Denon D5000 for $399 vs. Sennheiser HD650 for $400?

[shuttleboi]

Amazon has the Denon D5000 for $399.

Should I buy these headphones or the Sennheiser HD650 for the same price thereabouts?

My amp will be a Woo Audio 6.

Thanks for any info.

 

[jawang]

I'm pretty sure you can find a much cheaper hd650

Obviously, your music preferences make a difference (you should post them), but from what I've read, the D5000's will generally be superior if you can pull off the markl mod successfully

 

[wink]

The HD650.........get the HD650..!!!!

 

[koven]

WA6? Definitely the HD650, and yes you can find them for cheaper than $400.

 

[AtomikPi]

Everyone saying "pick x headphone" has no idea what they're talking about because you haven't stated anything about your musical taste or what you seek in a headphone. So we're working with blindfolds.

That said, I prefer the D5000; more and better bass, non rolled off highs, decent mids although a bit recessed, decently fast - much faster than the HD650 at least.

Either headphone should be fine with the WA6 as it is transformer coupled.

 

[shuttleboi]

I listen to modern rock, mostly Radiohead, Depeche Mode, U2, Foo Fighters. I occasionally listen to ambient low-fi, like Zero-7.

 

[shuttleboi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jawang /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm pretty sure you can find a much cheaper hd650 Obviously, your music preferences make a difference (you should post them), but from what I've read, the D5000's will generally be superior if you can pull off the markl mod successfully

Authorised dealers like Amazon, et al., are selling the HD650 at $499. Lower prices can be had from non-authorised dealers. I would prefer the former in order to keep the Sennheiser warranty.

I have no intention of modding any headphones.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Last time I checked, you could find the HD-650 around $325. Check with HeadRoom and TTVJ. Both are authorized dealers and both contribute heavily to Head-Fi. They deserve your support and their prices are always closest to the lowest or worth it anyhow just for their excellent customer service. A couple others I've bought from are B&H and J&R. They don't sponsor Head-Fi, but they're excellent, too, and have great prices.

As for the headphones, I prefer the HD-650 by a wide margin. First, I think open headphones are superior, generally. The only closed headphones I think are good are the Sony R10 and the Beyerdynamic DT48. The R10 is probably a little more than you want to spend and I wouldn't recommend the DT48 to you - it's a niche headphone for hairshirt acoustic freaks. I like the Sony MDR-7509HD, too, but it's not in the same league as a HD-650.

I've tried Denons several times and I do not like their bass. There's too much and it's poorly controlled - modded or not. The bass detracts from the mids and highs, too. Some people like that sound, but the HD-650's presentation is much more balanced and precise. I'd rather be able to pick out individual bass notes and have them blend seamlessly with the rest of the music. Also, the HD-650 has a better soundstage and presentation than any closed headphone, save maybe the R10.

 

[AtomikPi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttleboi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listen to modern rock, mostly Radiohead, Depeche Mode, U2, Foo Fighters. I occasionally listen to ambient low-fi, like Zero-7.

You would be fine with either, but I think the forwardness of the Denons complements rock better than the laidback Senns. If you want less bass or a warm signature, go for the Senns

 

[donunus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttleboi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listen to modern rock, mostly Radiohead, Depeche Mode, U2, Foo Fighters. I occasionally listen to ambient low-fi, like Zero-7.

D5000!

 

[genpatton7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttleboi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Authorised dealers like Amazon, et al., are selling the HD650 at $499. Lower prices can be had from non-authorised dealers. I would prefer the former in order to keep the Sennheiser warranty. I have no intention of modding any headphones.

HeadRoom has had the HD 650 for some time at $350 with the coupon code, I recently called J&R and they had it for the same price. Both are authorized dealers, as previously mentioned.

 

[j2kei]

i had a d7000 (tried one with myk2000's pico and gilmore lite setup) and since the d5000 is so similar to the d7000 that you may opt for the d5000 due to its clear music presentation that gives the impression of a live concert. the d5000 REALLY REALLY requires an excellent DAC to sound good and control that annoying sibilance. i am not kidding when i talk about sibilance. i never had a real issue with sibilance until i met the denons. another thing that something that really bothered me about the denon was the booming bass. in certain songs, the bass emphasis is extremely fun and definitely WOW factor, however in other songs the bass is just boomy and interferes with the music. maybe some markl mod or cup stuffing can help in this.

the hd650 on the other hand has more of a mellow darker sound that is plentiful is bass warmth and great mids but has roll off mids. something really concerning the hd650 is the veil, however with proper amp (your woo audio should definitely be enough) and DAC (and possible aftermarket cable - recommend silver for lifting veil), you hsould have no problem.

now assuming you have a good DAC and use your woo audio, the decision really comes down to your music preference. the hd650 is darker sound with roll off treble or the d5000 with an extreme v-shape sound freq that gives clearer live-performance sound (once that bass is tamed).

 

[mrarroyo]

I am one of the few who has never cared for the Senn HD580/600/650 even after trying 10 or so after market cables and a large number of amps. The Denon D2000 w/ MarkL mods, D7000 cable, and a pair of bubinga wood cups is IMO outstanding. If the Jenna cable is used better than the R10.

However I see you listen to lots of rock, metal, etc. You may wish to consider the Grado RS-1 or RS-2.

 

[punkaroo]

If you have no plans to mod, I'd get the D5000. Better cable than the D2000, and it comes with wooden cups.

Personally, after hearing both my modded D2000s and the HD650s through two different tube amps, I think they sound very similar. But the Denons have better bass extension, IMHO.

 

[linuxworks]

I recently got a pair of d2000 denons. I'm not all that happy with them. they're quite efficient, have 'some kind' of bass (?) and actually do fit and feel ok. but their sound shouty (nasty midrange) and the bass is fake and boomy. they give an ok impression but don't hold up to senn sound.

I still prefer my hd580 and 650.

the 650 that I have costed closer to $200, since it was the parts cost of a DIY build. you can order all (all!) the parts and just snap them together yourself and save $200 or more

I would not pay more than $300 or so for the hd650 but I would take the hd from senn over the denon series anyday. the only reason I bought the denons was that I wanted an alternative and a closed phone, for work.

at home, I don't see anything better about the denon and so I pick up one of the senns to listen to, when closed-in is not a requirement.