[ForceMajeure]

You could easily get the sound that you are looking for playing with eq on the Sony, but could not get better portability out of it...
 
I think that you should take a look at the Vmoda M100

 

[typhoon838]

You could easily get the sound that you are looking for playing with eq on the Sony, but could not get better portability out of it...

I think that you should take a look at the Vmoda M100

I had the Crossfade LPs and absolutely hated the fit. Just way too cramped. Aren't the M100s the same fit?

 

[ForceMajeure]

I think that the fit will be a problem then.
Soundwise the m100 have a refined base and are clearer than the LP.
What headphone did you own and which one did you like?

 

[typhoon838]

I own Panasonic RP-HTF600-S, Meelectronics Air-Fi Runaway (which are Bluetooth), and I owned the V-Moda LPs. I hate the sound of the Panasonics, it doesn't feel high-quality or clear, and it's far too mellow. They also leaked. I hated the LPs because of comfort and the sound was pretty atrocious and muddy too. I like the way the Meelec's sound, I just can't put my finger on exactly why. It's aggressive and powerful but I still hear as much detail as you could expect from a $40 Bluetooth set. The reason I'm getting another pair of headphones is because they leak noise as well, and I thought I might as well get a high end pair that I can use for everything.

 

[ForceMajeure]

I think that you first need to try pinpoint the differences on the Meelec that you like against the Sony.
I am sure a more V shaped sound might do it for you, you can try EQing the Sony and compare it to the Meleec step by step .
I would try a V curve on a 10 band eq first and try to refined it just to get a general idea.
 
Now on another subject, details is not something that obvious to spot, an headphone with more treble will get you that feeling of better detail and aggressiveness that you are looking for. But that doesn't mean that the headphone is more resolving, anyway there is nothing wrong for liking more treble.
The other tricky part in most headphone IMO are also the mids,
there is the distant /recessed sounding mids that is relative in quantity to the overall frequency response of the headphone,
there is the mids good for female vocals,
there is the mids good for male vocals,
there is the mids good for guitar crunch,
those mids are also affected not only by their own quantity in their own frequency range but also by the amount of bass/treble on other certain frequencies...
 
What I'm trying to say is that it will not be easy to get exactly what you are looking for and almost always you will find an headphone lacking some aspects you would like it to have. The more your ears will get sensitive to good sound the more you will be aware of this.
Not even talking of getting the all package right (looks, comfort, leakage, portability...).
We kinda are all in the same boat around here. Also your ears/brain gets accustomed to sound, one thing might sound good to you but after trying another sound for a certain period and going back to the previous one, it might not sound right.
 
I cannot give you another recommendation for a more v shaped headphone that meet all your expectations at the moment  as I don't recall any... take a look at the b&W P7 though it is relatively neutral also the new beats are not that bad...but I would try to play around with the eq first and get a little feel of what sound I am looking for

 

[dbdynsty25]

I had the Crossfade LPs and absolutely hated the fit. Just way too cramped. Aren't the M100s the same fit?

 
Not once you add the XL Pads.  They are quite a bit nicer than stock (which is almost the same as the LPs).

 

[StudioSound]

That's the thing - I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, except to be "wowed". I guess, after my initial impressions on the 7520s, what I'm looking for is a pair of headphones that has more bass impact (and sounds less...ugh...what's the word...passive?). I was also hoping to get more instrument/frequency separation than what I'm used to - although the 7520s are better than anything I've used, they're not as much better as I wanted them to be. Prominent, *powerful* mids and bass are what I feel would contribute best to the type of aggressive music I like. I want to be able to feel the music, I want it to pump me up and excite me.

 
I don't think mids are what you want - everything is bass and treble in that music. The good news is that with the MDR-7520 being what they are, they will respond very well to EQ if they don't have the sound signature you're looking for. With the LCP diaphragms, you should be able to push the bass up quite a lot before it starts sounding distorted for example. (assuming the EQ is done properly - you may have to reduce everything but the bass in a poorly designed EQ system, to have the same effect)

However, I think you might have unrealistic expectations. There is plenty of bass with the 7520 and the tracks you linked to - the 7520 has some of the best articulation (it's not just one note) and impact of any dynamic headphones I have used.
But you will never get the same feeling listening to headphones as you will listening to speakers with large drivers or a subwoofer, and it sounds like that is what you are looking for.
Those are physically moving a lot of air, and have a frequency response that extends down to the sub-bass - frequencies which are felt rather than being heard at all, and physically impossible for a headphone driver to reproduce. (though some headphones will emit sounds at those frequencies, but all you're hearing there is distortion)

I would say that the 7520 is very much capable of producing bass that you "feel" - but only as much as any headphone is capable of doing when it has a 50mm driver in a small enclosure.
I don't know that there are many headphones with a high quality 50mm driver like the 7520 has in a smaller enclosure for an over-ear design - how much smaller could the headphones be if they have to fit around your ears?

