[RayleighSilvers]

Quote:

Yeah about that, the a950 ltd and ad2000 both have visceral resonant impact on the low-end. It's a quantity you can feel when amped properly.
The ad900 certainly is no slouch in terms of bass extension but it's too bass anemic for my tastes. Also, the bass on my sa5000 is light years faster than the ad900.
The ad700 is a different story, I even prefer their younger brothers.
The endpoint is this, if you think the ad2000 doesn't have enough bass then no can will satisfy you unless you want a very colored can.

 
I haven't tried the ad2000 which is why I'm trying to get an idea of what it sounds like. It completely sucks that I can't try it before I buy it (No I did not mean to make that rhyme 

). Being in the UK nobody sells these so I will have to import them at a very dear price. It seems from your profile you have previously owned the 80/225's and ksc75, both of which I have tried. Would you mind giving a comparison in the bass department if you can. Would be greatly helpful and appreciated.

 

[Sil3nce]

I haven't tried the ad2000 which is why I'm trying to get an idea of what it sounds like. It completely sucks that I can't try it before I buy it (No I did not mean to make that rhyme  ). Being in the UK nobody sells these so I will have to import them at a very dear price. It seems from your profile you have previously owned the 80/225's and ksc75, both of which I have tried. Would you mind giving a comparison in the bass department if you can. Would be greatly helpful and appreciated.

Sorry that ole list is very old and is missing quite few cans/iems.
I'm sure I hear other cans you've previously owned as well.
Well here's the thing. Excuse me as I rant a bit.

In the realm of audiphiliadom, we have to look at the overall presentation of the can as a whole, aka the holistic package. That's the main reason why people prefer to listen to certain cans themselves rather than buying on impulse based solely on reviews. Semantics and words are imperfect.
Likewise, dissecting only a section of a headphone's signature is something that is highly controversial and should only be taken with a grain of salt. Not something to be used as a claim or basis. That's why I don't like to give people the wrong idea. As an analogy, I'll use a tennis racket. As you probably know, there are many different factors that contribute to the optimal performance.
Head-size of the racket (akin to headphone housing size) Bigger = more open power & Smaller = more control/accuracy.
Weight distribution of the racket and overall volume ( akin to the size/volume density of the diaphragm) Heavier = more plow-through or stability Lighter = faster speed. Here's where it gets tricky as the balance of the head of the rackets drastically affects perceived weight of the racket on hand. This is why we need to demo rackets in order to find personal preference. Some rackets have higher perceived quantities compared to another but are less so quantitatively.

Anyways I digress, I can probably go on and on about other aspects. But the important thing is that no matter what happens, you can't (or should I say shouldn't) make the decision to keep a can solely based on one factor you favor. You'll end up overlooking great and different cans as a result. Or you might even up selling and re-buying a can later on as tastes change. Scatter the preconceived notions and experiment a little. The ad2000 is a fine can, but it's availability and price to the uk is a factor to consider. Don't buy it and expect perfection if their is still a part of your mind set on getting rid of it at the slightest "imperfection." Truth is, most sound is subjective. If you go in expecting greatness, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

 

[RayleighSilvers]

Thanks for the advice. I understand what you're saying, and I am considering the whole package which is why the AD2000 is even on my list in the first place. I wanted an open air headphone that will let me hear the music clearly and let vocals shine, but has at least a decent amount of bass to drive the music, which most of my music does. The AD2000's are constantly recommended everywhere for J-pop, and since they've been described as slightly less forward but much better Grado's it sounds like the perfect headphone for me since the Grado's did everything right apart from the in your face soundstage and treble that was too hot.
 
From what I've read of the AD2000's they sound perfect as a whole, but again if they're anything like the AD900's which some people have suggested then they won't be right. The bass spectrum of the 900's spoiled them for me completely and EQing didn't work. I'm just trying to get more opinions, and If possible a direct comparison of the bass spectrum against the grado's from people who have tried both as this is the only area that I have concern with. 

 

[a_recording]

Hey Raleigh, here's my observation after seeing you going back and forth on this for such a long time!
 
The AD2000's are fantastic, and they are extremely sought after on the FS forums. You'll never really know the answer to your questions until you try them, and since they hold their resale value so strongly, just save yourself the angst and buy a pair! Keep em for a month, give them a good trial, and if you don't like em, sell em and you'll have lost about $50 or so. If you love them, even better!
 
I know my advice earlier on was to start smaller, but honestly seeing you seek so much advice is distressing. XD

 

[RayleighSilvers]

Quote:

Hey Raleigh, here's my observation after seeing you going back and forth on this for such a long time!
 
The AD2000's are fantastic, and they are extremely sought after on the FS forums. You'll never really know the answer to your questions until you try them, and since they hold their resale value so strongly, just save yourself the angst and buy a pair! Keep em for a month, give them a good trial, and if you don't like em, sell em and you'll have lost about $50 or so. If you love them, even better!
 
I know my advice earlier on was to start smaller, but honestly seeing you seek so much advice is distressing. XD

lol do I sound that desperate? Sorry for stressing you lot out. How much is the resale value?

