I've never heard it this way. I was always under the impression the Denon 5000 has less mid bass and more sub bass. That is why most people have issues with it due to the excessive sub bass. Many people confirm this. The Denon 5000s have more sub bass than both the 2000 and 7000 stock.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JohnnyAppleseed 
I have the cal!, d2k, and d5k. All three sound totally different. The cal! has the flattest, best tuned, most natural sound signature (best Denon by far). Unfortunately, the technical resolution is nowhere near the the other cans. The cal! is way more linear to my ears with the best bass to treble transitions of the bunch. Most rumble and least bloat with by far the most natural mids. However, details are far more apparent (and harsh) on the others. The d5k is more smooth and velvety (due to warmed up mids and less sub bass than 2k) while the d2k is the most dry, and cold in the mids and highs.
Edit: Just wanted to point out that the D5k is the most v-shaped with more punch (mid-bass) and sparkle (sibilant-prone treble) than the others.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/DenonAHD5000.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/DenonAHD2000.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/CreativeAurvana.pdf
FWIW, my ears agree with the graphs.
What the graphs don't tell you is the technical capability of the drivers.
The review below is from Faheem. I'll post the link to the thread as well.
http://www.techenclave.com/topic/488030-denon-ah-d2000-vs-ah-d5000-worklog-for-project-lawton-audio-d5k-mods/
Impressions :
"Now since the D5Ks had arrived , it was time for the D2K to go . With a heavy heart I put them on sale and Paradh( DareDevil ) was the lucky guy who bought them . For almost 10-12 days I kept comparing the D2Ks and D5Ks and I realized I didn't want to let the D2Ks go cause they were special in their own way .With great difficulty and after keeping Daredvil waiting for almost 1 week ,I finally shipped the D2Ks to him .Before that , I noted down all my impressions of the comparison and here it is.
Bass : The Denon's DXK series are known to have some of the most heavy bass .The D2000s as Ive probably mentioned in some of my posts earlier , has an amazing bass both in terms of quantity as well as quality .Its definitely not for the light bass lovers . The bass is thunderous with a heavy slam and punch .Its well textured and full bodied unlike lot of other high-end cans . Its no slow coach either , its got great speed and attack and its probably one of the very headphones Ive tried that can produce sub bass without any difficulty. The bass is very tight and can be called a little boomy but not muddy or the kind of bass that will creep into the mids.For my type of music the D5Ks EQ-ed tight bass with the amazing punch and slam is perfect.
D2000s vs D5000 bass - the D2000s bass has better speed and attack compared to the D5000s whereas the D5K has less of mid bass and more of sub-bass compared the D2K. Other than that there isn't any major difference I could notice between the two.
The sub-bass can be annoying at times , especially when it hits you at times not needed. This is very specific to tracks and more noticed in EDM/bass heavy tracks only .Also a slight EQ-ing of the lower freqs. in foobar rectifies it completely.
Midrange :
This is where the D5Ks triumph the D2Ks by a good margin , not by more detailing but its the soundsignature and more of micro detailing of the D5Ks which make it better.Detailing wise both the cans are pretty close and I really can't imagine how better a headphones detailing can get after reaching this point .Having heard some of the other high-end cans from Brendon's collection of HD650 ,YH-100 and the famous Thunderpants loaner , I can say that these top of the lines cans like Thunderpants are more about the speed ,accuracy,soundstage and most importantly fine-tuned sound signature than the detailing .Ofcourse they are more detailed but the increase in detailing from what I could make out was hardly 15-20% .
Now coming to the D2K and D5Ks midrange . The D2Ks are known to have a recessed midrange .Its true but also blown out of proportion by a great extent ,especially for someone who hasn't heard it will surely believe they have a v-curved sound or something ,which is not true . The D2Ks midrange doesn't really have a huge drop or anything but its more because of the enhanced bass and treble which makes the mids sound less detailed/recessed . The situation is somewhat similar to the midrange of Ultimate Ears TF10 (Now that almost half the audio section regulars have it , I guess they can relate to it much better :P ).
The D2K mids have a dark yet close to neutral sound .They do sound recessed compared to some of the other mid-centric cans like HD650, Grados etc but it isn't too recessed . All I can say is the mids aren't the best trait of the D2K.
With the D5K , the mids completely change . I believe this is more to do with the Mahogany wooden cups on the D5K and supposedly better cables . The midrange on these woodies is butter smooth and lush with a hint of warmth in the vocals which make the D5Ks extremely enjoyable . The instruments , the vocals everything just sounds Sweeet ! Perfect mids for my liking I can say :D With the D5K the mids are definitely more forward than D2K and not as recessed.
Treble :
The D2Ks and the D5K both have extremely detailed and well extended treble. It can be termed as bright yet non-fatiguing .Its got the perfect spark a treble should have IMO . Not much sibilance expect for small peaks in a few tracks .Detailing and clarity wise again both almost on same level , but with D5K I can pick up the micro detailing and other small sects of music in the background with ease . The treble is well spread over compared to D2Ks I can say.
Soundstage / Imaging :
This is another section where the D5Ks provide a significant improvement compared to the D2Ks . The instrument separation is much better. Not that D2Ks soundstage or instrument is bad but D5Ks is better :P . As a matter of fact , both the Denons have the best soundstage and openness a closed headphone can have. They just don't sound like a closed can at all. The sound is more of 3D in D5Ks and well spread over. Also the cans are pretty light , which gives you a more open can feel than closed.
With the the D5Ks , I can notice the soundstage to have more width and slightly better depth than D2Ks . It could also be due to the more clear and warm midrange .The treble spreads all around my head and has a good 3D feel to it .Makes the music lot more fun then before.
As a Conclusion I can say that :
As most unconfirmed posts on head-fi say that the D2Ks and D5Ks have the same drivers .I can't confirm the same but I do feel that its possibly true . Yet the D5000 offers lot more than the D2000s mainly due to the wooden cups and a better cable(confirmed by a thread on head-fi ). Now if someone is to decide on the retail price, I will suggest the D5000s isn't the most value for money cans you can buy . The D2K anyday offers a better sound for the price and especially if you are brave enough to do the recable and try some of the mods you have a chance to buy one of the most VFM detailed fun sounding headphone which is as good as any other sub 500$ cans !
But no , wait I still want the D5000s ! In that case its best too look for some sale or a used deal in which you can the D5000s for a price less than that of new D2Ks in India. Just like I did . Now before anyone asks , I paid close to ~14.5k/15k for a 1.5 year old well maintained D5000s with brand new pads and a Hippo Large case free with it . That's what makes the whole experience sweeet and more enjoyable.
Had I paid a full retail price of ~400$ or 23k-25k to import these to India ,I definitely would't have been so happy about them .
This is it for now , I have already started working on the Denon AH-D5000 Lawton Audio mods and just finished the first stage an hour back . I can tell you , the results are pretty impressive :D Will post some snaps and a work-log later.
More to come in the making of one of the finest closed cans in the world :D - "
Edited by lee730 - 2/3/12 at 11:27pm
