[Uberclocked]

BTW, @xskugga, what DAC do you use?

 

[xskugga]

  Try to find the iCan micro (or nano if you need portability) if you want a bass boost.
BTW, there are lots of tube amps under $100, but if you want a nice one, you'll have to pay $250 or more.

Again, not comfortable spending the same or more than the headphones. Thanks for the recommendation though. 
 

  Try Viper4Windows, then -- it's got a tube simulator (although I never used it before so I can't say how it sounds).

I am using ViPER4Windows, it helps but I need something like the E12 that can apply an EQ or bump up the bass. 

 

[gikigill]

  Again, not comfortable spending the same or more than the headphones. Thanks for the recommendation though. 
 
I am using ViPER4Windows, it helps but I need something like the E12 that can apply an EQ or bump up the bass. 

 
Try Equalizer APO with Peace GUI. Its a system wide EQ and very powerful.

 

[Uberclocked]

@xskugga 
If you want some cheap tube amps, I would check out the xDuoo TA-02 or the Bravo Audio V3/V2/Ocean (the V1 is basically the V3 without the passive EQ).  If you can wait, the Schiit Vali 2 might come out soon.  They work pretty well and sound nice for the price.  Still though, what are you using for your DAC or source?  
If you really want bass boost though, I would check out the ifi iCan nano.  It costs $169 and you can probably get it for ~$100 on the FS forums here.  It has great bass boost with a really nice dedicated "XBass" circuit.

 

[kingmajix]

Best I've tried is the Headstage Arrow 3G................two levels of bass and didn't ever use the second level! 

I've read that the 3G's bass boost is awesome a few times now. What I haven't read, though, is anyone say that they've heard the 4G or 5G and it was worse. Is that true?

Just trying to decide whether to pull the trigger on a E12 or try to wait for a 3G to show up used.

KM

 

[Oregonian]

Heck, I thought you wanted portable, hence my Arrow 3G vote. You want ultimate bass, vintage amp........throw the loudness switch, pump up the bass tone controls and forget all about toy amps!

 

[caprimulgus]

 
Best I've tried is the Headstage Arrow 3G................two levels of bass and didn't ever use the second level! 

 
so you'd pick the Arrow 3G over the ZO3 now? (i think last comment from you in the ZO3 thread was that you were starting to prefer it to the Arrow 3G)
 
i wish you had kept your Arrow 3G so you could do a direct comparison between the two for us!
 
(i will buy one of them one day...either ZO3 or Arrow 3G, or even 5G)

 

[White Lotus]

I personally enjoy the bass boost in the FiiO products that feature EQ - for example, the FiiO E17.

 

[caprimulgus]

 

I personally enjoy the bass boost in the FiiO products that feature EQ - for example, the FiiO E17.

 
yeah, and the good thing with the E17 is you can also make negative adjustments, ie. to take the treble down a notch on cans with hot treble. (i wish the ZO full spectrum did that!!!)

 

[xskugga]

I still can't get over how amazing the 990s are...this fits the "audiophile basshead" label very well. The vocals are amazing, the sound stage is so wide, and the bass is nice and rich and can be EQed and amped to be very heavy. Listening to music is far more enjoyable with these, and I actually find myself using these for gaming as well. 

 

[caprimulgus]

So what portable player suits our basshead phones the best? X3? X5? DX50? DX90?

 

[Youth]

  I still can't get over how amazing the 990s are...this fits the "audiophile basshead" label very well. The vocals are amazing, the sound stage is so wide, and the bass is nice and rich and can be EQed and amped to be very heavy. Listening to music is far more enjoyable with these, and I actually find myself using these for gaming as well. 

 
They will sound even better if you just give them prober amp and dac No need for EQ.

 

[White Lotus]

So what portable player suits our basshead phones the best? X3? X5? DX50? DX90?

 
The jury is still out on this one.
 
I'm not sure if I'm a huge fan of the X5 by itself, its EQ leaves a lot to be desired. If it was paired with say, the E17 however.. (Or something else with FiiOs 10 step boost/cut EQ)

 

[kingmajix]

   
The jury is still out on this one.
 
I'm not sure if I'm a huge fan of the X5 by itself, its EQ leaves a lot to be desired. If it was paired with say, the E17 however.. (Or something else with FiiOs 10 step boost/cut EQ)

 
I just recently switched from an iPod Classic to an X5. I love the additional detail and more accurate bass but the overall 'warmth' seems to have taken a big hit. I'm not a huge fan of the X5 by itself so far.
 
I'm looking for an amp and the E12 seems to come up quite a bit as a great pairing for bassheads. Although I've seen some discussion about the original units having a better sub bass boost compared to the newer ones. Can anyone comment on the difference?

 

[Lohb]

   
I just recently switched from an iPod Classic to an X5. I love the additional detail and more accurate bass but the overall 'warmth' seems to have taken a big hit. I'm not a huge fan of the X5 by itself so far.
 
I'm looking for an amp and the E12 seems to come up quite a bit as a great pairing for bassheads. Although I've seen some discussion about the original units having a better sub bass boost compared to the newer ones. Can anyone comment on the difference?

You may want to check out the Cayin C5 portable amp if you are looking at the E12 price-point for a portable unit (circa 1.6 watts total @ 32 ohms) .It is beating out the E12 on a lot of points (sound-stage/instrument separation/tonality) and the bass boost switch does not bleed into mid-bass like E12's boost point. One down-side is its battery capacity. Great pairing with my T50RP's, and I hear it adds a nice subtle boost to the low-end tactility of the LCD-2's (mine out of action so not confirmed that yet).