[Malevolent]

that’s so interesting - wow. The price in Australia might be due to the fact that it was never actually sold here. Mine is going to be a special order directly from denon through the local distributor.
Custom order + shipping + customs might be the reason it’s 2800. Kind of cool that I would have one of the few 9200s in Australia though!

also, the Z1R was actually 1600 AUD at one point in Aus a year or two ago. It’s relatively affordable in Australia. It was such a comfortable and well built headphone (though I didn’t like the plastic on the cup frames - they creaked a bit) but I found the mids too recessed for my liking. It felt like the vocals were so far back that I’d have to turn up the volume to hear them.

In any case, the MDR-Z1R has risen in price now - it's AUD 2,500 on the official Sony site. That's very much in line with the official MSRP of $1,800 in the US market. The thing is, I've seen varying prices for the Sony; it was launched at over $2,000 a few years ago. Hence, the value has dropped a fair bit over time, but I think it has settled at a comfortable spot right now. For anyone looking to get an MDR-Z1R, now's the time.

Well, back to the AH-D9200..

 

[Malevolent]

How would you describe are the 9200s strengths?

It has good tonal balance without losing a musical core.

It has some of the best-textured bass around, with great layering, separation, and articulation. Despite not being heavy on the bass, the AH-D9200 retains good slam and impact.

Treble is sparkly, clear and detailed, but never harsh or sibilant. It is a good complement to the excellent bass presentation.

For a headphone that's relatively musical, the AH-D9200 has good resolving abilities. Clarity and micro-detail are rendered well; it doesn't struggle to produce nuances in tracks.

 

[BaTou069]

It has good tonal balance without losing a musical core.

It has some of the best-textured bass around, with great layering, separation, and articulation. Despite not being heavy on the bass, the AH-D9200 retains good slam and impact.

Treble is sparkly, clear and detailed, but never harsh or sibilant. It is a good complement to the excellent bass presentation.

For a headphone that's relatively musical, the AH-D9200 has good resolving abilities. Clarity and micro-detail are rendered well; it doesn't struggle to produce nuances in tracks.

Thanks! I saw some people put it above focals and hd800, would you agree?
Also since it's easy to drive, how does it respond to different amps or tubes? Or dacs

 

[Malevolent]

Thanks! I saw some people put it above focals and hd800, would you agree?
Also since it's easy to drive, how does it respond to different amps or tubes? Or dacs

This hobby is subjective in nature; hence, your first question is quite difficult to answer. I can only provide a response based on my personal experiences and/or preferences. If so, yes, I'd take the AH-D9200 over any Sennheiser or Focal product.

To expound on my answer, the AH-D9200 has a signature that matches my tastes perfectly. I desire a sound that has a slight-to-strong emphasis on the bass; in that regard, the AH-D9200 aces the test, with a superb presentation that is both appealing and addictive. Moreover, despite being (somewhat) treble sensitive, I enjoy sparkling and clear highs, and the Denon flagship provides this. All of these components are crucial to the enjoyment of my favorite musical genre, EDM.

Thus, how much you enjoy the AH-D9200, or any other headphone, lies solely on 2 major factors - 1) Your personal preferences, and 2) The type of music you enjoy. Every other aspect is secondary to these elements, IMO.

The AH-D9200 is quite easy to drive, so you should not have any issues powering them from a variety of DAPs and/or desktop solutions.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

I heartly second that statement.
Have heard the HD800s and Focal Clear but not Stellia or HD6xx's.

The D9200, as the best allround closed back out there (imo), digs much more boxes for my wide range of genres i listen to then the 2 above.
They make me think about selling my beloved SEM5.

 

[Terriero]

I heartly second that statement.
Have heard the HD800s and Focal Clear but not Stellia or HD6xx's.

The D9200, as the best allround closed back out there (imo), digs much more boxes for my wide range of genres i listen to then the 2 above.
They make me think about selling my beloved SEM5.

Have you ever tried Beyer DT 1990 Pro with rock or metal? I enjoy more some of my rock or metal with them over the 9200s. Maybe my DAC/AMP is the guilty.

For example, I love "Dark side of the moon" with 1990 Pro and althought it sounds spectacular with the 9200s, I prefer with the Beyer. Maybe is due to their soundstage, that benefit that concrete album. Other example is the really bad produced albums (like some of Tristania, which I love, or Epica), I find them shouty or border the annoy in the highs (for example, in some passage of Simone Simons) with the Denons.

Now I'm with the HD 800's, I've just watched "Gladiator" with them, spectacular and listening to "Apocalyptica - Cult". Tomorrow, I will listen to Nightwish (from Angels fall first to Once in FLAC) with the Denons and post here my impressions. Also, I will give a try to their "post Tarja's out" material to see if I find something I like (I've just saw your post in the Closed back thread ).

