[iFi audio]

iFi is British.

That's correct and our key office is in UK, but our entire team is spread all across the globe.

 

[Wishmaker]

I imagine my wife asking me why I shaved my head...

By the way, are these Denons forgiving with bad masterings or productions? I listen to a lot of 90-2000 melodic metal and mostly are bad mastering (think in Epica, The sins of the beloved, Haggard, After Forever, Therion, Tristania, Nightwish, Dark Tranquility or Graveworm... to list a few).

Nope. They will point out flaws faster than you can spell Cheese .

 

[SilverEars]

He ostensibly doesn't enjoy or appreciate the innate characteristics of most closed-back cans. Moreover, His list has a huge subjective element that is often overlooked; at the end of the day, it is one man's opinion, so don't lose sleep over it. For example, Crin rates the Denon AH-D5000 and the E-MU Teak above the AH-D9200; on my list, the Denon flagship stands head and shoulders above these 2 headphones.

Yeah, very subjective indeed. E-MU Teak would go south on my list below even the TH-X00 Ebony. I didn't think Teak had qualities of woody I'd appreciate with the bass and the treble was on the verge of peakiness. Too lean for a woody. Technicality was definitely lower than D9200.

 

[FooFighter]

There's the iBasso dx220, I really like their amp 9 card which is a nutube amp.

I was tempted getting into Ibasso, the new DX220 max is out and has been reported to be a great fit with the 9200 but unfortunately I couldn't find any reseller here in Germany who is selling these.
I have now contacted the official Europe distributor for Ibasso...

 

[FooFighter]

It is not about a purchase decision. (This is already done). Measurements are the basis for equalizing. And the current question for me is why the measurements from one of the web-blogs with best reputations are different then what others measured. Maybe it's the measurement equipment. It would help to understand.

Speaking of equalizing.
After none of the forum dac/amp suggestions (Ibasso DX220, Schiit) were available in Germany I am currently testing a local brand coming from the professional music industry.
https://m.thomannmusic.com/rme_adi_2_dac_fs.htm
Default sound is the most neutral I have heard so far but you can adjust a hell of parameters from DAC filters up to PEQ.
Have any of you yet tried some PEQs for fun for the 9200?

 

[arijitroy2]

Speaking of equalizing.
After none of the forum dac/amp suggestions (Ibasso DX220, Schiit) were available in Germany I am currently testing a local brand coming from the professional music industry.
https://m.thomannmusic.com/rme_adi_2_dac_fs.htm
Default sound is the most neutral I have heard so far but you can adjust a hell of parameters from DAC filters up to PEQ.
Have any of you yet tried some PEQs for fun for the 9200?

I had RME ADI-2 for more than a year before I sold it off recently, loved it a lot! Used it with Arya, HD650 and Aeon Flow Closed and all had their own PEQ that I used!

 

[FooFighter]

I had RME ADI-2 for more than a year before I sold it off recently, loved it a lot! Used it with Arya, HD650 and Aeon Flow Closed and all had their own PEQ that I used!

For my LCD-2F there are many PEQ suggestions in the forums as these are more common and on the market for some time. 9200 are too new yet, couldn't find any.
In the end of course it's all a matter of personal taste and combination of gears as I also had to learn, especially the amp seems to do a lot about toning.
IFI Micro IDSDs amp seems to be very engaging and also adding some low end but missing a tiny bit of clarity compared to my new RME ADI.
If you have a very neutral comparison you realize such things more clearly

 

[arijitroy2]

For my LCD-2F there are many PEQ suggestions in the forums as these are more common and on the market for some time. 9200 are too new yet, couldn't find any.
In the end of course it's all a matter of personal taste and combination of gears as I also had to learn, especially the amp seems to do a lot about toning.
IFI Micro IDSDs amp seems to be very engaging and also adding some low end but missing a tiny bit of clarity compared to my new RME ADI.
If you have a very neutral comparison you realize such things more clearly

D9200 are two year old, so it's not new at all. But I go here to get some ideas about the PEQ and tune it from there:

https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/Au...atory1990/harman_over-ear_2018/Denon AH-D9200

