Are you looking for headphones with powerful bass? Would you consider yourself a bit of a basshead? Thanks to headphones with emphasised bass like Beats by Dre we’ve noticed that a popular requirement for new headphones is big bass.
Often powerful bass response in headphones comes at the cost of clarity, so we’ve reviewed some models that handle strong bass – well defined, big, punchy bass! With this in mind we’ve compiled a list of our 10 best headphones for bass from the selection that we often recommend to our customers.
The list is in price order (low to high) so there is something for everybody with in-ear headphones and earphones, full size, portable and IEMs all covered.
Scroll down and read our expert reviews of the best bass headphones available in the UK.
This entry level in-ear is the bassiest we have heard! Not only do they have big bass, top end clarity and build quality is great for a sub-£40 earphone.
Fostex have been in the audio business for a long time, and it shows with their entry level headphone. For under £50 you will struggle to find a full size headphone with as much good quality bass and build.
If in-ears aren’t for you then the P30S is the best for the price. Portable, comfortable, great isolation and most importantly – they’ve got that bass!
These dual driver IEM’s go low. Very low! They have a mini sub-woofer as well as a smaller dynamic driver inside each earpiece – supplying not only great bass but lots of detail too.
These beauties are one of our favourites! For under £100 you get extremely sturdy build quality, amazing sound – bass, detail, soundstage, separation and energy. They have it all.
Built like a tank, the RHA T10 is built to last. They come supplied with a filter system which gives you 3 levels of sound – bass, bassier and blow your head off!
Beyerdynamic are best known for their studio headphones – The Custom One Pro has studio build quality but can be used with portable devices. They have superb isolation and most importantly great sound! With the 3 bass port settings on each earcup you can customise your sound to suit your music.
The AF140 gives you three drivers inside each earphone housing – one 9mm dynamic driver for the low end power and two balanced armature drivers for crystal clear detail. The resulting sound has punchy bass and lots of energy.
These are real Beats beaters. Not only do they have lots of bass, it’s good quality bass. It goes as low as you like with no distortion. That’s not all – unlike their competitors they also have great detail and separation.
10. AUROSONICS ASG 1.5
Finally, the ASG-1.5 delivers a full-bodied, warm, organic sound with an incredible and articulate bass response that is captivating and powerful. Each housing holds a 14.2mm dynamic driver and the build quality is what you would expect and more from a high end IEM.
Tiësto is a DJ and Musician who has transcended musical genres to create the global “Tiësto” brand and now he has his own headphones. His achievements include: a Grammy nomination, numerous MTV awards, performing at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games to an audience of billions, he even has a wax statue at Madame Tussauds!
With over 18 million friends on Facebook, 3 million followers on Twitter, over 500 million views (and 1.5 million subscribers) on YouTube, Tiësto is truly a universal phenomenon. Voted ‘The Greatest DJ Of All Time’ by Mixmag and the #1 DJ by Rolling Stone Magazine, Tiësto has worked with superstars such as Kanye West, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Nelly Furtado, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Goldfrapp and many more.
By partnering with Audiofly, Tiësto has drawn on a company whose expertise in product design and audio engineering sits atop the industry. The results of this partnership are pretty amazing.
Every track is a journey of emotions, packed with the ear candy you crave. Paradise boasts a full, balanced sound to capture the feel of the club and take you there everyday.
Engulfing and larger than life, Maximal is your sonic entourage. Be transported and experience detailed layers of texture, effortless precision and a punchy bass for that explosive drop.
Powered by dual driver technology, Adagio is your VIP access to a place where extraordinary things happen. Immerse your senses in an eternity pool of mindblowing sound, where stunning detail meets heart-pounding exhilaration.
It’s easy to get a bit weighed down amongst all the extra bits and attachments that are included with the Dunu DN-2000, but they are all worth trying for greater comfort and a more ‘bespoke’ sound. The hybrid driver arrangement really works to deliver a very engaging and detailed presentation which never strays into harsh territory, and the case is certainly something we’d like to see included with premium IEMs more in the future.
