Headphones - popping and distorting while playing bass guitar?

[Dane Coles]

Hi have a pair of SOL V10 headphones that sound great when listening to music - very thick and rich bass response. However, when I plug them into an amp and play my bass guitar, they pop and distort, even at low volumes.

Why is this? What should I look for in a pair of bass-rich headphones that can handle bass guitar and still sound very thick and bottom-heavy while listening to music?

 

[ddnidd1]

During the recording and mixing process, audio is typically compressed and limited to some degree. Additionally, in some styles of music are heavily limited to increase the overall volume - hence the volume wars.

Additionally if you listen to MP3s they are compressed even further (although that is technically data compression).

So the signals from your bass amp will naturally have much more in the way of spikes and peaks than recorded music.

 

[Dane Coles]

Thanks, that explains that. I'd like to purchase a pair of headphones that wont distort my bass guitar when playing AND also enhance the bass on MP3s for listening to music. As much bass and low end as possible. Like two subwoofers for headphones. Not interested with flat EQ or neutral tones for monitoring. What should I look for?

 

[ddnidd1]

I go for headphones with the flatest response I can afford.

However, from what I've read Beats are supposed to have exaggerated bass response, but other TBers will have more informed suggestions.

 

[IJBurns]

My only personal experience with this is I had a bad 1/4 to aux/headphone jack adapter. After about 15 minutes of dealing with the same issues you're having, I ran up to walmart or wherever and got a new adapter. Problem solved and I was listening through some sub-par $40 Sony phones. Probably not the case for you but that's all I got.

 

[And I]

What output on your amp are you plugging them in to?

 

[SirMjac28]

I have these and they take everything I throw at them.

Audio Technica ath-m50x

 

[avalancheMM]

I have these and they take everything I throw at them.

Audio Technica ath-m50x

Thumbs up on the AT's, really big bang for your buck IMO.


Regards

 

[SirMjac28]

Thumbs up on the AT's, really big bang for your buck IMO.


Regards

I agree the only brand I use my other pair is over ten years old.

 

[LowDownHawkeye]

Have you tried other headphones in the amp's headphone jack? Could be the jack is noisy, not the headphones.

 

[Tom McClintock]

The problem isn't the headphones. It's your amp.

Hopefully the new Cafe Walter headphone amp will be out this year. Otherwise, the excellent HA-1A is a good solution.

 

[Element Zero]

ATs great value for the money. I simply love my Sennheiser HD280 Pros.

 

[IJBurns]

Wait....so 1/4" speaker out from the amp isn't where headphones go?

 

[CaseyJ]

+1 on the Sennheiser headphones, I have two pair. Good sound, and not super expensive

 

[Nickweissmusic]

If you have Sony V6 or 7506, and they're popping, your amp is bad I like AKG's too as far as open cans go, I've still got Austrian K240's. AT and Sennheiser are no slouches but never bought any; interestingly almost all my mics are Sennheiser and AT. Hard to say what the problem is, but I will say I was unimpressed by the SOL earbuds I purchased a year or so ago. You can get pro headphones for under $99, I use Sony V6 for pleasure and monitoring mixes outside the studio, 7506 for DJing, neither one is over $99. I think you might just be pushing the headphones from the amp too hard, or perhaps it's a manufacturing defect. Get an adapter if needed and try some other earbuds or something and see if you get the same results.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I have two pair of top quality headphones. One is a pair of Bose AE2 and the other is Sennheiser HD 518. Both sound great from the headphone jack in my amp and also in the U-Phoria UMC202 audio interface to my computer. Both are over ear style and the Bose blocks out most sounds and no one can hear them if they are not wearing them. The Sennheiser does not block out much in the way of outside sounds and my wife complained quite a bit about hearing everything I was listening to on my headphones - for me that kind of defeats the purpose of headphones. Both are excellent, but both are older models.

 

[AshInAmsterdam]

You don't want exaggerated bass response just because you're playing bass, you could easily end up with a booming mess of noise.

I use Sony MDR-7506 monitor headphones and they sound great plugged into my practice amp or my audio interface on my computer. They're ok for music listening in a pinch, but their main intended purpose is as audio monitors for recording. Quite popular in recording studios over the past few decades I read.

 

[Right_Butterscotch64]

Hi have a pair of SOL V10 headphones that sound great when listening to music - very thick and rich bass response. However, when I plug them into an amp and play my bass guitar, they pop and distort, even at low volumes.

Why is this? What should I look for in a pair of bass-rich headphones that can handle bass guitar and still sound very thick and bottom-heavy while listening to music?

Does your amp have a -10db pad/active button or active input? I get what you describe in my headphones on my MB500 if I don't hit the input pad button.

 

[MojoPenguin]

There is always the option of adding compression. Listening to the amp on my headphones, once I turn compression on my amp, they don't "crackle" on high volume spikes or especially when I use a wah or octaver. Actually thinking about it does need a limiter I think.

 

[iTzPrime]

Reduce the gain to a minimal and up the volume, then it should be better