[227qed]

I've made my decision and have already placed my order. SZ2000 + iDSD BL + Brainwaz memory foam earpads. Again, thank you all for your patience and your suggestions. Once they do show up, I'll let you guys know my thoughts. In the meantime, I get to play the waiting game.

Great choice friend, very happy for you. It's an awesome experience to hear this kind of bass from headphones for the first time.

My recommendation would be to start with a song that doesn't have bass immediately but then builds up and then drops it like a hammer. Something like "Turn down for what".

Do this with your subbass eq maxed out and idsd on turbo mode, xbass and 3d on. Keep it loudish at first but not too much, cause when the bass comes, it will be like a borat wow!

 

[ls13coco]

 
Post 8865 from a 4 star bass general Vapman
 
"
SZ2000  for about 180
55x/60x/77x for the pads, about 25 or 30
Cayin C5, 160
Hifimediy ESS Sabre USB Dac - 42 thru 80 depending on options
 
There is a high end rig that can't break $450ish as i rounded up on my numbers."
 
 

 

Used ifi idsd and a new or used sz2000.

Thanks guys, so SZ2000 seems to be a top recommendation with new pads.
I'm really interested in the TH-x00 variants, but not so much the price so looking for other options too!

Also, I'm good on the amp/dacs that I have for now.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I'm really interested in the TH-x00 variants, but not so much the price so looking for other options too!

 
Then add the Yamaha HPH-MT220 to that list! (Amazon.co.uk is the only place I see that still has good prices for it.)
 
I more or less only use the SZ2000 for rap (that will change once I tweak my EQ settings further), and it needs extensive EQ to sound good to me...whereas the MT220 is my favorite closed-back that I love with all types of music without any EQ. It's a good cross between a basshead and audiophile headphone. I have not heard the TH-X00, but some say it's similar to the MT220.

 

[227qed]

Thanks guys, so SZ2000 seems to be a top recommendation with new pads.

I'm really interested in the TH-x00 variants, but not so much the price so looking for other options too!


Also, I'm good on the amp/dacs that I have for now.

X00 is definitely worth it. If you're good with amps/dacs you have and the budget is $500, I'd join the x00 ebony right now. It's leap and bounds ahead of the SZ in all departments imho, especially sound. It's easily worth $700+.

 

[227qed]

Are you on turbo with X Bass and you still don't have enough?? My friend, you are gonna go deeef, lol.

It's just that my pc eq isn't too strong, and I don't get to eq put of my ps4. So the hardware switch is great for upping the bass while maintaining the quality of the rest of the ranges. It also let's me listen to other genres on the fly without having to turn down the eq bass.

 

[Music Alchemist]

It's just that my pc eq isn't too strong, and I don't get to eq put of my ps4. So the hardware switch is great for upping the bass while maintaining the quality of the rest of the ranges. It also let's me listen to other genres on the fly without having to turn down the eq bass.

 
That's why I asked how many decibels your bass boost is and which equalizer you are using. Some equalizers let you boost the bass by over 40 dB! I believe you said you only boosted 30 Hz and left the other frequencies alone?

 

[227qed]

When you say you max out the bass EQ...how many decibels of a bass boost are you using with the equalizer? Which program?

I just do +12 dB at 31 Hz with Realtek hd audio manager. The xbass boost on my ifi ican seems to scale with that for a lot more low end power without drowning the mids and/or having to eq them down.

 

[Music Alchemist]

I just do +12 dB at 31 Hz with Realtek hd audio manager. The xbass boost on my ifi ican seems to scale with that for a lot more low end power without drowning the mids and/or having to eq them down.

 
Okay, well, that's nowhere near the limit of what you can achieve with a digital equalizer. (See my previous post.) I'd be interested in your comparison of serious EQ (a parametric equalizer that lets you boost the bass by 20 to 40 or more decibels, and experimenting with many more frequencies) to the iFi. Or more specifically, matching the bass quantity as best you can and describing the differences in sound.

 

[227qed]

That's why I asked how many decibels your bass boost is and which equalizer you are using. Some equalizers let you boost the bass by over 40 dB! I believe you said you only boosted 30 Hz and left the other frequencies alone?

Oops, trying to keep up here. But wow, 40 db would be crazy. I could drop the floor for +24, but I don't go all out all the time so I just set it there and forget it. Sounds good with everything and if I'm doing classical or jazz or something I can just turn off the xbass. The +12 and xbass are a good all rounder for me....since I'm lazy haha.

