# On the note of beats xe...



## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

After taking the 5 dollar dive into power amp, it BLOWS BEATS OUT OF THE WATER. they actually have either an 8 or 16 band EQ. It works, You can get your phone so loud it will peak past 0db and crush. If thats not loud, I dont know what it is. If you guys want me to post some EQ profiles that really boost the bass/db lvl without distorting the track lmk, im an audio engineer and frequency slotting is something in the lab all of the time. Even if you dont have poweramp but have any graphical EQ id be glad to tell you what sort of eq curve you are looking for. Idle hands are the devils workshop so i do my best to keep busy


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## superchilpil (Jul 11, 2011)

nocoast said:


> After taking the 5 dollar dive into power amp, it BLOWS BEATS OUT OF THE WATER. they actually have either an 8 or 16 band EQ. It works, You can get your phone so loud it will peak past 0db and crush. If thats not loud, I dont know what it is. If you guys want me to post some EQ profiles that really boost the bass/db lvl without distorting the track lmk, im an audio engineer and frequency slotting is something in the lab all of the time. Even if you dont have poweramp but have any graphical EQ id be glad to tell you what sort of eq curve you are looking for. Idle hands are the devils workshop so i do my best to keep busy


Nice rom here dude


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

psht i coulda sworn this was the tbolt forum, needs to drop down one lvl. Apologies. No need to bust my balls...


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## poontab (Jun 7, 2011)

Moved to general. Please use development sections for releases only.


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## superchilpil (Jul 11, 2011)

Hey everyone else here knows this is the development thread, just thought I'd remind you since you are a dev and all
Other people get burnt to a crisp for doing this anyway


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## Turdbogls (Jun 7, 2011)

yeah i always though "BEATS" was a marketing scheme. something DSP manager or anything with an EQ and a keen ear can achieve. I would like to see your settings, just to check em out. i have power amp, but i never use it any more







ever since google music came out. but i do use DSP manager to tweak my music to my liking. i assume DSP's EQ and power amps EQ are similar, but i am no audio expert.


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## Mattes (Sep 2, 2011)

The real test would be* to try poweramp on the rezound and compare it to Beats before jumping to conclusions.


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## sk3litor (Oct 3, 2011)

I as well would like to see some settings nocoast. Not a rap Guy more of like a deftones type. Also a musician so ide like to get the incite from a sound engineer


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## RjsShadows (Jun 21, 2011)

You are still a dev so it's cool ; ) and don't forget PlayerPro! Buy that and download the FREE dsp pack and to me that blows PowerAmp out of the water. I used to love poweramp until I found out about player pro, and playerpro also has a WAY sexier UI. Just sayin. : )


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

Player Pro's EQ is not as good, Player pro's dsp has some nice features (for example instead of stopping your track to play a notification sound, it ramps the volume down) But ultimately player pro is far buggier, does not allow for nearly as much modification to the signal. I have to run to fedex to drop off my CLN and then Ill post some screenshots. Glad to see you guys are interested in this...



Vulpe said:


> The real test would be* to try poweramp on the rezound and compare it to Beats before jumping to conclusions.


Im gonna be straight up with you, I did the real test, and there is nothing in the hardware of the rezound that creates "_thundering bass, soaring midrange and crisp highs_"-HTC. That quote alone goes to show how backwards the whole mentality of beats processing is. Quite honestly, thundering bass, soaring midrange, and crisp highs...aren't even possible. The more Bass you boost the more the mid range will recess, same with the highs. If you boost all three at once then you may aswell have left the EQ at flat. The whole idea behind an eq is that you cater it to A.The track you are listening to B. The set of headphones you are using. Monster/Beats is in NO WAY an audiophile company, and there are some headphone mfg's that make headphones that are far more accurate in the same price range (that will sound great on your rezound or your thunderbolt, particularly with a good EQ profile.) Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, AKG just to name a few brands that have been tried and true for decades. Dr.Dre beats is a marketing campaign, and an eq profile. People have done research into seeing what sort of DAC is in the rezound and the conclusion has been reached that we don't even know which DAC they are using. If they could advertise a feature like an advanced DAC they would, but in actuality there isn't one. Its just a global EQ that doesnt even process the signal dynamically (in the sense that there is no spectral analsys before applying the beats effects.) So please dont be fooled, they sadly did not put a 1960s harmon kardon tube amp in the rezound. Its likely the same DAC in the tbolt...


