[sokolov91]

Quote:

Cost equals  quality.  I don't think I'm gonna find a better headphone (for me) excluding the Omega 2's, so the only real option I have until I get into the truly ridiculous range would be to upgrade everything else.  Of course I'm a cable atheist, but I would definitely upgrade the DAC and amp to improve the chain as much as I can.

I think the Audeze is at least complementary to the D7000 if not entirely better, so you don't have to drop 2K to get an improvement, but the D7000 is often under rated I find.
 
With a good amp and source they certainly are very capable headphones.
 
From my experience the D7000 absolutely love being balanced but then again it could just be the gain increase. A NFB10ES might be a great route to go. I am actually thinking of "downgrading" to that ATM.

 

[sokolov91]

Quote:

 
Well you'd expect it too.  One of the founders of Audeze also owns a dubstep label.  Supposedly he wanted a headphone that would be accurate down to 10hz so he went out and made one.
 

Well it is not only dubstep but yeah it is a pretty manly endeavour if you ask me.
 
Make music ---> current headphones suck at replaying it ----> invent world class headphone to play it.
 
But it is by no means a dubstep only headphone... just is actually capable of playing it unlike many other headphones. For many people the point is moot because they do no listen to this kind of music, but a disturbing few dumber of high end headphones can address this genre properly.
 
With dub you need down to 10hz because it is such a physical genre. The D7000 do a very admiral job though, and so do the HD 800 and especially HE6. Nice to see the new flagships are actually competent all-rounders. Unlike the HD 600, K70X, and DT 880 days lol!
 

 

[codeninja]

What bring out lush mid and tame high from amp?

 

[shipsupt]

Apparently Ultrasone 900 vs. DT770 (as per my old thread) is solved by getting Denon D7ks. I can't get over how good they sound un-broken-in even straight out of a 4th gen iPod Touch, and how much more comfortable they are compared to my Audio-Technica A500s 

 
Anyone have any headphone case suggestions that would work for the D7000?

I use the original case as they hardly leave home, and I use a headroom bag when they do. If I was going to to look to set one up I'd check out Pelican cases.

 

[shane55]

Quote:

I been listening to the D7000 on my vintage receivers frequently and I must say the Pioneer SX650 and SX980 is outstanding for both. For the price you can pay for one of these it makes little sense to buy headphone amps as these for my are so much better than the SS amps I had owned. Taboo does better but that setup with my tubes cost 2400.00 using the NOS Mullards. I am so happy this is back in my stable. I love the sound of the drums on the D7000 more than any headphone I owned and I had them all. The sheer power of the kick drum and the crashing sound of the the drum sticks hitting and this treble is so good. I do not even notice any faults of this can. With my HE6 I am a happy camper now I need to stop buying these collectible receivers.

Frank... yes, I get great results with my Pio SA9100 integrated (ca 1973). It's going strong and has a wonderful synergy with the D7k.
However, the issue of signal becomes more critical. Many will still need a good DAC as they are using devices that will output an un-altered digial signal. Not everyone here will be amplifying an analog source. So if someone will be buying a DAC, they may be just as well off getting a good DAC/Amp.
 

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

Well it is not only dubstep but yeah it is a pretty manly endeavour if you ask me.
 
Make music ---> current headphones suck at replaying it ----> invent world class headphone to play it.

Sorry if I seemed to imply that.  From what I've heard at meets I absolutely love the LCD-2 and I don't even listen to much dubstep.  It was awesome with everything I tried.  I think I'd have ordered one already if I could use an open headphone much during any season besides winter.  I've always got too many fans and what not going the rest of the year.
 
I was just trying to emphasize the second part of your quote because I think its especially cool.

 

[sokolov91]

Quote:

What bring out lush mid and tame high from amp?

EQ would be very handy... different headphones is probably the easiest route.
 
You would have to have an impossibly coloured amp or DAC to do that.

 

[N0sferatu]

Quote:

I did some a/b testing with my D7000s, and I cannot recommend the Nuforce Icon HDP enough.  I tried the D7000 with a Meier Audio Opera compared to my Nuforce, and then switched between the Nuforce DAC and the Opera DAC.  The Nuforce had a sharper sound to it, and wasn't as mid forward as the Opera.  The Beyerdynamic Dt990s paired very well with the Opera, but the D7000s didn't have as good instrument separation or clarity as with the Nuforce.  Accoustic music was definitely superior with the Nuforce, but I think the Opera had more pure 'oomph' since it's not only a much larger amp but (seemingly) is designed for high impedance cans.  The D7000s don't need all that much power, but for an amp I think it would be wiser to go for something with a brighter sound signature to balance out the Denons.

