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AFRO PUFF

Q: No Bass from new In-Ear Headphones

Is there a way to test the drivers in the headphones? I'm wondering if the woofer isn't functioning properly. The sound is very clear, but there is next to nothing on the low-end. The fit is extremely snug, but when I press them to my ear to double-check the bass increases, but not by much. When I do the same to my cheap $10 skullcandy headphones, I can clearly feel/hear the bass.

Posted on Dec 12, 2008 9:06 AM

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Q: No Bass from new In-Ear Headphones

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  • by emal,

    emal emal Dec 13, 2008 5:31 PM in response to AFRO PUFF
    Level 1 (75 points)
    Dec 13, 2008 5:31 PM in response to AFRO PUFF
    I have exactly the same problem. I tried every single earbud cover (small, medium, and large) at least three times each, and I tried positioning the earphones in different ways in my ear. They had NO BASS whatsoever.
  • by iamnickfury,

    iamnickfury iamnickfury Dec 14, 2008 6:18 AM in response to AFRO PUFF
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 14, 2008 6:18 AM in response to AFRO PUFF
    That's what all the reviews are saying. The bass is really inaudible on these headphones. You can go into the EQ and activate the bass booster. Does help a bit. But I think that they should have really balanced the bass on this before releasing the product.
  • by AFRO PUFF,

    AFRO PUFF AFRO PUFF Dec 15, 2008 7:50 AM in response to iamnickfury
    Level 1 (105 points)
    Dec 15, 2008 7:50 AM in response to iamnickfury
    EQ helps a bit... but then it will also cause the bass to peak out on several other songs, making the result even less desirable. I'll be returning these headphones first chance I get. I also bought these for the remote feature, but you can't just hold the volume up or down switch to increase the volume. You have to keep clicking to get the desired level. I'm clicking away 20 times when I want to lower the volume for a bit.
  • by ArchUrban,

    ArchUrban ArchUrban Dec 15, 2008 10:20 PM in response to AFRO PUFF
    Level 4 (1,160 points)
    Dec 15, 2008 10:20 PM in response to AFRO PUFF
    apple headphone has some issue on bass. not just only new in-earphone but also old one. bass is one of advantage for blocking noise from outside. that's why people like it. if you see review on this product in online store, most people gave it 4 out of 5. I don't get it. why? it's deserved to get that for design. but for sound quality? it's no more than 3 stars. people are, who posted online store, not audiophile. they don't know what sound is really produced by this earphone. I think that some people like it. but mostly we don't. apple needs to adjust bass range. dual drivers? are you kidding me? my v-moda vibe II (single driver) is way way better than this.
  • by Zach Rathore,

    Zach Rathore Zach Rathore Dec 16, 2008 12:08 AM in response to ArchUrban
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Dec 16, 2008 12:08 AM in response to ArchUrban
    Perhaps the most annoying waste of £54 I have made. There is >no< bass at all from these earduds. It's saying something (quite a bassy something) that the iPhone supplied earbuds sound much better than the new ones that I bought the other day. Plus points, they fit beautifully, the mic is clear in phone conversations too. But, without the bass, music can be quite annoying and painful to my ears. Would a software update to iPhone/iPod Touch rectify this and turn on the crippled bass driver? If not, will I be able to return them?
  • by Zach Rathore,

    Zach Rathore Zach Rathore Dec 16, 2008 12:54 AM in response to Zach Rathore
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Dec 16, 2008 12:54 AM in response to Zach Rathore
    Ok - I am an idiot...

    Problem solved (for me). Whilst on the train this morning (where I posted the above reply), I decided to see what would happen if *I shoved the earbuds right into my ear*. The effect was immediate. Now, for me, this did seem unnatural - afterall, we are always told not to shove things into our ear canala. But this is the only way that they will work. The ruber cups create a seal, and therefore cancel out exterior noise, and the bass must resonate inside this space (?). The bass was so boomy, that I had to turn of the incresed bass in the EQ setting.

    So, if you are haveing trouble, try the above. To some, this might seem obvious, but to me - it wasn't. Maybe I am daft. I dunno.
  • by Alric,

    Alric Alric Dec 16, 2008 9:34 AM in response to AFRO PUFF
    Level 1 (75 points)
    Dec 16, 2008 9:34 AM in response to AFRO PUFF
    My experience as well. Almost next to nothing bass no matter how much I push them into the ear canal. It is too bad because the high sounds are very good. I tried using Bass Boost on the EQ but as another commenter mentioned the bass then clips with some songs.
  • by Boris83,

    Boris83 Boris83 Dec 16, 2008 8:31 PM in response to AFRO PUFF
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 16, 2008 8:31 PM in response to AFRO PUFF
    I hate to disappoint you with the same experience.

