Here are some measurements and comparisons done on the GRAS 43AG between the ZenCAN Signature’s bass boost and that of the ZenDAC.
Note that the green line is the ZenDAC and not the ZenCAN non-signature. I’m still investigating that. But in essence, the ZenDAC’s ‘Truebass’ gives it a lot more energy than the Signature ZenCAN’s ‘HD6XX’ button. Also important to note is that the ‘HD6XX’ button also boosts 5-6khz by a noticeable amount. I’m not sure if this is actually a good thing, since one of the things I really like about the HD6XX is that it’s on the smoother side, and this gives it a bit of a peak there.
Speaking with one of the reps, apparently they did do quite a bit of research on this and that was a preference for a lot of people. I’m just not sure it’s what I personally want out of the HD6XX. But maybe that’s also because I like the HD6XX to be smooth, and for some it may be a bit too laid back. Fun how subjective this hobby can be.
For the bass differences, if the non-signature ZenCAN is similar to the ZenDAC’s truebass, then this difference may just be similar to the difference between Harman 2018 bass and Harman 2013 bass. I prefer the latter.
Interestingly, the Signature ZenCAN’s bass boost does put it pretty close to that:
