Recommend headphones for my needs

[HeXen]

Uses: lossless on ipad and other portables

Needs: Around the impedance range of 20 to 32 ohms, so no amp, short cord or detachable, on ear or not too big over ear, open back ok

Wants: punchy bass without EQ'ing being necessary.

I am currently using some older on ear Bose, i'd like to step up but my main gripe with most HP's is lack of punch in the bass area and of course designed for Equal loudness contour.
So if anyone can toss me some recomends, i'd appreciate it, thanks

 

[runawayprisoner]

V-Moda M80
Audio Technica ATH-ES700
Audio Technica ATH-ESW9
Beyerdynamic DT1350

If those are breaking your budgets, then:

Koss PortaPro
Creative Aurvana Live!

And if those are still breaking your budgets, then just use Apple's new EarPod...

 

[HeXen]

How are the Sennheiser 439's or whatever their called? they mention detachable cord, 32 ohms and extended bass.
Grado's site for their prestige series mentions some technologies that supposedly make for good bass

remember, i dont want audiophile.

 

[Yuriman]

I'm not sure if they're still a good choice but for ~$70 the Grado SR60's were best-in-class a few years back, at least as far as fidelity is concerned. They don't have a detachable cord though, and they're not sealed so they don't have any noise isolation - this might or might not be a good thing.

 

[richierich1212]

I don't think the Grados have the bass he's looking for.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360560070592?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661

These seem to have a nice following on head-fi.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

You haven't mentioned price.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

I'm going without a price point here but the M-Audio Q40 is known as the replacement go-to basshead can after the disappointing replacement of the Sony XB300, 500, 700, and 1000 (defunct) with the 400, 600, and 800. The Q40 is a basshead can through and through. Available for $100.

 

[BenSkywalker]

..

 

[HeXen]

Why lossless if you aren't looking for audiophile quality?

Cause i didn't bother to compress them. I don't know if there is any term to describe the differences of listener's preferences, however i use the term audiophiles cause most of them are pretty serious and demand fidelity perfection from speakers...how it was originally recorded...which to me often sounds flat. Sorry but it is. I mean obviously the root of it all is how it was recorded and most music i listen too didn't get hit with the dubstep beat rhythm magic button.
I'm not a basshead per say, i just like it when it's really punchy, forceful, tight are the words i'd use..or to enhance the bass of recording's where it doesnt meet my preference, but most EQ'ing makes it distorted.
High's i only care that they don't distort, for whatever reason, most frequencies above 3k don't bother me in differences between speakers, it's like i don't notice, i can hear it, but pay no attention outside of the song itself...if that makes sense.

Price range...i guess $300 or so, depends how much i fall in love with the sales pitch i guess. I'm not feeling it from Grado's or Audio Technica's lineups. Nothing is grabbing me.

Earbuds, i have some, Bose and Ultimate ears LE's are the two most pricey ones i have. They tangle up too easy, sound is fine on the LE's, good fidelity but no real punch and they won't stay in my ears worth a crap, mostly after a while, they make the inside of my ears ache from wearing them. But if you look here http://ultimateears.logitech.com/index.cfm..read some other reviews and they were supposed to be butter on a cat's ass, but their flat like most audiophile gear i've heard in the past.

Music: Rock, metal, death, smooth jazz, some dubstep...i can like a variety except country and pop/hip hop.

I'm almost considering some Beats, i see lots of bashing and lots of love for them, the solo hd's seem to fit my needs but i'm afraid to buy anything marketed like that

 

[hans030390]

V-Moda M80
Audio Technica ATH-ES700
Audio Technica ATH-ESW9
Beyerdynamic DT1350

If those are breaking your budgets, then:

Koss PortaPro
Creative Aurvana Live!

And if those are still breaking your budgets, then just use Apple's new EarPod...

The CAL! is supposed to be a great budget, bassy headphone. I'd stay away from Beyerdynamic. Their Tesla line of headphones (such as the DT1350) are known to have quality control issues (erratic and varying frequency response measurements from pair to pair). The M80 is also great for what you're looking for if you can afford them (probably would put that near the top of your list). Also consider the ATH-M50. They have a neutral-ish sound signature with plenty of bass (think a slight U-shaped sound signature). They're also a fantastic pick, and I'm sure you would not be disappointed by them.

How are the Sennheiser 439's or whatever their called? they mention detachable cord, 32 ohms and extended bass.
Grado's site for their prestige series mentions some technologies that supposedly make for good bass

remember, i dont want audiophile.

The HD429's are slightly bassier due to the different ear pads. Almost identical sound other than that. They are quite nice sounding. I actually found the bass to not be overwhelming, and they are easy to listen to for an extended period of time. Many of the other headphones mentioned in this thread are bassier. They do feel a bit cheap, though, and the cable is extremely thin.