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## bensl84 (Aug 28, 2011)

I am so interested in this. I hate I can't hear my phone if I'm taking a shower and want some tunes on


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

when i get back home ill post a wealth of info


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## bL33d (Jun 23, 2011)

i would like some setting info aswell. Now that my lazy tushy is going to the gym again i use pandora alot up there.


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## Blade765 (Jun 9, 2011)

Nocoast, any thoughts on the Bose IE2's? I am interested in hearing your thoughts on them.


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## Turdbogls (Jun 7, 2011)

Vulpe said:


> The real test would be* to try poweramp on the rezound and compare it to Beats before jumping to conclusions.


i tried the Sense ROM with Beats, used beats for a while, listened to a few songs, tried without beats using DSP manager, and while beats sounded better than nothing at all, i was able to tweak DSP just the way i like it. so IMO, DSP>beats


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## mkjellgren (Jun 18, 2011)

Blade765 said:


> Nocoast, any thoughts on the Bose IE2's? I am interested in hearing your thoughts on them.


+1 at the risk of dragging this thread slightly off topic I am quite interested in these as well. Especially as they compare to the klipsch s4i. Forget that beats crap...


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## shadowpunx (Jul 16, 2011)

Player pro with dsp...ftw

You should have killed me, when you had the chance


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## B3L13V3 (Jul 11, 2011)

I am very interested in those eq curves...I'll take them for dsp. I'll also be taking your word for it and taking the plunge to poweramp...since I am also an audiophile







and take those eq curves as well.


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## sk3litor (Oct 3, 2011)

Huuuuge fan of poweramp. Don't think you can use it with Google music though


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## mike168 (Oct 4, 2011)

Check out equalizer from the market, works great and is universal so works with all audio, Pandora, stock music player, google music, etc.


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## theMichael (Aug 26, 2011)

looking forward to this


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## bL33d (Jun 23, 2011)

Will buying nice headphones make a diffrence cause I'm useing $15 Walmart earbuds


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## Athorax (Jul 20, 2011)

sk3litor said:


> I as well would like to see some settings nocoast. Not a rap Guy more of like a deftones type. Also a musician so ide like to get the incite from a sound engineer


Deftones is earjizz when I'm drunk.


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## v36sedan (Sep 4, 2011)

bL33d said:


> Will buying nice headphones make a diffrence cause I'm useing 15 Walmart earbuds


Yes, I picked up some S.O.L.'s for 100. Look em up in Google. Extremely nice for the price. They are on-ear headphones


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## poetzmij (Aug 21, 2011)

For those of you thinking about Bose, get them. Just get them. They are amazing had the for 4 years now can't listen to any others, I always have a warrenty up too. You have to like bass though, I use there in ear earbuds not there noise canceling and you wouldn't beleive the bass these little things pump out.


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

poetzmij said:


> For those of you thinking about Bose, get them. Just get them. They are amazing had the for 4 years now can't listen to any others, I always have a warrenty up too. You have to like bass though, I use there in ear earbuds not there noise canceling and you wouldn't beleive the bass these little things pump out.


WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA. STOP STOP STOP STOP. IN THE AUDIOPHILE COMMUNITY BOSE IS A COMMONLY KNOWN ACRONYM (for Buy other sound equipment) I do not lie, you can't find anything much crappier than even the nicest set of bose. They put all of their money toward marketiing. A 20 dollar pair of sennheisers will blow any pair of bose out of the water interms of accuracy. Headphones were not intended to modify the signal, they are just supposed to accurately reproduce the audio. A pair of headphones with a global eq is the dumbest idea in the world for SO MANY reasons. Try a pair of audio technica ath-m50's playing some 24bit lossless flac recording (like a radiohead album or something with a lot of depth) and then plug your bose in. You will notice HOW MANY LAYERS ARE MISSING. But you know what, go ahead and be an uninformed consumer who buys whatever they see on televesion. All of the money that Bose puts towards advertisements, sennheiser, akg, Audio-technica, places towards R&D. And it shows....Stay away from major name brands....As usual exotic specialty items designed by audiophiles/producers are great for audiophiles/producers. But if you want a pair of earmuffs that cost 15 cents to make (seriously read up on the sort of parts bose places in their products) and 150 dollars to wear then go ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you though. Guitar center will have some entry level sennheiser, akg, and audio technica that you can go audition if you don't believe me. I hate to see people waste their money though. And yes, audio technica makes consumer headphones with noise cancelling, and it works MUCH BETTER than bose's technology. Have been too busy doing roms this evening to post my EQ guide but stay posted, im not going to sleep anytime soon. Hopefully gonna have two seperate release candidates for tonight...

