[tfarney]

I believe if I bought a $450 pair of phones and disliked their sound and build quality as much as Markl describes in the "What's Wrong" section of his mod guide, I would have returned them, and spent my money on one of the many really good headphones that sell for less than $450.

Tim

 

[moomooemu]

well while that may be true...markl believed they had potential despite this huge flaw. he saw past it and apparently through many modifications and trails, he was able to completely fix this flaw and turn it into one of the nicest dynamic headphones for a relatively low cost.

I myself havent heard them, but many people have said so themselves.

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe if I bought a $450 pair of phones and disliked their sound and build quality as much as Markl describes in the "What's Wrong" section of his mod guide, I would have returned them, and spent my money on one of the many really good headphones that sell for less than $450. Tim

It all depends on your goals and your ability to detect some features into the sound of a pair of cans, which show potential to become something of your liking. In my experience there are cans that simply sound bad and it doesn't matter how much you fine tune them, they'll never sound of your liking. But other cans do many things quite right and you clearly hear that slight improvements could make them sound righter. This is D5000's case, their flaws are quite evident and manageable to get rid of them. Obviously is up to each one deciding if they're not his cup of tea and selling them, or working out a solution, which is what Mark decided to do and sharing his knowledge with us.

Some cans need EQ to fine tune them. Others need working in balanced mode. And others, such as the D5000, controlling some resonances, that's all. It requires some knowledge and experience to know what a pair of cans needs to sound right for your ears. Many people will find the stock D5000 much of their liking. Are they wrong? I don't think so, they just hear different from Mark, Waddragon or myself, which is not better nor worse, just different taste and judgement.

Rgrds.

 

[tfarney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool_Torpedo /img/forum/go_quote.gif It all depends on your goals and your ability to detect some features into the sound of a pair of cans, which show potential to become something of your liking. In my experience there are cans that simply sound bad and it doesn't matter how much you fine tune them, they'll never sound of your liking. But other cans do many things quite right and you clearly hear that slight improvements could make them sound righter. This is D5000's case, their flaws are quite evident and manageable to get rid of them. Obviously is up to each one deciding if they're not his cup of tea and selling them, or working out a solution, which is what Mark decided to do and sharing his knowledge with us. Some cans need EQ to fine tune them. Others need working in balanced mode. And others, such as the D5000, controlling some resonances, that's all. It requires some knowledge and experience to know what a pair of cans needs to sound right for your ears. Many people will find the stock D5000 much of their liking. Are they wrong? I don't think so, they just hear different from Mark, Waddragon or myself, which is not better nor worse, just different taste and judgement. Rgrds.

Fair enough. Not the path I would choose, but fair enough.

Tim

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Hehehe, to certain extent I agree with you, there's not much of a point on purchasing something you know it's flawed and won't sound right to your ears "as is". But IMHO it's up to the ultimate purpose of your building a cans rig. If to get the closest to your ideal sound, purchasing a pair of flawed but with great potential cans to be improved, is the way you can afford it, why not? Anyway, this is all the projection of my big expectations on the Markl's modded cans, I might be well disappointed once I have them and listen critically to them

Best wishes.

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe if I bought a $450 pair of phones and disliked their sound and build quality as much as Markl describes in the "What's Wrong" section of his mod guide, I would have returned them, and spent my money on one of the many really good headphones that sell for less than $450. Tim

I think alot of people might see it more like the old glass half full/half empty thing. Not so much that the faults drive them crazy, but they see the good points as worth expanding on. To each his own.

 

[Dreadhead]

I bought them only to do the mod on them

After reading the markl mod posts I just had try it and now they handily are better than my HD650's in my opinion.

 

[waddragon]

after listening to markl's mod d5000, i am falling in love with the phone now. Right now, I am waiting markl's impression of recabled(apuresound)+mod+d5000. Dam, I can't image how it will sound now

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Hi Waddragon,

How many burn-in hours do your D5000 have on?
Mark moded mine brand new, he not even played them for half an hour, so they arrived to me modded, but new. At first I identified the good things the mod does, but overall sound was a bit disappointing. At this moment the cans have about 50 hours on them and I'm starting to like a lot what I'm hearing, but I feel the cans aren't there yet.
I think you had yours modded after some use, but I don't know if completely burn-in or just with a few hours. I'm wondering if the own mod, specially the fiber into the cups, needs to settle down, compact or whatever to show the mods results at their best.

Regards

PS, As far as I know, Mark being now a MOT cannot comment anymore about the results of using other products, are they cables, amps or whatever

so I don't think he can tell us about his experience with the recabling he tried.

 

[tev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool_Torpedo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi Waddragon, Regards PS, As far as I know, Mark being now a MOT cannot comment anymore about the results of using other products, are they cables, amps or whatever so I don't think he can tell us about his experience with the recabling he tried.

That would be a huge loss to our community. IMO, Markl is one of the most astute commentators on the site. Hopefullly, he'll find another outlet for his reviews, if this is the case.

 

[markl]

Hi, I've lost my privileges to talk about headphones and cables for the Denon headphones. Beyond that, I'm still a reviewing machine for Head-Fi (see my recent review of PS Audio Power Plant Premier in the Cables section

). I've also handed in my resignation to Positive Feedback-- I can't very well be their headphone review monkey when I'm providing services to mod a certain couple of headphones. They say I can come back when my business mod-ing Denons is over (which will happen the moment I find something I like better).

As for Head-Fi, as the rules stand, once you are designated a MOT, your privileges to talk about "competing" products ends in perpetuity.

 

[helios4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool_Torpedo /img/forum/go_quote.gif the stock D5000 sound more bassy and inducing headache (I can listen to the DX1000 for hours without any fatigue) and I'm pretty convinced it's for the bass being resonant, distorted and badly controlled.

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

)

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

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 )

Hi Helios,

Well, I don't think it's an amp problem. Moreover considering the modded D5000 sound right to me. The Rudistor RPX-100 can handle any cans I've thrown to it, even K701, R10 and other well known suckers. IMHO the D5000 are in the "easy" amplifiable side of things. To me the modded D5000 still have some more low bass (in the 20-60Hz area) than mid-upper bass, but any trace of lack of control and enclosure resonance is gone. I think it's more a matter of personal taste, how we listen and how our brain "understands" what we're listening than anything else. I'm glad you enjoy your stock D5000s, but I wouldn't be surprised that if you listened to the modded ones, you would find them righter.

Regarding the HFI-780, I don't know, I haven't listened to them. For the comments posted at its long thread, I come to believe that they wouldn't be my cup of tea.

Rgrds.

 

[minimus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool_Torpedo /img/forum/go_quote.gif the modded D5000 sound right to me.

So, any thoughts yet on how the modded D5000 compares to the DX1000 or the R10? Or still too early to say?

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Still too soon mate, now I'm about 100 hours of burn-in and the damn things keep changing. For the better I must say

Rgrds