Audio-lopnik: Headphone Help

"Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy" (camshaft-chris)
08/26/2015 at 14:44 • Filed to: Headphones, Bose

Been shopping around for a new pair of over-the-ear headphones and finally settled on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Picked them up today and am pretty disappointed. They got great reviews on multiple sites and seemed to be a great deal (especially for what I paid for them. Thank you Best Buy price match). But using them with my iPhone today, they really don’t get too loud, even with the volume cranked up all the way, and they lack the deep bass that I like.

Now don’t get me wrong, the sound quality is great. It’s crisp and clear and the mid-higher range is great. But the bass just isn’t there. I tried messing with the EQ on my iPhone but that didn’t change much. Now I’m considering returning them for something else, but I have absolutely no idea what to consider. Does anyone have any good, proven suggestions for over-the-ear headphones with good quality sound and good bass as well? I paid $107.99 for them, so I don’t really want to spend more than that. Also, these have to come from Best Buy due to me having a Best Buy gift card that I bought them with, and that’s what I would be given again upon returning them. Thanks!

DISCUSSION (37)

Mattbob > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 14:53

what kind of music do you listen to? Do you want closed or open headphones? I have these for at home listening and love them http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH440-P… but they would be bad for certain applications. A lot of people swear by these too: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica…

or look at some Grado Labs phones if you want open back ones http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestige…

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 14:56

I wish you could get some Klipsch, but BestBuy doesn’t carry them.

http://time.com/74886/best-hea…

Check out this list for some other brands you can look into.

I’m gonna go blare some tunes on my Klipsch over the ear headphones (that thank god I didn’t have to pay for, thanks step-mom-in-law)

In your budget at BB I’d prolly go for these btw:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sennheise…

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 14:57

If you’re OK with in-ear ‘phones, Give these a shout: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/shure-sou…

I have a pair, and I absolutely LOVE THEM. The balance is spot on, you don’t lose the low end, and they block out a LOT of ambient noise.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 15:00

Bose...really don’t get too loud...But the bass just isn’t there.

I’ve noticed this, and so have others. It’s a pattern, not just with headphones. Kind of the Bose Thing (R).

coelacanthist > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/26/2015 at 15:03

You know what they say, no highs no lows, must be Bose.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Where have all the lightweights gone?
08/26/2015 at 15:04

Well I’ve already got a pair of great ear-buds (Beats that came free with my last phone, lol), so I’m looking for something over-the-ear now. The earbud and in-ear style are starting to become uncomfortable for me.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > coelacanthist
08/26/2015 at 15:10

Or, for the more blunt, “Buy Other Sound Equipment”.

atrombs > Where have all the lightweights gone?
08/26/2015 at 15:12

Is the cord detachable from the ear buds? I love the option of being able to just replace that, as it’s usually what goes first. They look like really nice ones.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 15:12

If you can stand the goofy looks, Koss Portapros or Sportapros are the last word in good tight bass in a headphone under $200 ($40 on amazon last I checked). I have two pairs and adore them.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 15:31

If you like bass (and the other ranges as well) get these:

http://en-us.sennheiser.com/professional-d…

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Mattbob
08/26/2015 at 15:35

Haven’t ever heard of Shure before. What applications would they be bad for?

The Audio-Technica’s look like they could be a nice choice. How’s the bass on them?

And I’m not a fan of open-back. Looking for over-the-ear for comfort as well as noise blockage.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
08/26/2015 at 15:36

Thanks. I’ll have to look through the list and see. And I’ve never heard of Klipsch before.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > atrombs
08/26/2015 at 15:40

Kinja'd!!!

Yes.

atrombs > Where have all the lightweights gone?
08/26/2015 at 15:42

:-) Added to wishlist. (really, more of a “when I have expendable income-list”)

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 15:52

That’s a shame. Phenomenal audio gear.

WiscoProud > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 16:01

I don’t know what you paid for your bose, but if you’re willing to spend up to $200 I would look into Beyerdynamic Custom One Plus.

http://north-america.beyerdynamic.com/shop/hah/headp…

I have a pair of these alongside my Grados, and they are nice. They’re technically aimed towards DJs, but they have good sound, and an adjustable bass port for each cup. They’re completely closed, instead of over the ear, and get pretty loud with my phone. I typically use them while flying to block out everyone else.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/26/2015 at 16:04

That’s exactly what I’m gonna do now, lol.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/26/2015 at 16:06

Yea, I was hopeful for these because of the reviews I read, but I guess I just didn’t have as low of expectations as the reviewers did...

