[Craigster75]

Quote:

Can anyone explain why headphones with prominent bass are considered coloured?
To expand on the question, I've been to many concerts, classical, rock, hiphop, electronic (never jazz) and the one thing that has always jumped out for me was the depth and power of the bass, certainly compared to domestic hifi sound. The only exceptions have been some rock and hiphop gigs when the quality of the sound was seemingly sacrificed for volume.
Yet time and again I see on these forums critism of headphones with, for want of a better word, prominent bass, for being coloured or exaggerated. To my mind they are more realistic than thinner sounding gear. I have owned many LPs and CDs with (IMO) rubbish production for precisely this reason, thin scratchy sound when the same artist live produced a deep powerful sound.
Thoughts anyone.........

This is all my perception, so take it with a grain of salt, but I believe audiophile purists are in search of the ultimate in transparency where, if they close their eyes, they envision the performance happening live in front of them.  Speakers allow you to feel the bass with your whole body, not just your ears so boosted bass in headphones helps compensate for this.  It isn't just my theory, Paul Barton of PSB has mentioned in press releases that this is why he has slightly boosted bass on his PSB M4U2 headphone which is very good.  This is really all subjective which is why most headphones are colored is some way to appeal to a certain market or to compensate for their shortcomings.  I personally want the best of both worlds- powerful bass and crystal clear, accurate mids/highs which is why I am so excited about the new batch of headphones coming out.  To see how the market is changing, look at the just-posted Momentum review which is a huge departure for Sennheiser and is now on my short list of cans I want to own.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Yea Momentum suprised me a little already by Jude's description as it seems so far away from typical Sennheiser sound. Sennheiser has had the least similar taste as me in terms of just comparing "brand sound", followed by Beyerdynamic. The Momentum after reading Jude's review seems to fit my taste very well though. Will still wait for a FR graph before deciding on any headphone and at least wait for M100 reviews etc.

 

[sid12345678910]

BRAKING NEWS
 
apple so called earpods are ment to be realy heavy on the bass, very v shaped singture, close to the m 80 but with ALOT more treble

 

[Malevolent]

Quote:

Took the Shure SRH750DJ off the list. Not much bass with them.

 
Well, it's a shame, since I think it is a decent entry-level basshead can. They aren't very bassy, but they can be tweaked to deliver a clear, strong bass performance with a good bass boost amp (ZO2.3 or E11).

 

[Malevolent]

Quote:

Can anyone explain why headphones with prominent bass are considered coloured?
To expand on the question, I've been to many concerts, classical, rock, hiphop, electronic (never jazz) and the one thing that has always jumped out for me was the depth and power of the bass, certainly compared to domestic hifi sound. The only exceptions have been some rock and hiphop gigs when the quality of the sound was seemingly sacrificed for volume.
Yet time and again I see on these forums critism of headphones with, for want of a better word, prominent bass, for being coloured or exaggerated. To my mind they are more realistic than thinner sounding gear. I have owned many LPs and CDs with (IMO) rubbish production for precisely this reason, thin scratchy sound when the same artist live produced a deep powerful sound.
Thoughts anyone.........

 
I guess it's a matter of perception and taste. I love huge bass, and I need massive gobs of the low end to make anything sound nice. For me, cans like the M50 are lacking in bass; for others, the M50 is quite bassy. So, to me, basshead cans aren't colored in my world. Rather, a huge bass presence is the norm.

 

[DeanKeith]

Quote:

BRAKING NEWS
 
apple so called earpods are ment to be realy heavy on the bass, very v shaped singture, close to the m 80 but with ALOT more treble

 
I haven't done my own research yet to see if you are joking or not... is it even possible?  I am trying to think if there is any audiophile ear buds out there... or is it either cans or IEM only for good sound?

 

[Prakhar]

Yuins? Also Clieos has some that he really seems to like that I forgot the name of.

 

[TranceDude]

Since my AKG K181 DJ broke down out of warranty I am looking for a new pair. I would like them to be a step up from K181, to be fun sounding and not too analytical (I want them to be forgiving, like the K181's were). These headphones combined with AKG Q701's that I am also getting should be a 'complete package'.

 

[sid12345678910]

Quote:

 
I haven't done my own research yet to see if you are joking or not... is it even possible?  I am trying to think if there is any audiophile ear buds out there... or is it either cans or IEM only for good sound?

i am dead serious, i tryed them at the apple store they were demoing earbuds.... very strange in my opnion but wow alot of bass to the point where you need to eq them down, the treble is similer the the Panasonic RP-HJE900, once you eq it down is actally sounds ok.... shocked me, not bad, not bad at all

 

[sid12345678910]

similer experince
 
i am actally quite proud of apple (even though i hate them as a company)

 

[sid12345678910]

Well, folks, I got my pair in... so here's a first impression:
 
1) First thing I notice: they just... fit. I couldn't believe it... but you know that feeling when you get a pair of IEM to fit perfectly and they don't move or wiggle anymore? This is it. They just get in, and stay in. It's amazing.
 