I also wouldn't expect any headphones to change the sound of the music you listen to so drastically that they are going to completely blow you away and sound unlike anything you have ever heard, unless you are moving from a pair of really cheap crappy headphones to something moderately good.

Another thing is that you mention "aggressiveness" a lot. I wonder if what you actually mean is distortion.
Cheap headphones and speakers will distort a lot, and that's actually what some people expect bass is supposed to sound like, or the harsh treble you get when high frequencies are being clipped.


You might want to try out some other headphones in a similar price range first before making a decision about what to do with your 7520, to have a better idea of what to expect from something higher-end.
And I would play with the EQ if you aren't happy with how the 7520 sounds. (though personally I don't find a need for EQ with them at all)

 

[msflsim]

Hi guys
If anyone has the coiled cable that came with the 7520 they dont use/want to get rid off let me know!
I need another cable for the studio.
 
Im located in the UK btw

 

[typhoon838]

 

 
That's the thing - I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, except to be "wowed". I guess, after my initial impressions on the 7520s, what I'm looking for is a pair of headphones that has more bass impact (and sounds less...ugh...what's the word...passive?). I was also hoping to get more instrument/frequency separation than what I'm used to - although the 7520s are better than anything I've used, they're not as much better as I wanted them to be. Prominent, *powerful* mids and bass are what I feel would contribute best to the type of aggressive music I like. I want to be able to feel the music, I want it to pump me up and excite me.

 
I don't think mids are what you want - everything is bass and treble in that music. The good news is that with the MDR-7520 being what they are, they will respond very well to EQ if they don't have the sound signature you're looking for. With the LCP diaphragms, you should be able to push the bass up quite a lot before it starts sounding distorted for example. (assuming the EQ is done properly - you may have to reduce everything but the bass in a poorly designed EQ system, to have the same effect)

However, I think you might have unrealistic expectations. There is plenty of bass with the 7520 and the tracks you linked to - the 7520 has some of the best articulation (it's not just one note) and impact of any dynamic headphones I have used.
But you will never get the same feeling listening to headphones as you will listening to speakers with large drivers or a subwoofer, and it sounds like that is what you are looking for.
Those are physically moving a lot of air, and have a frequency response that extends down to the sub-bass - frequencies which are felt rather than being heard at all, and physically impossible for a headphone driver to reproduce. (though some headphones will emit sounds at those frequencies, but all you're hearing there is distortion)

I would say that the 7520 is very much capable of producing bass that you "feel" - but only as much as any headphone is capable of doing when it has a 50mm driver in a small enclosure.
I don't know that there are many headphones with a high quality 50mm driver like the 7520 has in a smaller enclosure for an over-ear design - how much smaller could the headphones be if they have to fit around your ears?

I also wouldn't expect any headphones to change the sound of the music you listen to so drastically that they are going to completely blow you away and sound unlike anything you have ever heard, unless you are moving from a pair of really cheap crappy headphones to something moderately good.

Another thing is that you mention "aggressiveness" a lot. I wonder if what you actually mean is distortion.
Cheap headphones and speakers will distort a lot, and that's actually what some people expect bass is supposed to sound like, or the harsh treble you get when high frequencies are being clipped.


You might want to try out some other headphones in a similar price range first before making a decision about what to do with your 7520, to have a better idea of what to expect from something higher-end.
And I would play with the EQ if you aren't happy with how the 7520 sounds. (though personally I don't find a need for EQ with them at all)

Everything you said makes perfect sense. 
 
I probably do have very unrealistic expectations. I tried the EQing (not extensively, but I tried), and did end up realizing that my issue with the headphones was that they didn't have enough bass for me. Which basically means I'm a closet basshead. However, I don't really know how to "properly" EQ, if that's even a thing.
 
 
 

 
These are the two settings at which I liked how it sounded. It wasn't perfect, but I didn't know what to do to improve it. At the volume at which it sounded good, the higher-pitched guitar, snare drum (I think that's what it's called), and higher vocals sounded just a little piercing to my ears, and the I felt the guitar "crunch" could have been a little more prominent (but it was probably masked by the gobs of bass). Yeah, that was it. I just tried reducing the bass boost and the guitar became more prominent and powerful, but the piercing noise I felt became worse. And I actually *like* the bass being that rattling. So I like the bass being that boosted, but I wish it wouldn't detract from the guitar, and wish it wouldn't sound so shriek-ey as a whole. Turning the bass up fixes that but it also detracts from the guitar I like being prominent. I'm not even sure if I'm making sense here. 
 
So, these headphones *can* produce the sound I like but it takes EQing and apparently I generally want something much more bassy than what these naturally produce. 
 
