[vonjuergen]

Searching for an upgrade to the M50s. I love the natural fullbodied sound / imaging, the deep textured bass and PRaT. Dont like the recessed mids./Highs. Still, IMHO this can does less wrong than the technical superior / more expensive cans. Looking for better resolution, PraT, Speed, Mids, Highs. Dont care much about soundstaging. Preferred them to:
 
T1 (the m50: more PRaT, more fun, more body, deeper bass on antelope zodiac / Phonitor)
HD800 (midfi setup, preferred the more fullbodied HD650 in that setup)
HD600 (on gilmore lite - less deep bass, less prat(energy/bass issue), less energy, less fun, better resolution, better highs than M50)
HD650 (on GL, veiled, dont want to go the balanced route, preferred HD600)
DT880 / 250 (unbalanced, but love the solid beyer highs)
DT770  (unbalanced, but love the solid beyer highs) 
MD5000 (no body / weight at all)
All AKG´s
 
So i am looking for the clarity and speed of the HD600 and the Prat, Imaging and Deep Bass of the M50
 
I use a RME ADI-2 DAC (Like Benchmark DAC1) and a Gilmore Lite amp.
 
I dont think that even a balanced recabled HD600 will have enough Bass and Energy for a fun/PRaT presentation. So i am looking at the Denon D2000.
 
 
 
 

 

[1Time]

FWIR, there are simple mods for the M50 that may interest you - something about tape and holes in the pads.

 

[Doorbell]

From what I've read, the srh840 is a good upgrade. I can't say from personal use, because I don't own them. But if you search for srh840's on here some really good reviews come up.

 

[moodyrn]

I like the 840s but based on what the op is looking for they wouldn't be a good choice. They have less bass than most of the headphones he's tried and have a small soundstage. The d2000 would be a good choice only if he did the full mods. Stock form they are only decent. I even prefer the shures, but doing all of the mods and changing the cups out for some wood cups completely change the sound of these headphones. Infact, I've never listened to a headphone that changes so much with mods. If full-bodied, deep tight bass, lush mids, with a very nice soundstage is what the op is looking for, then these are it.

 

[vonjuergen]

Thank you, but i preferred the m50 over the 840, i dont see the 840 in the hd600 league.
 
what are the full d2000 mods, what will be the differences, and is the stock d5000 as good as a full modified d2000 ?

 

[amp2xpand]

Quote:

I like the 840s but based on what the op is looking for they wouldn't be a good choice. They have less bass than most of the headphones he's tried and have a small soundstage. The d2000 would be a good choice only if he did the full mods. Stock form they are only decent. I even prefer the shures, but doing all of the mods and changing the cups out for some wood cups completely change the sound of these headphones. Infact, I've never listened to a headphone that changes so much with mods. If full-bodied, deep tight bass, lush mids, with a very nice soundstage is what the op is looking for, then these are it.

With the Markl mod, did you do the mods yourself or did you send it away to lawton audio? I was hoping that I can get good results from just doing the mods myself. Would you say the markl mod changed the sound the most compared to the pad and cup change?
 

 

[Dubwicht]

I had the 840's and liked the sound but found them a little flat without much sizzle.   I also have the M50's, the D2000's,  D7000's, Beyer DT990's, Senn HD600's and 540's, Ultrasone 750 Pros, K702's and the Hifman HE-5's.  The Denon D2000's were my favorite until I purchased the Hifiman and D7000's.  Denon's have amazing bass and very smooth and detailed highs.  The M50's sound quite good as well but the imaging is not as good as the others.   The DT900's are great headphones with a good balance of bass and detail.  I would rank them just under the D2000's but below the HE-5's and the D7000's.  The Hifiman cans are the best I have heard - stunning sound!  Just enough bass and amazing detail.  I use them with the EF-5 amplifier.  The D7000's take the D2000 sound to a new level and also sound great.  I have heard that the D5000's sound very similar to the D7000's but for less money.  I purchased my D7000's used.  

 

[moodyrn]

Quote:

With the Markl mod, did you do the mods yourself or did you send it away to lawton audio? I was hoping that I can get good results from just doing the mods myself. Would you say the markl mod changed the sound the most compared to the pad and cup change?
 

