Boomy Headphone Output
-
Hey all, new to the forums. I received my Spark last week, and the tone through the speakers is great. Last night I finally tried the headphones output and found it way, way too boomy with apparent reduced high end. I'm using Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Studio Monitor headphones.
Is this just the difference you'd expect using headphones, or might there be another problem? I'm continuing to experiment -- will try other headphones in case my monitor ones are a mismatch for this amp's headphone out.
Most of the time I'll play the Spark through the speakers, so if this is normal I'll probably just live with it since I've had poor results with the headphone out on other amps, too.
-Dan
-
I prefer the sound through the headphones over the speakers. That being said I’ve turned the bass on all my presets way down. I think the lack of any presence control hurts.
-
@valascia said in Boomy Headphone Output:
I prefer the sound through the headphones over the speakers. That being said I’ve turned the bass on all my presets way down. I think the lack of any presence control hurts.
Thanks for that. I thought perhaps that might be at least one of the issues. It also appears that reverb and delay need to be less intense with headphones, too. If I use the headphones much I'll need to create presets just for that use.
-Dan
-
@git I’ve tried many different headphones with the Spark, including the ATH-M50X, which to me was one of the worst sounding ones. I ended up preferring the Presonus HD9, which I ended up buying and trying before I noticed that it was the headphones PG was offering as a bundle option with the Spark. So after about 8 different headphone trials, the HD-9 sound the best, are comfortable and not fatiguing. I prefer the Spark through the headphones vs the speaker. I use the Spark with headphones for practicing my cover band’s tunes when I’m spending weekends at the girlfriends house; ‘silent’ practice while she’s watching TV.
-
@gitorpheus Actually, the first moment I tried Spark was late at night and was with AKG Studio headphones which have proved to sound exceptionally flat with numerous setups so far. The Spark is boomy, muddy and in overal too bassy.
I think this is the thing with this tier of devices - Spark is made to appeal to the masses and it's not uncommon to find companies boosting the bass on their lower-end products just to grab attention of semiilliterate customers.
I hate the bass on the speakers too, FWIW. -
@bschultz8 Last night I tried some inexpensive compact Bose over-ear headphones, and those sounded acceptable without tweaking the presets. I'm sure tweaking the bass, reverb, and delay (as needed) would make the sound much better.
I'd noticed a similar issue with my Katana Mini when I tried the ATH-M50x headphones -- the sound was terrible. Both Bose earbuds and Bose over-ear headphones sound okay with the Katana. I'd used the ATH-M50x cans with both a Quilter amp and my DAW (Logic & UA Apollo Twin) and they sounded good. I'm now thinking that inexpensive practice/portable amps are designed with inexpensive headphones and earbuds in mind.
Bose doesn't publish their specs, so I can't be certain of the impedance of their products. But I do know that most studio monitor headphones have a higher impedance (20 - 60 ohms, sometimes more -- the ATH-M50x cans are 38 ohms) while consumer-grade headphones are typically much lower.
I bought the Spark hoping it would be a good RV-travel amp, and I think it will fit the bill when paired with the appropriate headphones. I don't love Bose products so I'm still shopping for an even better match with the Spark.
As for the boomy Spark speakers, I hadn't noticed that, but I was playing in my living room. When walking elsewhere in my house with a wireless adapter I begin to hear the boomy bass end, but I notice the same thing with my theater-system sub-woofer which is also in the living room -- sounds fine in the living room, but very heavy bass when heard from the other end of the house.
-Dan
-
@gitorpheus said in Boomy Headphone Output:
I don't love Bose products so I'm still shopping for an even better match with the Spark.
-Dan
Here’s the list of what I tried and did NOT like with the Spark:
ATH-M50X
ATH-M40FX
Superlux HD681
Superlux HD681 EVO
KRK KNS8400
Presonus HD10BT
Floyd Rose FR-36
Floyd Rose FR-52Initially my Phillips Fidelio X1 & X2 seemed to sound pretty good, but after trying the Presonus HD9, I now prefer the HD9.
-
@bschultz8 Thanks!