 

[FooFighter]

D9200 are two year old, so it's not new at all. But I go here to get some ideas about the PEQ and tune it from there:

https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/tree/master/results/oratory1990/harman_over-ear_2018/Denon AH-D9200

Thx alot, very useful!
Unfortunately I only have 5 bands PEQ,so will need to chose or calculate some average

 

[VonBoedfeld]

Speaking of equalizing.
After none of the forum dac/amp suggestions (Ibasso DX220, Schiit) were available in Germany I am currently testing a local brand coming from the professional music industry.
https://m.thomannmusic.com/rme_adi_2_dac_fs.htm
Default sound is the most neutral I have heard so far but you can adjust a hell of parameters from DAC filters up to PEQ.
Have any of you yet tried some PEQs for fun for the 9200?

I have also RME ADi 2 DAC, but as you mentioned, AutoEq presets are for 10 filters and do not fit.
I am doing equalization via SOX on LMS Squeezebox server. You can individualy equalize streams for each device.
With SOX I tested the AutoEq EQ settings, but was disappointed. It seems that the EQ lost a bit of the accuracy of D9200, so I switch EQ off.
But dont know, if this was caused by SOX or by a bad preset.
Now I drive D9200 without EQ, just +2db bass with ADI 2 DAC.

Thx alot, very useful!
Unfortunately I only have 5 bands PEQ,so will need to chose or calculate some average

In my opinion, the calculation of averages will not do the trick. This will bend the frequency response too much.

 

[WDitters]

I was tempted getting into Ibasso, the new DX220 max is out and has been reported to be a great fit with the 9200 but unfortunately I couldn't find any reseller here in Germany who is selling these.
I have now contacted the official Europe distributor for Ibasso...

I bought various FiiO and iBasso products from https://nt-global.de

Good experience so far

 

[TSelanne]

Can you compare the MSR7b and D9200? I'm curious if MSR7b are worth looking into.

For the money, the msr7b's are quite impressive. Biggest issue for me was comfort. My ears press up against the drivers. So I purchased Dekoni sheepskin ear pads (which are a little deeper), and I followed Tolis's mod (removing the little felt pieces)...... for a $250 HP, the results are very impressive. The highs were still a little too bright after those adjustments, so I've put one sheet of paper towel behind the ear pads and they sound pretty great right now. So with those mods, I'd put them - sound-wise - in the same realm as the more expensive HP's on this list. Now of course the higher-end HP's have a higher quality sound.... smoother and more refined, not quite as harsh..... but I mean for $300 ($250 plus 50 for pads), I'm pretty impressed.

In the last 2 weeks, I've tried the following:
Sennheiser HD 569
Ultrasone Signature DXP
Focal Elegia
Sony MDR7506
Audio-Technica M50x
Audio-Technica M70X
Audio-Technica SR9
Denon AH-d7200
Audio-Technica ATH-WP900
Audio-Technica MSR7
Audio-Technica MSR7b
Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti
Focal Stellia
Denon AH-d9200
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2
Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Gen

Yet to try:
AUDEZE LCD-XC
Fostex TH-900mk2 Premium
Pioneer SE-Monitor 5

Out of all of these, I'd rank the msr7b's probably 4th. The d9200's still sound the best to my ears, with the Stellia being a close 2nd. IMHO the Stellia is a better HP for ED and classical music, but I listen to mostly rock & metal, and I can't justify spending $3k on a HP only for when I want to switch up the music. The d9200 is really the best "athlete" of the bunch IMHO. Love these things!

 

[arijitroy2]

For the money, the msr7b's are quite impressive. Biggest issue for me was comfort. My ears press up against the drivers. So I purchased Dekoni sheepskin ear pads (which are a little deeper), and I followed Tolis's mod (removing the little felt pieces)...... for a $250 HP, the results are very impressive. The highs were still a little too bright after those adjustments, so I've put one sheet of paper towel behind the ear pads and they sound pretty great right now. So with those mods, I'd put them - sound-wise - in the same realm as the more expensive HP's on this list. Now of course the higher-end HP's have a higher quality sound.... smoother and more refined, not quite as harsh..... but I mean for $300 ($250 plus 50 for pads), I'm pretty impressed.