Pros
Exceptionally sweet sound
Plenty of accessories
Options to tailor the frequency response
Options to alter fit
Good solid case
Cons
Tuning rings can be lost
Casing can cause discomfort if earfins not used
If you’ve heard some of Dunu’s entry-level earphones such as the DN-12 Trident you might be curious about how the in-ear Dunu flagship, the DN-2000 measures up. Dunu’s in-ear offerings are as numerous as they are interesting, but the current cherry on the top, the DN-2000, takes the cake.
Key Features
Like its stablemate the DN-1000, the DN-2000 has a hybrid driver format but packs two balanced armatures and one dynamic driver in per side giving the best of both sonic worlds, like the similarly priced Audiofly AF140.
Accessories are bountiful, with both tuning rings and tips to alter the frequency response, and rubber attachments for improved comfort and fit in the ears. Also included is a pair of earhooks to try and the usual 6.35mm/flight adapters.
First Impressions
Expectations have certainly been raised by the quality of Dunu’s other products, namely the excellent budget model the DN-12 ‘Trident’ and DN-1000; the other hybrid design. For the asking price these have been nothing short of stunning, so the DN-2000 has its work cut out.
Once a preferred combination of tuning rings and tips was found (silver ring, and tip for ‘detail and resolution’), I felt it necessary to try the rubber attachments. These are secured by a small ridge of metal much like a penclip, which ironically can cause a little discomfort if the rubber parts are not used. The rubber parts help to keep the capsules steady in the ear, and certainly make for a comfortable and trouble-free listening session. A down side is the tendancy of the tuning rings to try and escape back to China when the eartips are removed. Just take care and don’t fiddle with the DN-2000 when using ski-lifts for example.
The hard case is also a nice feature. It reminds me of a travelling case for a bar of very valuable soap; it’s very solid and will protect the DN-2000 very well when in transit.
Sound Quality
Bass is fully present and in good proportion to the rest of the presentation with good punch and definition; it stays in place and leaves the midrange and high frequencies free to be the stars of the show for me. Decays are very realistic in terms of perceived space, and the DN-2000 leaves plenty of room in the presentation for these to be followed around by hungry ears! Treble is fairly bright albeit still smooth; mostly the DN-2000 stops short of being too bright but on some tracks there may be a touch of sibilance with female vocals, for instance.
Summary
For the asking price the DN-2000 is a worthy competitor; it will certainly hold its own amongst the other models in that price range and gives a bit more colour to it, given that a majority of alternatives are full balanced-armature models. I welcome the DN-2000 as much as I welcome a further example of a hybrid driver design being implemented so well; loving as I do the different strengths of the different transducer types, it’s a real treat to have both at once. Like a baked Alaska or a sweet and sour stir-fry, there’s a real synergy going on here.
Australian earphone manufacturer Audiofly, have released a range of four beautifully designed Professional In Ear Monitors. Taking on Shure, Westone and Ultimate Ears in this growing corner of the market is a big job, but from what we’ve seen Audiofly are more than up to it!
The Performance series have been designed to be used by touring musicians or music lovers who demand the very best sound in a tiny package. They all feature multi driver arrangements, with the top two models also sporting a super tough replaceable cable and leather carry case.
The Audiofly Performance Series range includes the following models:
Looks-wise these are some of the prettiest IEMs we’ve seen! Slightly slimmer with a more luxurious finish than most, the shiny coating on the AF160 and AF180 gives them an almost ceramic look. Comfort also benefits from this gently contoured design. Comply tips are supplied in small medium and large for perfect fit and better isolation than silicone. A full compliment of silicone tips are included though, as well as a 6.35mm adaptor, a cleaning tool and an airline adaptor too.
Audiofly developed a special cable for the Performance range called the Audioflex, which they say is roadworthy and built for the stage. As with most of their Premium range, the cables feature Cordura fabric (like that found in extreme climbing gear) with the addition of a heavy duty Y splitter, a low profile twisted section and a mouldable over ear sleeve before the driver housings.
