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Looking for next pair of cans after the D7000 / HD650 / M50

post #1 of 47
5/7/10 at 6:49am
Thread Starter 

First of all, here's my review of the D7000:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/490664/my-denon-ah-d7000-review-comparison-with-hd650-and-m50#post_6621994

 

My search continues. Although the D7000 is a fine pair of headphones, but subjectively, I don't think it's the one that my journey for my "just right" headphone ends on. Here are my main issues with each of my top-three headphones I own:

 

D7000

Pros:

-Excellent bass--it's balanced, neutral, authoritative, with that rare sub-bass presence which sounds like a subwoofer.

-Extremely comfortable to wear

-Classy looks (though I don't care about looks)

-Very smooth and clear, with excellent resolution

 

Cons:

-The treble is a bit sharp on some material

-The mids are recessed

 

HD650

Pros:

-Very balanced and non-fatiguing. No ear-bleeding sibilance.

-Very smooth and pleasant

-Quite neutral/flat except for the extreme lows and highs.

-Very comfortable to wear

 

Cons:

-Sub-bass extension not prominent enough. Rolled off after 35~40Hz or so.

 

M50

Pros:

-Very pleasant and non-fatiguing. No ear-bleeding sibilance.

-Surprisingly neutral and flat.

-Very nice bass. Sub-bass prominence/extension is very good--almost as good as the D7000 but a tiny bit less articulate.

-Amazing price vs. performance ratio.One of the greatest bang for the buck headphones ever.


Cons:

-The treble is a slightly metallic, as if a narrow band of frequencies were EQ'd to get the clarity. It's not too big of a deal since it doesn't really annoy or anything--just something you notice sometimes.

-Overall clarity and resolution could be a bit more refined, but for the price it's really quite amazing. The fact it is even considered when comparing to headphones that costs many times time is a testament to its quality and value.


 

So What am I looking for? Ideally, something as smooth and non-fatiguing as the HD650/M50, with the well-controlled and authoritative bass performance of the D7000/M50, the liquid and smooth mids of the HD650, and very comfortable to wear. Any suggestions? Please only make suggestions if you actually have heard these headphones and agree with my assessment of them.  Otherwise it's just crossing signals and not very helpful.

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post #2 of 47
5/7/10 at 7:08am

I have heard only m50 and hd650 but havent heard the d7000 which u said has subwoofer like bass and while your description is spot on i think you may want to go with audio technica es10. Why? 1st it blows away the senns and m50. 2nd it has visceral bass, big soundstage, smooth highs, pretty liquid mids, and comfortable (if you dont wear glasses). I use it straight w/out an amp from my comp and it sounds great. It can only get better when amped. I can guarantee u will not be dissapointed

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post #3 of 47
5/20/10 at 6:02pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try to hunt down a pair to try out. Stores in Taipei and Hong Kong are kind of strict about allowing testing of the more expensive headphones, but the ed10 might be ok since it's not that expensive.

 

Right now I'm also considering the Audez'e LCD2, Edition 8, Stax 4070, and JVC/Victor DX1000. They seem to be the only ones that fit my needs at this point. I might also consider the JH-13/16 too, but I'm wary of getting a custom mold IEM since I can't sell it if I don't like it.

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post #4 of 47
5/20/10 at 6:18pm

also might want to look into the ath-w1000x.

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post #5 of 47
5/20/10 at 6:19pm

The Ed8's do make for an interesting choice for you. :)  I'd recommend those.

 

Same for the HD800's.  Turns out that I prefer the HD800's.

 

The ESW9a's were a real disappointment for me.  They're good but I've relegated them to when I'm on vacation and need a highly portable solution.  I guess the ES10's would have to blow them into another Universe for them to better the performance of the HD650's from my own POV.  The ESW9a's are cute no doubt, but not worth the money sonically.

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post #6 of 47
5/20/10 at 7:33pm

I too am looking for something that sounds like the HD650 but with more bass. It's a great headphone but doesn't have subterranean levels of bass that I crave for certain songs and for certain moods I'm in.

 

Is the ED8 really a good pick for this? ED8 would have to be very relaxed and smooth for.

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post #7 of 47
5/20/10 at 7:44pm

I've only heard the HD650 and D2000 and my opinions are that they are both recessed; the HD650 has a fine layer of mud across the spectrum and the D2000 overall loose. I'm sure the D7000 are quite a step above but no doubt share some of it's sound signature. While I also haven't heard the M50 I'm told it's like an unamped Ultrasone; you either love or hate them and those of whom hate them coincidentally say they're metallic sounding. I really enjoyed the HFI-780 for electronica however it is too bottom heavy for all genres.

 

I would research for yourself; Grado GS1000 and Sony CD3000

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post #8 of 47
5/20/10 at 7:46pm
Thread Starter 

I have heard the HD800 and its sub-bass and overall bass is a bit on the light side--it doesn't sound like a full-range speaker system, which the D7000 sounds like.

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post #9 of 47
5/20/10 at 9:17pm

Maybe you should consider modding your D7000s? The markl mod in particular is supposed to help substantially with the recessed mids.

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post #10 of 47
5/20/10 at 9:42pm

 

Quote:

 

So What am I looking for? Ideally, something as smooth and non-fatiguing as the HD650/M50, with the well-controlled and authoritative bass performance of the D7000/M50, the liquid and smooth mids of the HD650, and very comfortable to wear. Any suggestions? Please only make suggestions if you actually have heard these headphones and agree with my assessment of them.  Otherwise it's just crossing signals and not very helpful.


FWIW, try the high-end line of Audio Technica's open ear headphones, such as the AD1000PRM or AD2000

I have had experiences with both, and for open style cans, they have excellent bass impact, but don't expect the same quantity that you'd get from the D7000

The mids are very very smooth, and the phatpad mod will improve the comfort considerably

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post #11 of 47
5/20/10 at 10:14pm

Something smooth...Something like K701...Its sounds smooth.

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post #12 of 47
5/20/10 at 10:33pm

I second the LA7000 thought.  They are always on my head.


Edited by MikeLa - 5/21/10 at 3:33am
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post #13 of 47
5/20/10 at 11:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by VALIENTE View Post

Something smooth...Something like K701...Its sounds smooth.


If only the K701 had the subterranean bass to go with the smooth mids and stellar soundstage, it would be the perfect headphone.

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post #14 of 47
5/21/10 at 1:30am

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lunatique View Post

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try to hunt down a pair to try out. Stores in Taipei and Hong Kong are kind of strict about allowing testing of the more expensive headphones, but the ed10 might be ok since it's not that expensive.


Yeah, people are very protective of their goods in Asia, it gets better once you build relationships with the shopkeepers. Butter up them up a bit first, or make some local friends. I don't have an amp but I could let you try my D5000's if you're in town. 

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post #15 of 47
5/21/10 at 2:11am

Some parts of Asia are like that, some are not. The Philippines is reknowned for letting shoppers handle wares first hand when they shop. This is expected in the culture as Filipino shoppers like to be able to check out the products before purchasing. Unfortunately this usually doesn't apply to really high end expensive gadgets. 

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