How do you guys manage to cut through on laptop speakers/earbuds?

[duo8675309]

One thing I've noticed is that when I record with decent speakers that actually have a sub woofer and a proper low end, the bass shines through and really fills out the music until I listen to it on my laptop or through earbuds (or anything with bad sound quality and no real low end). I've managed to get a good tone that can cut through really well on my laptop, but when I listen to it on a good system it sounds really thin and dry. How do you guys get a tone that is really heavy and low while at the same time manages to cut through the mix enough to be noticed/heard on a laptop?

I realize that one could say not to record for bad sound equipment, but when you stop and think about it most people who listen to our music are doing so either on laptops, really bad computer speakers, or really cheap headphones/earbuds. Either that or they don't know how to properly set up a good sound system.

I'm not saying that the fans don't know any better (well, a lot of them really don't) but for most people that sounds good enough for them and they would rather spend their money on other things. I'm referring to the fans that aren't audiophiles and listen to music as a consumer rather than a musician. Also, I hate listening to music on my laptop and knowing I'm missing out on a really good bassline because my speakers simply can't pump out the volume to do so.

[tom once dead]

boost you lows a tiny bit, leave 300-400 flat or cut them and boost 600-2k, then rest flat after this. Thats working for me at the moment.

[uglymutt]

I've pretty much always used headphones with my laptop, i upgraded to some Bose headphones for traveling (they fold up to reduce their size greatly). I also use them with my Ipod and can't really argue with the sound quality; however i wouldn't recommend getting them at full price (i got mine on sale) as you are paying a lot for the brand name. I find the bass on them to be good, although when in a plane (with the engines humming constantly) or in a car (with the constant hum of travelling on the road and the engine) a bit of bass is lost.