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My Review of Denon D2000 VS Sennheiser HD650

post #1 of 21
2/21/12 at 8:17am
Thread Starter 

After going through a fair number of headphones and trying some in shops etc. I think I now have a pretty good idea of what is on the market. Except for the extreme high end flagship models anyway. I initially had some Shure SRH 840 which were just mediocre IMO... Good for professional use maybe but not very fun to listen to and somewhat tinny sounding. I also tried some Grado 325i which were quite entertaining but the treble was far too much and literally obliterated my ear drums, also very uncomfortable on ear design.

 

Next up was the first pair of headphones I really quite liked... The Denon D2000. Very comfortable and very nice bass on some songs although on other songs it was very monotone boomy type sound which I didn’t like. Midrange was rather recessed and the treble was detailed although too sibilant and fatiguing. This was why I eventually sold them. I would recommend these for electronic trance music and similar as they really are very nice for that sort of music, tbh I would quite like them back just to use for this genre.

 

My current headphones are Sennheiser HD650 (new version) and honestly I am blown away by these, for classical music and more subtle music types they are incredible and just really really nice to listen to for long periods. The open backed sound and the imaging / soundstage is first class and really is a league above the denons in terms of the actual quality of the sound. I have found myself listening to a lot of classical music and film soundtracks on them because it just sounds so damn nice. Electronic music is definitely not as good as the Denons, there is less bass response and they are not as punchy... Although the soundstage and imaging and overall quality still makes this genre nice to listen to just not as good as the Denons.

 

So overall for anyone deciding between these two I would say the Sennheisers are a much more refined and overall higher quality sound, stunning for classical music etc. The Denons are more "in your face" and have very good sub bass (on some songs anyway) the treble is OTT imo and the overall quality of the sound and imaging is definitely quite a bit less impressive than the HD650. If you are an electro music listener only then the Denons would be better, but as an overall good all rounder I would highly recommend the sennheisers. I think I have finally found a pair I am happy with, although I might buy some other headphones such as some ultrasones maybe purely for electronic music but the Sennheisers aren't going anywhere! Hope this is useful if anyone is trying to decide.

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post #2 of 21
2/21/12 at 8:42am

NICE!!! 

My next scheduled purchase is HD 650 (new version). 

This thread has inspired me to find a pair THIS WEEK!!! 

 

Thanks and Happy listening

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post #3 of 21
2/21/12 at 9:49am
Thread Starter 

Yeh go for it... If you like a laid back sound that is non fatiguing and very refined then they are the best you are going to get under £400 IMO... Try and get the new silver version as well because they are supposed to be a bit better.

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post #4 of 21
2/21/12 at 10:46am

well i was planning on purchasing the d2k but i don't like very bright sound,i just can't bear the harshness,well i use sennheiser IE80 as my iem n just love the sound, man nothing comes close.are d2k harsh?? 

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post #5 of 21
2/21/12 at 10:47am

can't go for 650 though,it would be out of my budget,any other suggestion

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post #6 of 21
2/21/12 at 10:49am

Heh, your thoughts definitely contradict mine from my original comparison between the two.

 

But on round 2 of the D2000 vs HD650, the HD650 took the cake.

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post #7 of 21
2/21/12 at 10:51am
Thread Starter 

I wouldnt say they are harsh compared to something like grado but the treble is pretty sharp and any sibilance either from your amplifier or the recording is exagerated.... You can EQ them to make them less fatiguing but tbh I still found them annoying for more then 20 mins use or so and it seems like they have damaged my ears because they ache now and I get tinnitus.... Some people are more sensitive to it then others and I definately don't like excessive treble or harshness.... The HD650 are just about right for me in terms of treble (smooth, natural sounding and not exagerated)... IMO the treble on the D2000's is too much and the overall quality / refinement of the sound is definately a level below the HD650


Edited by nicholars - 2/21/12 at 10:53am
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post #8 of 21
2/21/12 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katun View Post

Heh, your thoughts definitely contradict mine from my original comparison between the two.

