R03/M2 vs. NE-7M/NE-6 bass?
Oct 21, 2010 at 12:02 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 16

macro

Head-Fier
Joined
Oct 9, 2010
Posts
74
Likes
18
I know these two have been compared several times around here, but I couldn't find a few specific details I'd like to know. How does the bass extension compare on these two, and which of these two has the more noticeable mid bass hump? Most seem to say the R03 is all around better, but I'd really appreciate some elaboration on these aspects from anybody who has listened to both a decent amount. I'm looking to buy whichever has more sub bass and less mid bass.
 
Oct 21, 2010 at 1:13 AM Post #2 of 16
The NE-6/NE-7M is a bit more linear technically but its mid-bass hump is more prominent and results in much more significant coloration because it extends well into the lower midrange. It doesn't hurt that the R03 has very present mids that manage to stay free of bass bleed. From about 200Hz to 800 or so the R03 is dead-flat and then the forward midrange kicks in. All of the bass boost occurs below 200hz. 
 
Oct 21, 2010 at 6:13 AM Post #3 of 16
Wow, excellent response! Thank you for being so specific. I'm definitely leaning towards the M2's. Now my only worry is that they might not hit low enough. Where is the bass rolloff? I feel like I'll be disappointed with them if I can't hear down to at least ~30Hz well, and I'd rather not pay the return shipping and restocking fee if I can avoid it.
 
Oct 21, 2010 at 11:31 AM Post #4 of 16
the bass gets low, not sony XB500 low, but low. i listen to a lot of downtempo electronic music which has lots of bass, some of it very low and my M2's do just fine. i still prefer the M2's to the XB500's. i just love the mid range on the M2's, it's so smooth yet so explosive at the same time. Guitars and such stay calm and in control, but drums like the snare just crack.
 
Oct 21, 2010 at 12:00 PM Post #5 of 16

Quote:
Wow, excellent response! Thank you for being so specific. I'm definitely leaning towards the M2's. Now my only worry is that they might not hit low enough. Where is the bass rolloff? I feel like I'll be disappointed with them if I can't hear down to at least ~30Hz well, and I'd rather not pay the return shipping and restocking fee if I can avoid it.


I don't trust my ears enough to quantity the roll-off but I'd say it's definitely noticeable - maybe 6dB? It's not bothersome for me but I'm not sure how much you'd consider acceptable. If you want maximum sub-bass and minimal mid-bass the Hippo VB may be a better option.
 
Oct 21, 2010 at 9:13 PM Post #7 of 16
Quote:
the bass gets low, not sony XB500 low, but low. i listen to a lot of downtempo electronic music which has lots of bass, some of it very low and my M2's do just fine. i still prefer the M2's to the XB500's. i just love the mid range on the M2's, it's so smooth yet so explosive at the same time. Guitars and such stay calm and in control, but drums like the snare just crack.


Do you think you could list an example song or two with very low bass that the M2 handles well so I get can a better idea of how low we're talking?

 
Quote:
I don't trust my ears enough to quantity the roll-off but I'd say it's definitely noticeable - maybe 6dB? It's not bothersome for me but I'm not sure how much you'd consider acceptable. If you want maximum sub-bass and minimal mid-bass the Hippo VB may be a better option.

 
I've been looking at the Hippo VB's too. I'm a little worried about the treble, since I tend to get fatigued pretty easily by edginess. I'm not opposed to EQing them though. The issue with those is if I don't like them I can only return them for store credit, and there isn't anything else on that site that I'd want to spend $80 on. Also, they've been sold out since I started looking into them.
 
Oct 21, 2010 at 9:38 PM Post #8 of 16

 
Quote:
Do you think you could list an example song or two with very low bass that the M2 handles well so I get can a better idea of how low we're talking?

