plakat
Headphoneus Supremus
Looks interesting. Could you post the product name/ASIN please?
Denon AH-D9200 - 2018 Flagship - Impressions Thread
- Thread starter XERO1
- Start date
MagicManoova
New Head-Fier
Sadly couldn't find it on Amazon US
ASIN: B0BL3MJ7HL
ASIN: B0BL3MJ7HL
plakat
Headphoneus Supremus
Thanks!
Amazon DE seems to not carry it as well…
LoveKnight
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2011
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Today I make a comparison between Sennheiser HD650 with ZMF sheep skin earpads and Denon D9200. The result clearly D9200 is the winner. Listening to HD650 sounds congested and boring the vocal is not as real as D9200. I will make a comparison again when I have enough money to buy a better amp Bakoon headphone amp. The Monolith THX is my current amp. This headphone is a good all around for many kinds of musics and easy to drive too. A good keeper even when go out and listen to music with portal devices. The more I upgrade my audio gears the more Denon D9200 shows me more what it's capabilities.
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hakunamakaka
1000+ Head-Fier
d9200 has the most accurate voice reproduction of any HP's that I have tried. This headphone is only limited by it's closed back design, but on the other hand it has very satisfying bass
If anyone ever wanted a D9200 in IEM form, the Penon Serial is reminiscent of the sound signature. Lows are handled by a biologic diaphragm dd. It's only missing some of the upper treble energy, sort of like the D7200. But the timbre, oh man... I think any Denon fan would enjoy the Serial.
FooFighter
Headphoneus Supremus
Mest MKII comes close in bass and treble, can lack some timbre though depending on the source.
On my former Shanling M8 these were pretty close 2 years back
On my former Shanling M8 these were pretty close 2 years back
FooFighter
Headphoneus Supremus
thelittletaffia
Head-Fier
I've had the Denons for four months now and am very impressed with them. I find the treble push very good as this is what drew them to me with my ageing ears. Comfortable too. I'm driving them with a Lehmann Linear amp from just a single source, Denon DCD-2500NE SACD player. Certainly suits my love of acoustic music. My other headphones are Focal Clear MG and Oppo PM1.
trickyRoadsDummyTOOL
100+ Head-Fier
Would you mind comparing the Denon and the Focal because you own and use both? Apart from the obvious of differing soundstage. Especially are the focal significantly faster, or more reactive or let's say dynamic?
Given the fact, that you don't use EQ. Not that I'm strictly opposed to that, but I do not own any Device for that. Thanks in advance!
I have the Utopia (old one) and the D9200. The Utopia is way more neutral and a bit more dynamic, it's the #2 headphone for punch and slam. It's also a bit more resolving since it's a TOTL. The difference is not that high though, the Denon is only half a step behind in those two terms. Versus the Clear it should be at least equal. Soundstage of every Focal is medium or small sized, the Denon is a bit bigger.
The tonality is different. The Denon is brighter with more laid back vocals (mids), the Utopia can get very aggressive in the upper midrange and is often "in your face", especially with the standard cable on a clinical solid state amp. The Denon doesn't care. It sounds very much like a Hifiman that is punchy and dynamic (i'm talking the open, airy Hifimans). The good thing about the Denon's treble is that there are no big spikes, like headphones that hurt you (some Beyerdynamics). The whole treble region is boosted, but it's done the right way. That gives it a very open sound like an open back. For me its technicalities were on par with the Verite Closed, but i loved the tonality way more, i'm a Hifiman fanboy.
The tonality is different. The Denon is brighter with more laid back vocals (mids), the Utopia can get very aggressive in the upper midrange and is often "in your face", especially with the standard cable on a clinical solid state amp. The Denon doesn't care. It sounds very much like a Hifiman that is punchy and dynamic (i'm talking the open, airy Hifimans). The good thing about the Denon's treble is that there are no big spikes, like headphones that hurt you (some Beyerdynamics). The whole treble region is boosted, but it's done the right way. That gives it a very open sound like an open back. For me its technicalities were on par with the Verite Closed, but i loved the tonality way more, i'm a Hifiman fanboy.
trickyRoadsDummyTOOL
100+ Head-Fier
Interesting comparison to the focal utopia. But I think I was referring to clear MG. TBH, buying this TOTL seems to be utopian for me at the moment.
Nevertheless, thanks. Your opinion regarding soundstage and dynamic abilities of the Denon I appreciate very much. Let's see.