I was torn between the Nuforce Icon HDP and the Audio-GD FUN when I bought my amp and general thoughts were the DAC is a bit better in the Nuforce but the amp is better in the Audio-GD FUN.  I've got the SUN opamp in the FUN which makes it warmer in sound and I've gotta say it sounds epic (and can go insanely loud).  I've A/B'ed this with a Benchmark DAC PRE1 (out of my price range).  My friend has it along with the D7000s and some other cans.  The DAC PRE1 sounds rather similar to the FUN...just much smaller in size.  The FUN is like a boat on my desk but very modular to tweak the sound the way you want. 

 

[codeninja]

Quote:

EQ would be very handy... different headphones is probably the easiest route.
 
You would have to have an impossibly coloured amp or DAC to do that.

I was referring to synergy with D7000 rather as many suggested that any amp will do to D7000 is picky about the matched amp.  I figured an amp that brings out lush mid and tames high is a good match for D7000.
 

 

[acuscott]

I decided to go nuts and compare the best phones i could find in an effort to recreate audiophile nirvana at a reasonable price.
I used Musical Fidelity X-CAN V8 plus X-PSU and Lehamnn Audio Black Cube amps.
I liked the airiness of the MF amp but found the Lehmann a little compressed and much less sound stage.
Denon 7000's $600 eBay. 
JVC Victor HP-DX 1000 - $1200 eBay
Sennheiser HD-800 - $1800
Audeze LCD-2 - $1000
 
Obviously HD-800 are the best overall but I love the bass out of the Denon's that make my hard rock, heavy metal listening so much more rewarding that the 800's are not good for.
JVC's and Audeze's sound like they have socks stuffed in them. I'm doing an added burn in time for both of them as they are brand new, and i will review them again after at 100, 200 and 300 hours burn in using the Bink Audio test frequencies. So far I am underwhelmed by them. i know the Audeze has had a lot of coverage lately, and i purchased them off this hype, but so far the Denon's outclass them all the way. i have considered that the MF amp might not be the right one for them, but it does so well for all the others. So should I fit in with it, or it fit in with me. Any recommendations would be welcome.
I tend towards to Denon's overall, they are just so rewarding all round for my music style, but when i go back to the 800's i remember what all the fuss was about.
I want to get the Stax HE-9's and compare them with the rest.
 
I would certainly recommend the Denon HD7000's over any other headphone below $1300

 

[7even]

Quote:

The box they came in? That is what I use .

 
Haha yeah that works at home... but it's humongous and I also want to be able to take them with me (e.g. to work, etc.).

 

[N0sferatu]

Quote:

I decided to go nuts and compare the best phones i could find in an effort to recreate audiophile nirvana at a reasonable price.
I used Musical Fidelity X-CAN V8 plus X-PSU and Lehamnn Audio Black Cube amps.
I liked the airiness of the MF amp but found the Lehmann a little compressed and much less sound stage.
Denon 7000's $600 eBay. 
JVC Victor HP-DX 1000 - $1200 eBay
Sennheiser HD-800 - $1800
Audeze LCD-2 - $1000
 
Obviously HD-800 are the best overall but I love the bass out of the Denon's that make my hard rock, heavy metal listening so much more rewarding that the 800's are not good for.
JVC's and Audeze's sound like they have socks stuffed in them. I'm doing an added burn in time for both of them as they are brand new, and i will review them again after at 100, 200 and 300 hours burn in using the Bink Audio test frequencies. So far I am underwhelmed by them. i know the Audeze has had a lot of coverage lately, and i purchased them off this hype, but so far the Denon's outclass them all the way. i have considered that the MF amp might not be the right one for them, but it does so well for all the others. So should I fit in with it, or it fit in with me. Any recommendations would be welcome.
I tend towards to Denon's overall, they are just so rewarding all round for my music style, but when i go back to the 800's i remember what all the fuss was about.
I want to get the Stax HE-9's and compare them with the rest.
 
I would certainly recommend the Denon HD7000's over any other headphone below $1300

 
Because most of the people who like the LCD-2 enjoy "accurate" listening and are being critical instead of just enjoying the music.  The Denon's are pretty accurate but have a bit of color to them (which I love).  I paid $650 for my headphones to enjoy them...not to be a critic.  Either way the LCD-2s are overweight and styling is terrible on them.  The HD-800s I thought were a joke when I listened to them (considering the price).  Then again my music is usually more bass heavy.  I enjoyed the HD650's more than the HD800s.  Only headphone other than the D7000 to impress me during a limited demo session were the HiFiMAN HE-6 but they're a totally different type of headphone.
 