It's unfortunate that no headphones will blow me away as much as I'd hoped - it's a lot of money. 
 
I agree, I probably mean distortion when I say aggressiveness. Apparently I like it? Or I'm just used to it. 
 
I'm not sure how I would go about listening to other headphones in this price range - they aren't exactly common among people I know. Unless you mean just buying a bunch and keeping the one I like most, which, I admit, is a tempting option. 
 
Anyways, regardless of what I decide on with regards to the sound of the Sonys, nothing will really change the issue of portability and that might prompt me to take them back anyways, especially if the changes in what I hear are as small as I'm being told they are between any non-crappy and any medium/high end pair of cans. 
 
So, other options...NAD Viso HP50, B&W P7 or P5, Ultrasone Pro 750 or 900, V-Moda M100 with XL pads, ATH-M50x, Beyer T51p, Sennheiser HD-25 II...those are what I can think of off the top of my head, and I'm not sure that they all apply to what I'm looking for, which is something that I can wear around my neck OR folds well, has the sound that I recently discovered I want, comfort, and minimal leakage. I'm willing to go with supra-aural if I have to. 
 
If it's cheap enough I could get a pair to wear at home/at the library/anywhere I would have a backpack to stow it, and then another much smaller pair that I can keep on my person (around my neck) if I want to. I just feel like $380 is too much for me to spend on these if I can only use them if I have a backpack to stow them in when I'm not listening to them, which I feel is the case, and especially if I need to rely on heavy EQing to get them to sound like I want them to. 

 

[ForceMajeure]

It looks like while trying EQing you just brought up all the frequencies and slightly reduced the bass boost which would result in a higher overall volume of 15db but with still boosted bass.
This way I think that they might sound a bit distorted.
Try to bring up the  64hz to 5db 
                            230hz to 2db  
                            910hz to 0db
                            4khz to  1db
                            14hz to  5db
and leave the bass boost at 0. That is a V shape kind of sound signature, it should sound more exciting without distorting, if its not sounding right to you can try to add more bass boost that would mean that you are in basshead category.
If it still doesn't sound right to you then I think that what you meant by agressiveness might be what StudioSound called distortion.

 

[groovyd]

Shure pads arrived and are actually a tad large but yes they do work.  Neoprene foam arrived too and I cut spacers for to fit inside the pads and they work well.

 

[StudioSound]

Everything you said makes perfect sense.

I probably do have very unrealistic expectations. I tried the EQing (not extensively, but I tried), and did end up realizing that my issue with the headphones was that they didn't have enough bass for me. Which basically means I'm a closet basshead. However, I don't really know how to "properly" EQ, if that's even a thing.

 
I would classify things as:
Sub-Bass: <60Hz
Bass: 60-250Hz
Midrange: 250-2000Hz
Upper Midrange: 2000-6000Hz
High Frequencies: 6000Hz+


Looking at the equalizer you have, it seems that it is probably not going to introduce distortion as there's no "master volume" for the EQ. (normally if you boost one frequency by 6dB, you have to bring the overall volume level down by 6dB to avoid adding distortion for example - it looks like this will do it automatically)
I would suggest resetting it, and either try turning up the bass boost on its own, or disabling it and starting by increasing the 60Hz and 230Hz options.
I wouldn't push them up a full 15dB to begin with - that is a lot. Maybe try 6dB rather than 15. (6dB is twice the volume)

If you can adjust the EQ while music is playing, that's even better, as you will be able to hear the changes as you make them.
If you find some higher frequency sounds to be "piercing" I would not suggest turning them up - you may even want to turn them down a bit. (at least while the headphones are new - the bass response gets better, and the high-end smooths out a bit over time)
Maybe try increasing the 4K slider a couple of dB and leaving the 14K slider at the default, or turning it down a couple of dB.

EQ is really a personal thing, and "set to taste" rather than there being any one specific thing that could be recommended.
But if you just turn all of the sliders up by the same amount, it's the same as simply turning the volume up and won't change how things sound.

I actually *like* the bass being that rattling.

 
Bass should not rattle inside the headphone - that happens when your headphones are being driven beyond what the driver can handle without distorting. Because the 7520 has very low distortion, you shouldn't get that.

I'm not sure how I would go about listening to other headphones in this price range - they aren't exactly common among people I know. Unless you mean just buying a bunch and keeping the one I like most, which, I admit, is a tempting option.

 
Well there are a lot of stores now that have better headphones on display (though typically only mainstream headphones) which you can try on and use with your own source. Buying and selling is one way to go about it as well, I suppose.

Anyways, regardless of what I decide on with regards to the sound of the Sonys, nothing will really change the issue of portability and that might prompt me to take them back anyways, especially if the changes in what I hear are as small as I'm being told they are between any non-crappy and any medium/high end pair of cans.