Maybe our pre-poster @thelittletaffia chimes in to compare clear MG with 9200.
So my impressions on Denon vs. Focal are a little different.
Yes, the Focal will have more impact and it sounds faster, better dynamics, but those are the standout points.
The Denon--and I place this above detail, slam, dynamics, etc.--the Denon sounds more natural and subjectively enjoyable.
Timbre is much better for me on the D9200 than any Focal I've heard.
Yes, the Focal will have more impact and it sounds faster, better dynamics, but those are the standout points.
The Denon--and I place this above detail, slam, dynamics, etc.--the Denon sounds more natural and subjectively enjoyable.
Timbre is much better for me on the D9200 than any Focal I've heard.
thelittletaffia
Head-Fier
I had a couple of hours spare in the early hours of this morning so decided to put the Focals and the Denon up against each other on a track I know well. There is something of a caveat here as I've only had the Focals for 17 days and I've not let them run for 24 hours. I like to hear how headphones develop with time. The track was from the Intervention's stereo SACD of Jennifer Warnes' Another Time, Another Place. For me this album is as good as a recording and production can get, it's virtually flawless. The track I chose was Tomorrow Night, track 2.
It's a very acoustic track with a double bass, Hammond Organ, drums and percussion. The track opens with the double bass. The Denon, on these opening bars of the track is very dynamic, digging deeper, although only slightly, than the Focals. Each string pluck is beautifully rendered and the decay is spot on, just overlaying the next pluck without merging into it and timbre is great on the Denon. The Focals, to be fair, are not far behind but are not as dynamic in the bass.
The vocals come in next but I'll discuss them later. The next instrument is I believe a snare drum with brushes. The Focals are able to bring out more detail and nuances with the audio being somewhere in the lower mids. The detail is there with the Denon but the Focals are able to produce those nuances and throw them out into the soundstage, this is something that I believe will get better as the Focals pile on the hours. The Hammond strikes up next and both headphones produce a very good timbre and detail, as the play goes more towards a treble range the Denons produce a little more dynamism.
The last to come into play is the hand struck percussion. This is interesting. The Focals are slightly more resolving when the drums are hand struck in the middle of the skin and erring towards mid bass. You can hear the 'texture' of the struck skin. As the player moves more towards the outer edges of the drums the Denon comes into it's own giving more punch. Timbre is good for both pair of headphones.
The vocals. The Focal is superb, everything just flows. Warnes' vocals are strong considering she was in her early 70s when cut this album. Rarely does she venture into the high end of her range. This can be said of most of the vocals I've listened to on the Focals, James Taylor, as an example, is perfection. However, the Denon has a trick up it's sleeve and is what drew me to them. The upper treble, there's certainly a push here by design. As good as the vocals are on the Focals it's not as exciting as the Denon. You can shut your eyes with the Focals on this album and enjoy what you hear, a very very good interpretation of a well recorded album with wonderful timbre. Shut your eyes with the Denon and that double bass the more exciting vocals it's as if the artist and musicians are in your living room.
What I also like about the Denon is the ability to bring the vocals a step forward. If the vocals are deep in the mix, then, because of my age, I'm in the same ball park as Jennifer Warnes, then sometimes those vocals get pushed too far back. The Denons are very good as resolving this in the soundstage. With soundstage in mind I find the Denons to be narrower but higher. Instruments are placed on different levels and are easily distinguishable, a much better soundstage than closed backs I've had in the past. The Focals are wider, but not by much. They do have the ability to throw out small details around that soundstage and I find them highly enjoyable.
Build quality of both is excellent, both are very tactile headphones. Comfort, for me is good, but I think people larger than me may be troubled by the Focals clamping force. I don't find any problems with the headband of either and have had no trouble listening for at least two hours in a session. We all know what's in the Denon's box and that is not much. The Focals come with a very good carry case and like the Denons don't have a spare pair of earpads, shocking at this price range from both manufacturers. Cables with the Focal is a balanced 3 metre and short open ended cable, would have preferred a 3 metre open and I currently have to either use the Denon's cable which fits the 3.5mm to the phones. Perhaps I get a third party 3 metre in the not too distant future.
I'm happy with both the Denon and the Focals but neither is very forgiving when it comes to those victims of the loudness wars. That treble push with the Denon works against it here and neither are comfortable listens when those ablums dynamics are squashed flatter than hammered s***, well you get my meaning. Those albums tend to get left for the more forgiving Oppos. If you were to twist my arm and ask which I would have kept if finances didn't allow me the luxury of owning both then I have to say it's the Denon. The treble push and the way it sets the vocals in the soundstage plus the fact that I will use closed backs more often than openbacks would have been the deciding factor as well as knowing I already have an excellent pair in the Oppo PM1s.
