[Huskyoff]

Hey,

I'm new, very new. My frist visit to Head-Fi was right when the iGrados were announced. I purchased a pair and never worried about it. I thought they sounded great and, still do. I think they have great bass and now, i'm very used to the sound.

So, about 3 days ago I was at home listening to them and wondered if I should step it up and get a nice set for home listening. Yesterday I bought the SR-80s. I'm running them through a 4th gen iPod. I wasn't impressed. I'm running them on Latin (EQ) to get some Bass out of them. This also boosts the treble. (This works on for the iGrados) The treble is too much (for me on the 80s) on the latin setting. Comparing them to the iGrado, they seem to have less bass on the same EQ setting. The SQ is better on the SR-80s, I was just hoping for more bass in that package.

What do you think is going on here. Everybody raves about the bass on the 80s...Burn-in? Underpowered? iGrados do have more bass? I'm crazy?

Oh and, I also ordered some PX100s, they will be here tomorrow.

I am overall pleased with the iGrados and was just hoping to step up a level to something similar, bass heavy.

Well, let me know what you think...

Thanks

 

[TheMarchingMule]

The iPod headphone jack has a MAJOR bass rolloff with 32 and 60 Ohm cans.

Either use Rockbox to adjust it, or use a line-out to correct it. Once you hear the SR 80 the way it was meant to be used, then it truly is a great headphone.

Here you go: http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=9609.0

Explains it more thoroughly and with graphs!

 

[BrookR1]

The iGrados are one of the darker Grados. The SR-80s will seem light on bass because of the bowl pads. A couple of things you can try is the basshead tape mod...wrap some electrical tape around the sides of the bowls. This will give more punch plus increase the amount of bass. You can also buy some flat pads ($30) but you'll lose some of airiness.

I can't comment on the Latin EQ setting...I use either the rock or electronic or piano setting.

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif The iPod headphone jack has a MAJOR bass rolloff with 32 and 60 Ohm cans. Either use Rockbox to adjust it, or use a line-out to correct it. Once you hear the SR 80 the way it was meant to be used, then it truly is a great headphone. Here you go: http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=9609.0 Explains it more thoroughly and with graphs!

That explains what I'm hearing with the headphone out of my iPod. Even the PX-100, which is supposed to have gobs of bass, sounds lean straight out of the iPod. That's speaking negatively as the PX-100+iPod combo (and anything else I tried straight out of the iPod) sucks to my ear.

Using a line-out cable + amplifier brought a significant improvement indeed.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorander /img/forum/go_quote.gif That explains what I'm hearing with the headphone out of my iPod. Even the PX-100, which is supposed to have gobs of bass, sounds lean straight out of the iPod. That's speaking negatively as the PX-100+iPod combo (and anything else I tried straight out of the iPod) sucks to my ear. Using a line-out cable + amplifier brought a significant improvement indeed.

Well I feel that there's a great synergy with the KSC75 and iPod headphone jack. But yes, other than that, anything from the jack just sounds off.

 

[Huskyoff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrookR1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The iGrados are one of the darker Grados. The SR-80s will seem light on bass because of the bowl pads. A couple of things you can try is the basshead tape mod...wrap some electrical tape around the sides of the bowls. This will give more punch plus increase the amount of bass. You can also buy some flat pads ($30) but you'll lose some of airiness. I can't comment on the Latin EQ setting...I use either the rock or electronic or piano setting.

BrookR1,

If you run your 80s stock vs your iGrados on your 5g ipod, which has more bass?

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I feel that there's a great synergy with the KSC75 and iPod headphone jack. But yes, other than that, anything from the jack just sounds off.

The headphone out is not strictly that bad per se (esp to the average Joe/Jane) but more seasoned/picky listeners will (should) easily pick out what's supposed to be there but is not quite there anymore. Adding an upgraded phone, such as the PX-100 and/or KSC-75, is a good idea but still does not fully make up for the lousy headphone out. Adding an amp via line-out makes a very significant and eye-opening difference as to what the iPod can really sound like (short of an iMod, of course).

 

[supakij]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif The iPod headphone jack has a MAJOR bass rolloff with 32 and 60 Ohm cans. Either use Rockbox to adjust it, or use a line-out to correct it. Once you hear the SR 80 the way it was meant to be used, then it truly is a great headphone. Here you go: http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=9609.0 Explains it more thoroughly and with graphs!

x 2

use lineout (Dock)

 

[judas391]

you'd think that such a mainstream product like the ipod would have a bass hump not a roll off..

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by judas391 /img/forum/go_quote.gif you'd think that such a mainstream product like the ipod would have a bass hump not a roll off..

Maybe it was a deliberate move, given so many "Mega Bass" phones sold out there...

 

[Huskyoff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif The iPod headphone jack has a MAJOR bass rolloff with 32 and 60 Ohm cans. Either use Rockbox to adjust it, or use a line-out to correct it. Once you hear the SR 80 the way it was meant to be used, then it truly is a great headphone. Here you go: http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=9609.0 Explains it more thoroughly and with graphs!

Can anyone recommend anything that will sound decent with the ipod, un-amplified/modified? I''m looking for a step up from the iGrados.

 

[tomb]

I'm afraid you may be stuck. There's a reason the iPod caused an explosion in the headphone amplifier market. The DAC in an iPod is superb, but it's difficult to fight a built-in impedance mis-match combined with very low power.

The SR-80 has very good bass, but it sucks current like a vacuum cleaner. Even if you addressed the impedance mis-match, the iPod can't support the kind of current demand the SR-80 wants for best bass.

 

[BrookR1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huskyoff /img/forum/go_quote.gif BrookR1, If you run your 80s stock vs your iGrados on your 5g ipod, which has more bass?

The iGrado has more bass, but IMO, the SR-80s have better bass.

 

[headphonejunkie]

My 80's sound great out of my 4g ipod. Maybe you are looking for too much bass. I bet the igrados have more bass but it is fuzzy or not as refined as the 80's.

EDIT:
I use the rock setting which does give you more bass.

 

[headphonejunkie]

I just checked my ipod and I am listening with no EQ and my 80's still sound great. Go figure.I used to listen with the rock setting. I must have changed it and never went back. HUH.