[pickleweed]

of the 2, which is generally the better headphone?
 
im looking for something with strong, controlled bass, up front mids, and detailed highs.  would like it as detailed as possible.  listen to a lot of rock, indie, pop, acoustic, progressive metal, with sprinkles of rap.  also would like it to have good imaging and instrument separation.  generally will be used with streaming services like mog, or an ipod with 320 mp3's through an e17.  isolation isnt a dealbreaker, but would like leakage to be minimal.  ive tested the a900's and they were nice, but the denon's seem to be almost universally heralded as the better can.  the a900's are readily available in store, but im willing to go hunt/gamble for a used denon if its generally the better can.
 
what'cha got?  am i overthinking it or are the denon's worth hunting for?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

of the 2, which is generally the better headphone?
 
im looking for something with strong, controlled bass, up front mids, and detailed highs.  would like it as detailed as possible.  listen to a lot of rock, indie, pop, acoustic, progressive metal, with sprinkles of rap.  also would like it to have good imaging and instrument separation.  generally will be used with streaming services like mog, or an iPod with 320 mp3's through an e17.  isolation isnt a dealbreaker, but would like leakage to be minimal.  ive tested the a900's and they were nice, but the denon's seem to be almost universally heralded as the better can.  the a900's are readily available in store, but im willing to go hunt/gamble for a used denon if its generally the better can.
 
what'cha got?  am i overthinking it or are the denon's worth hunting for?

I would say to save some cash and get some used ATH-A900s, off eBay or at Amazon.
But the ATH-A900s are not bassy headphones, but everything else should sound good.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

of the 2, which is generally the better headphone?
 
im looking for something with strong, controlled bass, up front mids, and detailed highs.  would like it as detailed as possible.  listen to a lot of rock, indie, pop, acoustic, progressive metal, with sprinkles of rap.  also would like it to have good imaging and instrument separation.  generally will be used with streaming services like mog, or an ipod with 320 mp3's through an e17.  isolation isnt a dealbreaker, but would like leakage to be minimal.  ive tested the a900's and they were nice, but the denon's seem to be almost universally heralded as the better can.  the a900's are readily available in store, but im willing to go hunt/gamble for a used denon if its generally the better can.
 
what'cha got?  am i overthinking it or are the denon's worth hunting for?

The D2000s leak a lot. The mids aren't exactly up front. Everything else fits your criteria very nicely. Any other options that you might have?

 

[pickleweed]

Quote:

The D2000s leak a lot. The mids aren't exactly up front. Everything else fits your criteria very nicely. Any other options that you might have?

 
ive heard varying reports on the mids.  some guys insist their recessed, only to be rebutted by someone saying they arent in any way recessed.  im so confused! lol.  how much is alot?  i listen at pretty reasonable volumes, and would sacrifice leakage for sound quality but i do have to be contientious of guys around me.  though most of them are locked in their own phones so itd be reasonably forgiving.  more than anything, i dont want to telegraph what im listening to all the time
 
i checked out the akg 550's and didnt really like the fit.  other than that, all i really want is the best phone my 300 bucks'll get me.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

 
ive heard varying reports on the mids.  some guys insist their recessed, only to be rebutted by someone saying they arent in any way recessed.  im so confused! lol.  how much is alot?  i listen at pretty reasonable volumes, and would sacrifice leakage for sound quality but i do have to be contientious of guys around me.  though most of them are locked in their own phones so itd be reasonably forgiving.  more than anything, i dont want to telegraph what im listening to all the time
 
i checked out the akg 550's and didnt really like the fit.  other than that, all i really want is the best phone my 300 bucks'll get me.

Not recessed, but not forward at all. Leakage is slightly similar to a semi-closed pair, so not a lot, but still audible 2-3 feet away, I'd guess?

 

[TMRaven]

Their upper mids are very overwhelmed by the lower treble and bass.  Brass and background vocals can be especially hard to follow compared to other more neutral headphones.

 

[Origin89]

The Denons leak a bit, but not enough to be offensive. Hardly noticeable when there's other noise in the room. The mids aren't forward, but they're not greatly recessed either. I'd say the mids are closer to neutral with an emphasis on bass and treble. This is what helps give it that warm and lush sound. Soundstage is really nice and they're comfortable for hours of use. They sound good with everything, really.