[spinali]

Some listeners have a thing against sibilance.

Not me, but I cannot abide by flabby bass. A thick layer of bass is frequently (but not always) the hallmark of a cheap, poorly designed phone - but let's have your input:

Which phones or IEMs have you dumped because they're too bassy?

 

[DKaz]

SENNHEISER CX300!!!

The MylarOne X3i too.

 

[synaesthetic]

shure e5c

 

[Seidhepriest]

Equation Audio RP-21. Ironically, right when they were sold they were starting to get a more balanced sound (after all the lo-o-ong burn-in hours). But, the RP-21 soundstage was balanced like a pyramid - huge, often stiff & rough bass (not just snares, but bass kicks would really "hammer on the brain" at times), somewhat thinner midrange, and even thinner highs.
That, out of an amp. Straight out of a portable CD player they're more natural-sounding (and quite possibly the most efficient full-size closed headphones ever), especially because the hard'n'rough large-hammer bass isn't there.

 

[intoflatlines]

Sennheiser HD465. Ew.

 

[catscratch]

UM2. Well, not sold, but retired. The E500 also has somewhat flabby bass to my ears but not as bad as the UM2.

Interestingly, the ES2, which shares the same drivers with the UM2, does not have flabby bass. In fact, the bass is absolutely terrific, though I do wish there was a little bit more of it.

I can't listen to the HD650 single-ended in most systems because of the flabby bass. It just completely overpowers the rest of the frequency spectfum. However, when the system is right, the HD650 has some of the best bass around - deep, tight, well controlled, and hits like a hammer.

P.S. I can't abide sibilance either to be honest. I couldn't listen to the ER-4P for more than half an hour at a time because of it, and that's after EQing the lower treble way down.