Sony_Fan Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 (edited) Okay, I'm know I'm going to get flamed for this but just here me out. I've noticed that MP3-->ATRAC conversion results in more bass when played back on Hi-MD. So I did the following:1.) Using SS 3.4, I ripped a CD using MP3 @ 320kbps (normal). 2.) *This part is optional.* I used MP3Gain to normalize the music as much as possible without affecting sound quality3.) I converted from MP3 320--> ATRAC 256 as I transferred to Hi-MD.My unit is an RH10 and with the following EQ settings: 3,1,-1,0,1,3. Their seems to be more of a bass response but the highs also preserved. The overall sound quality was very good considering I'm only using the factory earphones. I know this process is long, but unfortunately their is no ATRACgain software and the direct ripping in ATRAC does not give enough bass when played back. I think ATRAC emphasizes the highs while sacrificing the lows. MP3 seems to be balanced on both ends. Edited May 22, 2006 by Chris G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 So what you're saying is that cd ripped to MP3 and transcoded to Atrac3+ gives better bass than cd ripped direct to Atrac3+? Interesting theory... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sony_Fan Posted May 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 So what you're saying is that cd ripped to MP3 and transcoded to Atrac3+ gives better bass than cd ripped direct to Atrac3+? Interesting theory... Exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrain Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 i'm glad you've found a solution chris, i know the 'lack' of bass has been pissing you off for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sony_Fan Posted May 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 i'm glad you've found a solution chris, i know the 'lack' of bass has been pissing you off for awhile.Yes it has. But I'm not bashing anyone who enjoys their RH10 just the way it is. I'm bashing Sony for not adding a bass enhancing feature. It's common sense to have one in a portable audio device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pata2001 Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 (edited) considering I'm only using the factory earphones. Well, there you go. If your stockbud is an E808, that's the problem. It's a sucky stock bud, at the level of iPod stock bud at best. What you are experiencing might be just placebo effect. Want better bass? Get the Senn HD212 pro headphone, or Sony MDR-E10 for earbud. Using the HD212pro, I usually don't use any EQ, or have to reduce the bass on the EQ of my portables, because sometimes it's too strong. Edited May 23, 2006 by pata2001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrain Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 the senn hd212 is about us$40 on amazon.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sony_Fan Posted May 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Well, there you go. If your stockbud is an E808, that's the problem. It's a sucky stock bud, at the level of iPod stock bud at best. What you are experiencing might be just placebo effect. Want better bass? Get the Senn HD212 pro headphone, or Sony MDR-E10 for earbud. Using the HD212pro, I usually don't use any EQ, or have to reduce the bass on the EQ of my portables, because sometimes it's too strong.You make a good point. But even if i used better earphones, it does not change the fact that MP3-->ATRAC music will have a little more bass, than CD-->ATRAC music. So my Hi-MD music transfer method will not change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrain Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 i think you'll find that the cd-> atrac will have more bass through headphones like then senns, not actual bass but you'll percieve more for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pata2001 Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 (edited) You make a good point. But even if i used better earphones, it does not change the fact that MP3-->ATRAC music will have a little more bass, than CD-->ATRAC music. So my Hi-MD music transfer method will not change.You came to that conclusion based on your stock bud as your reference. Change the headphone, do the same comparison again, and the result might be different. Sound quality assessment is not a "fact" and is always subjective. The "more bass" might be just enhanced artifacts due to transcoding from MP3 to Atrac. But hey, if that's the way you like it, that's fine. IMO, having to encode/transcode my music twice is just too time consuming, and reduces the overall SQ. Edited May 23, 2006 by pata2001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sony_Fan Posted May 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Well, there you go. If your stockbud is an E808, that's the problem. It's a sucky stock bud, at the level of iPod stock bud at best. What you are experiencing might be just placebo effect. Want better bass? Get the Senn HD212 pro headphone, or Sony MDR-E10 for earbud. Using the HD212pro, I usually don't use any EQ, or have to reduce the bass on the EQ of my portables, because sometimes it's too strong.Actually, the earphones are MDR-E828, not E808. Are they both the same in terms of performance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrain Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 pretty much. e931's are far better stock buds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sony_Fan Posted May 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 pretty much. e931's are far better stock buds.I'm guessing yours is the euro model. I also saw some other Sony earphones that have some sort of bass enhancing feature. It was $20. You think those are any good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrain Posted May 28, 2006 Report Share Posted May 28, 2006 i couldn't tell you with out the model no. my advice is for about $40 to go for a set of porta pros. they are kind a wierd looking but i like the way they look is a retro way. they're small enoung to fit in your pocket when folded up & they have a brilliant bass. koss also provide lifetime support.i think you're in the US? amazon ships them free for $39.