[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by helios4 /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is probably another reason. I have also a D5000 (stock) and I do not have resonance, distortion etc...like you describe with my hybrid amp. And no fatigue at all - the opposite I can use them for hours and the bass are correct. Maybe your phones have a problem or the association with your amp is not good ? (note: the symptoms you describe remind me my ultrasone HFI780 )

Yeah... I think that must be it...

I noted in the following thread... similar distortion in the mids (rough mids): http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/d50...rs-1-a-313265/

But... I tried them out on my portable Shellbrook MaxiMoy and the rough mids disappeared... but a bit "boomy bass" and weaker treble appeared.

I had rough mids with my DV332... but... the bass was nice and tight, and the treble was superb. I'm guessing the DV332 doesn't have enough current to properly drive the 25 ohm D5000s (a bit like the Grados), whereas the MaxiMoy has enough current, but maybe not enough voltage, or whatever.

So... a lot of the "gremlins" in the D5000s may well be related to "system matching" - or - the lack of it.

That's just great... another set of phones... that need careful matching with the setup. My guess is... the "Markl mods" may not even be necessary... if... you've got the right set up.

 

[Gradofan2]

To follow-up on my post below.... So... what are the best amps to properly "synergize" with the D5000s?

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/amp...9/#post4056803

I assume were talkin' MAD Ear+ HD, Singlepowers, etc. - but what else has the right combo of current and amps, voltage, whatever to drive them properly?

And... would the Moon Audio "impedence adapter" (which ads 125+ ohms of impedence) get there? Maybe that's all I need do - increase the impedence of the D5000s to 100 ohms???

May not even need the "Markl Mods" with the right amp... or... impedence.

 

[Bazile]

Hi folks;

I've tried to post about these phones since early March, and I just don't comment wisely enough to start a thread. I didn't want to sound pure fanboyish...ahh well...

My phones are early markl modded D5000's. I tried to buy the 1st pair..(sold after the 1st D5000 mod thread), and failed...I was too late. I then whined (sadly thats the honest term) until markl let me send him an unmodded pair for the round 2 mods...(the current long thread). It's my understanding that mine are one of the first 3 modded per that thread. I payed shipping both ways, but he modded for free...it took a bit, but dang well worth it.

I wanted to do a full blown review...modded D5000 vrs decade old SR225's vrs 1 yr old senn 580's (with 650 cables)..I'm neither a good enough writer, nor could I do the forum sonic justice...here goes my lesser effort.

All my listening was through flacs streamed through an unmodded SB3 to a Cambridge 840C as a DAC..then to a CI VHP2 as the amp. Why no balanced LB2's (tubes) per my sig? (note my 580's were balanced and tubed) I didn't /don't have the adapters to hear the 225's or the D5000 balanced...I'll plead guilty if you think it makes a difference in my conclusion. I don't.

I've had my 225's for a decade basically..when my AKG 240m's failed, they replaced them. This was long before I found this forum. I hear and acknowledge the Grado reputation for midrange emphasis, and I like it. Strings and vocals benefit from that emphasis, and still, the 225's can't match the modded D5000's. The Denons are much better balanced from low to high, and the instruments sound more real.

The real test was balanced HD580's through tube amps (my old system) vrs the markl mod on its SS amp. As a bit of background, I prefer the 580/600 to the 650, especially when balanced. With my tube system, balanced 650's sound fat or bloated to me bass wise. The balanced 580's sounded great until I heard the modded D5000's. The Senns now sound dirty somehow.

Here is where I fail as a reviewer. I can't explain dirty in valid reviewer terms. It's not Bose inaccurate, but there is pane of slightly dirty glass added when I "view" the/any song through my 580's vrs the modded D5000's. I know view is a mixed metaphor, but it's the best I can offer. The 580's (used balanced) are balanced high to low, but the notes are blurred. With the Markl cans, I hear individual notes when "honky tonk" (meaning trills i think...real reviewers know this stuff) piano is played. Instruments are faster..sound better and are more precisely placed.

The markl modded phones are better. I wanted to say that in reviewer terms, and I spend 6 weeks trying to word my thoughts, and failed. I'll offer my final comment and give. I want the closed phones just as a bedroom set when Markl started his 1st thread. No longer, they are the best I have, by far.

Bazile

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Hi Gradofan2

It's understandable that any tube amp has some dificulties driving low impedance phones, and one of the expectable effects is having rolled off bass, which in the case of the D5000 without mods is good. If you supress the troublesome frequencies, you lower the distortion and resonance quantity.

Any capable amp with a source delivering the lower frequencies right, will make the stock D5000 show its flaws more clearly. But it's not the amp or source to blame, only the phones that could have been better damped. Once you damp them by modding the cans, everything is righter.

Rgrds

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazile /img/forum/go_quote.gif The real test was balanced HD580's through tube amps (my old system) vrs the markl mod on its SS amp. As a bit of background, I prefer the 580/600 to the 650, especially when balanced. With my tube system, balanced 650's sound fat or bloated to me bass wise. The balanced 580's sounded great until I heard the modded D5000's. The Senns now sound dirty somehow. Here is where I fail as a reviewer. I can't explain dirty in valid reviewer terms. It's not Bose inaccurate, but there is pane of slightly dirty glass added when I "view" the/any song through my 580's vrs the modded D5000's. I know view is a mixed metaphor, but it's the best I can offer. The 580's (used balanced) are balanced high to low, but the notes are blurred. With the Markl cans, I hear individual notes when "honky tonk" (meaning trills i think...real reviewers know this stuff) piano is played. Instruments are faster..sound better and are more precisely placed.

