[jsplice]

I'm currently considering either the D5000 or D7000, but I'm trying to determine if the D7000s are worth the extra cost over the D5000s. I recently purchased the DT990 250 Ohm, but they have a bit too much treble and sibilance for me, so they will most likely be going back.

Who here has heard both the D5000 and D7000 and can make a fair judgment as to whether the D7000 can justify its hefty price tag?

Thanks

 

[sampson_smith]

If you can afford the D7000's, I'd go with those. There seems to be a lot of work that can potentially be put into a pair of D5000's to tame the bass and reveal the mid's (via markl mod's, etc.). The D7000's, as best I recall from reading here, don't require that sort of costly tweaking to sound plenty resplendent. I had the same sort of decision to make between the D2000/D5000 and went for the former due to a limited budget. I can see parallels between the D2000 and Grado SR-225's and the D7000 and the RS-1's, as far as strong recommends across the $-->$$$ spectrum go. Not so strongly do I see the "stop-gap" D5000 and RS-2 cans recommended. *Hides underneath a rock*

So... when's that new BoC album coming out, anyway?

 

[MacedonianHero]

Before I bought miy D7000s, I listened to the D5000s for quite some time at a local HIFI shop and found them really good, just too bassy and coloured. When I popped on the D7000s, the bass was just as deep (if not slightly deeper), but more controlled and a more neutral presentation.

Overall they were well worth the increased price. The micro details seemed more easily disernable and the highs were just phenomenal. Trust me and save your money in the long run and go for the D7000s because if you go for the D5000s, within a month you'll be thinking maybe I should have uprgraded, then you'll be selling your D5000s at a loss to upgrade.

Happy New Year!

 

[Necrolic]

You'd have to give the D5000s a listen before you can really make a decision. If you do NOT find the bass on them to be too overpowering, then I would say the D7000s are not worth the extra cost (or maintenance, you so much as lay a finger on the wood and you have a nice smear mark to clean off). If you find the D5000 bass flabby or overpowering, then the upgrade is worth the money for sure.

The beauty of D7000s is that they cost about $150-$200 more than a markl modded D5000, but they control the bass very well and don't need a mod, yet they maintain the beautiful musicality of the D5000s that the Markl mod somewhat taints.

Again though, listen to the D5000s first and see if you find the bass overpowering or not. I didn't find the D5000 bass very overpowering, although it did overshadow the mids somewhat at stock, so I bought them and saved $300. I bought JMoney pads, and they tightened up the bass enough that I'm more than happy with my cans.

 

[markl]

Quote:

The beauty of D7000s is that they cost about $150-$200 more than a markl modded D5000, but they control the bass very well and don't need a mod, yet they maintain the beautiful musicality of the D5000s that the Markl mod somewhat taints.

??? Necrolic, you have a lot of information about phones and mods you have not heard.

Ask actual owners of our products or any of the hundreds who have performed the mod if they think they "taint" their musicality, I think you will largely find the opposite. Also, please listen to our mod-ed vs. un-mod-ed D7000 before concluding they don't benefit from them. Cheers.

 

[Necrolic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl /img/forum/go_quote.gif ??? Necrolic, you have a lot of information about phones and mods you have not heard. Ask actual owners of our products or any of the hundreds who have performed the mod if they think they "taint" their musicality, I think you will largely find the opposite. Also, please listen to our mod-ed vs. un-mod-ed D7000 before concluding they don't benefit from them. Cheers.

I have asked a lot of people, and the resounding response is that the markl mod DRASTICALLY changes the sound of the D5000s, to the point where they really sound like a completely different can.

Now whether or not this was a positive change or not varied from person to person, but I did not state whether or not it was a positive change, I merely mentioned a comment from several people that it makes the D5000s a less musical can and more of a reference can. Also, another comment I've heard from a lot of people is that the mods give the D5000s a "cupped hands" coloration to the mids, which makes me nervous.

I'll admit that "taint" was a poor choice of words, but outside of that everything I posted comes from research, personal experience (of the D5000 and D7000, not MD5000), and word of mouth.

Also, I didn't say the D7000s wouldn't benefit from your mod, however, whether they would benefit or not largely depends on the listener's tastes. What I did say was that the D7000s do not suffer the same faults of the stock D5000s as far as loose and flabby bass goes, and therefore to many people the mod would not be a necessity.

Don't get me wrong, in fact, I'm still considering the mods for my D5000, and have nothing against your company. I was almost completely set on getting the mods done when I started seeing a lot of comments about negative aspects of the mod, so I'm just covering all the bases here.