I did them myself. The biggest change was the wood cups. The markl mod brought about a nice change. I would say that they corrected the the problems the d2000s had. They tightened up the bass significantly, The midrange was brought up and were less recessed with the highs being a little smoother. I would say tightening up the bass corrected other problems in the frequency range. At first I did all of the mods except the dampening the front of the driver. I read that this mod isn't recommended for the d2000s because it sucked out the bass. And from the sound I heard with doing just dampening on the back of the driver and the ring, I had all the tightness I needed. A few days later I received my wood cups and I will say that they actually changed the sound signature of these headphones. The markl modded d2000s still sounded like d2000s. Just more refined and balanced. I thought the basic sound sig of these phones were still a little on the cool side. But after putting on the wood cups, the sound was slightly warm and lush. It was kind of addictive and a sound I've never heard from a headphone before. And now I see why it's suggested doing the full mod on the d5000s(since the only differences are the wood cups and cable). There was way more bass than before. While it wasn't as loose and boomy as a stock pair of d2000s, it wasn't as tight as before. Dampening the front of the driver fixed this. Now the bass was very tight and controlled. It also extended very deep. The highs still had good detail but was a little laid back while having the same extension. The midrange was very smooth, lush and a little on the warm side. I would say the markl mods corrected the problems the stock d2000 have, but the wood cups actually made them sound like something different. Would I call them neutral, No, but they are very musical and fun to listen to. I like the sound so much, I'm considering selling them the try a fully modded d7000. I've never listened to the d7000s, but I wonder just how close these would sound to them. Right now they are in a completely different league from stock.

 

[shane55]

Quote:

I had the 840's and liked the sound but found them a little flat without much sizzle.   I also have the M50's, the D2000's,  D7000's, Beyer DT990's, Senn HD600's and 540's, Ultrasone 750 Pros, K702's and the Hifman HE-5's.  The Denon D2000's were my favorite until I purchased the Hifiman and D7000's.  Denon's have amazing bass and very smooth and detailed highs.  The M50's sound quite good as well but the imaging is not as good as the others.   The DT900's are great headphones with a good balance of bass and detail.  I would rank them just under the D2000's but below the HE-5's and the D7000's.  The Hifiman cans are the best I have heard - stunning sound!  Just enough bass and amazing detail.  I use them with the EF-5 amplifier.  The D7000's take the D2000 sound to a new level and also sound great.  I have heard that the D5000's sound very similar to the D7000's but for less money.  I purchased my D7000's used.  

Indeed. All as I heard them, and while I found the D5k 'similar' to the D7k, the overemphasis on the bass in the D5k made them difficult. 
The D7k and M50's are brilliant cans. The M50 is not without faults, but what it does, it does better than many others costing multiple times what they cost... as the OP has clearly stated.
 
The D7k does more right than wrong. It's bright, clean, clear, sonorous (full-bodied), acoustic, and just to the warm side of neutral. They produce an amazingly natural sound. The soundstage is closer (more closed-in) than say... the DT880, which is wide and open, but hey, it's an open vs. closed can thing.
 
The only D2k I've heard were my LA2000 Lites. Having never heard the stock D2k, I can't comment on them, but I obviously prefer the stock D7k to the MarkL mods of the D2k.
 
shane
 

 

[vonjuergen]

Thank you! I need a demo of the D7000 now...

 

[Anaxilus]

Progression = M50 --> D7000 --> LCD2

 

[vonjuergen]

LCD2 ? foot tapping PRaT ? Fullbodied? Deep & Fast Bass ?

 

[Anaxilus]

OK, perhaps not the best PRaT or speed.  But, you find the LCD2 lacking fullbodied and deep bass?

 

[vonjuergen]

...LCD2 ? foot tapping PRaT ? Fullbodied? Deep & Fast Bass ?...
 
that was a question - not questioning ..
 
the LCD2 lacks PRaT ?

 

[vonjuergen]

... heard the stock D2000 D5000 and D7000, actually nothing special compared to my M50.
 
i will stick to the M50 for fun and PRaT, and the more refined less fun HD600 as classic/jazz alternative. after all the phones that i have heard recently, the M50 and HD600 are the Bestbuys under 1000$ to me.
 
Will try the LCD2 - if possible in europe