 

 

[MacedonianHero]

 
Watts are current times voltage.  If it has appropriate current reserves (ie it doesn't clip) then a certain position on the volume dial will set a certain voltage and the appropriate amount of current for that impedance and voltage will flow.  Something beastly like the Lyr doesn't cram "extra" current through a voice coil.  That's impossible.  If the impedance stays the same you have to increase the voltage to put more current through the conductor.
 
A good analogy is water.  Current is the amount of water, voltage is the pressure of the water, and impedance is the size of the pipe.  A low impedance is like a larger pipe.  It takes more water (current) to fill it up while higher impedance is a smaller pipe.  Running something like the HD800s from an amp with a low voltage power supply is like trying to suck a golf ball through a garden hose and running the HE-6s from an OTL tube amp is like trying to fill a sewer pipe with that garden hose.  Picture an amp as something like a pressure washer.  Current capacity is close the rate of flow, the actual amount of water that it can spit out.  Voltage would be the pressure or speed that it exists the nozzle with.  If a transient calls for more current or voltage than an amp can supply it will "clip" audibly distort as either the amp can't produce enough voltage or can't supply the current the voice coil "asks for".
 
In any case you can't put more water (current) through a pipe without increasing the pressure (voltage) and if you push too hard stuff will break.
 
Voltage and current don't have to be linked either.  A large truck battery will melt a wrench if you bridge the contacts with it but you won't feel a thing if you grab one terminal in each hand (and don't have cuts where you grab it...) for the same reason the local reservoir doesn't flood your house when you turn on the tap.  There is simply too much resistance to the flow for much of the water or electrons to go anywhere.  Similarly, the high voltage power supply in the backlight of an LCD monitor has lots of voltage but now current capacity.  It will zap you and it will sting but it will do little actual damage in the same way a brief burst from a water from a high pressure jet like a strong electric squirt gun (Do they even still make those?  I had one but using it didn't make me popular since it hurt a lot more than a Supersoaker) will sting without ripping the flesh from your bones.
 
To overextend this analogy a typical transistor amp is a lazy river.  Its got lots of water but its not moving very fast.  An OTL tube amp is more like a geyser.  Less water but more pressure behind it.
 
Basically this means that as long as the iQube stays clean (doesn't add extra distortion not present at lower output levels) when pushed towards its maximum output that it should be fine for a low impedance 'phone with as high a sensitivity as the D7000s.  For perspective the HE-6s need nearly 282 times more power than the D7000s to achieve the same volume.

Glad to see that I'm not the same one who uses pipe flow to mentally construct electrical circuits. Current (I) = Flowrate (Q), Voltage (V) = Pressure (P) and Resistance (R) = frictional losses (hL). It has served this Chemical Engineer very well for over 15 years of working in the electronics manufacturing industry.

Just as you pointed out, then conceptually thinking about a circuit this way can make "more sense" (at least for us non-EEs). My brother is an EE and uses his knowledge of circuits to help him conceptualize pipe flow.

EDIT: Yes the "nerd" gene does run in my family apparently. My 7 year old daughter is already excelling at math and science in Grade 1.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

Glad to see that I'm not the same one who uses pipe flow to mentally construct electrical circuits. Current (I) = Flowrate (Q), Voltage (V) = Pressure (P) and Resistance (R) = frictional losses (hL). It has served this Chemical Engineer very well for over 15 years of working in the electronics manufacturing industry.

Just as you pointed out, then conceptually thinking about a circuit this way can make "more sense" (at least for us non-EEs). My brother is an EE and uses his knowledge of circuits to help him conceptualize pipe flow.

 

I'm not any kind of engineer and I don't have any formal qualifications.  Just a jack of all of all trades with very broad but also very shallow knowledge.  I just know enough to look knowledgeable to newbies.  That's approaching the limits of what I actually know about electricity.  I try not to overstep what I'm sure about and I usually have to duck and cover when real experts show up.

 

[MacedonianHero]

 

I'm not any kind of engineer and I don't have any formal qualifications.  Just a jack of all of all trades with very broad but also very shallow knowledge.  I just know enough to look knowledgeable to newbies.  That's approaching the limits of what I actually know about electricity.  I try not to overstep what I'm sure about and I usually have to duck and cover when real experts show up.

Still a good foundation.