[shorke]

Just a soundcard, so 32ohms. It should be fine, but the HD 280s are still louder for some reason. It's strange. This soundcard is back from the first wave of Cmedia 8788 cards (http://htomega.com/claroplus.html), I've been waiting for some new soundchip to come out or maybe get external DAC and an amp. How well does that work with computer gaming though? 
 
Quote:

You must have a very weak source with a weak amp. If it's anything like the D7000, practically anything should drive it to overwhelming decibel levels.

 

 

[Deathdeisel]

Gotta agree with the volume issue. Even if i use just my ipod shuffle 5th gen, i can get my d5ks to loud volume, and if i use my fiio E7 i can drive it way past damaging levels. E9 has the same thing. 

 

[shorke]

Are the D2000s supposed to have a rather clustered sound stage and really distant mids with overpowering bass? I read these were supposed to be good all rounders for all music, have a nice soundstage and seperation, and good bass but not overwhelming but I've noticed I can't hear the mids a lot of the time, they are distant and lost among the highs and the lows. The seperation and soundstage isn't as large as my HD 280s I feel, I could pick out instruments with those but with these it is just some highs and deafening bass. Maybe I need an amp or to rma them, I don't know. 

 

[TMRaven]

What is your source?  They do have some highs that tend to run over the mids a lot.  The lows seem fairly accurate to me, especially if you're coming off full-range speakers and or a good 2.1 system, so a better source won't magically bring the mids out and tame the treble down.

 

[shorke]

http://htomega.com/claroplus.html
 
This soundcard. 
 
To clarify, I guess the lows seem really dependent on the source. Some songs on an album have really flabby, muddy bass but some songs have pretty refined.
Quote:

What is your source?  They do have some highs that tend to run over the mids a lot.  The lows seem fairly accurate to me, especially if you're coming off full-range speakers and or a good 2.1 system, so a better source won't magically bring the mids out and tame the treble down.

 

 

[TMRaven]

I have no experience with that card, but it does sound like a reputable source.  It sounds like you're looking for a more neutral headphone, or you could try markl modding the Denons.  I havn't done it but people swear by it.

 

[MIKELAP]

Quote:

D2K's aren't loud at all.
 
I need to drive them quite a lot...

I am running  my d-5000 with a burson 160ds and a littledot mk3 and on both a good lisyening level is around 9-10 o'clock but on some tunes it could go as high as 12
 

 

[shorke]

Yeah, I like the fun presentation but it is a bit tiring. Sounds great on some genres though, if I was a richer man I'd keep these around just for electronic and rap stuff. This question is a bit off topic but I've been wondering, I've only ever used closed headphones and some of these open ones sound nice, but will it sound like I have small speakers on my head to everyone else in the house?
 
Quote:

I have no experience with that card, but it does sound like a reputable source.  It sounds like you're looking for a more neutral headphone, or you could try markl modding the Denons.  I havn't done it but people swear by it.

 

 

[scannon18]

Quote:

Are the D2000s supposed to have a rather clustered sound stage and really distant mids with overpowering bass? I read these were supposed to be good all rounders for all music, have a nice soundstage and seperation, and good bass but not overwhelming but I've noticed I can't hear the mids a lot of the time, they are distant and lost among the highs and the lows. The seperation and soundstage isn't as large as my HD 280s I feel, I could pick out instruments with those but with these it is just some highs and deafening bass. Maybe I need an amp or to rma them, I don't know. 

Are they brand new?  I'm listening to the Denons right now, great soundstage, controlled bass, mids right where I want them.  

 

[shorke]

They were open box that I got yesterday, I know I probably should burn them in more but they just feel very aggressive and tiring right now. I don't mind bass and what not, but it feels like its a bit much. What will burn in change in these? I've got 14 days to return them.
 
Quote:

Are they brand new?  I'm listening to the Denons right now, great soundstage, controlled bass, mids right where I want them.  

 

 

[scannon18]

Quote:

They were open box that I got yesterday, I know I probably should burn them in more but they just feel very aggressive and tiring right now. I don't mind bass and what not, but it feels like its a bit much. What will burn in change in these? I've got 14 days to return them.
 


 

The sound you are describing is close to my burn-in experience with the D2000s.  My advice would be to play them continuously so that you can rack up as many hours as possible in 14 days.  I noticed after about a month that the treble calmed down A LOT, sibilance was no longer an issue, bass became more prominent and also less clumsy.
 
So try to let them play for 10 hours a day, you should have quite a few built up by the time you need to return them.  You can determine if they sound good enough to keep.  

 

[shorke]

Yeah, that is my current plan. I'm also grabbing an amp, the O2 seems like a nice choice because it is supposed to work with a wide variety of headphones. I've heard that helps tighten the bass up a bit too. 
 
Quote:

The sound you are describing is close to my burn-in experience with the D2000s.  My advice would be to play them continuously so that you can rack up as many hours as possible in 14 days.  I noticed after about a month that the treble calmed down A LOT, sibilance was no longer an issue, bass became more prominent and also less clumsy.
 
So try to let them play for 10 hours a day, you should have quite a few built up by the time you need to return them.  You can determine if they sound good enough to keep.  

 

 

[Totally Dubbed]

Quote:

Are the D2000s supposed to have a rather clustered sound stage and really distant mids with overpowering bass? 

Definitely not - what are you comparing these to?
 
Right-out-the-box they sounded clean to me, got much cleaner and SS opened up a lot, but you should compare them tot he XB700's...and then describe "distant mids & overpowering bass"
 


Quote:

Are they brand new?  I'm listening to the Denons right now, great soundstage, controlled bass, mids right where I want them.  

+1
 
Made my MG7's sound tiny...0.0


Quote:

They were open box that I got yesterday, I know I probably should burn them in more but they just feel very aggressive and tiring right now. I don't mind bass and what not, but it feels like its a bit much. What will burn in change in these? I've got 14 days to return them.
 

Aggressive might be down to EQ?
Wild guess, but have you notched the highs a little up?


Quote:

The sound you are describing is close to my burn-in experience with the D2000s.  My advice would be to play them continuously so that you can rack up as many hours as possible in 14 days.  I noticed after about a month that the treble calmed down A LOT, sibilance was no longer an issue, bass became more prominent and also less clumsy.
 
So try to let them play for 10 hours a day, you should have quite a few built up by the time you need to return them.  You can determine if they sound good enough to keep.  

Well i had something "similar" but honestly the D2K's out the box amazed me.
 
 

 

[shorke]

Nah, I don't use any EQ. The soundstage has also opened up a bit more with more time spent, I've noticed a few albums sound worse than others so it could just be bad source files.
 
Quote:

Aggressive might be down to EQ?
Wild guess, but have you notched the highs a little up?
 
 
 

 

 

[Totally Dubbed]

Quote:

Nah, I don't use any EQ. The soundstage has also opened up a bit more with more time spent, I've noticed a few albums sound worse than others so it could just be bad source files.
 

well the d2k's do VERY well with bad source/recordings.
 
Unlike some other earphones I've heard (I say earphones, as my headphones knowledge isn't great), they tend to pick up all the "impurities" and then make it worse.
 
The D2K's sound brilliant with perfect (flac/320 etc) songs, but also good, yet not bad with worse recordings
Remember you will need tog et adjusted tot hem too.
I found at first the bass really lacking. As time has gone by, I've admired and enjoyed the bass more and more.
Then I put my MG7's in, and they sound terribly muddy, despite the fact that i know that they sound brilliant too -> they just have different sound sigs and characteristics.