I guess that's it...

... the HD600/580s... and the AD2000s and RS-1s, to a lesser extent, sound a bit more "liquid" or "thick" - which you termed "dirty." They don't sound much worse... just a bit more "liquid" - which might also be termed a very "wee bit" less clear, resolved or refined.

The D5000s have a wee bit more delicate and refined sound (resolved), with a bit more separation and space around each note. The notes don't sound as "forced" with the D5000s, but are more delicate.

But... to me... these are such "minute" differences that I have a difficult time deciding, I prefer the "total sound" of the D5000s over the "total sound" of the HD600/580s, AD2000s, and RS-1s. Yes... the slightly refined resolution of the D5000s is nice... but... I still think I prefer the "total sound" of these other phones... just a bit more, especially their slightly richer mids and brighter highs - though their highs can sometimes be a bit strident on poorly recorded pieces, which seldom occurs with the D5000s.

Again... my impressions are "limited" by the limitations of my amp with the D5000s, which tends to "mask" some of their sound - which is not an issue with my other phones, especially the HD600/580s.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool_Torpedo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi Gradofan2 It's understandable that any tube amp has some dificulties driving low impedance phones, and one of the expectable effects is having rolled off bass, which in the case of the D5000 without mods is good. If you supress the troublesome frequencies, you lower the distortion and resonance quantity. Any capable amp with a source delivering the lower frequencies right, will make the stock D5000 show its flaws more clearly. But it's not the amp or source to blame, only the phones that could have been better damped. Once you damp them by modding the cans, everything is righter.

So which amps do you find the D5000s sound best? I guess that would be... after the "Markl mods." Or... do any amps avoid the need for the mods?

I sold my PF XCAN v3... unfortunately.

I'm thinking... something like the GS-1 might be a good combination with the D5000s (though I would guess after the mods)... and with a tube buffer to add the tube warmth. Perhaps that would also drive my other phones well also

Or... perhaps a MAD EAR+ HD, or WA6, or Singlepower... if I want tubes.

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

I'm very very happy with the Rudistor RPX-100. It's an amazing amp, one of those devices that seems not to have a sound of his own. Whatever cans I plug into it, they deliver their own sound signature and it doesn't matter they're high impedance, low, insensitive, very efficient... everything fits in place and you just listen your recording and the sound of the cans. Where other amps make some sounds artificially enhanced (details that sound overimposed or tending to bright), this amp, I guess due to its extraordinary resolution, can show layers of sound which let you know what was really going on. Only intrinsically flawed phones will show their character as they are.
As soon as the new NX-03 or the RPX-33 had those same attributes, I would expect them to be great matches with the D5000, but then modded if you don't want to really know the original D5000's mistakes. In fact the modded D5000 sound great using the HP output of one of my CDPs, the Sony CDR-X707-ES. This is the machine I'm using for burning-in while not listening.
I have no experience with any Gilmore, were it well balanced and neutral it'd be a great match too, but I'm afraid you'd need to mod the cans. IMHO it'd be better spending some time and little money modding the cans, than spending a lot of dough into an amp that sounds good with the D5000 to avoid modding them. The amps hidding the stock D5000's problems would be cans with a lesser bass response, and I'm not sure that's the best way to do things. Nevertheless I believe a Singlepower would be a great amp to put in any system hehehehe. If you disliked the D5000's sound, you could always mod them later

Rgrds

 

[markl]

When you underpower any transducer, be it a speaker or a headphone, expect the bass to be weaker and rolled off. Give it enough juice and bass fully powers up and blooms to its true levels. I suppose buying an amp that is very weak is another way to tame the bass of the D5000, but you're still stuck with a weak amp that will be slow, lacking in dynamics and perpetually in clip...

I would in general avoid any tube amps with the D5000. They should have a beefy solid state amp.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl /img/forum/go_quote.gif When you underpower any transducer, be it a speaker or a headphone, expect the bass to be weaker and rolled off. Give it enough juice and bass fully powers up and blooms to its true levels. I suppose buying an amp that is very weak is another way to tame the bass of the D5000, but you're still stuck with a weak amp that will be slow, lacking in dynamics and perpetually in clip... I would in general avoid any tube amps with the D5000. They should have a beefy solid state amp.

So... what amps are you using, "Markl," to drive them?

And... sources as well?

 

[markl]

I'm using a Rudistor RP010. His RPX-33, while still not exactly "cheap", is a great option as well; they turn up used occasionally in the classifieds. Both these amps have tons of power to spare, great tonality and all the other audiophile goodies. I've got reviews of both posted in the Amps forum. I am not familiar with his lower-end solid state amps so can't comment on those. My source is a heavily modified Marantz SA-7S1.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm using a Rudistor RP010. His RPX-33, while still not exactly "cheap", is a great option as well; they turn up used occasionally in the classifieds. Both these amps have tons of power to spare, great tonality and all the other audiophile goodies. I've got reviews of both posted in the Amps forum. I am not familiar with his lower-end solid state amps so can't comment on those. My source is a heavily modified Marantz SA-7S1.

The Rudistors look great... but... the exchange rate makes them "unattainable."

Perhaps the Headamp (GS-1), or RSA (HR-2) amps would be good options.

Er... on second thought... from what I'm reading in the posts re: Headamp - they're "out of business," or may as well be - sounding a lot like another "Shellbrook."