 

But on round 2 of the D2000 vs HD650, the HD650 took the cake.



What do you mean? Do you prefer the D2000 or HD650?

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post #9 of 21
2/21/12 at 11:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicholars View Post

What do you mean? Do you prefer the D2000 or HD650?


My original comparison wrote about a year ago, and I preferred the D2000 for being more fun.

 

Between then and now, I've had four HD650's and two D2000's. The second time around, I liked the HD650 better.

 

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post #10 of 21
2/21/12 at 11:38am
Thread Starter 

Ah I see I think I read that before I bought the Denon D2000.... I would say the Denon D2000 are more exciting but personally I find the quality of sound more satisfying on the HD650.... I would quite like to own both tbh... The D2000 for electronic music and the HD650 for everything else... Although I might try some Ultrasone HFI 580 for electronic music as really the bass on the D2000 can be a bit boomy and not textured enough

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post #11 of 21
2/21/12 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by siddharth View Post

well i was planning on purchasing the d2k but i don't like very bright sound,i just can't bear the harshness,well i use sennheiser IE80 as my iem n just love the sound, man nothing comes close.are d2k harsh?? 



Well I think the are harsher and brighter.

But overall I found them to be superior to my IE8. I had the IE80 for some weeks and D2000 vs. IE80 is much closer.

 

So, if you are happy with your IE80 there´s no need to upgrade, imo.

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post #12 of 21
2/25/12 at 8:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicholars View Post

I wouldnt say they are harsh compared to something like grado but the treble is pretty sharp and any sibilance either from your amplifier or the recording is exagerated.... You can EQ them to make them less fatiguing but tbh I still found them annoying for more then 20 mins use or so and it seems like they have damaged my ears because they ache now and I get tinnitus.... Some people are more sensitive to it then others and I definately don't like excessive treble or harshness.... The HD650 are just about right for me in terms of treble (smooth, natural sounding and not exagerated)... IMO the treble on the D2000's is too much and the overall quality / refinement of the sound is definately a level below the HD650



I feel like im in the same boat you were in.  I have had my denons for almost a week and feel like I am damaging my ears.  Been experiencing some high pitched ringing and slight pain in ears.  After listening for about 20 minutes straight, my ears felt tired as if I had jjust gotten back from a night club (not that bad but similar).  Even at moderate volumes my ears dontt feeel right.  Unfortunately I am going to sell the denons for the health of my ears.  I am even considering giving up headphones all together and going to high end speaker route, but before I do i think im going to take a stab at the hd650's whenever I find a good deal.  Do you experience any fatigue at all on the senn's ?  I feel like the open headphone would be refreshing after the harshness of the d2000

 

Also, what is you source and amp your using for the 650's?

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post #13 of 21
2/26/12 at 8:16pm
Thread Starter 

I find that with anything placed next to your ears it is going to fatigue them after a while... But out of all the headphones I have tried the HD650 are BY FAR the least fatiguing headphones.... Obviously it is volume and content dependant but overall they are a LOT less fatiguing then the D2000

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post #14 of 21
11/1/12 at 5:14pm

I'm currently listening to different music with my Denons and HD650s, I have to agree with your review.  I really really really love the HD650s for classical and mellow music, the sounds are so crisp, but I love the Denons for electronic and hip hop music for the bass.  These are a perfect pair to have in my book.  I power both with an iBasso D10 so I'm not sure if that's suitable or not I'm not up to date on my amps.

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post #15 of 21
11/1/12 at 6:39pm

Mod the AH-D2000 right and they won't be any worse than the HD650. They're a cheap design, there's the snag. Foster went on the cheap and used overly light plastic housing which doesn't dampen the high-power diaphragms. Look up "Markl mod" for the recipe, but basically all Denon headphones need recabling, damping with Blu-tack/Dynamat, and possibly some foam over the driver grilles. Then they get a stunningly realistic/quick sound that can outclass most Senn models.

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