It won’t make any difference to the sound but the packaging deserves an honourable mention. Audiofly have really gone to town with some of the best looking boxes we’ve seen in a long time.
Finally to the sound – this certainly doesn’t disappoint. As you would expect, the whole range has superb detail retrieval and very impressive instrument separation. There is a common sound at work here, the EQ is flat and stable with calm but crisp highs. As you move up the range you find a lot more body and purpose, although the AF140 – featuring a hybrid two balanced armature and one dynamic driver set up – is simply the best earphone we’ve heard for below £250. The quad balanced armature driver AF180 is the flagship model, it has un-flappable bottom and mids and an extremely confident presentation which is very difficult to fault.
Designed by musicians for music lovers would be one way to describe what Audiofly are doing in the headphone world. Audiofly’s founder Dave Thompson started his career building guitars and now he’s turned his attention to headphones with impressive results.
The AF45 earphone (like the rest of the Audiofly headphone range) exhibits brilliant attention to detail, with a very high quality finish. The earphone housing is a single piece design, making it acoustically stable and mechanically strong. Internally the shape of the sound tube has been made bevelled to reduce internal sound reflections.
The AF45 has a sound signature that is powerful and accurate, something that appears hard to achieve with mid-range in-ears. Many in-ears at this price point have overly bloated bass, or are painfully accurate (mostly the former). Audiofly have done well with the AF45 to get the balance right.
Externally the finish is equally high quality. Cabling is covered in a tough CORDURA outer sheath (as used in outdoor clothing) to keep the cable safe and the jack plug is reinforced for strength. In our experience the cabling is the first component to fail on earphones, so it’s reassuring to see Audiofly designing this to last.
We found that the fit in the ear had a large effect on the sound signature of the AF45 and that the tips do not fit everyone’s ears well, so we highly recommend Comply foam tips to ensure the best sound (either S-500 or T-500 size will fit).
HiFi Headphones Verdict
An earphone with a level of finish that you would expect to pay more for with a sound signature that is well balanced. Bass is powerful, with slightly recessed mids and highs are clear. A quality earphone that is built to last.
The Audiofly AF78 is the top model in the Audiofly Premium earphone line. Featuring custom Articulated Dual Drivers in a hybrid system (Dynamic and Balanced Armature technology), these are advanced IEMS!
Beautifully constructed with machined anodised alloy outer housing, they won a CES Design and Engineering Award in 2013.Cabling is an Audioflex braided, kevlar reinforced conductors and a CORDURA fabric outer sheath for outstanding durability. Audiofly’s AF78 is your ticket to truly sophisticated sound.
Noise isolation is also great with up to 23 dB noise attenuation. 4 pairs of silicon eartips and 2 pairs of Comply foam eartips provide a tailored fit for the best fit possible. Ergonomically designed driver housings shaped for a streamlined fit are comfortable for extended listening.
Also included in the box is an airline adapter, a signal-splitter (enabling a second set of headphones to share the music) and cleaning tool.
HiFi Headphones Verdict
The hybrid configuration draws on the strengths of the two different driver types to produce truly sophisticated sound across the entire frequency spectrum. Excellent instrument separation, strong bottom end, crisp detail and warm mids add up to a sonically impressive earphone. With excellent accessories and superb build quality, the AF78 comes highly recommended!
Getting more and more annoyed with the sound from your earbuds? At HiFi Headphones we talk to plenty of people with this issue so we thought we’d give a hand for those who don’t get to talk to us on the phone. The products below represent excellent value for money, they all punch well above their weight in terms of sound quality and last but not least, they are nice to your wallet as they all cost under £50.
SoundMAGIC E10
Introduction – The E10 is from the second generation of SoundMAGIC headphones, it’s the successor to the excellent (and still available) PL11.