 
 
I've been looking at the Hippo VB's too. I'm a little worried about the treble, since I tend to get fatigued pretty easily by edginess. I'm not opposed to EQing them though. The issue with those is if I don't like them I can only return them for store credit, and there isn't anything else on that site that I'd want to spend $80 on. Also, they've been sold out since I started looking into them.


it's hard for me to think of a well known example. i will say that the M2's remind me of the car stereo system in my Scion TC (hatchback) which consists of a ported 10 inch Dayton sub in a ported enclosure tuned to around 28hz on 620 watts. i also have 600 watts going to my front speakers as well, so the sound is very balanced, not neutral, but balanced. in terms of frequency response it's very similar to what i hear from my M2's. very tight, but low and loud as well.
 
if you have a particular song you want me to try, i will try it and describe it the best i can. i'm pretty open when it comes to music, so i have no problem trying anything you want.
 
the bass is impressive on the M2's, but i will say that my main focus when listening to them is in the mid-range, at least when listening to rock or metal. on rock and metal the mid range runs the show. they are detailed and explosive in the mid range. guitars stay controlled and in line, but the drums, mainly the snare just come alive and are very dynamic. my new favorite instrument has got to be the snare drum. when i listen to electronic music, the bass is obviously what stands out the most, but they will keep up with anything you throw at them. fast and technical electronic music sounds very controlled on them.
 
people say the top end is rolled off, not the most detailed, and some even say lacking in general. i guess i can see that, but to me the top end is perfect. these stay very smooth without any hint of sibilance or harshness. my complaint with the Klipsch S4's was the sibilance and harshness. i tried to get used to it, but i just couldn't. i have not heard the Hippo's but from what i have read, they can be sibilant, i don't know if it's as bad as the S4's, but if it is then i want nothing to do with them. the M2's have plenty of top end in my opinion, but like always, sound can be subjective.
 
but like i was saying, if you have a particular song you want me to try, let me know and i'll try it out and report back.
 
good luck. :)
 
Oct 21, 2010 at 11:05 PM Post #9 of 16
Quote:
if you have a particular song you want me to try, i will try it and describe it the best i can. i'm pretty open when it comes to music, so i have no problem trying anything you want.


If you could do that for me that would be amazing!
 
How about the song Trippin' by Zion I? The bass consists of just one very deep note every so often from around 0:30 to 0:50. Can you hear it well? How audible is it compared to the rest of the bass starting at 0:50?
 
Also the song Red Nose by Tech N9ne. It hits some very low notes. How well can you hear them? You'll know if you can't because it will sound like the bass line has gaps in it. There shouldn't be any gaps other than when it stops during the beginning of each verse.
 
And last Late Night Tip by Three 6 Mafia. The bass line is all over the place. Does it sound relatively balanced or does it make the mid bass stand out a lot?
 
I can email you some quality samples. Or you might find it easier to just youtube them, since I'm only curious about the bass response and overall quality shouldn't matter too much for this.
 
Oct 21, 2010 at 11:57 PM Post #10 of 16

 
Quote:
If you could do that for me that would be amazing!
 
How about the song Trippin' by Zion I? The bass consists of just one very deep note every so often from around 0:30 to 0:50. Can you hear it well? How audible is it compared to the rest of the bass starting at 0:50?
 
i can hear the low note, it's there, but it's not as loud as the rest of the bass. weird thing is that to me that bass isn't all that low. i have heard these headphones play lower notes than this. this one kinda has me stumped.
 
Also the song Red Nose by Tech N9ne. It hits some very low notes. How well can you hear them? You'll know if you can't because it will sound like the bass line has gaps in it. There shouldn't be any gaps other than when it stops during the beginning of each verse.
 
i can hear the low notes, no gaps other than the beginning of each verse like you said. sounds pretty powerful to me. the frequency of the bass keeps changing from low to high and back again and it sounds pretty balanced to me. slightly louder in the mid-bass, but the lows are still quite powerful.
 
And last Late Night Tip by Three 6 Mafia. The bass line is all over the place. Does it sound relatively balanced or does it make the mid bass stand out a lot?
 
now this song i am actually familiar with. i used to use it to show off bass in my car all the time. sounds niiiiice on the M2's! i always liked the bass in this song as it can get pretty low and is loud, and the M2's replay it just as i remember it. plenty of low end here, and it sounds balanced between all the different frequencies. there is nothing missing here.
 