You told me that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, the mass majority prefer your mod to the stock Denons, and I really need to try the mod myself before passing judgement. While it seems this is true, many people who do prefer it say that they preferred the stock D5000 presentation for a lot of the types of music I listen to (rock, hip-hop, electronic), while the MD5000s were better for classical, jazz, blues, etc.

Now while I'd love to try your mod before hand, it's not an option for me, and I'm not willing to just drop $150 and have my headphones permanently modded with something I may or may not like. I'm sure you can understand that.

 

[Jodet]

I had the basic Mark Lawton mod done to my D5k's (the one that only costs about $150) and am very pleased with the results.

 

[markl]

Hi Necrolic,
I can't agree with your observations or your characterization of the prevailing sentiment about the sound of the mods and our phones, but that's life on ye olde internet.

 

[Necrolic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi Necrolic, I can't agree with your observations or your characterization of the prevailing sentiment about the sound of the mods and our phones, but that's life on ye olde internet.

Many of the opinions I've received have been collected through extensive conversations through PMs. The resounding opinion here on Head-Fi and on your site (of course) is positive, however at other sites it seems a little less positive, as well as with a few members here as far as rock goes.

 

[cswann1]

I can't comment on the D5000 but I'll tell you a bit about my experience with my D7000's.


If you read enough you'll see comments like "the closest to home speakers I've heard". That is a really good "nutshell" description of the D7000 and I agree 100%.

With my D7000's I listen at lower volumes than I used to and I hear everything with absolute clarity. I found the bass to be a bit dominating and I performed a partial Markl mod and am very pleased with the results. I put Dynamat Extreme on the back of the magnets, a ring around the rear of the driver baffle and 4 squares on the backs of the magnesium frames. The difference was anything but subtle. All the bass notes are still there. It's very deep and authoritative but without the boom and excess vibration. Once I added my Jmoney pads I stopped even entertaining thoughts of any other full-sized dynamic headphone purchases.

If you're spending several hundred on a pair of cans, get what you want because if you like them as much as I like my D7000's you're done spending money for a long time.

 

[lmilhan]

I have owned, and extensively listened to, all models of the Current Denon Headphone Lineup.

Are the D7000s worth going for over the D5000s?

Short answer:
YES!

Long Answer:
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSS!

 

[jsplice]

Thanks guys for all the input. Now I'm just waiting to find a good deal. I see amazon has them for around $650 at times. They are currently $800, which is too high. Any other suggestions on where to find a deal on these?

 

[priest]

Try calling J&R. They charged me $589 on the phone. When I called a month later to RMA them, they asked me if I would keep them if they cut me a break on the cost, so I apparently could've had them for even less.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Necrolic /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have asked a lot of people, and the resounding response is that the markl mod DRASTICALLY changes the sound of the D5000s, to the point where they really sound like a completely different can. ... that it makes the D5000s a less musical can and more of a reference can. Also, another comment I've heard from a lot of people is that the mods give the D5000s a "cupped hands" coloration to the mids, ... ... ... ... I started seeing a lot of comments about negative aspects of the mod, so I'm just covering all the bases here. ... and I really need to try the mod myself before passing judgement. While it seems this is true, many people who do prefer it say that they preferred the stock D5000 presentation for a lot of the types of music I listen to (rock, hip-hop, electronic), while the MD5000s were better for classical, jazz, blues, etc. ...I'm not willing to just drop $150 and have my headphones permanently modded with something I may or may not like. I'm sure you can understand that.

I have owned two Denons modded by Mark, the D2000 and the D5000. Plus I was loaned a pair of modded and re-cabled D5000 as part of Mark's loaner program back in 2008. The mods do no change the can as you state in your first paragraph above, at least that has been my experience and that of the individuals who have listened to my modded Denons in various meets.

The mids are NOT changed as per your "cupped hands" description, perhaps you should listen to a pair before you go making this kind of comments. I have not seen the so called many negative comments, on the contrary I have read of a lot of positive comments on the mods.

You do not have to drop $150, instead you could buy the parts for about $20 and perform the mods yourself. BTW, if you are very careful they are reversible.

 

[Jeff E]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have owned two Denons modded by Mark, the D2000 and the D5000. Plus I was loaned a pair of modded and re-cabled D5000 as part of Mark's loaner program back in 2008. The mods do no change the can as you state in your first paragraph above, at least that has been my experience and that of the individuals who have listened to my modded Denons in various meets. The mids are NOT changed as per your "cupped hands" description, perhaps you should listen to a pair before you go making this kind of comments. I have not seen the so called many negative comments, on the contrary I have read of a lot of positive comments on the mods.

I purchased a new D5000 and had it directly shipped to Mark for one of his early version mods with, as I understand, more ear pad stuffing than he currently uses.

Based on my experience with these headphones I concur with mrarroyo's comments regarding the markl mod midrange.