Quote:   I'm not saying it happens every single time, but it did happen in one tricky passage where the falsetto was layered over another male voice that had been digitally pitched lower. I compared it with the LCD-2, D7000, and HD650, all of which made it clearer that it was a male falsetto.

Quote:   I can still tell that X Japan's Toshi is a man. The formants give it away, at least on every single sound reproduction system I've ever heard him on (I didn't listen to him on the W3000 tho).   I know a lot of people say that AT phones go well with J-Pop, but I'd be curious...

Quote: only if you like drawing imaginary implications.

Quote: Well, it was certainly disclosed, but made out to be something pleasant and musical... until, that is, a few tentative notes of doubt were raised (by Muppetface and ZenErik, to name two), which I (admittedly) discounted as outlier opinions. I'm just adding my voice to the mix to...

Quote:   Oh, I'm sure FR graphs are more informative than any number of impression posts (especially of the "omg these cans rule!!!" variety), but for the most part FR graphs aren't good for much besides getting a rough idea of the tonal balance and identifying technical deficiencies...

Quote:   The Amazon inventory has held steady at eight for the last 24 hours. If that's any indication, the HD 700 is a bust right out of the gate.

Quote: Frequency response graphs are helpful if you have a flat hearing response, spend your time listening to nothing but tone sweeps, and have ear canals shaped like those of the test dummy. Otherwise, not so much. ;)    Psychoacoustics is far too complex to be reduced to an FR...

I'm salivating over those TH900s too. Even though the W3000 didn't quite hit my own personal sweet spot, the Japanese woodies as a whole do so much right.   Edit: Come to think of it, a big reason I'm sending the W3000 back is so I can justify getting the TH900... But the D7000 is staying put.

Quote:   I agree wholeheartedly that the proof is in the listening pudding. I'm certainly not trying to talk anybody out of auditioning them, simply raising the flag that for some listeners it might be more prudent to try them at a meet first or buy from a retailer with a...

Quote: I don't expect anyone (least of all myself) to post anything contrary to their own experience, which is precisely why I posted what I did. Hearing is obviously extremely individual.  People simply post their impressions to alert others that such potentials exist.

Quote: I never said otherwise. But I would have benefited from a few more notes of caution when I was reading the thread, and so provide one for others who may be considering the purchase.

I went back and forth, but I've pretty much decided to send these back. I read this entire thread before ordering them, and was quite taken with all the talk of magical vocals and whatnot, especially since it was coming from many of the most respected posters on head-fi. I was also prompted to...

Now there are NINE in stock at Amazon. For all of the anticipation, they're not exactly flying off the shelves...

I also meant the LCD-2s recessed highs, which are detailed but aren't quite as bright. I think everybody should give the LCD-2s a fair listen at some point--they're certainly beloved by many--but I hear more resemblance there to the Senn 650s than to anything by Denon.

That's what the graphs say, but it sure doesn't feel that way in my A/B testing. Just one example: In the Robotaki remix of "Scale it Back" by DJ Shadow and Little Dragon, there's a snare hit at 0:45 followed by these huge, side-chained sine-wave bass and piano chords. The D7000s make those...

Well, there's always the D7000! I have that and the AH-A100, which offers the Denon house sound in a beautiful and portable format.   I haven't heard as many different phones as a lot of the people around here, but I have yet to find a can that replicates the rumbling, subwoofer-like, yet...

Got these a couple of days ago from Beach Camera. I'm really not sure whether to keep them or not. I did some burning in and then some A/B comparisons with the D7000 and the LCD-2. I prefer these to the LCD-2 (which sounds more congested, for example when listening to a string quartet), but the...

I'm a little confused by your post because most people wouldn't consider the Denons "dark" at all--the treble is quite bright, certainly when compared with darker phones like the Sennheiser 650 or the Audez'e LCD-2.

  Quote:   i used to think the answer was price, but then i noticed that best buy sells a lot of overpriced crap. now i think the reason is because the buyers for best buy know as little about quality as the customers. if customers knew more and demanded high end, you can be sure best...