In the last 2 weeks, I've tried the following:
Sennheiser HD 569
Ultrasone Signature DXP
Focal Elegia
Sony MDR7506
Audio-Technica M50x
Audio-Technica M70X
Audio-Technica SR9
Denon AH-d7200
Audio-Technica ATH-WP900
Audio-Technica MSR7
Audio-Technica MSR7b
Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti
Focal Stellia
Denon AH-d9200
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2
Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Gen

Yet to try:
AUDEZE LCD-XC
Fostex TH-900mk2 Premium
Pioneer SE-Monitor 5

Out of all of these, I'd rank the msr7b's probably 4th. The d9200's still sound the best to my ears, with the Stellia being a close 2nd. IMHO the Stellia is a better HP for ED and classical music, but I listen to mostly rock & metal, and I can't justify spending $3k on a HP only for when I want to switch up the music. The d9200 is really the best "athlete" of the bunch IMHO. Love these things!

When I hear D9200 above Stellia, I like it

 

[TSelanne]

By the way, are these Denons forgiving with bad masterings or productions? I listen to a lot of 90-2000 melodic metal and mostly are bad mastering (think in Epica, The sins of the beloved, Haggard, After Forever, Therion, Tristania, Nightwish, Dark Tranquility or Graveworm... to list a few).

I listen to / follow almost all of those bands as well. I'm not sure anyone could give you a definitive yes or no to that question, but they do a better job than most others, that's for sure. Especially in the highs. Where I'd notice some sibilance with, say, tracks on Epica's first album, or Dokken's 80's and 90's stuff (think "Prisoner") in other HP's, the d9200's do a real nice job of smoothing out the highs without losing them. I like bright sound, which is probably why these have been my favorites so far of all the ones I've tried. Hope that helps.

 

[bythebookiii]

For the money, the msr7b's are quite impressive. Biggest issue for me was comfort. My ears press up against the drivers. So I purchased Dekoni sheepskin ear pads (which are a little deeper), and I followed Tolis's mod (removing the little felt pieces)...... for a $250 HP, the results are very impressive. The highs were still a little too bright after those adjustments, so I've put one sheet of paper towel behind the ear pads and they sound pretty great right now. So with those mods, I'd put them - sound-wise - in the same realm as the more expensive HP's on this list. Now of course the higher-end HP's have a higher quality sound.... smoother and more refined, not quite as harsh..... but I mean for $300 ($250 plus 50 for pads), I'm pretty impressed.

In the last 2 weeks, I've tried the following:
Sennheiser HD 569
Ultrasone Signature DXP
Focal Elegia
Sony MDR7506
Audio-Technica M50x
Audio-Technica M70X
Audio-Technica SR9
Denon AH-d7200
Audio-Technica ATH-WP900
Audio-Technica MSR7
Audio-Technica MSR7b
Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti
Focal Stellia
Denon AH-d9200
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2
Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Gen

Yet to try:
AUDEZE LCD-XC
Fostex TH-900mk2 Premium
Pioneer SE-Monitor 5

Out of all of these, I'd rank the msr7b's probably 4th. The d9200's still sound the best to my ears, with the Stellia being a close 2nd. IMHO the Stellia is a better HP for ED and classical music, but I listen to mostly rock & metal, and I can't justify spending $3k on a HP only for when I want to switch up the music. The d9200 is really the best "athlete" of the bunch IMHO. Love these things!

That's a great assessment on modding. With time my MSR7b became softer on the earpads and is not a problem for me anymore. Also the clamping pressure loosened over time and helped with comfort.

Happy to hear about the Fostex TH900 regarding sound and comfort, between the9200 and the MSR7b.

Didn't see any of Sony's flagships (Z7M2 or Z1R).

Happy to listen comparisons too.

Thanks.