good standup bass guitar, we aren't talking a whole lot, nor frequencies that extend too far down. Rap and electronica for a change of pace, have bass extending down into the low 20s and farther, and this you feel. Especially in most clubs where the SPLs easily reach 110dB+. The impact depends on the frequency and the amount. With good headphones, including Shures (notably the E5) or other canalphones you can hear the bass, but you can't feel it. IMO, natural bass can still be felt, such as the rumble of a train going by, etc. In terms of instrumental music, the only nonamplified, nonelectric instruments I know of that would put out bass that could be seriously felt would be the drums. Listening to techno and electronic, notably stuff that is *made* to be played loud, will never sound to hot on a pair of headphones. The bass is an important part of delivering the burst of adrenaline that the dancers and ravers both experience, and learn to expect from the music. Headphones, for me, provide a very different listening experience for this type of music.

Interesting point in your last paragraph, I hadn't thought of that. I stand corrected.

 

[PedigreeE]

You should go with the UE's! Mine are coming soon!

 

[legionnaire]

-UPDATE - Back on topic
- The UE-10 Pros are ordered and will be here next week!
-This is the first part of my now "perfect portable techno setup"

[B-]MY AMP[/B]
-Ray Samuels SR-71 (looks great!)

-I STILL NEED
- Either a new PCDP, an old PCDP, or a DAP
- It must have a line out!
- If i go with a dap it will be the NMJB3, iPod, or IHP 140 (the rio has rca's not a mini jack and the amp only has minjacks i think, I read it in another post about the best portable amps) - All in lossless format
- I would like suggestions on what source to go with, even what type!

-QUESTION
Is a DAC worth the money? Should this be the last thing I invest money in?

 

[erikzen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by legionnaire -UPDATE - Back on topic - The UE-10 Pros are ordered and will be here next week! -This is the first part of my now "perfect portable techno setup"

Congratulations! Please let us know how you like them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by legionnaire -MY AMP -Ray Samuels SR-71 (looks great!)

Excellent choice! Almost as good as the XP7 and much more portable. When will that be delivered? I don't think they're out yet. P.S. fix your tag. You have the "-" inside the bold tag.

Quote:

Originally Posted by legionnaire -I STILL NEED - Either a new PCDP, an old PCDP, or a DAP - It must have a line out! - If i go with a dap it will be the NMJB3, iPod, or IHP 140 (the rio has rca's not a mini jack and the amp only has minjacks i think, I read it in another post about the best portable amps) - All in lossless format - I would like suggestions on what source to go with, even what type!

BTW, it doesn't matter what kind of jacks are on the Rio. You can buy a good quality RCA to mini cable. Choices abound.

I still say go with a classic PCDP, but remember they don't have skip protection. Actually, that's just compression anyway and you don't want that. There's a D-311 in the "for sale" forum. Several D-777s have been put up for sale in the past several days. If you haven't read Duncan's Review of Classic PCDPs you should. I can understand not wanting to buy an old CD player though, especially when you can buy a new one for the same or less. Going back to your original post, you could try an iRiver IMP550 or similar model. It has a line out, you can play our CDs or you can rip MP3 CDs. Of course, since your budget was $2000 you could probably afford both a CD player and a DAP.

Quote:

Originally Posted by legionnaire -QUESTION Is a DAC worth the money? Should this be the last thing I invest money in?

Yes and yes. Kind of. First of all, you have to decide on what your source is going to be. Will it have a digital out? All DACs are not created equal either. If you're going to go DAC and you want it for a portable setup you could look at the Piccolo from AOS or one of their other amp/dac combos. But if you're going with the SR71 then you won't want the amp section. However, I think you should go with the amp and see how you like it. When you get the urge to upgrade or try something else, then you could add the DAC.