I'm not sure if they're still a good choice but for ~$70 the Grado SR60's were best-in-class a few years back, at least as far as fidelity is concerned. They don't have a detachable cord though, and they're not sealed so they don't have any noise isolation - this might or might not be a good thing.

Bleh...Grados are notorious for having a mid-bass hump, rolled off bass, and very an exaggerated and peaky upper midrange and treble. Really hurts my ears to listen to. I was misled by all the Grado hype long ago. I'm cool if people like the sound signature of Grado products, but they're not exactly high-fidelity.

OP, I would strongly recommend you consider the Monoprice 8323 or the JVC HA-S400-B as well. They are both right around the $30 mark. They both have emphasized bass. I think the Monoprice has more rolled-off treble than the JVC. The JVC in general has a smoother response. The JVC is on-ear and, in my opinion, not as comfortable as the Monoprice (in between on and over ear). I usually add cushioning to the headbands on both for extra comfort. The Monoprice feels much sturdier and comes with two, nice removable cables. I have had several people listen to both, and many of them ended up purchasing one or the other a few days after on their own.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

You're a basshead plain and simple There's no reason to be avoidant of the term, and being honest about it helps to make better suggestions. The term you want is that you don't want neutral headphones that present the music "how it was originally mastered". You want colored headphones with emphasis on the bass.

As I said above, the M-Audio Q40's are pretty much the bass kings in a very broad price range. That's simply their niche. 32 Ohms is in no way the upper ceiling of drivable headphones. Anything south of 100 Ohms is decently drivable by portable devices.

This being said, for what you sound like you want? Expect an amp. The sounds and the amount of punch you are expecting can't be produced by ultra-light headphones, and ones that *can* do it will never meet the full potential that you are asking for. The Q40's will get the closest, even closer than the Beats But it won't see its full potential without an amp. With $100 though, its not that expensive to get into for something that wipes the floor with the overpriced stuff that is Beats.

It's also a problem that you're reinforcing a desire for on-ear instead of over hear headphones. Over ear provides a sealed chamber that allows weak frequencies (bass) to transmit much more easily. That's why almost all basshead cans are over ear.

In conclusion, the Q40s are your best bet, but your expectations for what you want are unrealistic

 

[BenSkywalker]

..

 

[Oyeve]

SOL Republic.

 

[runawayprisoner]

As I said above, the M-Audio Q40's are pretty much the bass kings in a very broad price range. That's simply their niche. 32 Ohms is in no way the upper ceiling of drivable headphones. Anything south of 100 Ohms is decently drivable by portable devices.

Not quite true. If you consider $150 and below, then they may be able to hold their ground, but they'll have a hard time against Beyerdynamic DT770, and up to $200, they'll bump against DT990 (especially the Pro model), DT880 (bass quality for those who care), HD 650, Denon D2000 (not to be confused with Audio Technica ATH-AD2000), so they don't really go that high before being pushed down.

Anyway, here's another suggestion if the OP can push the budget: Audio Technica ATH-PRO500MK2. If it's just bass quantity, I think those are pretty killer.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Not quite true. If you consider $150 and below, then they may be able to hold their ground, but they'll have a hard time against Beyerdynamic DT770, and up to $200, they'll bump against DT990 (especially the Pro model), DT880 (bass quality for those who care), HD 650, Denon D2000 (not to be confused with Audio Technica ATH-AD2000), so they don't really go that high before being pushed down.

Anyway, here's another suggestion if the OP can push the budget: Audio Technica ATH-PRO500MK2. If it's just bass quantity, I think those are pretty killer.

This is probably where the subjectiveness of sound comes in, but I've used the DT770, DT990, and Denon D2000 on your list both amped and unamped and none of them equal the M-Audio Q40 in sheer bass output. The DT990 at least has better quality bass, doubly so for the D2000, but I disagree that it's *more* bass, which the OP is putting more focus towards.

I'm using the Ultrasone Pro 900 now because the bass is tighter and punchier than any of the above listed cans, but not necessarily higher output than many cans costing less than it, including the old Sony XB700, and the M-Audio Q-40.

 

[runawayprisoner]

This is probably where the subjectiveness of sound comes in, but I've used the DT770, DT990, and Denon D2000 on your list both amped and unamped and none of them equal the M-Audio Q40 in sheer bass output. The DT990 at least has better quality bass, doubly so for the D2000, but I disagree that it's *more* bass, which the OP is putting more focus towards.

I'm using the Ultrasone Pro 900 now because the bass is tighter and punchier than any of the above listed cans, but not necessarily higher output than many cans costing less than it, including the old Sony XB700, and the M-Audio Q-40.

Well, by "bass", do you mean the amount of vibration that something causes, or the impact it makes?