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00001P4Z...glance&n=172282 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDGB2 Posted May 28, 2006 Report Share Posted May 28, 2006 Eee, I don't know.These kids an their obsession wi bass. All you need is some decent headphones like PX100/200s or the 212s already mentioned. Can't expect perfect sound out of stock earphones, they are pants at best.MP3 better than CD transfer?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlameGrilled Posted May 29, 2006 Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 Yeah, i know the feeling.. about the youngsters being somewhat obssessed by having a kind of 'banging' level of bass on music playback, regardless of what they listen to.ChrisG...Please please....*picture cat begging*Ditch the MDR-E's, consign them to the spares or parts bin (ok, you could condemn them to incinerator hell, but i prefer to keep junk to gut for reuse in projects).For bugger all money, you can way way improve on those basic level MDR-E's, and still go for a naturally more bassy response pair of phones, and not break the bank.Bear in mind, i talk UK retail prices over the counter in real shops with my prices.. so discount the prices a little and you get an idea for online sources...The idiot proof solution, not that i would recommend them (since they are migrane inducers to me, and migrane inducment is not something for making this virtual cat spirit happy) would be MDR-EX71's or the 81's maybe.I only suggest those due to their overkill level of noise isolation, and their toppy/bottomy audio response - which i guess for the mega-bass lovers is kinda the effect they want. Combined the external noise attention with the heavy emphasis tonally of the 71/81's and that soon sorts out the mega-bass fans.However, 71's & 81's are not really any good at all.. if you like the bass response to feel natural and balanced and in proportion. In other words, if you like to run your deck on EQ Flat/bypass and let the audio pass to the phones as the studio mixdown is heared.. and let the phones translate (not tone-enhancing DSP/EQ colouring) then you want something with a natural balanced response.Cheapo, but basically effective, near-neutral/balanced (aka good SPL around 100dB SPL) would be the MDR-V series 'DJ' cans. Not too big, not bulky, and in the case of the 300's, not expensive (around 20-30 UKP). Not my first choice of near-netural/balanced items.. but a good effective solution where cost is a factor.If you want similar, but with a slightly more bassy feel - go with something like the original series Koss KTX PRO items (not the later, tacky and crappy KTX PRO 1's) which i think may still be obtainable somewhere. These are about twice the impedence of the 300's, but characteristically similar, so what happens is.., the impedence mismatch tends to cause a 'slight' (but more comfortable than mega-bass type audio enhancement) shift to bass emphasis. When used with a deck that's more orientated to 60-odd Kohm phones, they become natural and balanced (like they did with my old JB1).Again, if you look.. they can be got for around 30 UKP, and totally walk over ANY OEM 'buds' bundled with players (and i mean any, even the OEM bundled MX low series Sen's that say, iRiver used to bundle with iFP decks).The folding version of the KTX Pro's, and i forget the model now, are also worth a look at - but at nearly double the price.. the diff's may not justify the cost (and also rarer than hen's teeth in shops in the UK).Beyond that, really, we are back in the Sen arena.. looking at PX series, and the more indoor/semi-portable stuff like the HDR's. Or as an intermediate balance between size, weight and bulk, the EH2200's (if they are still around) are nice isolators and tonally nice and balanced and really come to life when matched to a nice meaty cleam phones amp.EH2200's are musician application kinda oriented, they kill a lot of background external's without actually being disorientatingly nulling like MDR-EX's can be.Any of those three 'proper' and 'walkman' cans, along with the prev reply suggestions for phones, and of course Shure's being the premium 'bud' solution and EX71'81's being the boombox sound lover's less premium priced answer.In fact, i'll bet my avatar cat spirit's next wages paid in tins of Kit-E-Kat, that once you stuff a decent pair of cans onto your deck, you'll see why i say that artificially bass-enhancing the audio (as a pre-process to compensate for phone defienciency) used out of balance tends to make audio sound muddy when the same audio (with the adjust)is played on neutral cans.'Tom Kat' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlameGrilled Posted May 29, 2006 Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 I thought i'd quickly add this, as a kinda clarification to my prev advice and observations :-I'm not condemning MDR-E series inner-ear units totally, hell.. some of those make brill cheap subbies to replace the dead-flesh sounding fit-for-the-incinerator stuff that's often OEM bundled with other makes - many a walkman clone or discman clone user has literally found cheap MDR-E's to be a real audio upgrade compared to what they were subjecting themselves to.Just had a totally bad experience with items that are toppy and bottom happy (aka boombox characteristics) and discovered painfully that they are not compatible with my migrane sensitivity - so the EX71's i did have, made for an expensive mistake in the lost sleep/head screaming kinda pain dept.So to all those happy with their MDR-E series phones, fair play - but i figure money spent on neutral or balanced response units (particularly if you have a migrane sensitivity issue) is well worth the effort - and the audio experience of going with decent units, speaks for itself 'Tom Kat' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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