[DaveBSC]

My experience with the D2000 was very disappointing. Lumpy bass and mid-bass, very recessed mids, and too forward, grainy treble. Very much a "V" response headphone. If you like that sort of sound, they may appeal to you. I just bought the Kenwood from another HFer, they are supposed to arrive later today and I'll report on them. The JVCs, Edition 8/9 and Signature Pro have a pretty good reputation. I'm not that familiar with the Audio-Technica woodies but from what I've read most have pretty heavy levels of coloration in the midrange, and range from bass light to bass non-existent. You tend not to hear much about the aluminum versions like the A1000X, though Headfonia did review them. I haven't heard the Lawton mods so I can't comment on how much better they are to the stock Denons. 
 
I'm surprised nobody has yet mentioned the Headphile Terminator or Smeggy Thunderpants.
 
By the way, Bluetin Japan sells the Kenwood for $360 US.

 

[obobskivich]

My experience with the D2000 was very disappointing. Lumpy bass and mid-bass, very recessed mids, and too forward, grainy treble. Very much a "V" response headphone. If you like that sort of sound, they may appeal to you. I just bought the Kenwood from another HFer, they are supposed to arrive later today and I'll report on them. The JVCs, Edition 8/9 and Signature Pro have a pretty good reputation. I'm not that familiar with the Audio-Technica woodies but from what I've read most have pretty heavy levels of coloration in the midrange, and range from bass light to bass non-existent. You tend not to hear much about the aluminum versions like the A1000X, though Headfonia did review them. I haven't heard the Lawton mods so I can't comment on how much better they are to the stock Denons. 

I'm surprised nobody has yet mentioned the Headphile Terminator or Smeggy Thunderpants.

By the way, Bluetin Japan sells the Kenwood for $360 US.

On the AT woodies - I'd add "they range from bass non-existent to bass extreme" - the L3000 and ESW9 are among their ranks. Good to know about Bluetin.

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

On the AT woodies - I'd add "they range from bass non-existent to bass extreme" - the L3000 and ESW9 are among their ranks. Good to know about Bluetin.

 
I had the ES10, those are like two tiny subwoofers on your ears. WAY more bass than the DT1350 could ever muster. Unfortunately the Beyer flattens them in every other area, above 50Hz the ES10 is pretty much crap.

 

[obobskivich]

I had the ES10, those are like two tiny subwoofers on your ears. WAY more bass than the DT1350 could ever muster. Unfortunately the Beyer flattens them in every other area, above 50Hz the ES10 is pretty much crap.

About how I felt about the ESW9. I remember seeing the Germania mod for them, and the word "skullcrusher" was used in describing what you could do with them. I thought about trying it for giggles, but honestly they're so insanely bassy out of the box...it would be interesting though, to go back like 3-4 years, and take the bassiest headphones of the day (like the ESW9 Germania Mod and the L3000 and so on) and compare them to modern bass headphones, since the advent of rapper cans and "extreme bass" models. Of course I wouldn't want to be the one doing the comparison, mind you, but it would be interesting.

FWIW the ESW9 had more bass boom than the K1000 have. A lot of people regard the K1000 as "insanely bassy" and compared to cans that I would normally own, I think it is, but I don't consider it boomy or thumpy compared to conventionally bassy headphones (like Denon or Ultrasone models); unfortunately could not get an XB1000 to compare with that.

I'll be interested to read your impressions of the K1000.

 

[DaveBSC]

Early KH-K1000 impressions: these are not bass heavy cans, at least not IMO. They have less bass than my Denon NC800, which I would describe as moderately bass heavy. The KH-K1000 actually reminds me of a big DT1350. Bass is present but fairly neutral, and in line with the mids. I think these have less treble energy than the 1350, which is good because their treble detail isn't the greatest. Headphones at this price level are usually going to get the treble wrong one way or the other, and I prefer treble that's a bit soft to treble that's overbearing with faux detail.
 
Headstage is much bigger than the DT1350 of course, and pretty good for a closed can. The very wide and VERY shallow pads are odd, but they work. Clamping force is moderate, but the big pads spread the pressure out and getting a seal is pretty easy. Isolation is obviously way better than the Denon D2000, and I think they sound much better than the Denons overall.
 
They need almost no volume at all from my HM-801, but I'm not sure yet how much current they need. The DT880-32 for example needs way more current than iPods can supply, despite the low impedance.

 

[obobskivich]

Early KH-K1000 impressions: these are not bass heavy cans, at least not IMO.

Finally. Someone else hears that too. Thought I was going insane...

I don't know how broken-in your set is; but the pads absolutely do break-in on these (if they're not skin soft they're not ready). Couldn't really tell you on driver break-in (I've just let'em ride, and haven't actually set them out to break in, so if anything gradual has happened, I haven't been paying attention). WRT powering them - I've found them pretty non-intensive; across everything I've plugged them into, I don't get a lot of variation in the sound (and I basically stopped trying after like 4-5 different amps).

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

Quote:

Early KH-K1000 impressions: these are not bass heavy cans, at least not IMO.

Finally. Someone else hears that too. Thought I was going insane...
I don't know how broken-in your set is; but the pads absolutely do break-in on these (if they're not skin soft they're not ready). Couldn't really tell you on driver break-in (I've just let'em ride, and haven't actually set them out to break in, so if anything gradual has happened, I haven't been paying attention). WRT powering them - I've found them pretty non-intensive; across everything I've plugged them into, I don't get a lot of variation in the sound (and I basically stopped trying after like 4-5 different amps).

 
Later I'll try them on my Cowon S9 and see how they fare out of a typical portable. The D2000 and DT880 were both pretty current hungry and didn't respond well to being under driven.

 

[devouringone3]

Denon AH-D2-5-7000, Sony MDR-R10 and Fostex TH900 are, maybe not open-air/-back deisgns, but definitely not sealed either.
 
They all have a "ring" gap between their cups and their gimbals that is made expressly to allow air flow and give a contact with the exterior to the air chamber inside the wooden cup.
 
I don't have a good image to show that reality, but on this TH900 prototype the "ring" I've talked you about is easy to locate on this picture:
 it's the yellow stripe of the raw wood of the cup, exposed. I think on the Denons and production models TH900 there is an intricate metal "permeable piece" on there, just to hide the gap, but retaining the "breathing slot" aspect of this physiology.
 
So any eventual customer for these need to take that into consideration. The design of these headphones (D2-5-7000, TH900 and R10) is made to avoid establishing a seal with your head, it's the same design principle behind any an open-air headphone. The residual isolation is very much accidental, in my opinion.

 

[obobskivich]

Those aren't the only examples - most of the ATH-W series have some form of porting as well. Again, not sealed, just closed. I think that difference is lost on many people, and they assume the lack of "open" in the descriptor or the lack of being able to see through the headphones should indicate massive isolation.

 

[Telstar]

My feelings, not based on careful A/B testing:
 
-Fostex TH900
-AT W3000ANV
-AT W1000X
-JVC DX1000
-Denon D7000
-Ultrasone Signature Pro
-Kenwood K1000
 
OK they are more than 5, but all worth listening IMO. The new Denon 7100 should be added to the shortlist.

 

[swbf2cheater]

1.  JVC DX1000
2.  ATH WX5000 / 3000
3.  JVC DX700
4.  Highly Modded Denon D7000/5000
5.  Audio Technica ES10

 

[iamthecheese]

I would definitely say some heavily modified denons are worth throwing in the mix here, stock the d2k/5k(same drivers) are good headphones, but are very V shaped. If you do the full dampening mods, wood cups and stuff pads they improve drastically.