I was also disappointed by the bass extension on the HE400i. Switching to leather ZMF Ori pads did help quite a bit though.
I am not a basshead in the sense that I don’t need super prominent bass, but I do like good bass extension, clarity and texture. I second the recommendation of LCD2C and I’ll add the DT 1990 as a semi-open dynamic driver that does very well in the bass department. It’s bass is well extended and has lower distortion than many of the popular dynamics like the HD600, with great clarity and just a bit more punch than the LCD2C.
Second the DT1990, a very good headphone but the treble up top may not be for everyone. Otherwise imo it’s a slightly less refined HD800 with better upper mids.
Thanks, I was also thinking of getting the Audeze but the LCD-2 just because I like the look of wood, just waiting to see when my store gets the updated version so I can try out the new headband and cushion.
If you can deal with the planar compression it’s a decent proposition I guess. Personally I don’t think orthos are better than standard dynamics.
Yeah, I have to eq down the treble peak at 8 kHz, but with that it’s an excellent headphones.
Ive had many headphones and Ive never heard one extend as deep as the Beoplay H9i. It goes deep and it stays CLEAN!!
dont get me wrong, its not super powerful but its clean! and it extends. Better than any wireless headphone ive heard.
Fostex TH-610, to my ear, as some of the most natural, extended sub-bass I’ve heard.
Guys hear me out… the Skullcandy skull crushers 
jk jk
Ok so I really enjoy good bass. I have recently bought a fostex thx00 mahogany and I love them. They are W shaped and the entire sound signature is to my liking.
Once I got these I realized how freaking amazing the bass is on my B&O H6 gen 2. They are VERY similar. The biodynamic fostex might be a tad better, but the H6 get really damn close. There is a dip in the upper bass/lower mids that prevents the bass from muddying the mids. Metal571 reviewed the h6 and recommended them. I stump for these cans every chance I get because they are stunning for what they are. Easy to drive, good isolation, super comfortable, good looking, there is nothing missing really.
When I’m at home I usually pick the fostex, but I get 95% there with the H6. Incredible cans. I am looking at trying the dt1990 next as I dont have much experience with fully open headphones and the bass is supposed to be good on these.
I almost bought an H6 but was concerned about microphonics of the cable which was reported in several reviews. Did you experience this?
I’ll second Fostex. Good base was a prerequisite for me when I purchased my cans and the Fostex stood out nicely.
Will someone tell this old Phart what the heck you mean by “sub bass” in a headphone? I have some classical recordings that have a lot of low bass - not just tympani, but one William Tell Overture that features a cannon shot with an 8 Hz primary frequency.
I’ve also got some pipe organ albums that feature church organs with 32 foot and in one case a 64 foot pipe. That’s low bass.
On the electronic side, there are some recordings with very low notes on synthesizer.
When I listen to this stuff, I usually use speakers because to some extent, low bass is felt as much as heard. And my speakers are supposed to produce a pretty good amount of sound below 40 hz.
When I listen to movies, I have a TV soundbar with a subwoofer that seems to go pretty low.
My better headphones, the Stax SR-5N, the Sennheiser HD-580s, the Hifiman HE-560s let me hear the low bass, but the presentation lacks the impact of air moved by 12 inch woofers. Some of my IEMs also seem to extend low.
I hear many recordings that have a lot - or too much mid-bass. Bass guitar, string bass, subcontrabass bassoon, etc.
But I’m really curious - what do you all mean in the context of headphones?
1 Like
I’d second that for the Beyer 770 pros.
I’m a DnB head so filthy filthy lows are my addiction… and these are both punchy and buttery smooth on the low rollers. They’re ACTUALLY used by a ton of producers and studios (the bbc for instance use them a lot) unlike most ‘studio’ branded phones. I’ve actually discovered several if my favourite dnb, electro soul and glitch hop producers use these, so that should tell you a lot.
Plus they’re pretty cheap in terms of this hobby for the sound. They may not be even remotely pretty, but they sound amazing (and the felt ear cups for them are great too).
1 Like
You are pretty much spot on with your understanding. Most people define sub-bass as 60 Hz and below. And you are also right that there are only a few instruments/genres that really dig down in that < 20-30 Hz range and pipe organ is one of those instruments.
My better headphones, the Stax SR-5N, the Sennheiser HD-580s, the Hifiman HE-560s let me hear the low bass, but the presentation lacks the impact of air moved by 12 inch woofers. Some of my IEMs also seem to extend low.
That’s not surprising. All of those headphones suffer in sub-bass extension. HE-560 is the best in that group, but a bit lacking compared to most other planars. Though, I have found HE-560 is a harder to drive headphone that bass gets better with more power. For high quality sub-bass with very good extension see if you can demo some Audeze LCD series headphones. Those are great examples of very clean extended bass that you can feel. I call that sub-bass “rumble” or “weight”. Better yet, the Abyss Phi is really impressive in that area and might be one of the most intense sub-bass experiences I have felt. Also, the Foster variants like TH-X00, EMU Teak, TH-900, etc. have a ton of sub-bass that you can feel like a subwoofer. But that bass is elevated above neutral and also has a hump in the mid-bass so it is both heavy in sub-bass but also a bit boomy in mid-bass. I wouldn’t use it for classical music or pipe organs, but they do work great with more electronic genres.
2 Likes
This is my favorite music frequency reference - http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm
8 Likes
That’s neat! Click his link folks! 
Up there!
I have only had this for around 6 months myself and I have found it incredibly useful. I would have paid money for this chart. I came across it on recommendation via Reddit.
-Paul-
That’s awesome, really interesting to see broken down like that.
1 Like