# Headphones similar to SkullCrushers?



## setu4993 (Apr 21, 2012)

Hello there!

I have been a fan of in-ear headphones with good bass. I had a pair of EP-630 and how have a Sony MDR EX57 SL.

I recently had a chance to use a friend's SkullCandy SkullCrushers and was impressed with the depth of bass, as well as the subwoofer and vibration offered.

I have heard from a few Sennheiser headphones previously at Imagine, but they didn't seem to have the subwoofer.

What are the other headphones that have subwoofers and vibration according to the bass? Also, are there any wireless headphones which offer that?


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## doomgiver (Apr 22, 2012)

no iem has "subwoofers", lol.
if you want bassy iem's look for tekfusion twinwoofers.

actually, all the sound in an iem comes from a single driver, so we cant say that an iem has a woofer, or a tweeter, or a subwoofer.


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## Faun (Apr 22, 2012)

doomgiver said:


> no iem has "subwoofers", lol.
> if you want bassy iem's look for tekfusion twinwoofers.
> 
> actually, all the sound in an iem comes from a single driver, so we cant say that an iem has a woofer, or a tweeter, or a subwoofer.



There are multiple driver IEMs with dedicated drivers for separate frequency spectrum via crossover but not in the price segment OP is looking for.

He is asking for more sub bass rumble. There is one that excels at sub bass, Futuresonics Atrio X.
Future Sonics Atrios


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## setu4993 (Apr 22, 2012)

I wasn't asking for in-ear earphones. I would be more than happy to switch to over-the-ear headphones, if they offer me a better experience.

My question was, what part of the headphones (Skullcrushers, in specific) causes it to vibrate so intensely depending on the bass? What are the other options, for the same kind of vibration while listening to music?

@doomgiver : What are IEMs?
The description of Skullcrushers, on the company website, reads: 'The subwoofer headphone that started it all. Sometimes a name really does say it best. Our Skullcrusher headphones feature built-in subwoofers that'll grind your gray matter into a fine paste with pure low-frequency power. Whether you're into wobble bass or classic boom-bap, the 30mm speaker drivers and an inline subwoofer control bring low-end thump you can feel. Plush ear pillows and an over-ear design keep your head nodding ADL.'
So, that.

@Faun : I don't get what drivers (in terms of earphones) or tweeters mean.
And, it's not about the price range. I'm just curious of other options.


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## Faun (Apr 23, 2012)

Subwoofer in case of skullcandy is a gimmick. There is nothing tangible apart from the marketing tropes.

Drivers are the units which produce sound. And for good bass, dynamic drivers are better compared to armature based drivers. Dynamic drivers are cheaper too.

Larger the size, more the air it can move. You may also notice vents in your earphones (IEM). The bigger the vent the more air can be displaced and hence producing more bass/sub-bass. 

The rumble you feel is due to the sub-bass fequencies which can be felt as vibrations.


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## setu4993 (Apr 23, 2012)

> Subwoofer in case of skullcandy is a gimmick. There is nothing tangible apart from the marketing tropes.
> 
> Drivers are the units which produce sound. And for good bass, dynamic drivers are better compared to armature based drivers. Dynamic drivers are cheaper too.
> 
> ...



That's a very apt explanation to someone like me who knows very little about the dynamics and terminologies used in relation to headphones. Thanks .

Okay, so after all that, what headphones, in-ear and over-the-ear, both would be preferable which would have dynamic drivers, larger vents and a good rumble?


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## doomgiver (Apr 23, 2012)

i thought "induced" armature drivers were higher quality (remember reading some stuff on headfi.org)

can you confirm this, faun?

Basic Guide To In Ear Canalphones - Head-Fi.org Community
heres some nice info one iem's

@setu, brother, you will LOVE iem's, especially if you like listening to quality music.

also, skullcandy sells on gimmicks.
no audiophile worth their ears will call a SK piece "value for money" or "performance-oriented"
i can tell coz i used a skullcandy titan iem's for a couple of days. bass and mids were *distorted*, like, totally shifted from waht they were supposed to be, not just colored.
i couldnt wait to switch back to my creative ep-630's.


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## setu4993 (Apr 24, 2012)

@doomgiver : I do love listening to quality and music. That's the reason I'm searching for a good quality headset which would be similar to Skullcrushers in terms of the rumble they produce.

I had to use Apple's bundled headphones for the last week because my friend took my Sony, and that's when I couldn't stand that kind of torture anymore. Skullcrushers, were something I had heard from recently, and I was impressed with the rumble, not the sound quality. Thus, this search.