EDIT:To make an analogy, bose's global EQ (automatic bass boost/compression) would be like your monitor being stuck to one color calibration forever. If any of you are into graphic design, youll understand that you need different profiles for different applications...not the best analogy. But adding things that arent there doesn't=better sound. People just get all woozy for over accentuated (undefined, muddy) bass.


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## tekhna (Aug 9, 2011)

Two things you should never buy: Beats products and Bose. 
Check out Klipsch S4s or Etyomotics.


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## yakitori (Aug 28, 2011)

tekhna said:


> Two things you should never buy: Beats products and Bose.
> Check out Klipsch S4s or Etyomotics.


I disagree. At least with Bose part. I have klipsch s4a and they are great...especially for price. IMO best earbud style headphones. However ...Bose e15 are great....noise cancellation works perfectly. They are top notch muff style headphones. Perfect for traveling ...they block out jet engine noise great. That being said....you are right about beats. Hype and overpriced. I would never pay that much for subpar product

But...I would not buy Bose earbud style headphones


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## poetzmij (Aug 21, 2011)

nocoast said:


> WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA. STOP STOP STOP STOP. IN THE AUDIOPHILE COMMUNITY BOSE IS A COMMONLY KNOWN ACRONYM (for Buy other sound equipment) I do not lie, you can't find anything much crappier than even the nicest set of bose. They put all of their money toward marketiing. A 20 dollar pair of sennheisers will blow any pair of bose out of the water interms of accuracy. Headphones were not intended to modify the signal, they are just supposed to accurately reproduce the audio. A pair of headphones with a global eq is the dumbest idea in the world for SO MANY reasons. Try a pair of audio technica ath-m50's playing some 24bit lossless flac recording (like a radiohead album or something with a lot of depth) and then plug your bose in. You will notice HOW MANY LAYERS ARE MISSING. But you know what, go ahead and be an uninformed consumer who buys whatever they see on televesion. All of the money that Bose puts towards advertisements, sennheiser, akg, Audio-technica, places towards R&D. And it shows....Stay away from major name brands....As usual exotic specialty items designed by audiophiles/producers are great for audiophiles/producers. But if you want a pair of earmuffs that cost 15 cents to make (seriously read up on the sort of parts bose places in their products) and 150 dollars to wear then go ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you though. Guitar center will have some entry level sennheiser, akg, and audio technica that you can go audition if you don't believe me. I hate to see people waste their money though. And yes, audio technica makes consumer headphones with noise cancelling, and it works MUCH BETTER than bose's technology. Have been too busy doing roms this evening to post my EQ guide but stay posted, im not going to sleep anytime soon. Hopefully gonna have two seperate release candidates for tonight...
> 
> EDIT:To make an analogy, bose's global EQ (automatic bass boost/compression) would be like your monitor being stuck to one color calibration forever. If any of you are into graphic design, youll understand that you need different profiles for different applications...not the best analogy. But adding things that arent there doesn't=better sound. People just get all woozy for over accentuated (undefined, muddy) bass.


I knew this was coming(and predicted from you) and no prob bro I understand where your coming from but I like the sound of Bose so chill man







I just like a deep sound on everything no matter what it is I've had many other high end brands I just like Bose because I like what they do to there what you might call artificial sound and I'm not an audiophile. I have heard about them being awful and I wouldn't buy anything else from them like surround sound definitely, but you wont find better sounding earbuds atleast not to me. 
But yep your right they are "technically" crap but it's a finely polished turd my friend.

