[Zalithian]

Seems that most people here don't think of this term as the same thing. A lot of people here consider the Nuforce NE-7M's to be colored toward the bass end and a lot of people were like omg I'm not a basshead but I need more bass than this. It's not just those phones. Anyway, my point is that there's clearly a disconnect between how much bass makes you a basshead and how much is average. I think my generation is just used to excessive bass and not real sound reproduction so when they hear a balanced or even less than heavily colored pair of IEMS/headphones without bloated bass they think the IEM is lacking bass.

Seems kind of unfortunate that such a heavy coloring and poor sound reproduction has become the typical preferred sound. To each his own but

 

[Uncle Erik]

I agree wity you. Many people think that bass is the same thing as the sound of a subwoofer distorting or being flabby. They mistake the noise the driver makes on its own for bass quantity.

You get a lot of the same distortion from electric/amplified instruments at concerts, too. Mos guitar players deliberately overload their amps, so if you've only heard that along with car subwoofers, you don't really know what bass is.

A low note from an organ, plucked bass or a tympani hit sound entierely different in the real world. The funny thing is that supposedly "bass light" headphones like the AKG K-501 can get these things right, and much better than the typical basshead can, too.

 

[Taikero]

I like to have both. Bass heavy headphones are fun, but don't offer the low level detail I enjoy. Conversely, bass "light" headphones offer the detail, but not the impact.

The Denon AH-D5000 is close to achieving both for me personally, but I still need to mod it from stock eventually to tighten up the bass a bit. A little less impact and a little more detail would definitely be the sweet spot for me.

 

[Usama]

Trust me, the 70's and 80's funk/soul had just as much bass and impact as today's rap/R&B. Just look at the rampant sampling that goes on in today's music industry.

 

[Zalithian]

That's not really what I'm talking about Usama. I'm talking about the standard when it comes to listening (headphones, iems) seems to be that bloated bass is commonly accepted is normal, and balanced sound which is accurate is considered bass light when it's actually just accurate to the sound as it was made.

I have no problem with colored sound. People should like whatever they think sounds good. I just think that most people of my generation (I'm 22) default to excessive bass as the norm. I think it's kind of backwards. I can't even convince most people I know to try new headphones because they think their ipod buds are good. I say sure they're good, if you're never heard anything better.

It's like playing on a nintendo when you could easily get a super nintendo, or a playstation instead. You think the nintendo has great graphics, until you try something better. I think people should be willing to spend a little money on their phones if they spend all that money on a DAP. A lot of the times though it seems even if they do, they don't want accurate. The majority seems to love bloated bass and inaccurate representation which is why you get people claiming they're not a bass head, but then compared to people who know what's accurate you find out they really are a bass head if you start from neutral ground.

I am by no means an audiophile. I'm not that picky and I doubt my hearing is really great enough to make it worth it anyway, but I still feel that my current age group is kind of brainwashed into thinking that all bass does sound like a subwoofer, and if it's not like that then it's bass lean or lacking in some way.

 

[m0ofassa]

I don't think so. I also don't like the way this thread seems to suggest that your ears are wrong if you like a lot of bass. Some people have hearing damage that will make neutral gear sound lacking in highs and bass.

 

[leveller1642]

I don't like excessive bass but suspect my upper frequency hearing loss could contribute to that. I find that the UE super pro.5 and possibly the HD-600 are too bass heavy. I find the Etymotic ER-6i and ATH-AD1000 just right.

On the other hand, I do really like bass extension.

 

[olblueyez]

Seems like lots of people seem to confuse huge amounts of bass weight (or presence) for good bass. For a good sounding bass you need impact and weight in the correct proportions.

 

[Nocturnal310]

imo..

HD600..strikes the best balance between bass and mids...i have tried HD650, AKG701, K501..

out of them..HD600 has the perfect balance of bass..it has the punch, thump and speed..but never gets too much...and never its too little for trance or drums.


i was a big basshead...i wud love the bloaty feeling of bass..but after i heard Senn HD205..i began understanding..that man..there is something known as Mids also where most instruments are.


i still love bass..but too much of it can piss me off.

 

[chinesekiwi]

It's misconception here that the NE-7M is bass heavy.
It is far from bass heavy.
Yes, it leans towards the bass (more with burn-in), but the bass doesn't overpower or override the other frequencies at all.

The Denon C551's are far more bass heavy than the NE-7M ever will be.
That said, I feel Head-fi does have a slight bias towards treble oriented 'phones or a bright sound at times.

Anyway, reason for the bass bias among audio novices is really the combonation of pop culture, marketing and the fact that most cheap earphones and headphones are bass heavy (easier and cheaper from an electronics point of view to make bass heavy 'phones thus reduced cost)

 

[qusp]

well you just have to look at the amount of audio gear manufacturers that use the tag-line mega bass; or extra bass, clearbass etc. it certainly does seem that what neutral is, has shifted for the current generation. not their fault really; just marketing. OMG I must be getting old

 

[Zalithian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by m0ofassa /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think so. I also don't like the way this thread seems to suggest that your ears are wrong if you like a lot of bass. Some people have hearing damage that will make neutral gear sound lacking in highs and bass.

I never suggested there was anything wrong with liking a lot of bass. Don't take it personal.

 

[ThePandemonium]

I used to love bass, bass, bass, bass and more bass in my musical diet. I loved to be covered in the sound of bass, this is until I got the Shure SE110. The Shure SE110 was an impulse buy since my JBL 220s died on me so I knew Shure was good, so I bought them. I was so disapointed when I heard these things, but I forced my self to listen to them since I just dropped 100 dollars on them.

That was a year ago, and I still love the things and I will recommend them to people who I think can handle the bassless of them. With my klipsch X10 which have alot of bass, have too much at times for me, so I turn it down. Its a good feeling that when I need more bass I can have it without distorting.

I also see alot of people with the Grado SR80s doing mods to increase bass, I think these babies have the perfect amount of bass. I donno why anyone would need anymore...

 

[skeptic]

I think it cuts both ways. Among would-be audiophiles, there also appears to be a pervasive bias in favor of bass-shy phones and speakers, which substitute clear mids and detailed trebles for full and balanced bass.

For example - look at the headroom graph on the popular K701's - or take a long and careful listen to an unamped pair of er-6i's (or read over the well published specs on entry level magnepan speakers.) There is a lot of audio hype about these products, despite their lacking bottom end. These devices clearly falter in attempting to reproduce a flat response curve and the live sound of "a low note from an organ, plucked bass or a tympani hit" or even the deep bass from a choir. Honestly, I find that I am far more bothered by purported audio enthusiasts defending these faults than by an unknowing consumer who likes low-fi thump in his/her rap music.

This brings me to my next point - have you ever attended a hip hop show? I saw Wyclef a couple of years back, and the building was literally shaking with the bass. This bass was far more distorted than your average car sub or boomy headphone. So if the goal is to reproduce live...maybe these consumer devices aren't doing such a bad job of it after all, genre dependent?

 

[Huxley]

I totally agree, before buying i read up on sleeks and found quite a few on here complained about their lack of bass and at first i might have agreed.

Now they're sealing well i find they have just the right amount, very nicely balanced but they kick when they have to, id hate to see just how much bass a pair of atrio m5's or ie8's have, it'll sound too much for my ears.

After listening to a lot of speakers over the years i know bass isn't everything, it should flow with the music not try to encompass it all which was the case with my dynaudio's and monitor audio bookshelf's i have auditioned