[DougofTheAbaci]

I've been doing some research for a new pair of headphones and right now the two front-runners are the Bowers & Wilkins P5 headphones and the Denon AH-D2000 headphones.
 
What I'm looking for is a good entry pair of headphones in the $200–$300 range. I know, that's not enough to get the best gear but it's all I can afford and I'm taking a step up from a pair of Ultimate Ears 700 IECs so anything in this range is likely to sound better.
 
I like what I'm reading about the P5's but I've also heard they may not be so great as an at-home headphone and that their real purpose is for mobile use. I have mu UE700's so I don't plan on using the headphones I get out and about that often, if ever. However, I've heard the AH-D2000's need an amp in order to sound even close to what they're capable of and I don't have the money for one (yet).
 
What I'm looking for is something that will sound as good as possible under these circumstances: What's driving the headphones for now will be my iMac and, possibly, later a dedicated headphone amp. The source is almost all either 256kbps AACs or ALAC files so I'm not too worried about the quality of the audio files. I'm slowly moving my entire music collection over to lossless audio but it's only about 14% of my total library at this point with another 60% being higher quality AACs or (when I can't avoid it) MP3s.
 
The part about my Mac being the place where my music is stored and originates from isn't likely to change. At best I may get a dedicated headphone amp if it becomes clear that one is really needed.
 
So what does everyone think? B&W or Denon? Or is there something else I haven't heard about that I should really consider? My only limitations at this point are the ones I've already stated and that I do not want open-backed headphones. I'd like some level of noise isolation, but it doesn't have to be on the level of my IECs.
 
[edit:]
Oh, and I've also been looking into the Sennheiser HD25-II's a bit. I actually heard them long ago and was rather impressed. Might these be another alternative to consider based on what I've already stated?

 

[drews]

I've got them both currently - the Denons are more comfortable, cheaper, and are sonically far superior (with or without an amp) unless you specifically want the P5's quirky sound signature.  I keep the P5s because they are well built, fairly portable, and keep my ears warm when I'm walking the dog.
 
Drew

 

[immtbiker]

Yes, I too believe the 2000's win in the sound department. I like my P5's, but they are definitely rolled off on both ends. I usually use them out of my HM-801 coming out of the USB port to bypass the amp and DAC in my Macbook Pro. I usually use it to watch movies and Hulu, but sometimes I find the headphone out good enough for that purpose.
The 2000's while a little wobbly on the bass end, definitely give gobs more of bass then the P-5.
If you are listening to lower end bitrates in your music, then it won't matter as much. I only listen to flac and alac when it comes to computer music. 
The 2000's are very good for movies from the laptop.
The P-5's are a class act, all of the way. But they have their cons with music.

 

[kiwibuddy]

I'd go with the Denon AH-D2000s over the P5's. The Denon's are more comfortable, has better sound quality, and is a better overall investment. You can purchase them for around $190 and spend your next $100 on a cheap DAC/Amp combo like the Fii0 E7. Thats my two cent. 
 
In addition, you can also mod your D2000s using markl's dampening mod not to mention the custom cups to increase the sound stage -- hence, better overall investment. 

 

[BRSxIgnition]

 
I just got the AIAIAI TMA-1, and based on your uses (Portability and SQ), they seem to be a good alternative. People rate them higher than the HD-25's, which they are directly competing with, so I suggest you give them a listen.

 

Some Reviews:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/526956/head-to-head-aiaiai-tma-1-vs-audio-technica-ath-m50-tma-1-review

http://hi-liferecords.com/?p=383

http://www.headfonia.com/aiaiai-tma-1/

 

Some thoughts from other Head-fi'ers:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/506129/aiaiai-tma-1

 

I got mine on special through a black friday deal, but you can still get them for $199 at DijitalFix. They beat out the M50's, HD25's, and many others in the closed headphone cattegory, both based on the reviews I've read and from listening to them. I'm still burning mine in, and they're sounding better and better. Since they are newer, many people here haven't tried them, but out of those that have both the HD-25's and the TMA-1's, prefer the TMA-1's for home, portable, and general listening*. (*Read the Head-fi AIAIAI TMA-1 thread for their opinions.)