So, other options...NAD Viso HP50, B&W P7 or P5, Ultrasone Pro 750 or 900, V-Moda M100 with XL pads, ATH-M50x, Beyer T51p, Sennheiser HD-25 II...those are what I can think of off the top of my head, and I'm not sure that they all apply to what I'm looking for, which is something that I can wear around my neck OR folds well, has the sound that I recently discovered I want, comfort, and minimal leakage. I'm willing to go with supra-aural if I have to.

 
Yeah, nothing is going to change the shape of the headphones other than buying something else. I find the 7520 to be the most comfortable headphones I have owned so far, and while they're a lot smaller than many of the other circumaural headphones out there, they are still fairly large due to the fact that they fit around your ears. I agree that I wouldn't want to wear them around my neck all the time - though one thing I have seen suggested is to flip them over when you put them around your neck, as the earcups are angled. But they're really studio headphones designed for long-term comfort sitting on your ears, rather than hanging around your neck.

The MDR-1R or 10R may be more in line with what you're looking for - they have boosted bass, and the earcups fold down flat. The 10R might be the smallest circumaural headphones on the market right now. (that actually fit around a normal person's ears) But they have smaller drivers and most people here would say that they don't sound nearly as good. That may not be a bad thing if the 7520 is not what you're looking for though. I have not heard either, so this is not a recommendation.

Smaller on-ear headphones are not going to deliver nearly as good bass as something like the 7520 with its 50mm LCP drivers, and personally I have yet to find anything that sits on-ear which is comfortable to wear for any length of time.

 

[Oregonian]

Everything you said makes perfect sense. 

I probably do have very unrealistic expectations. I tried the EQing (not extensively, but I tried), and did end up realizing that my issue with the headphones was that they didn't have enough bass for me. Which basically means I'm a closet basshead. However, I don't really know how to "properly" EQ, if that's even a thing.

 





These are the two settings at which I liked how it sounded. It wasn't perfect, but I didn't know what to do to improve it. At the volume at which it sounded good, the higher-pitched guitar, snare drum (I think that's what it's called), and higher vocals sounded just a little piercing to my ears, and the I felt the guitar "crunch" could have been a little more prominent (but it was probably masked by the gobs of bass). Yeah, that was it. I just tried reducing the bass boost and the guitar became more prominent and powerful, but the piercing noise I felt became worse. And I actually *like* the bass being that rattling. So I like the bass being that boosted, but I wish it wouldn't detract from the guitar, and wish it wouldn't sound so shriek-ey as a whole. Turning the bass up fixes that but it also detracts from the guitar I like being prominent. I'm not even sure if I'm making sense here. 

So, these headphones *can* produce the sound I like but it takes EQing and apparently I generally want something much more bassy than what these naturally produce. 

It's unfortunate that no headphones will blow me away as much as I'd hoped - it's a lot of money. 

I agree, I probably mean distortion when I say aggressiveness. Apparently I like it? Or I'm just used to it. 

I'm not sure how I would go about listening to other headphones in this price range - they aren't exactly common among people I know. Unless you mean just buying a bunch and keeping the one I like most, which, I admit, is a tempting option. 

Anyways, regardless of what I decide on with regards to the sound of the Sonys, nothing will really change the issue of portability and that might prompt me to take them back anyways, especially if the changes in what I hear are as small as I'm being told they are between any non-crappy and any medium/high end pair of cans. 

So, other options...NAD Viso HP50, B&W P7 or P5, Ultrasone Pro 750 or 900, V-Moda M100 with XL pads, ATH-M50x, Beyer T51p, Sennheiser HD-25 II...those are what I can think of off the top of my head, and I'm not sure that they all apply to what I'm looking for, which is something that I can wear around my neck OR folds well, has the sound that I recently discovered I want, comfort, and minimal leakage. I'm willing to go with supra-aural if I have to. 

If it's cheap enough I could get a pair to wear at home/at the library/anywhere I would have a backpack to stow it, and then another much smaller pair that I can keep on my person (around my neck) if I want to. I just feel like $380 is too much for me to spend on these if I can only use them if I have a backpack to stow them in when I'm not listening to them, which I feel is the case, and especially if I need to rely on heavy EQing to get them to sound like I want them to. 

Ultrasone Pro900's will satisfy your basshead itch. If they don't, nothing will.

 

[Darner]

If they don't, nothing will.

Yeah, seriously sometimes it's good to just go for a walk, take a few days off from thinking about it. It's easy to fall victim to the temptation of never-ending dissatisfaction, and the purpose after all is just to enjoy music, at least for me.

 

[typhoon838]

Thanks for all the help, guys. Sorry to distract from the purpose of this thread for so long, too.