Rockbox General > Rockbox General Discussion
The iPod Poor Bass Response
mamboman:
don't seem to encounter this issue with my 5.5G Video ipod with UE Superfi 5Pros.
TexasRockbox:
I went digging about this capacitor issue and stumbled into something I hadn't used in several years. The issue with the Ipod is the low impedence/low coupling capacitance. For portable listening I picked up the Sennheiser PX-100 some years ago as these were/are the killer budget phones (32 ohms) and the Sony EX earplug series (16 ohms) and have used them almost exclusively.
Either of those (as well as many other devices) have issues with the stock output of 5G (and other generations as best I can tell). The UE have impedences in the low teens -- really not good and having one jump through tone control hoops to compensate.
In reading around about this issue a solution is available. Before I starting using the Sennheisers the *killer budget* phones were the Koss PortaPro, KSC35 and others in that series that uses the "titanium" drivers. These drivers are 60 ohms. Perfect! This series has been available for the last fifteen years or so with many stylistic changes. I pulled out my old Radio Shack Optimus Pro35 (Radio Shack branded version) and, voila! Bass without the tone controls and plenty of detailed highs that are not overly etched. I think these phones mate well with the Ipod.
These phones aren't perfect and may even be "bass heavy" -- especially if one has become accostomed to the low bass output -- but there is a decent balance of the bass and treble, in my view. These phone ARE inexexpensive, ranging from the $19.95 Koss KSC75 (earclips) to the $39.95 enclosed ear model. The trick is to find the Koss phones with the 60ohm "titanium" drivers. I thnk the same driver is used in each Koss or Radio Shack phone that fits the profile.
Maybe not everyone's cup of tea but certainly a pleasant and inexpensive surprise. If you are having bass issues with the Ipod/Rockbox it might be worth a try.
mamboman:
I am thinking of getting a portable amp to do it with my UE SF 5 Pros through the lineout which is definitely better the last time I auditioned it with the amp. need to think hard though as the amp is definitely not cheap
scorche:
Amps definitely do make a difference (and I have been using mine through the line out for quite a while), but I am starting to wonder how on-topic this thread is...
TexasRockbox:
An outboard amp would have high impedence inputs so the effect on the ipod bass response would be negligible. The on-topic issues would be, I think:
1: Configuring the Rockbox equilizer for flat response given a specific load.
2: Avoiding the Rockbox equilizer usage (and thus conserving Rockbox/ipod power) by using commercially available headphones that have high impedences.
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