Description – The E10 sounds good, looks great and is beautifully made with metal casing and a high spec braided cable. SoundMAGIC are known for pushing the boundaries of what you can expect for your money, at it’s release you would have definitely had to spend at least twice as much to get the same quality in design and finish.
Anything else? – The E10 is also available as the E10M with a three button iDevice controller and mic.
Describe the sound – Few products capture a What HiFi? 5 Stars review but it’s immediately obvious to hear why the E10 is a twice What HiFi? Award Winner. The E10’s sound signature has a powerful and fun sound with plenty of bass, a great level of control and musical detail. The E10 has slightly elevated bass, which does give a warm and smooth tone, the sound feels like a reasonably accurate interpretation of what is really there, but EQ has been applied in the best possible way. Vocals are also treated gently, soundstage is always short with IEMs but here imaging has natural movement within a very decent sense of space. A nicely designed earphone with sound quality that is sure to impress. Very hard to beat at this price point!
RHA MA350
Introduction – RHA design fantastic audio products at their research and development centre in Glasgow, UK. TheMA350 has a lightweight aircraft-grade aluminium build with excellent sound isolating properties and wearing comfort. The cable sports a braided fabric design that not only keeps the cable snag-free and also ensures a longer earphone lifespan. This build quality is rare at this price point.
Description – Unlike traditional earphone designs theRHA MA350 is inspired by the aerophonic design of trumpets, a perfectly shaped chamber channels air and sound efficiently to create a natural and clear sound with full and deep bass response.
Anything else? – The RHA MA450iis a high spec earphone that combines RHA’srenowned sound quality with an inline remote and microphone for seamless control of your music library and calls. The inline remote and mic controls calls, music and volume on your Apple device.
Describe the sound – Another What Hifi 5 Stars product, the MA350 has a natural voice which feels acurate and effortless. Relaxed but not bass prominent they have a decent sparkle to the top end, consequently a great choice for the commutor or regular traveller.
Audiofly AF33M
Introduction – The Audiofly AF33Mis an excellent multi-use IEM offering best in class for value-conscious consumers that still want a superior sound experience. For casual listening or taking calls, the Audiofly AF33M deliver amazing sound at an affordable price.
Description – The design of Audiofly products is a joyful blend of vintage music equipment, the latest moulding techniques and incredible colour combinations. With custom eartips, precision engineered alloy parts and serious attention to the sound chambers and nozzle, Audiofly mean business! Four pairs of specifically designed silicone eartips are included for better isolation and improved sound.
Anything else? – Audiofly have split the mic from the multi function button for better voice transmission during conversations, so you only need to say it once to be heard. To have such a great combination of accessories and a mic is almost unheard of at this pricepoint.
Describe the sound -The AF33Mis fitted with a custom voiced 9mm dynamic driver for impressive detail in sound reproduction, but this is no bloated bass monster. The sound is refined and accurate, solid but also delicate with a pretty spakle. It’s surprising that you can build such an impressive piece of design with all of these exclusive features and still get it sounding so good for such a low price.
Quarkie
Introduction – Quarkieare probably most notable for their crazy creative designs, British made and designed the Quarkieearphone range delivers fantastic quality sound. The company motto “Quarkie looks and serious sounds.” Pretty much captures the brands identity perfectly. Earphones are available in a number of mad looking form factors, from snakes to rusty bolts, gemstones to reptile eyes.
Description – Despite the novelty looks, build quality and engineering is superb. At the heart of the unit is a 13.5 mm drive unit with a high-tech design that produces balanced sound with sparkling high-frequencies and deep, powerful bass.
Anything else? – Included is a microphone/MFB controller that is compatible with both iPhone and Android. Unique custom-made eartips are included in four sizes giving a perfect ear canal seal for optimum performance.