 

[BaTou069]

This hobby is subjective in nature; hence, your first question is quite difficult to answer. I can only provide a response based on my personal experiences and/or preferences. If so, yes, I'd take the AH-D9200 over any Sennheiser or Focal product.

To expound on my answer, the AH-D9200 has a signature that matches my tastes perfectly. I desire a sound that has a slight-to-strong emphasis on the bass; in that regard, the AH-D9200 aces the test, with a superb presentation that is both appealing and addictive. Moreover, despite being (somewhat) treble sensitive, I enjoy sparkling and clear highs, and the Denon flagship provides this. All of these components are crucial to the enjoyment of my favorite musical genre, EDM.

Thus, how much you enjoy the AH-D9200, or any other headphone, lies solely on 2 major factors - 1) Your personal preferences, and 2) The type of music you enjoy. Every other aspect is secondary to these elements, IMO.

The AH-D9200 is quite easy to drive, so you should not have any issues powering them from a variety of DAPs and/or desktop solutions.

That's interesting. My music ranges wide but I'd say 50% edm, and the rest goes to rock and se.jazz. I'm missing the feeling I had from the he400s where I kind of felt the bass texture it was just a different experience I've never had before. But soundstage was too narrow and some highs very ear piercing. That's why I'm looking to upgrade

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Have you ever tried Beyer DT 1990 Pro with rock or metal? I enjoy more some of my rock or metal with them over the 9200s. Maybe my DAC/AMP is the guilty.

For example, I love "Dark side of the moon" with 1990 Pro and althought it sounds spectacular with the 9200s, I prefer with the Beyer. Maybe is due to their soundstage, that benefit that concrete album. Other example is the really bad produced albums (like some of Tristania, which I love, or Epica), I find them shouty or border the annoy in the highs (for example, in some passage of Simone Simons) with the Denons.

Now I'm with the HD 800's, I've just watched "Gladiator" with them, spectacular and listening to "Apocalyptica - Cult". Tomorrow, I will listen to Nightwish (from Angels fall first to Once in FLAC) with the Denons and post here my impressions. Also, I will give a try to their "post Tarja's out" material to see if I find something I like (I've just saw your post in the Closed back thread ).

Very interesting.

Never heard the 1990 Pro, sadly.
Have had the T1.2 on hand, but it didn't impressed me that much althought it's a good sounding headphone. (The Quad Era-1 is by far a better headphone for me)
Call me a little biased that time, the T1.2s mid range was too much recessed for my likings and as i'm a bit picky with to pronounced highs.
Furthermore i don't like velour pads on my skin.

Nonetheless i'm very curious about the 1990 Pro and will give it a shot in the near future.

Yes, Simone's voice isn't for such headphones, especially at higher volume listening.
But the instrumentation is undisputed great, which also applies to a whole range of symphonic metal bands.

I always try to keep my listening volume as low as possible, so a good resolving headphone is important to me.

Well, it strongly depends on our own bias wether a headphone sounds canny (SEM5 sometimes), recessed or pronounced (D9200 mid range) in certain areas or not.

I'm strongly dedicated to the Era-1 as my benchmark for musical enjoyment and all headphones crosses my way has to compete with it. That's my bias for now.

Even the lovely D9200 has a hard time against the Quad, despite they're sharing the same tonality.

 

[cfranchi]

This is a tough one, since the HP-3 was ostensibly built to be musical and rich-sounding, as opposed to strict adherence to tonal and technical metrics.

The Klipsch has a full-bodied timbre; everything sounds lush and weighty. Bass is also impactful and strong, but not egregiously so - you will enjoy good thumping bass on this headphone. Like its low-end, the midrange is similarly thick and syrupy, producing vocals that are equal parts dense and compelling. Sadly, its treble region disappoints, thanks to harsh peaks that render a sibilant tone to its highs.

Nevertheless, the HP-3 is indeed "fun", as it eschews any notion of neutrality or balance. It's not here to assault your senses with absolute detail; rather, it's a rich and rounded experience that you will be enjoying.

In contrast, the AH-D9200 is more subdued in its presentation - it's leaner-sounding, with bass and treble sections that are tempered in quantity (but not quality). With that being said, the Denon still retains a musical flair.

Thus, to answer your question, prima facie, the HP-3 is the more musically-engaging headphone. However, the Denon's (positive) innate characteristics easily pull it ahead of the Klipsch in overall enjoyment - what you lose in sheer musicality, you gain in control over the higher frequencies, resulting in an almost-perfect blend of sparkle and detail, a good tonal balance, better resolution, and one of the best-textured lows in the headphone world.

Well I have received my HP-3 and I didn’t enjoy it too much, ok its a fun headphone however the mid bass blend too much into the mids, consequently the timbre are off, especially vocals, and that is not so good : vocals are muffled, my Fidelio X2 is far better and don’t lack any musicality (even if HP-3 can have stronger impact).

