[dima1109]

Hi all.

I already have a pair of DT770 for stationary use (not perfect, but works), as well as Crossroads X3i and Creative EP630 (favorite out of the two). The IEMs are run straight out of the iPhone, and the DT770 is through Silverstone EB01 and a Headsix. I am looking for a pair of 'phones for office work and air/car travel. The Beyers are too big to carry around, and they have multiple flaws that I am growing very tired of. For now, I use the EP630 at work, but my ears hurt after having them in for 6-7 hours - I listen to some music, but mostly podcasts and streaming media, so i pretty much have them in the whole time.

I am looking for something similar to DT770 but smaller, more portable. I used to have Grado SR225, and I was in love with them. Absolute best cans for rock in their price range. The only grudge I had was that they didn't quite have enough bass for me, even with the tape mod and an amp. So I made a trade for a pair of DT770s hoping it would solve the problem. It did in a way, but created even more (shrill highs, no mids, etc); biggest problem with them is the lack of bass impact. So I am looking into upgrading to something better. I won't quite have the money for an RS1, the perfect can for my tastes, and I don't want to settle for the RS2. I've heard the Denon AH-D2000 has sort of a Grado sound while having a pretty nice bass. Other then that, I'm lost. Again, I'm looking for something with Grado sound and impact and DT770 bass. I realize that this is all but impossible for $250, but I just want to know how close I can get.

 

[Ub3rMario]

IIRC from listening to a friend's d2000 (for about half an hour only though...so grain of salt), it was far from grado sounding. Definitely not so in your face, but the bass was sweeeeeeet. I loved it. However my recabled d1001k are pretty close to it so i'm skipping that and goin for the d5000.

If you want portable, a recabled d1001k would do you well i think if you like the denon sound. Pretty cheap too from buy.com

 

[Golden Monkey]

Denon D2000's! Seriously...they RAWK. Ok, right now I'm listening to the new Verve album on my HD650's, so sue me...but earlier, Katatonia, Behemoth, Rammstein, At the Gates, and Orange Goblin all got the Denon treatment...great phones for metal...fast, detailed, punchy bass, clean highs, (not quite Grado-like) forwardness...highly recommend them.

 

[Ub3rMario]

Oh crap misread the budget lol. Definitely get d2000 cans then!!!!!

 

[dima1109]

Question: How is the bass impact in D2000? From my experience (so far only SR225 and DT770) the Grados' impact is wonderful, while the Beyers' is really subpar. I don't want to settle for anything less than the SR225 impact, not for 250 bones at least.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Couldn't tell you in comparison to those, but they are really bassy...not muddy indistinct bass, but with weight, heft, and punch. The bass is well defined, and doesn't take over the sound. Stock, I found the drivers sit really close to your ears, so sometimes it was almost overwhelming...I don't mean that it filled your head with a noisy boomy mess, but when they kicked, they kicked hard. I did the earpad mod to mine, and that pushed the drivers out a bit, dished them so that they are more towards the front (the back side of the pad has more added material than the front). This relieved the fatigue caused by the bass (it wasn't just bass, it was the entire presentation), and also gives them a more natural and vivid wider soundstage. They are very fast phones overall, but a bit aggressive as stock. The sound quality and resolution is fantastic. I like my 650's better, but they both have things they are better at than the other (the Denons excel at metal, techno, rap, while the Senns are great for live, acoustic, vocals, etc.). In your specified budget, you can't really go wrong with the Denons, and if you want more bass than Beyers, these are your babies!

 

[dima1109]

Thanks a lot for the input! Afaik your previous avatar was the Slaughter of the Soul cover, so our musical tastes match well

I was wondering another thing: bass-wise, how do the D2000 compare to DT880, DT990, and SR325i (tape-modded)?

Also, what can my options be if I go up to, say, 300-350? I don't mind buying used.

 

[scytheavatar]

But if you are looking for cans for air/car travel you shouldn't go for the D2000s cause their isolation is very poor. They might do the job for office work but certainly not from the hum of a car engine.

 

[Alpha 1 Omega]

maybe the akg k-240 gold

 

[dima1109]

It would be mainly for office work. I wouldn't want to blast it, either, just something to keep the music flowing.

Alpha, I've heard that K240s have pretty weak bass, definitely a no for me.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Hey there...sorry, lost track of this thread, and didn't see you had replied to me, lol...

Yeah, that was me with the Slaughter of the Soul avatar...

The D2K makes a great office phone, but it's a bit big on the head, lol. They isolate enough to keep the music in, and if you turn it down, you can easily hear people coming up behind you, talking to you, etc. You'll still get good sound and appreciable bass with a low volume on them.

As far as your question about bass in comparison to the other phones you mentioned...the only one I can actually give an opinion on (since they are the only ones I've heard) are the DT880s. They have good bass and excellent highs, but to me the mids sounded more recessed than either the Denons or the HD650. They have good bass, but not as powerful sounding (although they BOTH have very detailed and nuanced bass). I'd definitely take the Denons over them. Besides, you already have the DT770, so if I was spending your money, I'd go for a different flavor.

BTW - got to see At the Gates at the San Francisco show a few weeks back...EPIC. Hearing SotS and practically every other fave live was really special.

 

[dima1109]

I lost it myself for a bit, too busy selling the Beyers and other stuff like work, lol.

I guess it would definitely be the D2000 over DT880, if the D2000 bass is more powerful. The Grados didn't give me enough impact, and with the tape mod and a fairly bassy amp, they packed some serious punch. I guess I'm looking for something that would give me headache when playing, say, Testament. Impact is pretty much the most important thing for me, but sheer volume of bass is not far behind.

Have you ever had any Grados for comparison's sake?

 

[xlin58]

Get the Audio Technica Es7's I had them awhile ago b4 they got stolen and they were excellent for rock and metal.
Atleast on the lower end Grado's I dont like them for metal as much as a more bassy headphone and then I thought the Grados had too much treble for metal. Thats my opinion atleast

 

[Golden Monkey]

I've heard a few Grados, but I didn't find them comfy enough to wear for long. Don't remember which they were though...

 

[dima1109]

Bummer.

For me, it's a choice between D2000 and SR325i. I've heard some people say that the D2000 is not fast enough for some songs (melodic death, etc), and I am positive the SR325i will be. The latter will probably have enough bass for me, considering I needed just a little more than the SR225, but they are open. I doubt my roommate and my coworker would be very excited about that.

To people that have heard both: My guess is that if compared to SR325i, the D2000 would be warmer and a little bassier. How true is that?