stalking the perfect cans - refining possibilities.

EDIT - this thread started with the message below.  I ended up choosing to buy Smeggy Made Thunderpants, and after posting some photos, this thread sort of turned into a Thunderpants/ortho, and other random bits of quality cans discussion.  It doesnt really have a specific direction anymore, and thats ok.... ;-)

Hi all. 

I need some advice as to which cans best fit my taste.  unfortunately going to a meet is out of the question for me.

I previously owned Denon AH-D2000

I currently Own ATH W1000X

neither of these are quite what i am looking for yet both have aspects i like

Denons were a bit too laid back, and not tight,  refined, seperated enough in general, especially in the bass, they were also quite imbalanced.

ath are a bit too forward, and not enough extension in the bass.  they are imbalanced and sibilant, but not as bad as the denon's.

I like the ath "tightness and precision" but a mix of precision with laid back would be optimal

the ATH are just too sterile, or forward, or somehow not as engaging to me.  I just cant get into the way they present my music

the denons were just smoother..

I like when cans can extend way down at decent volumes like the d2000.  I really miss that when its not there in the w1000x

i like of course wide deep sound stage, instrument seperation,  and precesion without being over sterile which the w1000x lean toward.

i listen to lots of smoothe melodic, jazzy, acoustic music. sometimes fast and precise, sometimes slow and sultry, along with nearly every other genre imaginable.

I usually do my best to eq my cans flat, so if a can performs really well  but may be a bit imbalanced, i would take that over a can with less overall performance potential.

I have roughly $600 total to spend and i will most likely buy used on head-fi.  If i had more i would almost certainly go for the LCD-2

I currently own an HIFIMAN EF5 amp (which i may get rid of also) and FWIW the ath-w1000x dont seem to get along with it like my old decware zen head solid state did.  they have mellowed a bit because of the ef5, but not in a good way.  more like a muddy way. 

some considerations so far:

denon ah-d7000

he-5le

JVC-dx1000

any suggestions comparisons, opinions,  would be much appreciated.... Skylab???

thanks

no... good point... where does one buy a pair of thunderpants?

i think the thunderpants are gonna be for another time.   I looks like dx1000 are making themselves available...    

it does.   the problem is they are all appealing ;-)

if i could afford that i wouldnt buy any of them ;-)

at least they all have good resale value in case i get one i dont want.

never heard the fostex.   I have certainly heard a lot of good things about the thunderpants. any idea what a thunderpants mod costs? even roughly? honestly at this time I really dont see myself having the time or patience to properly persue that type of custom job though.  On the other hand nothing is off the table yet.

well, i just PM'd Smeggy.  Something you said must have unconsciously got my attention because i went from not really considering to suddenly feeling like this is a good idea.

Oh, and probably doing some homework and finding out that these cans may be exactly what I'm looking for, Look Gorgeous!, and are actually in my price range! Gee whiz who woulda thunk it!

Thanks kwkarth! (and everyone else who recommended these)  I should have known you all  would have good advice ;-)

I guess we'll see where this road leads.  

only problem now is i may have 4 to choose from instead of 3 ;-)