[MakubexGB]

I love my D2000s, they are super comfortable, great sound and ample sound stage for gaming. That said I feel the lack some "thump" in their bass.
 
I'm looking for comfortable closed cans that are about as good as the D2000s but with more "thump". I want to be able to feel the bass more while not sacrificing clarity if possible.
 
After quite a bit of research I still haven't found a clear answer. It seems to me like the Beyer dt770 Pro 250ohm could be a good alternative, but some say they lack bass while others say it has plenty.
 
 
To summarize I'm looking for Denon D2000 alternative with the following characteristics:
 
1. Comfortable to wear all day
2. Closed back
3. Good for Gaming (ample sound stage)
4. Deliver bass I can feel while maintaining clarity
5. Budget ~$250
 
My setup:
DAC: Creative X-Fi Titanium HD
Amp: Firestone Cute Beyond
 
Any help is much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[MakubexGB]

Anyone?

 

[TwinQY]

The DT770s will have more than enough bass for your needs (it would still depend on which ones you choose, the 250ohm, the 80ohm PRO, or the 600ohm). Most Beyers are insanely comfortable, so no problems there.
 
Read this for some comparisons between the different DT770 models: http://www.head-fi.org/t/513393/guide-sonic-differences-between-dt770-dt990-models-more
 
For more gaming headphones, try here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-9-29-2012-he-400-edited
 
Agree with RushNerd below, if you can stretch your budget, the HE400s might have that (sub)-bass rumble and tactile feeling you seem to be looking for.

 

[RushNerd]

I don't think the 770's are in anyway going to give you more than the D2000's. If you can't get the bass you want out of the D2000s with EQ and a decent amp, you are going to have a hard time.
 
That said, after using denon's for years (and adoring them) I abandoned them for my he-400's. Their bass doesn't have as much "rumble" as you get from those cups, but I think you would enjoy it, there is a LOT of power there and it is VERY clear, it's no slouch. It's got a lot more "speaker" area than they denon's huge driver. They also sound more akin to speakers. You would need more than your amp likely to get the most out of them though. the 770's also have velours which don't give you quite the same level of bass (more of a moot point than huge deal).
Soundstage is as large as i've ever heard on the 400's also, but getting off track since this isn't in your budget! But seriously, if you can't live with d2k bass, you need to try a different kind or spend a lot more.

 

[TMRaven]

Use full size speakers.  D2000 already delivers quite a wallop, you're not going to get much more.

 

[MakubexGB]

Even if I could stretch my budget the thing about the he-400 is that they are open back and that just doesn't work for me in my current listening environment.
 
Do you guys think I should get a proper external equalizer? I tried using my sound card's software eq (from the Creative console) but I didn't feel anymore bass than I did before, it just made it boomier. Would a proper EQ make a significant difference for feeling the bass in games with my d2000? If so, which one would you recommend?
 
Thanks for the feedback.

 

[TwinQY]

Always use parametric EQs. http://www.head-fi.org/a/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial. 
 
Hardware EQs are nice and all, but they just don't have the accuracy and precision of a well-tuned parametric EQ curve.

 

[TMRaven]

I think even with a parametric EQ, D2000's bass would just get boomier, not stronger.  They do not EQ well.  HE-400 EQ's decently well, as do DT990, but you need massive overhead to EQ the bass up with them, ie a powerful amp.

 

[RushNerd]

Quote:

Even if I could stretch my budget the thing about the he-400 is that they are open back and that just doesn't work for me in my current listening environment.
 
Do you guys think I should get a proper external equalizer? I tried using my sound card's software eq (from the Creative console) but I didn't feel anymore bass than I did before, it just made it boomier. Would a proper EQ make a significant difference for feeling the bass in games with my d2000? If so, which one would you recommend?
 
Thanks for the feedback.

the software EQ is fine, it's just you need to attune the db level acordingly, I current have mine at -8db which is pretty extreme, but you can do whatever you want in EQ and you won't get clipping. Catch is you need a lot of gain to make this work.

 

[MakubexGB]

I see. I'll try setting the gain on my amp to high then. I always have it on low thinking the d2000 don't need much. If I need a better amp please recommend away.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

I see. I'll try setting the gain on my amp to high then. I always have it on low thinking the d2000 don't need much. If I need a better amp please recommend away.

I think what they meant by gain was EQ gain, not actually the gain on the amp.

 

[MakubexGB]

I think what they meant by gain was EQ gain, not actually the gain on the amp.

Oh, lol. Thank's for clearing that up.

 

[RushNerd]

Quote:

I think what they meant by gain was EQ gain, not actually the gain on the amp.

Actually I did mean gain on the amp, if your amp isn't loud enough it's hard to get to a nice level while using heavy EQ.

 

[MakubexGB]

Wow, setting the gain on my amp to high definitely helped when equalizing. I raised the lower freqs a bit and not only can I now feel the bass I'm not getting distortion. So much so that I could only raise it a bit because it quickly started to get uncomfortable

.
 
Thanks a lot guys! You saved me a few hundred bucks.