[Ashtarall]

Hi !
This is my first post on this wonderful community even tough I've been lurking for quite some time now.
I've recently bought some Denon D5000 as my main cans. Multiple excellent reviews and closed design made me fall for them.
I've also bought a Total Bithead amplifier to drive those headphones. 
 
I've received the cans yesterday, and I'm most pleased with how they sound. I do feel, though, that they sound a bit "veiled". I wonder if you guys could help me find maybe the weak link in my setup OR suggest some equalizer setting to relieve the veil-feel a bit?
 
Also, I use apple lossless codec out of Itunes. Should I change my choice of media processor?
My computer is a MacBook Pro.
I drive the Bithead using the USB jack.
 
Thanks in advance for your comments and insightful advices!

 

[DjAmTraX]

Does it sound better through a CD on a CD player?

 

[Ashtarall]

BRB toroughly testing that theory.

 

[Ashtarall]

Via my home amp/cd player:
Bass response is on another level altogether
Feeling of fullness
Feeling of power
Overall sonic separation extremely superior
 
Via Bithead:
Feel underpowered
Sounds melt a bit together
Veiled
 
Toughts?

 

[Ashtarall]

 

[Drsparis]

Welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet.

I have no previous experience with this combo, but hopefully will have some soon enough. I'm sure someone will come along and help you out

 

[Szadzik]

I would like to hear more about this too.

 

[sonitus mirus]

I have a pair of D5000s and the Total Airhead, the HeadRoom Micro Amp, and the Nuforce Icon HDP DAC/Amp.  The amplifier that you are using is simply not powerful enough to make these shine, and it would account for the "veiled" sound that you are experiencing with your setup.  The weak link is the amplifier.  These headphones are deceptive with the 25 ohm impedance and relatively high sensitivity levels stated in the specifications.  They need more power than most people think.  Sure, they get loud enough, but they don't sound that satisfying, especially in the low end, unless you start getting into a bit higher quality amp.
 
Even the amps that I am using are not spectacular, but it brings the quality up significantly.  That amp you are using is just not good enough, and the difference between my Airhead and the Micro Amp or Nuforce makes for a drastic improvement.
 
Also, when using the same volume setting on my Nuforce with my D5000s, Sennheiser HD-595s, or Audi-Technica M50s, the Denon's had  the lowest sound level of all of them.  They seemed more difficult to drive, despite what the specs suggest.

 

[soundeffect]

Wow, base on the original poster and sonitus, I guess I might end up getting the E9 after all.  I'm still surprise the d5000 sounded veil to the OP.  I don't think my d2000 sound veil without an amp running directly through my stock laptop sound card, but to me they do sound under powered.

 

[sonitus mirus]

I don't think they sound bad using the lower powered amp, but there is a noticeable improvement using a more powerful amp.  The sound was said to be a bit veiled, not disgusting and unlistenable. 

  If you are using a really high quality source, it might not make as much of a difference.
 
For me, when using an analog source with a 320 kbps mp3 file, using a more powerful amp makes a big improvement in sound quality.  I'm not listening at a higher volume, but the music just sounds cleaner and more detailed at the same volume level when using a better amp.  Now, when I listen to these same files using the DAC on my Nuforce, the difference is noticeable, but it is not quite as drastic a change.  So, I'm left to believe that providing the right amount of power would have the biggest factor on improving the sound quality for these headphones.
 
This seems to match what the OP discovered by using their home amp with these headphones.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Hi, I wrote on another post on this forum about my D2000s and the benefits of using a Graham Slee Voyager. Transformational.
If you can - try one.

 

[Szadzik]

Has anyone had experience with D2000/ D5000 and a top tier portable amp? I am looking at the Corda Stepdance and thinking if that would be good enough.

 

[soundeffect]

 
Quote:

I don't think they sound bad using the lower powered amp, but there is a noticeable improvement using a more powerful amp.  The sound was said to be a bit veiled, not disgusting and unlistenable. 

  If you are using a really high quality source, it might not make as much of a difference.
 
For me, when using an analog source with a 320 kbps mp3 file, using a more powerful amp makes a big improvement in sound quality.  I'm not listening at a higher volume, but the music just sounds cleaner and more detailed at the same volume level when using a better amp.  Now, when I listen to these same files using the DAC on my Nuforce, the difference is noticeable, but it is not quite as drastic a change.  So, I'm left to believe that providing the right amount of power would have the biggest factor on improving the sound quality for these headphones.
 
This seems to match what the OP discovered by using their home amp with these headphones.

Let's hope a low powered amp sounds good as I am expecting one.

  Yeah I understand that the sound is said to be not disgusting or unlistenable but slightly veiled, I still don't hear the veil part.  My ears might not be as trained.  I guess I won't know that the d2000 sounds slightly veil until I get an amp in which should be coming in anytime now. XD  I so need an amp to play with, the ups man is killing me.

 

[shane55]

I put my D5000 through tests using several different sources (inc. iPod, Xonar STX, DAC1-Pre, CD player jack, Outlaw RR2150, etc.), and I never considered them veiled. The HD600/650 are veiled to my ears as the highs are rolled off, but not the D5000.
 
That said, I do not know the Bithead... but just saying that I don't think 'veiled' is a typical characteristic of the D5000 (unless there is something wrong with them). 

 

[Szadzik]

I see you also have LA2000 - which do you prefer?
Quote:

I put my D5000 through tests using several different sources (inc. iPod, Xonar STX, DAC1-Pre, CD player jack, Outlaw RR2150, etc.), and I never considered them veiled. The HD600/650 are veiled to my ears as the highs are rolled off, but not the D5000.
 
That said, I do not know the Bithead... but just saying that I don't think 'veiled' is a typical characteristic of the D5000 (unless there is something wrong with them).