The 3d on the ican is always left on its fullset setting. It brings out the treble for v shaped sig that I like. Just leave the mids alone. They're pretty veiled a low listening levels like this, but when I crank the volume to max sustainable levels theyre brought out and catch up with the bass for a balanced enough signature that works well with electronic music and games.

 

[227qed]

Okay, well, that's nowhere near the limit of what you can achieve with a digital equalizer. (See my previous post.) I'd be interested in your comparison of serious EQ (a parametric equalizer that lets you boost the bass by 20 to 40 or more decibels, and experimenting with many more frequencies) to the iFi. Or more specifically, matching the bass quantity as best you can and describing the differences in sound.

I've used other ones, like on my phone at +30 db aND a razer eq and bass boost on my pc. The razer was pretty insane. Based on where the 30 on my phone was, I'd put the razer close to a 40 db boost. No way to know for sure since bass was on a scale of 100.. .

But using these just destroyed the rest of the frequencies so much that I stopped using them. It was literally nothing but bass and kinda flabby.


I'm no bass expert, but I settled into a good place and the ifi switches have been a key part of that. I think I'm getting around +22 dB at 31 Hz and is is a pretty good balance of slam and quality

 

[ls13coco]

X00 is definitely worth it. If you're good with amps/dacs you have and the budget is $500, I'd join the x00 ebony right now. It's leap and bounds ahead of the SZ in all departments imho, especially sound. It's easily worth $700+.

Yeah? I'm kind of leaning more towards waiting for another Purpleheart drop as it's a little cheaper and being more V-shaped sounds appealing as my only V-shaped can is the X2 right now, or the E-MU Teak.

 

[227qed]

Yeah? I'm kind of leaning more towards waiting for another Purpleheart drop as it's a little cheaper and being more V-shaped sounds appealing as my only V-shaped can is the X2 right now, or the E-MU Teak.

I actually bought my used mahogany X00 2 days before a Ph or eb drop. ...I was like dang. But I had no idea there was one coming. ...and I think I read the emu are smoothest of all (but also most expensive and not basshead evaluated)...

V shape doesn't matter so much to me though since I just crank up the bass with eq and bring out the treble with my ican's 3d switch. These sound better than I ever could've imagined. Truly remarkable for the price. Absolutely destroys everything I've heard on this price range.

Any way, for what it's worth, I honestly think you'll love the ebony...from what I've read, and I've read a lot, they are all much more simulan sounding than the graphs would lead you to believe. The only real variable here is wood density.

Hope I'm not sounding like a salesman haha. But with a drop active and no clear date when ph will come around I'd go for it!

 

[227qed]

I've hijacked this thread already so what's one more post haha.

What is that subsyboth zeos has in his review of the sz1000? Ready to buy one. Now. I was going to invent something g like that but I guess I'm too late. Now I wish to just enjoy it. Looks like a sick external gizmo to give a huge bass boost past eq.

 

[EvilUnicornCat]

Do you mean the DBX goRack Performance Processor? It's in his discription, pretty cheap at $30 and worth getting to see if actually does improve anything. But with enough power and good eqing I don't think this should be necessary.

 

[ls13coco]

Quote:

I actually bought my used mahogany X00 2 days before a Ph or eb drop. ...I was like dang. But I had no idea there was one coming. ...and I think I read the emu are smoothest of all (but also most expensive and not basshead evaluated)...

V shape doesn't matter so much to me though since I just crank up the bass with eq and bring out the treble with my ican's 3d switch. These sound better than I ever could've imagined. Truly remarkable for the price. Absolutely destroys everything I've heard on this price range.

Any way, for what it's worth, I honestly think you'll love the ebony...from what I've read, and I've read a lot, they are all much more simulan sounding than the graphs would lead you to believe. The only real variable here is wood density.

Hope I'm not sounding like a salesman haha. But with a drop active and no clear date when ph will come around I'd go for it!

My issue is that everything in my signature was purchased in the past 3 months. Wallet is crying, especially as it knows I'm jumping on a HD 6xx at any chance asap.
So, that said.. out of the TH-x00 I am willing to wait for the PH!

You don't sound like a salesman, just someone who wants others to experience the sound of the TH-x00 haha