[Lohb]

Twerk off-topic... quick question.... but how do you find the Ray Samuel amp ? I'm changing my cable plug ends 1-by-1 to RSA/ALO and may pick an RSA amp soon.

 

[TWerk]

  Twerk off-topic... quick question.... but how do you find the Ray Samuel amp ? I'm changing my cable plug ends 1-by-1 to RSA/ALO and may pick an RSA amp soon.

 
I really like the predator. It's amazing how good it sounds for it being so small. Literally, you could stack 12 of them up to equal the size of the Matrix M-Stage that I have. And the sound quality is right up there with that unit. I'm actually considering selling the M-stage because the two are so close, but the Predator is just so much smaller and more portable.
 
Please keep in mind my headphones are all low impedance, which I think is part of the reason why it works so well. Not sure it would have the power to drive the higher imp headphones, I don't know because I don't have any to test it with. It does have 3 different gain settings, where the high gain is way too loud for my headphones.
 
Compared to something like O2+ODAC, predator sounds more musical and less analytical/aggressive. A little bit darker, with highs that aren't as sharp. Overall, it is a pretty smooth sound with a little roll off up-top to keep things pleasant. It's a fun and relaxed listen. Bass is really good. I've heard it pairs very well with the HD650, which I might have to try one of these days to see for myself.
 
Highly recommend. Not to mention there is a lifetime warranty on this amp. It's certainly a quality product and the battery life is also amazing.

 

[TWerk]

 
Just to prove the point....

 

[Lohb]

 
 
Just to prove the point....

My god ! I'm going for F35 Raptor for my cans or the PB2. I just wonder how D2k would sound off his stuff....must be teeth shaking bass.

 

[HesterDW]

  I am pretty sure the copper inside the stock D2k cable is just OFC.  I read this somewhere before, but not sure where.

 
 

   
Yes, this is correct.
 
http://assets.denon.com/DocumentMaster/us/AH-D5000_2000_1001Lit_1004_rev1.pdf
 
·         L/R equal cable connection
High-quality cables of equal length for the L/R channels are used to maintain optimum sound quality.  These are OFC cables enclosed in a cloth mesh jacket.

 
 
Appreciate the help guys.

 

[MIKELAP]

Was just checking out new Lawton Audio web site especially his wood cups for Denons and Fostex HP very nice wood essences he's using but the prices  from $479.00 to $679.00 for cups and i tought $289.00 i paid a couple years ago was expensive . http://www.lawtonaudio.com/

 

[Lohb]

  Was just checking out new Lawton Audio web site especially his wood cups for Denons and Fostex HP very nice wood essences he's using but the prices  from $479.00 to $679.00 for cups and i tought $289.00 i paid a couple years ago was expensive . http://www.lawtonaudio.com/

I'm looking for Dxk wood cup beta testers 4-6 weeks forward at not for profit on test batch. Bit early to say it, but I have 2 guys already. I'm away from home just now, but soon as I get back I'll be selecting some tasty wood with nice grain....

 

[caprimulgus]

D 5000 better mids slightly more bass especially midbass thicker sound
D2000 more v shaped

 
interesting...i was always under the impression that the bass decreased in quantity and increased in quality/tightness as you went up the range (not from personal experience, just what i've always gathered from impressions).
 
perhaps that is just the RELATIVE amount of bass, given the more recessed mids giving the impression of more emphasised bass?

 

[JoeDoe]

perhaps that is just the RELATIVE amount of bass, given the more recessed mids giving the impression of more emphasised bass?

What I was thinking...

 

[Oregonian]

  Was just checking out new Lawton Audio web site especially his wood cups for Denons and Fostex HP very nice wood essences he's using but the prices  from $479.00 to $679.00 for cups and i tought $289.00 i paid a couple years ago was expensive . http://www.lawtonaudio.com/

 
Ouch. 

 

[KimChee]

I've owned all 3, and I still own a modded D2000. D7000 has the more detailed "reference" type sound, bass is most controlled out of the three it has the best detail imaging etc.

D5000 has the most bass quantity and a lot more midbass than either D2000 or D7000. The bass is actually a tad loose. The mids on the 5000 are more forward than on the D2000, D5000 has more bass too. I'll probably end up getting a D7000 again mod it and call it a day

interesting...i was always under the impression that the bass decreased in quantity and increased in quality/tightness as you went up the range (not from personal experience, just what i've always gathered from impressions).

perhaps that is just the RELATIVE amount of bass, given the more recessed mids giving the impression of more emphasised bass?

 

[sonitus mirus]

I think the later versions of the D5K had a bit tighter bass than the older models. (inner|fidelity even mentions this)
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/luscious-denon-ah-d2000-ah-d50000-and-ah-d7000-page-3
 
It was because of the slight increase in bass quantity that I felt the D5K with Lawton modifications to improve the loose bass is the best sounding of all 3, regardless of price.  All of them are super fun, and I think I enjoyed many songs with the D7K over the D5K, but overall I liked the modded D5K best.  I could settle with what was lost with the D5K on some songs easier than I could settle with what was lost with the D7K on other songs. (hope that makes sense..I had to read it twice)

 

[Oregonian]

Just for a reference point, here's the Headroom graph on a number of the Denon cans. 
 
I'm not a "FR graphs are the end all" but it does give a sense of what the different models tend to sound like in this bass conversation. 
 
I currently own - LA2000, D5000 (totally stock), MD7000, D600 and D7100.  I think I agree with sonitus that the most recent D5000's have tighter bass, as my stock version, which I was hell bent on Lawton modding like my others, does not need it.  Stock it sounds amazing.  That said, both my LA2000 and MD7000 bass is incredible.
 
The D7100 shows as the most bassy of the bunch and that's probably true tho it is not the tightest.  My MD7000 takes that cake, and I intend on doing a pseudo-Lawton mod at least on the cups of the D600 and then maybe the D7100 after I get comfortable opening them up.
 

 

[HesterDW]

  Was just checking out new Lawton Audio web site especially his wood cups for Denons and Fostex HP very nice wood essences he's using but the prices  from $479.00 to $679.00 for cups and i tought $289.00 i paid a couple years ago was expensive . http://www.lawtonaudio.com/

You can contact him and request less exotic woods, less glossy finish, etc. Sometimes he even has (what he refers to as) "B-grade cups" that are still absolutely beautiful.

 

[KimChee]

I got my Cocobolo deep Rosewood cups for $250..