 

[rawrster]

You can read about the AD2000 (or any headphone for that matter) but really the best way is to see if you can try it preferably in your house with your setup. Sometimes that does mean you have to buy in order to try it. I've bought many headphones with the intention of selling it unless I liked it enough to keep it.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

Listening to Metallica - Kill Em All and I love the speed of the ad2k for metal like this.  The awkward riffs in no remorse sound amazing!

 

[ericfarrell85]

Till now the Sennheiser HD650 > Zana Deux has been the most synergistic combo I heard. The AD2000 rivals this combination, absolutely stunning synergy. Warm, dynamic, forward voicing yet airy, textured and detailed. What a marvelous midrange! The RS1i may have just become expendable.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

My ad2k is paired right now with the Zana Deux as well.
 
Also thought I might share a finding:
 
To my ears the Headamp GS-1 + ad2k seems to have too much gain even on low setting IMO if you are a quiet listener.
 
Gilmore Lite + ad2k seems to be much more tolerable.
 
FWIW once upon a time (great show!) ASR mentioned he preferred the Lite to the GS-1 specifically for the ad2k, IIRC something about the Lite having a little more treble sparkle.

 

[psychoplast]

hey guys, 
i am looking for a purchase of ad-2000s. i currently have the ad700's and absolutely love the sound sig, and i heard a friend's ad-2000's and fell in love with them! if anyone sees a good deal on them itd be great if you'd hit me up^^ although these seem to sell out so fast in the FS threads (

 

[keanex]

Quote:

hey guys, 
i am looking for a purchase of ad-2000s. i currently have the ad700's and absolutely love the sound sig, and i heard a friend's ad-2000's and fell in love with them! if anyone sees a good deal on them itd be great if you'd hit me up^^ although these seem to sell out so fast in the FS threads (

 
Make a listing to buy one, that's what I did.

 

[manveru]

I don't really monitor the FS forums, but I did happen to see one or two pairs over the past month or two I think. Best of luck psychoplast!

 

[antonyfirst]

Listening to this can as it's been my new discovery, after having read Asr's review. I have owned most dynamic phones and some of the most interesting stats around.
 
Recently, I have acquired an April Music Eximus DP-1 as source/amp combo. Since it also uses an integrated headphone amp, I tried to see if there was any headphone in the dynamic realm that wouldn't suck to me, and that would justify the cost of Eximus (3k $, best all in one I have ever found).
 
I could well go the electrostatic headphone route, since there is at least one headphone that I consider end-gamer (SR-X Mk3 Pro), and I have also great hopes for Stax SR-4070 and Koss ESP950... not a fan of Omega 2 (until I hear it on BHSE at least), and SR-009 is out of reach.
Still, 'stats would have required a dedicated amp, around 800 Euro premium over the Electrostatic headphone... (717 or 727 amplifier)...
 
Since the Eximus already offers a good amp (for which you pay for), I wanted to see if I could skip that expense: yes.
The only dynamic headphones I was left to try for my own taste, would be AD2000 and Grado HP-2.
Everything else to me was a disappointment (Senn HD800, LCD2), or simply wouldn't have made justice on a 3000 usd unit (Sennheiser HSD600, AKG K501, Apuresound Etymotic ER4P)...
I can say AD2000 is wonderful, perfectly satisfying for my main listening genres, rock / metal / psytrance / and some vocals based jazz. I haven't tried them yet with with Classical, but Etys should be good enough for it...
 
I would still be lookinf for Grado HP-2 at some point, but at the moment I feel very satisfied.
Initially, I thought the pairing wasn't good enough, given some raise in the upper midrange area, but I think I am getting used to the AD2000 sound. All I can say, is that Asr' s description of this headphone "always running" and "running towards you" is exceptionally correct. It also manages to do so without being fatiguing, thanks to its smooth treble.

 

[manveru]

Quote:

 
Everything else to me was a disappointment (Senn HD800, LCD2), or simply wouldn't have made justice on a 3000 usd unit (Sennheiser HSD600, AKG K501, Apuresound Etymotic ER4P)...
I can say AD2000 is wonderful, perfectly satisfying for my main listening genres, rock / metal / psytrance / and some vocals based jazz. I haven't tried them yet with with Classical, but Etys should be good enough for it...
 
I would still be lookinf for Grado HP-2 at some point, but at the moment I feel very satisfied.
Initially, I thought the pairing wasn't good enough, given some raise in the upper midrange area, but I think I am getting used to the AD2000 sound. All I can say, is that Asr' s description of this headphone "always running" and "running towards you" is exceptionally correct. It also manages to do so without being fatiguing, thanks to its smooth treble.

 
Glad you are enjoying them. 

 
As for myself, I've noticed that I no longer have a problem with the drivers touching my ears. They are perfectly comfortable now. Don't know if I just got used to the feeling or if maybe the pads have somehow conformed to my head better over time.

 

[rawrster]

I have mixed feeling about these headphones. It may be because I haven't given them enough time as it still touches my ears but right now I feel meh about these headphones while I love the HD800. My setup is a Anedio D1 dac with a Violectric V200 amp or sometimes just the D1 as both the dac and amp. While both setups are good in the grand scheme of things I don't really know what to make of the AD2000. It is fast in terms of the overall speed and is something that I don't find a glaring fault like say a recent Grado with the treble but I don't find it great or wow me which the HD800 does. It may be a signature thing or just I haven't given it enough time. I'm hoping for the latter.