2) Cable really is nothing to write home about. If you know the old model, then you know how the cable is on this one.
 
3) Okay, let's get to sound immediately, because I know this is what many of you care about:
 
Bass: wow... this tiny thing can really push air. Bass is fuller, more textured, and has more tone. Mid bass is thick and powerful. Upper bass is lean and lean. Too bad there is not much (if at all) low bass to speak of. But still... it's a huge step up from the old model in this department, and even compared to the in-ear model. Apple didn't lie when they said these would have more bass. That said, though, bass is not prominent. It's just barely enough for you to realize it's there. A bass boosting amp gives them a bit more authority, but still nothing compared to $100 IEMs. But if you're comparing these to $200 Beats by Dr. Dre Solo? Or Bose QC15? Things get very interesting. Very very VERY interesting...
 
Mid-range: lush, lean, and somewhat airy. Still kinda cold and analytical like the old model. Also I can notice some static as volume increases. Looks like these clip just as easily as the old one. Nothing to write home about, really... even though I think midrange is most prominent of the whole presentation.
 
High: strident... fair extension. Somewhat sibilant depending on the track. It sounds somewhat more detailed and less... edgy than the old model, though the difference is quite small that I can't say for sure if it's my head messing with me.
 
Soundstage: blah... do you seriously want to know?
 
Instrument Separation: well, better than the older model for sure. I feel like there are at least two drivers in there. Can't say whether it's better than the in-ear model. I need more time with these.
 
4) Buttons on Remote: bigger, rounder, clickier. Better than the old model for sure.
 
5) Mic: noise-canceling? Is that codeword for "muffled, warm, and nose-clogged voice"? Bah... same as old model and in-ear.
 
Overall, I think it's a good value at $29. Apple is "half-right" when they say these 'phones can beat some $200 headphones (Beats By Dre...). For sound quality, I'm sure I can do a lot worse than these at the same or higher price point. For instance, they sound eerily similar to the in-ear model... except that their bass has "moar BOOM" than the in-ear. But if it's me, I'd choose this over the in-ear any day.
 
So... I'd say... if you love bass, and you love HIGH quality bass, then... look elsewhere. 

 
If you love the sterile and analytical sound of the in-ear (ADDIEM for those who are still wondering which "in-ear" I kept mentioning) but would like a more comfortable fit + more bass, then... you can do a lot worse than these for $29.
 
Happy listenin'!

this is somone else impresstion just to give you an idea
 
kudos to apple, i think it deserves a spot on the list

 

[kenman345]

hmmm....i'm a bit confused by your review. I am interested to learn about these tones you used, but i am wondering what IEM's you've tried and why you say you expect them to sound like similarly priced IEM's yet they are $100+ type sound. Doesn't make much sense. Other than that, great review
 
Quote:

similer experince
 
i am actally quite proud of apple (even though i hate them as a company)

 

[sid12345678910]

Quote:

hmmm....i'm a bit confused by your review. I am interested to learn about these tones you used, but i am wondering what IEM's you've tried and why you say you expect them to sound like similarly priced IEM's yet they are $100+ type sound. Doesn't make much sense. Other than that, great review
 
Quote:

not my review......
 
i wouldnt really compare it to the m80 as they are far supiror, i was impliying thay have a similer sound sig, i would compare it to the beats by dr dre line, these i think are again supirior to them, similer sound for a MUTCH lower price
 
(also a side note, i think these look horrid)

 

[the tiny bus]

Quote:

I'm sorry to hear about your experience so far with the C5.  It could still be burn-in as I recall the bass improving over time.  It could also be a bad pair or just our subjective listening experiences varying.  For me, the best all-around bass I ever heard in a headphone (quality and quantity bass + sub bass) is a tie between the ATH-PRO700MK2 and the M-Audio Q40 (both circumaural).  If those are a 10, I would give the C5 at least a 7.5 and feel that they are bassier than several of the headphones on the basshead list.  I believe their frequency chart shows highly elevated bass.  While I have not heard the V-Pulse, it would very likely have more bass and sub bass than the C5, but I don't know it would match the overall sound quality which has value to my ears as well.  I have returned several headphones this year that didn't meet expectation and have come to realize that someone's ideal headphone is a unique and personal choice.  I'm glad to hear you are able to return them if they are not for you.

 
 
I tried them out with my digizoid.  It seemed to have woken them up significantly, now I think they are bass'ier than my tma-1's.  I think I will keep them, I just was unimpressed with them unamped with a EQ.  I would think a product that had apple product compatibility logos all over the box wouldn't need external amplification.  

 

[Prakhar]

Loving my Q40s!