 

I'm thoroughly impressed by them, it's a shame nobody on Head-fi seems to know about them since they're new. If you have any questions, let me know, I'll be happy to answer them. 

 

[TobaccoRoad]

Quote:

I've got them both currently - the Denons are more comfortable, cheaper, and are sonically far superior (with or without an amp) unless you specifically want the P5's quirky sound signature.  I keep the P5s because they are well built, fairly portable, and keep my ears warm when I'm walking the dog.
 
Drew

lmao

 

[DougofTheAbaci]

Hey, don't mock the dog walking aspect... Then, my IECs fit nicely under a warm hat so I'm good on that department.
 
I didn't realize you could find the Denon headphones for so much less. I think we may have a winner there. I take it no one would recommend the Sennheiser HD-25's over the Denon's?
 
Also, since there is that $100 difference in what I was expecting to pay, are there any other amps in the $100 range I should look at? The FiiO E7 was already mentioned. Are there any others that work better with the Denon AH-D2000 headphones? It doesn't need to be portable. It's going to sit on my desk next to my headphones for its entire life.
 
[edit:]
After further research (now that I have the headphones chosen) I've started looking at headphone amps. These are the three on my short list:
 

• FiiO E7
• FiiO E9
• NuForce Icon uDAC 2

 
What do you guys think of each of these? They run a pretty consistent price range which is where I'd like to stay. I know I can't get the best possible sound out of a cheaper amp but I'm thinking something is better than nothing and these would be a good first step for me. I can look at getting something more like one of Headroom's amps further down the line.
 
I started looking at the E9 because I was thinking the desktop unit might be a bit more capable for the price (I don't care that it has a dock for the E7). I then started looking at the NuForce amp because I heard good things, saw good ratings and like that it has a knob for volume control which would allow me to easily control it from there instead of my computer.
 
One of the other reasons I was liking the E9 is because it appears to have a stereo out that I could use for my desktop speakers. It's just a small 2.1 system (Acoustic Energy Aego M) but I figured it might benefit from the sound as well.
 
What do you guys think?

 

[DougofTheAbaci]

Um... Anyone? Like I said, I'm rather out of my depth here and would love some first hand experience recommendations.

 

[DougofTheAbaci]

Right now I'm leaning towards the NuForce Icon uDAC 2. I'm seeing a lot of people who have Denon AH-D2000's on the forum saying they have that amp and that it matches brilliantly. I'm also seeing a lot of Mac users popping in to say it's very Mac-friendly (which I find not everything is).
 
Anyone have any personal experience with this combo and have a reason I should avoid it?

 

[DjAmTraX]

Quote:

I keep the P5s because they are well built, fairly portable, and keep my ears warm when I'm walking the dog.
 
Drew

WOW!  Those are expensive ear muffs.  The sound is only good for walking the dog?  That says a lot about how good they are.

 

[DougofTheAbaci]

I got my Denon AH-D2000's today. Coming out of my iMac they sound really good. Amazing, even. Definitely a step up for me. Out of my older MBP they don't have the same level of bass but I hardly use that for listening to music.
 
I'm debating whether or not I need an amp at this point if for no other reason than I quite like the sound as is. So far I haven't touched the equalizer.
 
Thanks for the recommend, everyone!

 

[zzephyr27]

Before burn-in? I've had my AH-D2000's for about 7 months and love them. I just finally ordered an amp the other night, so I'm excited to hear how they improve. They've been great without the amp but apparently can be way better.
I went with the iBasso D4 Mamba. We'll see how it goes

Quote:

I got my Denon AH-D2000's today. Coming out of my iMac they sound really good. Amazing, even. Definitely a step up for me. Out of my older MBP they don't have the same level of bass but I hardly use that for listening to music.
 
I'm debating whether or not I need an amp at this point if for no other reason than I quite like the sound as is. So far I haven't touched the equalizer.
 
Thanks for the recommend, everyone!

 

[DougofTheAbaci]

Definitely tell us (me) know how it turns out. If the general consensus is that an amp really makes these things shine then I'll add one to my list of upcoming purchases.