I can email you some quality samples. Or you might find it easier to just youtube them, since I'm only curious about the bass response and overall quality shouldn't matter too much for this.

 
other stuff i'll ad:

"Bass I love you" by Bassotronics is a good one. there is stuff in this song below 10Hz that i can tell is still there when listening to it with the M2's. it's not loud at all since it's below 10hz and our hearing is crap that low anyway, but i can still definitely tell when the stuff below 10hz is there. i am not claiming the M2's are good down past 10hz, but i can still tell, it's just barely audible to me with them.
 
i found some test tones online ranging from 5hz up to 200hz. i played the tones between 15 to 150hz over and over again, just to get a feel for the low end. there is still plenty of power at 30hz, and the 20hz tone was definitely still clearly audible. when listening to the tones you'll notice there is a bump in the mid-bass starting at around 60hz or so but there is still plenty of low end there. the difference between the 60hz and 30hz tones weren't anything huge, if i had to guess i'd say maybe a 6db difference between 30 and 60hz, but it may be even less.
 
if you listen to nothing but rap and bass heavy stuff, then there might be better headphones out there for you though. the M2's are bassy and can reach low, but i'm sure there are headphones that are even louder in the bass and can reach even lower. the low end has never disappointed me though on these.
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 12:23 AM Post #11 of 16
You are amazing! I really appreciate you taking the time to do that for me. These were just a few relatively mainstream songs I thought would be easy for you to find to test the bass. I listen to a huge variety of music. A lot of it does tend to be pretty bass intensive, but I still want something that is fairly balanced. I'm not a total basshead, but I am definitely pickiest when it comes to bass. Based on what you've said the M2's low end extension/balance exceed my expectations. I'm definitely sold on the M2's now. Thank you!! 
biggrin.gif

 
Oct 22, 2010 at 12:42 AM Post #12 of 16


Quote:
You are amazing! I really appreciate you taking the time to do that for me. These were just a few relatively mainstream songs I thought would be easy for you to find to test the bass. I listen to a huge variety of music. A lot of it does tend to be pretty bass intensive, but I still want something that is fairly balanced. I'm not a total basshead, but I am definitely pickiest when it comes to bass. Based on what you've said the M2's low end extension/balance exceed my expectations. I'm definitely sold on the M2's now. Thank you!! 
biggrin.gif


no problem man. you're welcome. i have no life and i already had them in(still do), so why not. lol
 
i've never really been a huge fan of rap, but like i said i don't hate on anything, i'm open to different music. hearing late nite tip again was pretty cool though. never heard it on anything other than my car stereo, and it's been a while. i always thought the bass in that song was pretty cool. i do think the M2's are a great balance of low end extension and overall balance. they do great on quite a bit of different music, probably good on everything but classical to be honest. i haven't heard anything yet that disappointed me with them, but i definitely don't listen to classical. i listen to mostly rock and metal, with some chillout/downtempto thrown in sometimes as well. they are amazing for rock and metal with their nice, tight, impactful bass, amazing mid-range and highs that never get harsh or sibilant.
 
i also got the Sony MDR-XB500's a few nights ago, just thought they would be fun to play around with. they are nice, but i keep grabbing the M2's instead. i really REALLY like the M2's if ya couldn't tell.
ksc75smile.gif

 
hope you enjoy the M2's if that is what you decide to get.
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 1:02 AM Post #13 of 16
Just placed my order! Now I just have to wait for mp4nation's slow shipping..
 
For some reason they emailed me two receipts with two different order numbers on them?? I looked at my PayPal account and I definitely only paid for them once... How awesome would it be if I just got a twofer somehow?
 
Regardless, I can't wait! I'm mostly going to be listening to things like hip hop, rap, alternative, metal, reggae, classic rock, downtempo, house, dubstep, and other electronic stuff. I might have to EQ them slightly for a couple of those genres, but for the most part I think they should handle it all really well.
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 1:20 AM Post #14 of 16

 
Quote:
Just placed my order! Now I just have to wait for mp4nation's slow shipping..
 

For some reason they emailed me two receipts with two different order numbers on them?? I looked at my PayPal account and I definitely only paid for them once... How awesome would it be if I just got a twofer somehow?
 
Regardless, I can't wait! I'm mostly going to be listening to things like hip hop, rap, alternative, metal, reggae, classic rock, downtempo, house, dubstep, and other electronic stuff. I might have to EQ them slightly for a couple of those genres, but for the most part I think they should handle it all really well.

 
their slow shipping took 2 weeks to get to me in NY. they do offer a faster shipping service for a higher cost.
 
wow, quite a variety of music there. as for EQ, i have a 3db cut at 63hz, a 1.5db cut at 250hz and a 1.5db boost at the upper end, i think peaking at 16k. i also use a DSP room effect which is basically a more advanced crossfeed. the room effect also adds a bit to the bottom end and the cuts i made are just there to make the bottom end sound the same as with the room effects off. they don't need any bass boost in my opinion.
 
let us know how you like them when they arrive.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top