I have had a chance to compare my LA 2000 Lite's to the stock Denon AH D2000's. I'll break down some of my listening notes for you.
Stock Denon AH-D2000's vs. Lawton Audio LA 2000 (Markl mods, Angle Pads, Waterfall Bubinga cups, AH-D7000 7NOFC cable with Neutrik 1/4" TRS termination).
The bass with mods (dampening) was far improved in my opinion. Just as much slam without the excess reverberation. This really tightened up the bass, and forced the mids and treble to be a little more forward and present due to the lack of bass reverberation clouding these frequencies. In addition, with the wooden cups, I found the bass to be far more 'wet' and satisfying. Having said this, the bass has a little more oomph without dampening. Although overall I preferred to sacrifice the slightly unnatural bass decay in lieu of more prominent mids/treble. But if you're a total basshead, that may not be your cup of tea.
As mentioned, the mids were a little more detailed and present with the mods due to the bass dampening/darker background. The treble was actually a bit less dry/harsh, although I suspect this had more to do with the cable than the dampening. Some may not like that in the treble range, but for me it made the headphone less fatiguing (should that be an issue for you).
The soundstaging with the mods (thanks to the cups and pads) was far more impressive. Whilst the positioning, imaging and accuracy remained mostly unchanged, the width (and a little depth) of the soundstage was far greater (due to greater driver distance and greater cup depth) which made the headphones feel less confined and more immersive (not to mention more comfortable - no part of the pad touches my ear).
The wooden cups (despite being visually stunning) provided an uncanny sense of realism when listening to woodwind instruments, with a natural, organic timbre that cannot be beaten.
As for the cable, there were a few notes that I couldn't attribute else where (mostly a little more detail, a more soft treble and a little more focus). Probably made the least amount of difference from the mods, but I was surprised at what it contributed to the overall sound signature when comparing the modded and unmodded phones side by side.
OP: I listen to a lot of metal, with a bit of electronic and classic/jazz on the side. These mods definitely made an improvement, but whether that improvement is worth your money is up to you. The markl mods and pads are definitely good value. I would pay every cent for the wood cups on looks alone, but they also contributed a great deal to the soundstage and the timbre and worth the investment if you'll use these cans for a while. As for the cable, whilst I noticed an improvement it probably made the least difference for the money. If you have any further queries feel free to ask.