Just trying to say some people really do like these headphones and enjoy the artificially deep sounds that you just don't normally hear in little earbuds. Which is why I actually said you have to like bass, I didn't say it to make them sound better, really... you have to like bass and deep because that's all you get. But I like it.
And some people don't because they take a strong technical stance against Bose, and probably other brands that do such things.
And also I hate beats headphones. Just do, don't like how they sound.


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

poetzmij said:


> I knew this was coming(and predicted from you) and no prob bro I understand where your coming from but I like the sound of Bose so chill man
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What high end headphones have you used? My father raised me to be an audio snob. Ableton and pro tools forced me to become one..


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## poetzmij (Aug 21, 2011)

nocoast said:


> What high end headphones have you used? My father raised me to be an audio snob. Ableton and pro tools forced me to become one..


Klipsch and I can't remember the other brand but they were both extreamly treble raping my ear they sounded aweful, I didn't give them much if a chance though... what do you recommend? The problem is finding a nice pair that aren't over ear headphones, I like compact small earbuds that's the only type I wear.
But I'm going to listen too these till they break, well actually I guess I can leave them once my warranty goes, I will give them to someone who can't afford a nice pair at all.


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

Klipsh is not high end bro. Try an expensive pair of sennheisers, driven by a nice amp, or AKG's, audio technicas, or better yet a pair of electrostatics like STAX that require a dedicated amp just to drive them....Until you listen to some vinyl over a proper setup (preamp, amp, sick turntables with sick stylus and all) Playing a perfectly mastered record. Then please don't talk like you've been to Jerusalem. Im not trying to be pompous but honestly, it goes hand in hand with discerning taste...Again just my .02. If you really would like to research dynamic response and pull out the charts and graphs, the headphones im talking about will "win again" but Im not a huge fan of associating numbers/graphs with the quality of the audio. But if the shoe fits....Apologies on the lack of a screenshot of my EQ profile, I have reflashed and will make another just to show you what your curve should look like if your looking to get that "booming bass" and those "screaming highs" Im not gonna make promises that are false like htc because honestly, when you boost the highs and the lows the mids become recessed. Interestingly people dont care that much about midrange so







Everyone wants the earbuds since the iphone came out (you'd think at least droid users would be in rebellion by using over ear monitors...) I just PM'd someone advising them to get sennheiser in ear's or my dad's buddy Eddy Shure's company to get something like these. They were the original company back when the iCraze hit to come out with the eac's i believe they were called and they were all the rage. I have to warn you, in ear headphones will make you deaf. Seriously. Like dead deaf.....To get a truly good pair you also need to get them fitted to your ears by an audiologist.


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## poetzmij (Aug 21, 2011)

nocoast said:


> Klipsh is not high end bro. Try an expensive pair of sennheisers, driven by a nice amp, or AKG's, audio technicas, or better yet a pair of electrostatics like STAX that require a dedicated amp just to drive them....Until you listen to some vinyl over a proper setup (preamp, amp, sick turntables with sick stylus and all) Playing a perfectly mastered record. Then please don't talk like you've been to Jerusalem. Im not trying to be pompous but honestly, it goes hand in hand with discerning taste...Again just my .02. If you really would like to research dynamic response and pull out the charts and graphs, the headphones im talking about will "win again" but Im not a huge fan of associating numbers/graphs with the quality of the audio. But if the shoe fits....Apologies on the lack of a screenshot of my EQ profile, I have reflashed and will make another just to show you what your curve should look like if your looking to get that "booming bass" and those "screaming highs" Im not gonna make promises that are false like htc because honestly, when you boost the highs and the lows the mids become recessed. Interestingly people dont care that much about midrange so
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So how much does a truly nice pair run for? I apparently have been missing out on some real audio quality I guess

And oh they were shure the other headphones I tried were shure


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## ERIFNOMI (Jun 30, 2011)

I'm all for accurately reproducing sound as best as possible but I think you guys are started to get beyond the abilities of these phones. After a certain point, the phone is going to be the bottleneck in your setup. I mean, these things can't be made with parts that are on par with your multi-hundred dollar headphones.