-Dan
-
For what it's worth, I find on my Spark that the headphone output tone balance for songs streamed from my phone via bluetooth is very good and is not substantially different (i.e. no difference in bass vs mid vs high freq tone balance) compare to what I hear from same tracks played through a good sound system using same headphones. This with Senn HD598 phones.
I have measured the headphone output frequency response with unloaded output, 33ohm, and 10ohm resistive headphone-output loads and at high output levels. The frequency response is reasonably flat and essentially identical in the 3 cases but with somewhat more distortion at 10 ohm load as expected. Definitely no indication of anything that would cause audio bass enhancement or other audio issues.Of course I do observe the boominess in the direct speaker sound but hey.. it's not a hifi speaker .. it's a guitar amp speaker .
-
I am also having a problem with the Spark 40 headphone output, but in my case it's because it sounds like it's dripping with reverb.
I just watched a video comparing the USB and line out/headphone recording and in the video it was hard to tell the difference, but when I reproduced the test, my headphone out signal into my DAW sounded like I had taken a reverb VST and set it to "cathedral".
In fact, I spent a lot of time troubleshooting my daw, until it oiccurred to me to take my headphones and plug them in. Sure enough, the reverb was at the source.
It's so bad that I can hardly tell the difference between patches, everything is drenched in reverb.
I tried different headphones (I won't bore you with the brands) from studio to cheap earbuds and nothing changed. I even eliminated any kind of reverb from the patches, but for me the headphone out jack is unusable.,
Should I record it and post it somewhere? From what I am reading here, it seems something is wrong with my spark. -
@conticreative
I’d question the Spark. Songs/Backing Tracks sound virtually the same through my Spark Headphone Jack and my iPad (using the same headphones). I think the guitar sounds crisper through the Headphone Jack as well; however the difference between speakers and headphones is less pronounced with the guitar. Difference really stands out on songs. There have actually been a couple threads in the past on how to replace/upgrade the Spark speakers. -
@dan-lawrence thank you for the reply. Actually, my Spark speakers so far are excellent. Punchy and precise. It's the headphone out jack that sounds like there is a reverb pedal set to max. Doesn't matter if I am trying to play a guitar patch, a backup track from youtube or anything else. It is like the sound is coming from a gigantic cavern. But in headphones only. Out of the speakers everything sounds great. Sometimes I even use the Spark as a Audio out for my computer.
I should note that via Bluetooth the sound is excellent, but of course Bluetooth has a pretty nasty lag.
I know that the Spark headphone output should not sound like that. This is my second spark (the first couldn't connect via Bluetooth).
I am wondering if it's software or hardware, but the reverb I hear sounds exactly like a reverb I'd get if I put a hardware/software reverb between the Spark headphone out and my headphones.
I should probably record it. Right now, the only way I can input my guitar into a DAW is by using a microphone right next to the Spark. I'd love to be able to record off the headphone output because my studio is in a pretty noisy place, with family, cats, cars passing by, etc.
For vocals and for recording off the amp I use a Shure knock off that hears nothing a foot away from the source, but if I use my other microphone it picks up sounds from everywhere, including my fingers on my keyboard. -
Seems to be a big difference which headphones you use with the Spark, what would you guys suggest would be the best choice for this amp? From what I've understood, Presonus HD9 seem like a good choice. Any other suggestions? Anybody know if the Sennheiser HD 200 Pro Studio are good with this? PG are selling those with this amp as a bundle.
-
@conticreative Can't you record using the USB connection into your DAW? Should work.
-
@broadkarnage Yes I can and it sounds as it should. The issue is not so much recording, as I can do that with either the USB connection or placing a Mic in front of the Spark. The issue is that the headphones are useless. Reverb and distortion as overwhelming and make it impossible to practice in headphones.
I guess I can connect via USB to my computer, open a DAW, go on headphones and practice like that. Hardly convenient though.For the record, I have done multiple resets. I am tempted to roll back the firmware up[date, but since so many are complaining that firmware issues bricked their Spark, I am a bit hesitant.
