alucard177
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2012
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Two childs from the same mother, but different father. These are like twins... very similar but yet different at the same time.
I remember the first time I saw the Denon AH-D series, fell in love instantly… those round cups, simple design and the elegant and luxurious wooden cups of the D5000 and D7000 caught me. When I finally got a pair of the D5000’s I knew I would always keep them on my desk.
As you may know, these headphones share many characteristics but are a bit different at the same time as I said before. I’ll try to cover the differences in a simple manner.
All my listening is done through my Fostex HP-A4, using flac and alac files only. My favourite genres range from kpop, electronic, to black metal, jazz and Lo-Fi Hip Hop.
They both share the same V shaped sound signature, construction, and I believe the same microfiber driver design.
Build quality and design: same metal alloy build, few differences on the cup holders and colour of the frame. This is purely subjective but the silver/champagne frame of the D5000 looks classier to me. The mahogany cup is also very elegant, but the glossy finish and colour of the purpleheart wins the match for me, but yeah I love the both. I won’t forget to say that the TH-X00 cable is better, I believe it is lighter and not stiff like the one in the D5000.
Comfort and fit: The holes in the ear pads are bigger on the Denon d5000, as a note I have to say that I replaced the OEM ear pads with a pair of wang yifei pads. The holes in the stock TH-X00 pads are small, my ears fit well but might be problematic for some people. The Denon D5000 wins this match, even if you are using the stock Denon pads it is more comfortable.
Bass: The purpleheart is definitely warmer, with more sub bass emphasis and quantity than my Denon. I’m not sure if this is due to the different nature of the wood used. I love Lo Fi Hip Hop and music with heavy bass, I’m enjoying the TH-X00 a bit more in this aspect. In terms of quality, both are superb and for sure two of the best basshead cans I’ve heard, along with the Philips Fidelio X1
Mids: I think neither of these headphones are known for their mid presence, they are both V shaped after all, and mids seem to be more recessed on the purpleheart, probably due to the bass quantity. But the midrange is still so enjoyable. Vocals are very intimate and lush sounding on both headphones. Also, they perform very well with both male and female voices. I’ll give this one to the Denon D5000.
Treble: No doubts here, the D5000 is brighter. I’m switching between headphones and the Denon appears to sound a bit harsh with some sibilance, while the TH-X00 is more forgiving. You can always (or maybe not) get used to the brightness of the D5000 after some time of listening. In terms of treble quality both are superb, with clear and detailed treble reproduction. You won’t miss any micro detail. I have to say that I prefer the treble extension on the D5000, this is at moderate listening volumes, with higher volumes it is almost painful. The TH-X00 is more tolerable at higher volume.
Efficiency: I’ll be quick, the TH-X00 sounds louder at the same volume level. I keep my volume knob at around the 10 o'clock mark. This leads me to believe that the TH-X00 is more efficient. Both are easily driven by any portable source too.
After getting the Fostex Purpleheart I am completely certain that I’ll keep both headphones, I’m definitely loving the Fostex/Denon warm and lush sound signature. As a matter of fact, I’m planning on getting a pair of TH900s and be done with full size headphones, ending my journey.
I hope you enjoy the reading
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