Fix fit and seal first
With both over-ear and in-ear designs, seal quality changes bass response and overall balance dramatically. A worn pad, shallow insertion, or glasses breaking the seal can make even a good headphone seem thin or imbalanced.
Use cleaner source settings
Turn off conflicting enhancements before judging the hardware. Multiple EQ layers, loudness normalization, virtual surround, and aggressive phone sound presets often interact in messy ways. Start from a neutral baseline, then add only what helps.
Check the easy technical issues
Use the balance test and frequency generator to confirm the problem is not a weak seal, hidden balance shift, or rattling low-end artifact. Small diagnostics can prevent unnecessary purchases.
Upgrade with intent
If you do spend money, identify the actual bottleneck first. Maybe you need better comfort, lower latency, stronger isolation, or more reliable Bluetooth behavior. Buying with a specific goal works better than chasing general hype.