    I tried everything. Different plugs, equalizer, on my old nano, on my macbook (and of course with my 2nd generation iPod touch). Everywhere the same experience. A very flat bass. It seems as if those headphones support more bass, since I played a favorite song of mine with a loooot of bass that seems to break out when you use the regular headphones. The in-ear headphones gave a nice bass — but very flat, not at all rich, load or anything. I will give those headphones back.

    The only thing I am wondering about is if this might be a manufacturing problem. Maybe a lot of those delivered headphones have a problem with the bass while maybe 90% function correctly?! But this might be verified by others. Is there anybody out there who doesn't have this problem? Anybody who can actually judge sound quality???

    Because—at the matter of fact, this is the only problem these headphones have. Wonderfully designed and fitting well ... and I love the remote. But if the bass isn't good, they are still worthless.

    ANYBODY???
  • by mattrobi,

    mattrobi mattrobi Dec 16, 2008 9:26 PM in response to Boris83
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Dec 16, 2008 9:26 PM in response to Boris83
    In order for there to be bass they need to be placed properly in the ear. Its the same with all in-ear earphones. I wouldn't say the bass is overwhelming but they are pretty decent. No complaints from me, especially considering the price, the construction quality, and the included remote/mic.
  • by ArchUrban,

    ArchUrban ArchUrban Dec 18, 2008 12:28 AM in response to mattrobi
    Level 4 (1,160 points)
    Dec 18, 2008 12:28 AM in response to mattrobi
    do you think that people are here stupid? don't judge people. they already know how to wear in-earphone. seal tight. it's basic. most people complain about sound quality. it's turned out to be serious problem. just think about. even any headphone which is below price or expensive delivers rich bass. this apple headphone with bass is joke. it's headphone not speaker system. especially, for in-earphone, bass helps to block more noise. without bass, any music is just dead even classic.
  • by Errk!,

    Errk! Errk! Dec 18, 2008 8:52 AM in response to Zach Rathore
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Dec 18, 2008 8:52 AM in response to Zach Rathore
    Zach - I'm glad you posted that. I came in here to see if anyone had the same problem I was having with no bass. I've never worn a pair of in-ear headphones like this and had no idea you need to cram them in there so far. But it does make a huge difference, however unnatural it feels. Thanks - you saved me a trip to return them.
  • by Sibi,

    Sibi Sibi Dec 22, 2008 10:51 AM in response to AFRO PUFF
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Dec 22, 2008 10:51 AM in response to AFRO PUFF
    I came here to report the same thing - NO bass! Tried all three earplug, no improvement. I even gave it an extra shove but didn't think it improved much. While I realized that the mids and highs are very sharp and crystal clear, I was thoroughly disappointed and called Apple to initiate a return for refund.

    After reading Zach's post, I changed the plug to small, and then gave it a good shove inside the canal (pulling the earlobe slightly up and out to straighten the canal) — I must say this improved the low frequencies quite a bit! Now turning on the 'Bass booster' EQ, I suddenly got a very rich full range. I think they have really designed these to oscillate in a very short column of air.

    It does feel odd to have it so close to the eardrums and hope it does not lead to deafness in the long run (you can afford to listen with much lower volume setting than before so that should nullify the deleterious effect).

    So, I might keep these after all!
  • by ejg999,

    ejg999 ejg999 Dec 25, 2008 10:58 AM in response to ArchUrban
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 25, 2008 10:58 AM in response to ArchUrban
    Like you I just got a pair of the v-moda Vibe II. I really like the sound. The reviews had mentioned a heavy bass, but not as heavy as the Vibe Duo. Personally I don't hear the bass as being that heavy, in fact wouldn't mind a little more bass.

    The one think I don't like is the carry case. It's so tight and narrow I can't fit the headphones in the case. The earbuds are larger then the case is wide, and the earbuds are not that big.
  • by jeep0257wy,

    jeep0257wy jeep0257wy Dec 25, 2008 11:43 PM in response to AFRO PUFF
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 25, 2008 11:43 PM in response to AFRO PUFF
    NO BASS!! I can get about x2 the bass from my stock iPhone ear buds. Why would I be expected to pay $80 for head phones that produce less bass than my free ones? Steve-O dropped the ball on this one. Very unfortunate.
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