Its quite difficult to get a headphone that is musical and balanced at the same time, and it is not a price question, the one that came closed was my HE6se, but I made the mistake to sold it...

 

[vicens bosch]

Good afternoon, thinking of buying a balanced forza cable, one question, because of the 3.5mm output I have considerable power with Kann alpha, there is so much difference from the balanced to the unbalanced output, and if there are any differences, are they? Greetings.

 

[Malevolent]

Well I have received my HP-3 and I didn’t enjoy it too much, ok its a fun headphone however the mid bass blend too much into the mids, consequently the timbre are off, especially vocals, and that is not so good : vocals are muffled, my Fidelio X2 is far better and don’t lack any musicality (even if HP-3 can have stronger impact).

Its quite difficult to get a headphone that is musical and balanced at the same time, and it is not a price question, the one that came closed was my HE6se, but I made the mistake to sold it...

Yes, that's both the good and the bad of the HP-3 - if you can stomach its heavy bass, that dense, thick core, and an oft-sibilant treble, the Klipsch is a very entertaining headphone, blending luscious, weighty vocals with a strong, thumping bassline. It's certainly not for everyone, and for the life of me, I (still) can't get over its hot, harsh highs. However, for passages lacking a slew of screeching guitar riffs or overly-emphasized hi-hats, the HP-3 is fantastic with Rock and Pop music; the singer does come to the fore on these occasions, with a potent and stage-grabbing vocal presentation.

I'm sorry to hear that the HP-3 was not a good match; hopefully, you'll find something better in the future. Good luck!

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Well I have received my HP-3 and I didn’t enjoy it too much, ok its a fun headphone however the mid bass blend too much into the mids, consequently the timbre are off, especially vocals, and that is not so good : vocals are muffled, my Fidelio X2 is far better and don’t lack any musicality (even if HP-3 can have stronger impact).

Its quite difficult to get a headphone that is musical and balanced at the same time, and it is not a price question, the one that came closed was my HE6se, but I made the mistake to sold it...

Take a look at the Quad Era-1.

I know, i'm rephrasing this so many times.
But for me, it's a fact. ^^
Well, i know of the existing mental bias, but want do keep my head as clear as possible.

If you're on the hunt for musical enjoyment and well balanced sound on an open back headphone, just have an audition to this headphone.

You've nothing to lose and maybe so much to gain.

Good luck on your journey.

 

[cfranchi]

Take a look at the Quad Era-1.

I know, i'm rephrasing this so many times.
But for me, it's a fact. ^^
Well, i know of the existing mental bias, but want do keep my head as clear as possible.

If you're on the hunt for musical enjoyment and well balanced sound on an open back headphone, just have an audition to this headphone.

You've nothing to lose and maybe so much to gain.

Good luck on your journey.

Seems interesting, I’ll take a look, thank you

 

[cfranchi]

Take a look at the Quad Era-1.

I know, i'm rephrasing this so many times.
But for me, it's a fact. ^^
Well, i know of the existing mental bias, but want do keep my head as clear as possible.

If you're on the hunt for musical enjoyment and well balanced sound on an open back headphone, just have an audition to this headphone.

You've nothing to lose and maybe so much to gain.

Good luck on your journey.

How does the Quad compare against your other headphones ?

 

[Chris Kaoss]

How does the Quad compare against your other headphones ?

It's very similar to the D9200.
Larger Headstage bc open back and cooler on my head.
Bass is as deep as the D9200, but a tad faster (planar bass). Sometimes, the D9200 is in front and sometimes the Quad shows his "wall of bass", which is produced by the larger surface of the diaphragm.
The SEM 5 is not as good as the other two, goes deep as well on certain recordings but it hasn't that rumble.
Well, the driver of the D9200 has its own charm, i'd say.

Mids are slightly better on the Era-1 for me. The mids of the D9200 are a little bit more forward.
On the SEM5, mids are slightly recessed against the Era-1 and more so to the D9200, what makes it a bit canny sounding. Better suited for live concert recordings, which creates a deeper stage, imo.

While the highs are pretty equal, the D9200 has some advantage in the sparkling department.
The SEM5 is a highly resolving headphone with great highs and flawless instrument separation in that area.
Detail retrieval is great on both.
None of them will be harsh or produce sibilance. But that depends on the listening volume, i think.

Sound (which will rotate by genre and depends on my mood, thou)
1. Era-1
2. D9200
3. SEM5

Comfort,
1. SEM 5
2. Era-1 / D9200

Mostly i need the cooler touch of the Era-1, which also depends on the temperatures outside. ^^

Well, the Quad is my #1 out of all.
That said, i like to rotate with the other two for different flavours.
All 3 have their strengths.
Love em all.