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Originally Posted by Gradofan2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
But... you should note that... the "Father of the D5000" on this forum, who has almost single-handedly created the "stampede" to the D5000s (or... lead us all to the "promised land") here... drives them with SS amps like the Rudistor RPX-33 - $2000+ amps - some pretty "princely sums."
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you should note his listening levels...
the amp which he commented on clipping was my mpx3. at the time of review it had black gate cathode caps and premium resistors EXCLUSIVELY after the power filter. it would clip, as any amp will eventually. I actually tried it with a pair of grados to see when it would happen. the grados were sitting on my chair, and i turned the volume up. before i got the amp to clip (and i did, it happens) i thought of building a Tri-amped speaker system using a SINGLE pair of grado drivers for mids driven by the MPX3. they were functional as loudspeakers.
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And... they report that they finally achieved "their sound" with them (or... "beheld the kingdom of heaven"), only after they've completed the "Markl Mods," and, perhaps, even a new cable ("after wandering 40 years in the wilderness finally seeing the light") - reporting that the clarity of their sound finally rivals the R-10s, as their overwhelming bass is finally brought under control. Some even proclaim, their sound is better than the K1000s and other noteworthy phones. |
heres what to expect:
The bass does not get much tamer as the headphones burn in. perhaps my opinion is based on the fact that i bought them used and they were already burnt in, but the bass at the end of the tunnel is as loose and uncontrolled as you hear it. As part of my D5000 burn-in process was testing when my SUPRA (with high voltage option) would clip, this was right around the time of markl's coments ont eh underpoweredness of tube amps. eventually the supra does clip, although at a much higher volume than the MPX3 did. The d5000 drivers should be placed in a nice horn, my mom thought they sounded good from outside the room. I played the headphones at above my average listening levels for a couple days on end, and overnight at VERY far above average levels.
based on my (aggressive) burn-in methods, the bass never gets tamer unless you do the the markl mods which do EXCEPTIONALLY well for controlling the bass and pretty much everything. i would HIGHLY recommend sending the phones off to markl, or if your DIY handy doing it yourself.
dave and cool_torpedo pretty much hit the nail on the headphone for my opinions. My D5000 at the moment is traveling to can-jam here is the list of mods:
stuffed pads
blue-tac'd drivers (will be replaced with dynomat when the heapdhones get back)
stuffed cups (very lightly with carded lambs wool)
LIGHTLY stuffed "port" this was spurred by the fact that the R10 does this...
i have not dynomatted my D5000, but want to a LITTLE bit.
The D5000 do not replace the K1000 when the k1k is properly amped.
The R10 STILL takes the D5000 and looks down on it. For 10 to 15 as much money it better.
The strength of the markl D5000 is that it has an overall coherent sound. Everything fits together and functions as a system. I think that its "sonnic faults" are largely overshadowed by this fact. It is not like some other headphones where the bass came from a hatchback civic sitting at a stoplight, the mids from an opera singer in the shower, and the highs from a metalshop that ran out of oil: 3 worthless sounds combined to make something even worse still (as if that was possible.) all of the sounds coming from the D5000 fit together properly.
I think the R10 and the D5000 both share in the "good fit of all sonic parts" category, but the R10 romps on the D5000 as far as final polish goes. this is where the moded D5000 gets you close to the R10.