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > coelacanthist
08/26/2015 at 16:06

I can personally attest to that.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/26/2015 at 16:10

Looking for over-the-ear headphones though for the comfort as and noise blocking. Those are on-ear. I might look in to them if I can’t find anything else though. Thanks.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 16:16

Well, that’s the way it is with Bose. Sharp, bright mids at Just Loud Enough, and with some normalization thrown in so the weak parts can be heard at low volume at the same intensity as the strong parts - and you’d think it was the second coming. There’s a Bose cult just like the Apple cult, but way more sad.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
08/26/2015 at 16:23

Def. an option, but the reviews mention they aren’t too comfortable to wear for an extended period of time. Comfort my second concern after the sound/bass. But I’ll definitely keep these in mind. Thanks!

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
08/26/2015 at 16:26

Yea. Looks like the only Klipsch headphones that Best Buy sells are earbuds. Oh well. Thanks for the recommendation though.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > WiscoProud
08/26/2015 at 16:31

I paid $107.99 for the Bose thanks to the Best Buy price match and a sale at Target. And those are out of my price range at the moment. I’m trying not to spend too much more that what I paid for the Bose. I know I’m not gonna be able to get anything top-of-the-line, but I know I should be able to get better sound than what those Bose had.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 16:31

yeah, I recommended the Sennheiser above that is actually available at Best Buy. I expect they’ll sound better than the bose

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/26/2015 at 16:39

It can’t be any worse than the (b)eats cult can it?

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
08/26/2015 at 16:45

Geez, somehow I completely overlooked that. So far, these sound like the closest to (if not exactly) what I’m looking for. I’m definitely gonna have to check these out. Thanks again!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 16:47

No problem, I’ve got a thing for sound gear. Good luck!

Mattbob > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 18:04

Shure is a big name in microphones, and somewhat to a lesser degree studio monitors. They might be a bit inwieldly because they have a long curly cord more for in studio use. I have not heard the Audio technica ones, but they seem to have great reviews.

TheOnelectronic > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 18:11

I have the ATH-M50’s and the bass will rattle your skull if they’re properly driven. They’ve always done fine straight out of my phone but I use them at my computer through a headphone amp.

bhardoin > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/26/2015 at 19:20

I hate how Bose sounds, the high mids are just... all wrong. I can’t help with bassy headphones, as they’re not quite my taste, but I love Sony and Sennheiser for headphones. Sony’s MDR-7506 and 7510 are indestructible, if you like the sound of them.

WiscoProud > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/27/2015 at 10:56

If you want more bass, you may want to focus your search on over-ear headphones, rather than on-ear headphones like the Bose. They will do a better job “trapping” in the sound, which should help the bass as well. If you want them to get louder, you should also pay attention to the impedance. Basically, unless you’re using a portable phone amp, like a FiiO, you should aim for headphones with an impedance lower than 32 ohms. That won’t guarantee good sound, but it will effectively “match” your headphones to the source.

Have you tried listening to the headphones using other sources like a stereo, laptop, etc. If they sound bad on all sources, its the headphone. If they only sound bad on your phone, it may be a shitty phone amp or you have some bad settings.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > WiscoProud
08/27/2015 at 12:00

My search is for over-the-ear headphones, which is what these Bose are. They have a 32 ohm impedance as well. They’re even designed to work with iPod/iPhone/iPad, and my iPhone is what I mainly listen to music through. The biggest limiting factor I have is that the “money” I have to buy them is limited to Best Buy gift card, so I’m stuck choosing from what they have in stock. My current front-runners are the Sennheiser Urbanite XLs which are a little bit outside of my price range, the Audio Technica Solid Bass which are completely sold out, and the Sony Extra Bass Bluetooth (MDRXB950BT/B) which again, are little bit out of my price range at the moment. I got luck with the Best Buy price match in bring the Bose down from $179.99 to $107.99, so if I can’t do that again, I might just have to wait a little longer.

WiscoProud > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
08/27/2015 at 12:03

Audio Technica and Sennheiser both make good headphones, particularly their higher end ones. Is your store sold out, or are they sold out online? Ideally, the best way would be to audition them side by side, but that's rarely possible while dealing with big box stores. Good luck.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > WiscoProud
08/27/2015 at 12:22

Thanks! And they’re sold out both in-store and online.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > TheOnelectronic
08/27/2015 at 12:52

Yea, those look like they’d be a good option, but unfortunately Best Buy doesn’t sell them. I’m using a Best Buy gift card so I’m limited to what they have.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > bhardoin
08/27/2015 at 12:54

Sony and Sennheiser are currently my two front-runners now. I just have to figure out which ones will have the best sound while staying within my budget...