Markl modded D5000(full mod) vs edition 9

[waddragon]

First I need to say one thing that my denon d5000 has been fully modded by Markl. The original d5000 is kind of overbass to me. Modded d5000 has better detail, soundstage and controlled bass sound
Most of my music is pop or rock
This is my set up:
Main source: PC with mainboard asus P5N32-E SLI and soundcard RME HDSP 9632
Amplifier: Rudistor RPX-33 MKII(which is supposed to be the best match for edition 9)
Cable: black sand violet Z1(one for amp and one for my PC), used virtual dynamic nite RCA interconnection(connect my PC to the rudistor)

I have just bought the edition 9 from Blessingx today and really like to deal with him, who is very friendly and takes well care of his items. After 30 minutes of listening, I think both headphone are very good at detail level. However, the detailed sound(high frequency) of modded D5000 is represented a little clearer. The denon needs to be driven with higher volume from the amp in order to have the same level of loudness as edition 9. I will rate the denon's comfort for 19/20(not 20/20 because I want the manufacturer to continue improving their phone) and edition 9's comfort for 17/20 due to the clamping force (I still feel edition 9 very comfortable with/without clamping force when it is compared to AKG701's comfort 10/20 because AKG701 's headband hurts my head). If I use the edition 9 to listen to music and after that I switch to d5000, then I can only say WOW (I feel like d5000 not on my head)
Ok, now I will move to the soundstage aspect. The soundstage of d5000 is definitely deeper than edition 9. From my experience, with Grado GS1000 I hear the music above top of my head(no comment about soundstage for GS1000, it has the largest soundstage which i have heard so far), with modded d5000 I hear the music on top of my head, with edition 9 I hear the music below top of my head. Therefore, I will rate soundstage of gs1000(19/20), d5000(17/20), edition 9(15/20). It doesn't mean edition 9 not having deep soundstage. Yes, it has but is not as deep as d5000 or gs1000.
I am not a bassheader but I still think the bass level of edition 9, which many unbassheaders complain, is very acceptable. Both d5000 and edition 9 has extremely good control of bass. Therefore, the bass become enjoyable. I have even thought that the bass of gs1000 with rudistor rpx33 is more heavier than edition9 (lol, i also know that rpx33 isn't a very good match for gs1000 due to unaddictive midrange sound). The midrange frequency representation of d5000 and edition 9 are very additive. It is too hard for me to find the different between them.

This is my short impression about modded d5000 and edition 9 and maybe my love of edition 9 will increase over time due to S-Logic representation.. I can say that you won't go wrong for modded d5000(cheaper but still have the same level of sound quality and a bigger soundstage). And if you are an headphone addictiver like me, who wants to listen to different kind of phone, then you can consider edition 9 after owning modded d5000.
Just one last comment: we can resell the phone after trying edition 9.

[nnotis]

I'm not surprised to see that you found the modded D5000s to be more detailed. I was blown away to find that, at least on my modest setup, they're even more detailed than the K1000s. I'd be very curious to compare the D5000 mods to a top notch electrostat like the SR-007s. They can't possibly be as detailed as those, can they?

[Cool_Torpedo]

Thanks for the comments Waddragon. Would you please tell us about other aspects like emotional linking to music, tonal balance, highs extension, detail rendition, overall resolution, midrange naturallity -like voices sounding more human or timbre being more correct,- and perhaps sound leakage/isolation?

Regards

[waddragon]

Originally Posted by Cool_Torpedo

Thanks for the comments Waddragon. Would you please tell us about other aspects like emotional linking to music, tonal balance, highs extension, detail rendition, overall resolution, midrange naturallity -like voices sounding more human or timbre being more correct,- and perhaps sound leakage/isolation?

Regards

one thing i love about my d5000 is the guitar sound. when I play with d5000, i can feel the vibration of guitar sound(just like it almost touch my ear)
both phone represent singer's voice very well. if i were in concert, i could say that d5000 would be a seat which is behind edition 9 seat for a few positions). Therefore, d5000 get a little deeper soundstage but edition9 sound will be a little presenter.
I can say that the overall resolution of both phone is kind of equal. Whatever sound i hear from edition 9, i also hear from d5000. I can sell either one of them without regreting due to their similarity in sound quality.
I still don't know about the sound isolation/leakage of edition 9 (lol, when i put the phone into my head, i don't know whether my roommate hear the sound or not). However, for d5000 if i play with high volume(blessingx wore the phone not me), i can hear small sound leaked from the phone. if my roommate talk loudly, i can hear his voice when i listen to d5000 so sound isolation of d5000 is around 7/10.

[cAsE sEnSiTiVe]

Thanks for your review, Waddragon.

Mark is modding mine as I type, although they are a brand new pair, and will have very little time on them when I receive them.

I plan to run them against my ALO Cryo 18awg k701's and see who comes out on top. I will report here what I hear, once everything is fully broken in.

I am also expecting my Modwright Transporter & Music Vault in the next couple of weeks, as well as my maxxed Woo6. Should be a fun month of May.

[Rednamalas1]

Originally Posted by nnotis

I'm not surprised to see that you found the modded D5000s to be more detailed. I was blown away to find that, at least on my modest setup, they're even more detailed than the K1000s. I'd be very curious to compare the D5000 mods to a top notch electrostat like the SR-007s. They can't possibly be as detailed as those, can they?

More detail than K1000s? ehhhh....

[waddragon]

Originally Posted by nnotis

I'd be very curious to compare the D5000 mods to a top notch electrostat like the SR-007s. They can't possibly be as detailed as those, can they?

I am also very curious at stax phone. From what i hear, if you love to listen to detail music, then you should go for stax because DETAIL is the strongest aspect of electrostatic phone.

[Sovkiller]

The Edition 9 for what it is worth, needs a lot of time to get used to it, given the S-logic presentation, unless you are familair with it before hand. 30 minutes is not enough time to emit a right judgement about its sound or a comparison with others, the S-Logic makes the sound to be felt as a lot more natural after you get used to it...

[waddragon]

Originally Posted by Sovkiller

The Edition 9 for what it is worth, needs a lot of time to get used to it, given the S-logic presentation, unless you are familair with it before hand. 30 minutes is not enough time to emit a right judgement about its sound or a comparison with others, the S-Logic makes the sound to be felt as a lot more natural after you get used to it...

yup I know that. However, I can say that modded d5000 is on the same level of sound quality as edition 9.

[cAsE sEnSiTiVe]

Originally Posted by Sovkiller

The Edition 9 for what it is worth, needs a lot of time to get used to it, given the S-logic presentation, unless you are familair with it before hand. 30 minutes is not enough time to emit a right judgement about its sound or a comparison with others, the S-Logic makes the sound to be felt as a lot more natural after you get used to it...

I had only a brief experience with the E9's recently, albeit with music that I am intimately familiar with, having had heard the discs many, many times on many different setups. My initial impression was that the Ultrasone's appear to imbue a bit too much of their own sonic signature with nearly everything you play through them. Obviously every component does so to a certain degree, but these got in the way of the recording a bit too much for my tastes.

I'm not saying what I heard wasn't pleasant, but I prefer a somewhat more clearer window into the recording, whether good or bad.

I hope to give them another shot in my own system one of these days.