Describe the sound – Quarkie have given theirheadphones a reasonably flat frequency response. This gives them impressive tonal balance, Quarkie wantyou to hear the music just as it was intended to sound. These earphones are more sensitive than average so they can get very decent volume when used with phones or iPods. Neodymium magnets are employed for a wider dynamic range, higher sensitivity, a bigger frequency response and a faster transient response than other systems. The effect is a realistic presentation far beyond what you would expect from a pair of snake heads or chameleon eyes!
SoundMAGIC E30
Introduction – SoundMAGIC E30 are balanced sounding with a professional fit over the ear fit and solid construction – exactly the quality we have come to expect from SoundMAGIC. The E30in-ear monitors can be and are used in professional audio situations but personal listening rather than stage monitoring is the more usual circumstance to find them in.
Description – Worn over the ears, the professional cabling keeps the E30firmly in the ears when walking and the cable out of the way at the gym. Included optional earhooks guarantee a secure fit, along with a generous selection of tips. This gives them lower than average microphonic cable noise and great noise isolation.
Anything else? – Cabling is surprisingly high end, a top quality braided audio cable is used to squeeze out the highest quality audio and best durability possible. Strain relief is well thought out and a metal 3.5mm jack plug finishes off the high quality construction.
Describe the sound –SoundMAGIChave configured the drivers of the E30for a neutral, detailed sound with well defined bass which reaches quite deep. Natural tonally flat reproduction with decent soundstage has been achieved. The in-ear design of the E30gives high levels of noise isolation ensuring sound is not lost or diluted. The SoundMAGIC E30 is a great headphone for those who enjoy an eclectic mix of music and want an incredibly stable fit to the ear.
Stunning sound quality for the price with well thought out mic features and admirable design.
Cons
The cable could be a little sturdier but it would be a bit unrealistic to expect one at this price point.
In-Depth Review
Introduction
Audiofly are based in Australia. Founded by musicians, they design and build headphones striving to bring a detailed sound to their audience. Having released their first set in 2011, Audiofly are constantly pushing the boundaries to create something unique by merging modern, cutting edge technology with the longevity of vintage gear. Their aim is to replicate music in an honest way; to achieve that, they use custom voiced drivers in all of their models, so you never miss a beat!
Description
Audiofly always make sure that their headphones not only sound good, but look great as well. The AF33s are no exception – they appear stylish without being too flashy and as such, they can appeal to the younger and more mature audience alike. The AF33Ms are available in six different colours (Corset White, HiRise Purple, IshGreen, Lounge Yellow, Selvage Blue, Slycat Black) satisfying even the choosiest headphone lovers out there. Even though they do not come in the box, the 400 series of Comply Foam tips do fit the earphones so if you’re looking for the best combination of comfort and isolation, we recommend trying them out.
Included peripherals
Inside the box there is a nice microfibre storage pouch to keep the ‘phones safe and some additional Silicone eartips (4 sizes in total) for improved isolation.
Application
The Audiofly AF33M is the perfect companion for your smartphone. Driving these headphones is very easy so the standard headphone-out of most smartphones should be able to handle them with ease and drive them to sufficient volume levels. This model comes with an in-line mic, but unlike most headphone models, where the control and the mic are connected, they are kept separate for more practical use. This is called ClearTalk™ – the control button is located on the yoke (where the main cable separates into the individual earpieces), and the actual mic is located closer to the mouth on the left hand side.
Describe the sound
As with most budget earphones, the first thing that strikes the listener is the bass. However, it is usually because the amount is so big that it overshadows the whole scope – not with this model, though! The thing that struck us about the bass is that it is nothing like your average budget dynamic driver bass. It is tighter and more balanced; it still hits hard but no sign of the common, overpowering, muddy bottom end that most budget sets can offer. The midrange is clear and clean, albeit a bit recessed and as such it is definitely not the centre of the presentation. Vocals are still great, though you should not expect the forwardness of in-ear monitors. The treble is surprisingly lively especially for a budget set. Nice and sparkly but not fatiguing at all. Overall, it is hard to find a fault with the set considering the price point, deserves its place amongst the best in-ear headphones on the market.
