murdercitydevil
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2008
- Posts
- 9
- Likes
- 0
First off, I want to say that I've found this forum and all its members to be a great help with modding, reviews, recommendations, etc, and I want to thank you guys for that!
Now, here's the deal - Many years ago I acquired my very first "audiophile" grade headphone, the Grado SR-80. I realize now, that I simply cannot expect too much from the SR-80 because it is, at the end of the day, an entry-level set of cans. However, there are things that I do enjoy very much about them. About a month ago, I read some amazing reviews on the ATH-AD700 and without much hesitation, purchased a pair. Even though I was blown away by my Grados when I first heard them after a lifetime of never questioning SQ, the AD700 really made me realize how much I'm missing from my music. Moving on, about a week or two ago, I decided to take another plunge and purchased a FiiO E7 USB DAC+amp to further increase SQ. And now, I already have the itch to upgrade again.
I'm probably never going to venture past the realm of $300 headphones, because I feel that my ears simply cannot appreciate the tiny subtleties in sound past a certain point, and I am well aware of the diminishing returns past this price point. But I really want to experience something that combines these two sets of cans that I have, into one nice package that will last me for years and years to come.
I listen to a huge variety of music, ranging from instrumental/acoustic to dubstep to death metal to hip hop to ambient to you name it. As such, I feel one of those rare "all-in-one" cans would be my best bet. I *mainly* listen to metal and dubstep, two genres that I think benefit most from solid bass and detail. However, after getting used to my AD700s, I have become quite spoiled with regard to a wide soundstage, and come to realize that it's a vital quality in my listening experience. My SR-80s sound tiny and cramped in comparison to the AD700s, and I most often reach for the AD700s even though they don't fit all genres of music.
I've been looking very seriously at the Denon D2Ks because from what I understand they could be the perfect upgrade for me. If it isn't yet clear, I'm not exactly an audiophile per se; I know what sounds good to me and what characteristics a headphone excels at or falls short at, but it's difficult for me to put that into words and articulate it like so many of you guys can. So, it would be a great help if, judging by what I've written, you could confirm or deny the D2K as a solid choice.
As for amping - I have an E7, like I mentioned, but I'm willing to buy an E9 to pair it with, to make the most out of my next set of cans. I have a question though - if I do use the E7/E9 combo, am I correct in assuming that I can still use the pair as an external USB "sound card"? This is important to me because my computer set-up demands an external USB solution, I have no internal card to connect anything to.
TL;DR: I have Grado SR80s and Audio Technica ATH-AD700s and love certain qualities about both, but want something that combines the two into a superior sounding package. I mainly want well-defined bass, detail, and soundstage. I'm currently leaning toward Denon D2Ks...thoughts?
Now, here's the deal - Many years ago I acquired my very first "audiophile" grade headphone, the Grado SR-80. I realize now, that I simply cannot expect too much from the SR-80 because it is, at the end of the day, an entry-level set of cans. However, there are things that I do enjoy very much about them. About a month ago, I read some amazing reviews on the ATH-AD700 and without much hesitation, purchased a pair. Even though I was blown away by my Grados when I first heard them after a lifetime of never questioning SQ, the AD700 really made me realize how much I'm missing from my music. Moving on, about a week or two ago, I decided to take another plunge and purchased a FiiO E7 USB DAC+amp to further increase SQ. And now, I already have the itch to upgrade again.
I'm probably never going to venture past the realm of $300 headphones, because I feel that my ears simply cannot appreciate the tiny subtleties in sound past a certain point, and I am well aware of the diminishing returns past this price point. But I really want to experience something that combines these two sets of cans that I have, into one nice package that will last me for years and years to come.
I listen to a huge variety of music, ranging from instrumental/acoustic to dubstep to death metal to hip hop to ambient to you name it. As such, I feel one of those rare "all-in-one" cans would be my best bet. I *mainly* listen to metal and dubstep, two genres that I think benefit most from solid bass and detail. However, after getting used to my AD700s, I have become quite spoiled with regard to a wide soundstage, and come to realize that it's a vital quality in my listening experience. My SR-80s sound tiny and cramped in comparison to the AD700s, and I most often reach for the AD700s even though they don't fit all genres of music.
I've been looking very seriously at the Denon D2Ks because from what I understand they could be the perfect upgrade for me. If it isn't yet clear, I'm not exactly an audiophile per se; I know what sounds good to me and what characteristics a headphone excels at or falls short at, but it's difficult for me to put that into words and articulate it like so many of you guys can. So, it would be a great help if, judging by what I've written, you could confirm or deny the D2K as a solid choice.
As for amping - I have an E7, like I mentioned, but I'm willing to buy an E9 to pair it with, to make the most out of my next set of cans. I have a question though - if I do use the E7/E9 combo, am I correct in assuming that I can still use the pair as an external USB "sound card"? This is important to me because my computer set-up demands an external USB solution, I have no internal card to connect anything to.
TL;DR: I have Grado SR80s and Audio Technica ATH-AD700s and love certain qualities about both, but want something that combines the two into a superior sounding package. I mainly want well-defined bass, detail, and soundstage. I'm currently leaning toward Denon D2Ks...thoughts?