Because those are 2 different things, and unfortunately, they are often inversely proportional of one another. When you have too much vibration, the impact is lessened, and when you have too much of an impact, the vibration is drowned out.

If it's by impact ("tight" or "punchy" bass as you put it), I sincerely doubt the M-Audio Q40 would win any award... especially against the Denon D2000. The M-Audio Q40 has a lot of vibrations, but just that. Same thing for the Audio Technica ATH-M50. Both have a lot of vibrations, but not much impact to speak of.

DT990? Actually, that one doesn't have a lot of impact (surprisingly), but it has a lot of vibrations. In the Beyerdynamic lineup, I'd say... DT880 probably has the best impact if nothing else.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Well, by "bass", do you mean the amount of vibration that something causes, or the impact it makes?

Because those are 2 different things, and unfortunately, they are often inversely proportional of one another. When you have too much vibration, the impact is lessened, and when you have too much of an impact, the vibration is drowned out.

If it's by impact ("tight" or "punchy" bass as you put it), I sincerely doubt the M-Audio Q40 would win any award... especially against the Denon D2000. The M-Audio Q40 has a lot of vibrations, but just that. Same thing for the Audio Technica ATH-M50. Both have a lot of vibrations, but not much impact to speak of.

DT990? Actually, that one doesn't have a lot of impact (surprisingly), but it has a lot of vibrations. In the Beyerdynamic lineup, I'd say... DT880 probably has the best impact if nothing else.

I'm not sure why you're bringing up something non-affecting like head vibration. It has nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

You would be wrong about the Beyers. The DT770 has most bass out of those 3 cans (though it has a bad mid-bass slouch than can make it sound less impressive than the 990 in "thumping" music like a good portion of hip-hop), the DT-990 would be second (but first if you like a good mid-bass thump), with the 880s solidly bringing up the rear with a relatively flat mid-range hump. All 3 suffer from Beyer's classic high-range boost that makes snares, cymbals, and other such high frequency sounds extremely loud in comparison to the rest of the sound range.

None of the Beyers mentioned are really bass-head cans, they're just cans with good bass response. The same can be said of the Denon AH-D2000. They have a fantastic, linear bass response that makes them favorites because they can be EQ'd well to the listening levels the user wants. It's not a bass-head can though by any means, but it does have a good amount of bass.

The M-Audio Q40 is a whole different type of can. It's not a "audiophile" can but its not a skullcandy headphone either. It's an extremely warm bass-focused headphone that has nearly double the sound output in the midbass area at the DT770 and many times higher than the D2000. It does so without being muddy.

Price isn't everything, and while I feel all the Beyer's and the Denons are overall better cans than the M-Audio, suggesting those do not even begin to address what the OP is looking for, which is strong, impactful bass instead of simply tight bass.

 

[runawayprisoner]

I'm not sure why you're bringing up something non-affecting like head vibration. It has nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

Because head vibration is as a result of the headphone cups vibrating.

And the headphone cups vibrate because of the drivers responding to low frequencies.

But I see you're fixated on the M-Audio Q40, so I won't go too deep with this. It doesn't have anything to do with the thread anyway.

 

[gus6464]

Custom One Pro on bass setting

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Grado SR-60, especially if you want good bass response. These are efficient headphones that can be driven easily by a smartphone.

Price should be around $80. They will blow any Bose out of the water.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

You are spending $300 on headphones? If you don't get an amp, it is pointless.

 

[hans030390]

You are spending $300 on headphones? If you don't get an amp, it is pointless.

Not necessarily. While it is true that more expensive headphones tend to be harder to drive properly, there are many that will still sound quite good (relative term) from a "typical" source.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Not necessarily. While it is true that more expensive headphones tend to be harder to drive properly, there are many that will still sound quite good (relative term) from a "typical" source.

Still, pointless. It's like buying a sports car with a V8 and taking half of the spark plugs out.

I have the M50s which I bought to replace my HD280s. I regret it to this day because even though I read that an amp was "recommended but not required" for them, they do not sound anywhere near as good as my HD280s that I sold without amplification. Having said that, a fiend is getting a headphone amp so I can see what these M50s can really do in about a week.

 

[runawayprisoner]

You are spending $300 on headphones? If you don't get an amp, it is pointless.

As said, many headphones, even up to $2800 (yeah, you heard that right) don't require an amp, nor even benefit from one.

You'll most likely get more details or... what-have-you from changing to a DAC, but that is if your current one sucks majorly. The difference between a $2000 headphone and a $500 headphone is actually astoundingly minor.

And yeah, I've heard them.

 

[zerogear]

For headphones it really peaks around 300$. And then you start getting to the point of diminishing returns. It really comes down to why you like to hear in your music.