I cannot afford to be an audiophile. I have a pair of FMJ skullcandys that I occasionally use. Most of my music listening takes place while driving. Luckily the speakers in my truck are actually pretty good and I haven't had to worry about replacing them.


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

ERIFNOMI multi hundred dollar headphones (like the ath-m50s) were actually designed specifically for lower end devices like laptop outputs, cellphones etc. Its not until you break that 500 dollar barrier or so until you (usually need) a dedicated amp. The bigger concern is just the sourcing of most people's files...Transcodes or low bitrate files are SO OBVIOUS on nice headphones. Good headphones dont cost more than consumer/mass marketed ones either. Even the 20 dollar sennheiser over the ears are far more accurate than any pair of bose i've touched. Really, just stick with the germans or the japanese and you should be good...at any price point. I hate to see people spend their money on things that are of a lower build quality for the same price..


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## ERIFNOMI (Jun 30, 2011)

I understand, believe me. I rip my CDs to FLAC to preserve everything even of at the moment I don't have equipment to fully take advantage of it at the moment.

The reason I got the skullcandys was their warranty. Lifetime warranty is awesome. If they go bad, I get new ones. If I destroy them, I get 50% off new ones. If you've ever crammed earbuds in your pocket, you know the abuse they take.


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## Forgetful (Jul 23, 2011)

When did you get your EIT/PE and get certified by a eng licencing body?

Sent from my HTC ThunderBolt using Tapatalk


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

ERIFNOMI said:


> I understand, believe me. I rip my CDs to FLAC to preserve everything even of at the moment I don't have equipment to fully take advantage of it at the moment.
> 
> The reason I got the skullcandys was their warranty. Lifetime warranty is awesome. If they go bad, I get new ones. If I destroy them, I get 50% off new ones. If you've ever crammed earbuds in your pocket, you know the abuse they take.


My audio technicas have lifetime even coverage if u break them.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

Forgetful said:


> When did you get your EIT/PE and get certified by a eng licencing body?
> 
> Sent from my HTC ThunderBolt using Tapatalk


I could respond honestly but I believe I'd be violating the rules.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk


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## execute.method (Sep 7, 2011)

I'm very interested in your eq profiles for power amp. Please post when you get a chance.

Also, for the record, I have Klipsch S4 for my use when exercising or out and about, and AT A900 (closed), for more serious use.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk


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## brizey (Jul 18, 2011)

Forgetful said:


> When did you get your EIT/PE and get certified by a eng licencing body?
> 
> Sent from my HTC ThunderBolt using Tapatalk


Unfortunately, that boat had sailed on the engineering community. Unenforced laws, etc. I think my PMP is more valuable to me than my MS in EE and my PE license. Society just does not value engineering as a profession enough to enforce licensing laws.

(For the confused readers, it is technically illegal in most states to profess yourself as an engineer unless you are a licensed PE. Similarly, companies cannot title a position as an engineer unless it is held by a licensed engineer. Of course, it is not really enforced. I gave up on it a long time ago.)


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

I used the term engineer loosely. kill me. Everyones got their panties in a bunch today...


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## mkjellgren (Jun 18, 2011)

Alright nocoast, if you obviously don't recommend Bose or beats, and you don't seem to have too high of an opinion on klipsch, what would you recommend in terms a good pair of ear buds in the $80-120 range? I had been leaning towards the klipsch s4's.


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

sennheiser hd 280s..

Audio Technica ATH-M50's

If you must go in ear id suggest these...

The top two are called studio monitors for a reason. Because people in the recording studio use them to monitor the audio, hear whats going on...


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## wraithdu (Jul 25, 2011)

While you're on the subject... quick thoughts about the Sony MDR-7506's? I have a pair and I'm curious where they stand compared to your recommendations.


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## nocoast (Oct 17, 2011)

Sonys are ok, like i said, if its from japan or germany it tends to be pretty good. That said, Id really stick to the brands Ive mentioned...


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## ByteSizeSln (Nov 27, 2011)

nocoast - any recommendations on wireless (bluetooth) headphones? I certainly know you'll lose a LOT of the sound quality compared to direct connect, but just wondering







Thank you for taking the time to do "sound" reviews. You really like power amp that much compared to the other bazillion EQ's on the market?


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