[Pott]

Well I narrowed it down to those choices... I have CX500s so they'll be the reference. I striked down a few such as low end Shures and Denon 551s, and added the R0 to the list (why not).

How would these differ?

From what I gather:

The Super3 would be clearer than the 500s.
The R0 would probably be the clearest of all, but a little bass light... same as the super3.
The S4 are probably the better all rounder, better built than the R0.

Am I missing anything...?

I have about €80 to spend.

 

[Hentai11]

Correct call on the super .fi 3. Don't bother with the Denon C551s; at your price point, go for the 710s, if any. I can't vouch for those, though. Both my Senns and my Denons had thumping bass, so it might be worth a try.

I haven't found the super .fi 3 bass-light. I've found my CX500 heavy, not to the point of muddiness, but I find them unbalanced. I don't like what they do to quiet acoustic tracks.

 

[Pott]

I like the EQ on the 500s... Not too much bass, enough to make it stand out, but not overly. It's just not that clear I find... I'm affraid I'd lack thump with the superfi3, hence why I was considering the Klipsch, if they had a more even EQ and chunkier tone.

Thanks for the advice! I'll look into those Denons as well. And maybe the Superfi3 aren't such a bad choice then...

 

[kjk1281]

While I didn't find the super.fi 3 to be bass-light, they didn't really provide any "thump" or impact. If it's bass impact that you crave (but with increased detail), I'd look elsewhere.

Also, I feel I need stress that, in my experience, the SF3 sounds very different depending on the source; It sounded clear and lively when connected to the computer, but when plugged into my Clip, it sounded overly warm and seemed to lack detail. Of course, mileage may vary.

 

[Pott]

Mhmm... I'm not necessarily looking for 'extra' bass. Just a nice, defined bass range. I want to hear it, not to have it overbearing if you see what I mean. The bass on the 500s is just fine, it's just clear enough and it sounds great. But the rest of the EQ range could be a little more definied.

I don't mind a warmer sound either though not at the expense of clarity I think.

I have a Clip as well. Clip, Sony A729 and Cowon D2+ for DAPs, and into my old Sony Minidisc power through which goes my laptop at home.