Loved the EP-630s for the 18 months that I used them .

P.S.: I still don't get what IEM is the acronym for :/.


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## doomgiver (Apr 24, 2012)

in ear monitors.


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## setu4993 (Apr 24, 2012)

@doomgiver : Thanks for the reply .
Though, I did figure that one when I followed the Head-Fi.org link you had posted in your previous post .


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## Faun (Apr 25, 2012)

doomgiver said:


> i thought "induced" armature drivers were higher quality (remember reading some stuff on headfi.org)
> 
> can you confirm this, faun?



Haven't heard about induced armature drivers. AFAIK induction is the basic principle for both type; dynamic and armature.

Balanced Armature drivers are smaller in size (it's easier to fit 6-8 drivers in a shell) and designed like that they move less air and can be housed in vent-less housings providing much better isolation. But less air movement means the bass impact will not be as much as you can get from one of the bassiest Dynamic Drivers.

Production of Balanced Armature is costlier but slowly coming down to sub $50 bracket..


On a side note, a dynamic driver can equally compete with balanced armatures. E.g HiFiMan RE272, HiSoundAudio Golden Crystal. A lot more depends upon the implementation too.

Also, hybrids are available too. Moving Armature Drivers, which got the bass as good as dynamic drivers and speed as good a balanced ones. e.g. Ortofon e-Q5.



setu4993 said:


> @doomgiver : Thanks for the reply .
> Though, I did figure that one when I followed the Head-Fi.org link you had posted in your previous post .




If you are looking for warm allrounder IEM with good bass kick and can shell out around $120, get the JVC FXT90 . Otherwise Brainwavz M2 is good option for bass seekers. For complete bassheads, there are other options. For purely sub-bass Futuresonics Atrio MG7 excels. All are dynamic driver  in-ear earphones.


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## NoasArcAngel (Apr 25, 2012)

setu4993 said:


> Hello there!
> 
> I have been a fan of in-ear headphones with good bass. I had a pair of EP-630 and how have a Sony MDR EX57 SL.
> 
> ...




Yes he is right the vibration produced is due to the special adjustment of the driver which is in a special position to to allow a little freedom of motion and hence the "vibrations" are produced. If you are looking for sound quality then you can forget about wireless headphones totally. And skull candy are the cheapest 3rd grade headphones you can *EVER BUY*.. The bass is so horrible, its empty, and the treble is just so sick. If you want to buy real headphones then i suggest take a look at AKG, audiotechnica or Grando labs. 

And i have used a friends skull candy and i have a grado sr80 special edition. The sound difference is totally phenomenal. Ah unless you are a bass freak let me tell you the drivers on the skull candy last not more than 2 years and they do break down easily. you need to listen to a set of proper cans before deciding on buying headphones if you really want proper sound.


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## setu4993 (Apr 25, 2012)

@Faun : Thanks for the help .
But, like I said, I'm looking for options in the over-the-ear headphones segment, not IEMs. I want to look at my options before I zero down on getting anything new.

@NoasArcAngel : It'd be great if you could you help with specific models from AKG, AudioTechnica and Grado. I have heard and seen a few AudioTechnica headphones, they were impressive .
And why won't wireless provide good quality :S?


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## doomgiver (Apr 25, 2012)

wireless = risk of signal degradation.
see? this is the biggest gimmick of noob audio manufacturers.
to transmit a signal properly, you need a good conductor. like copper.
thats why the big names in audio spend so much time and money on wires and connectors. (some ppl actually use 3rd party cables to change the sound signature of high end cans, see the importance?)

wireless will get interference from everywhere, BT headset, wifi modem, microwave, etc.
GL trying to get a decent sound quality.


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## setu4993 (Apr 25, 2012)

> wireless = risk of signal degradation.
> see? this is the biggest gimmick of noob audio manufacturers.
> to transmit a signal properly, you need a good conductor. like copper.
> thats why the big names in audio spend so much time and money on wires and connectors. (some ppl actually use 3rd party cables to change the sound signature of high end cans, see the importance?)
> ...



That's pretty fair an argument .

Has turned me against the use of wireless headsets, for now. Although, I'll be hopeful that someday, something will make sure we can have good audio output, even on the wireless .


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## NoasArcAngel (Apr 30, 2012)

Actually the copper used also has to be of superior quality. Grado uses copper which is drawn extremely slowly so its is very pure and the coating is done to provide least oxidation so it provides clearest sound even at full volume levels.

setu4993 you can take a look on amazon or directly go to grado's website and visit the website of these manufacturers. But the real problem is sourcing them in India so best of luck for that


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