In the coming weeks the gap between the two may get narrower and I'm enjoying both and I don't think either will disappoint it may very well come down to whether or not it's open or closed you need. At the moment, typing this out, I'm listening on the Denons to Hans Zimmer's OST on CD of The Last Samuri. Damn, they're even excellent at this.
It's a very acoustic track with a double bass, Hammond Organ, drums and percussion. The track opens with the double bass. The Denon, on these opening bars of the track is very dynamic, digging deeper, although only slightly, than the Focals. Each string pluck is beautifully rendered and the decay is spot on, just overlaying the next pluck without merging into it and timbre is great on the Denon. The Focals, to be fair, are not far behind but are not as dynamic in the bass.
The vocals come in next but I'll discuss them later. The next instrument is I believe a snare drum with brushes. The Focals are able to bring out more detail and nuances with the audio being somewhere in the lower mids. The detail is there with the Denon but the Focals are able to produce those nuances and throw them out into the soundstage, this is something that I believe will get better as the Focals pile on the hours. The Hammond strikes up next and both headphones produce a very good timbre and detail, as the play goes more towards a treble range the Denons produce a little more dynamism.
The last to come into play is the hand struck percussion. This is interesting. The Focals are slightly more resolving when the drums are hand struck in the middle of the skin and erring towards mid bass. You can hear the 'texture' of the struck skin. As the player moves more towards the outer edges of the drums the Denon comes into it's own giving more punch. Timbre is good for both pair of headphones.
The vocals. The Focal is superb, everything just flows. Warnes' vocals are strong considering she was in her early 70s when cut this album. Rarely does she venture into the high end of her range. This can be said of most of the vocals I've listened to on the Focals, James Taylor, as an example, is perfection. However, the Denon has a trick up it's sleeve and is what drew me to them. The upper treble, there's certainly a push here by design. As good as the vocals are on the Focals it's not as exciting as the Denon. You can shut your eyes with the Focals on this album and enjoy what you hear, a very very good interpretation of a well recorded album with wonderful timbre. Shut your eyes with the Denon and that double bass the more exciting vocals it's as if the artist and musicians are in your living room.
What I also like about the Denon is the ability to bring the vocals a step forward. If the vocals are deep in the mix, then, because of my age, I'm in the same ball park as Jennifer Warnes, then sometimes those vocals get pushed too far back. The Denons are very good as resolving this in the soundstage. With soundstage in mind I find the Denons to be narrower but higher. Instruments are placed on different levels and are easily distinguishable, a much better soundstage than closed backs I've had in the past. The Focals are wider, but not by much. They do have the ability to throw out small details around that soundstage and I find them highly enjoyable.
Build quality of both is excellent, both are very tactile headphones. Comfort, for me is good, but I think people larger than me may be troubled by the Focals clamping force. I don't find any problems with the headband of either and have had no trouble listening for at least two hours in a session. We all know what's in the Denon's box and that is not much. The Focals come with a very good carry case and like the Denons don't have a spare pair of earpads, shocking at this price range from both manufacturers. Cables with the Focal is a balanced 3 metre and short open ended cable, would have preferred a 3 metre open and I currently have to either use the Denon's cable which fits the 3.5mm to the phones. Perhaps I get a third party 3 metre in the not too distant future.
I'm happy with both the Denon and the Focals but neither is very forgiving when it comes to those victims of the loudness wars. That treble push with the Denon works against it here and neither are comfortable listens when those ablums dynamics are squashed flatter than hammered s***, well you get my meaning. Those albums tend to get left for the more forgiving Oppos. If you were to twist my arm and ask which I would have kept if finances didn't allow me the luxury of owning both then I have to say it's the Denon. The treble push and the way it sets the vocals in the soundstage plus the fact that I will use closed backs more often than openbacks would have been the deciding factor as well as knowing I already have an excellent pair in the Oppo PM1s.
In the coming weeks the gap between the two may get narrower and I'm enjoying both and I don't think either will disappoint it may very well come down to whether or not it's open or closed you need. At the moment, typing this out, I'm listening on the Denons to Hans Zimmer's OST on CD of The Last Samuri. Damn, they're even excellent at this.
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