Denons seem to do good with metal. I've been recommended the D2000's when i went for my first pair but got the beyers because denon cans are scarce around these parts.
Nice list!
I thought my Denon D1001's handled Metal very well, that's why I went ahead and bought the D2000. I listen to mostly death/experimental metal such as SYL, Gorod, Gojira, Devin Townsend Project, etc. (too many to go through lol.)
Granted, I've never heard a Grado can so I can't really say if I like them or not, but I don't think they have as much bass as I would like...
Well, I feel the whole thing is having a detailed lower mid guitar. Black Metal from the second wave can sound better with good headphones as it helps with the mood. Modern recorded metal just needs authority and clarity along with a detailed middle lower guitar tone. IMO for me it is all in the lower guitar. The other thing is versatility. I'm know I'm from the AD-H cult around here, but if you read up they seem to be able to play well on many different amps. When I paid $450.00 usd my Head-Fi friends said that may have been one of the best prices they saw. I think if some one was to look they could find a pair in that range.
The other issue with Metal is the problem which arise if the bass drums and bass guitar start to get melted together. This may be the wonder of Grados, to let the PRAT take place. I would be afraid of 5000s or any other bass heavy headphone having the muddy bass because a loss of PRAT.
From what I read the 5000s and 2000s have a different sound. I have never tried them. I'm really a fan of closed back headphones so it is hard for me to judge the sound of open backs. If the AH-D 5000s and the AH-D 2000s had a signature closed back sound I would most likely like them too. The 5000 is maybe a little muddy in the bass dept. My AH-D 7000s were muddy a little in the bass, but some cable changes in my system made them have more controlled bass and better detail in the mids. I seem to come to the table with a lot of preconceived sound signature narrow mindedness. So at a Head-Fi meet I tried a number of phones and for a small meet there were all the headphones I really wanted to try. I had read at Amazon.com (of all places) that the AH-Ds were great for rock. I knew with in 2 minutes that they were it.
The issue it seems is Canada is a little more money for headphones. Still with the used market you could have them mailed to you from a trusty Head-Fi member from anywhere.
EDIT.........
I posted before reading about other Head-Fis owning the 2000s. I have never heard them but it is nice to find out about the folks into the Denon sound for extreme metal!
I used to read martial arts magazines when I was a teenager, I read about pencak silat a couple times, and well, I work in Indonesia sometimes, perhaps I should research it a bit more.
I'm just interested, I tried Kendo for a few months, it was cool but a bit repetetive at times, I met a guy from high-school that went to Japan to practice Katori Shinto Ryu.
Denons seem to do good with metal. I've been recommended the D2000's when i went for my first pair but got the beyers because denon cans are scarce around these parts.
Nice list!
Denon D2000's seem cool, note I meant the Audio Technica AD2000's though, the open-air ones, they are said to be really good for rock.
My list? Thanks.
Well, I feel the whole thing is having a detailed lower mid guitar. Black Metal from the second wave can sound better with good headphones as it helps with the mood. Modern recorded metal just needs authority and clarity along with a detailed middle lower guitar tone. IMO for me it is all in the lower guitar. The other thing is versatility. I'm know I'm from the AD-H cult around here, but if you read up they seem to be able to play well on many different amps. When I paid $450.00 usd my Head-Fi friends said that may have been one of the best prices they saw. I think if some one was to look they could find a pair in that range.
The other issue with Metal is the problem which arise if the bass drums and bass guitar start to get melted together. This may be the wonder of Grados, to let the PRAT take place. I would be afraid of 5000s or any other bass heavy headphone having the muddy bass because a loss of PRAT.
Some really good points. Good punch is important too and a decent soundstage helps, specialy on prog/melodic/avantgardic etc.
Now that you mention PRaT, i want to toss in the Fostex T50RP. Too bad the soundstage is narrow and the highs lack some reach and detail. The mids, punch, speed and timing are incredible and they are pretty cheap.
I used to read martial arts magazines when I was a teenager, I read about pencak silat a couple times, and well, I work in Indonesia sometimes, perhaps I should research it a bit more.
I'm just interested, I tried Kendo for a few months, it was cool but a bit repetetive at times, I met a guy from high-school that went to Japan to practice Katori Shinto Ryu.
Denon D2000's seem cool, note I meant the Audio Technica AD2000's though, the open-air ones, they are said to be really good for rock.
My list? Thanks.
I realy like the tradition of KSR. Its one of the oldest registered styles and almost everything is unchanged. Kendo looks nice but i dont realy competition like and all the fancy armor.
As for pencak, some techniques are very good and effective while some other make no sense to me at all lol. I can definitely recommend that you try it
Without reading the entire thread, I'd like to comment that Grado is only good for guitar driven metal/rock. Metal is such a huge genre, it's really impossible to please all. That said, the recent mentions of Denons, I'd agree with. The D7000's are the best cans for metal that I've used, and I'm a die-hard metal fan, it has decent bass, and soundstage without sounding too airy. They perform really well with extreme metal, power/folk metal, hard rock/old metal, etc. Now, I haven't heard the D2000 and the D5000, but based on the D7000's amazing performance, I'd recommend them.
EDIT: about recording flaws, they are visible on the D7000, but they don't bother me as much as the HD800.
I'm basically looking for the same thing, a good set of full size cans for metal/rock for < $400. My options are a bit more limited to as i'm in Aus and shipping from overseas can be a killer sometimes. I've been looking seriously at the MS2i for some time now. I've heard they're great for rock and metal but can be be overly bright and fatiguing for some. Other more neutral options i'm looking into are the AD900 and DT250. Can anyone give some comments and comparisons on those three options?
I'm not a Grado fan, uncomfortable, and unpleasant to listen to. A lot of metal is badly produced and Grado headphones are not flattering for these types of albums. For portable use, check out the Sennheiser HD-25 1-II, Beyer DT1350, and Audio-Technica ES10. The Beyer is one of the company's best headphones period. Really nice soundstage for a portable, great resolution, easily driven. It lacks some dynamics though for really heavy death and thrash metal. For lighter styles, great choice. The Audio-Technica is a bass monster, and it's an awesome death and thrash headphone. Highs are pretty recessed, so it's very forgiving of too loud, too bright albums. The only problem is that it has very limited soundstage width, and it doesn't really do refinement. The Sennheiser is sort of in between the two.
The fullsize Denons are a good choice, particularly if you send them to Mark Lawton to have them modded. Open dynamics like AKGs or A-T AD series are not for metal, at all.
I have the AD900's, MS Pros and SRH-940's. All are great for metal. Love the AD900's, probably my most used phone and a bargain... I find them the best overall, comfort and sound.
aka Theta Alpha 1 aka Alpha Zeta 5 aka Alpha Zeta 6 aka Nanocat Systems And many other aliases
Joined
Jun 7, 2010
Posts
10,617
Likes
174
I've read good things about the ATH-AD900 and that you can mod them with positive results. How much do they cost again? It'd be fun to compare them to my A2000X's.
I've read good things about the ATH-AD900 and that you can mod them with positive results. How much do they cost again? It'd be fun to compare them to my A2000X's.
I'm always offering to ship Grados to people outside the US by proxy shipping if you really want them I'm sure me and a few others are totally willing to help out.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
