So I had both the D2000's and the D5000's for a week after which I ended up returning them both. Here are the impressions I gathered during the time I had to compare them to the SRH 840's (and to the Sennheiser HD 650's to an extent as well). The setup I used to test the headsets was as follows:
For music I went though my favorite collection of rock and some electronic music:
FLAC played bitmatched though my Auzentech Forte's Line-out -> Meier Audio Corda Swing
FLAC played bitmatched though my Auzentech Forte's Line-out -> Heed CanAmp
For movies: Heat (the big shootout scene), The Dark Knight (opening bank robbery scene) and various action scenes from the HBO show Band of Brothers:
DTS played bitmatched though my Auzentech Forte's Line-out -> Meier Audio Corda Swing
DTS played bitmatched though my Auzentech Forte's Line-out -> Heed CanAmp
I own a stock tube'd LD Mk. III aswell, but I felt that it doesn't synergize very well with low impedance headphones. I use it to power my HD 650's.
I went into this looking for a good closed set to use at night, mainly to watch movies. While the Shure's excel at pretty much everything you throw at them (especially when sufficiently amped), I always thought that the soundstage was a little lacking even for a closed pair and the lower end was a little on the gutless side. Action movies in particular felt a little lifeless experienced with the Shures.
Both the Denons I tested were demo pairs so I'm fairly certain they had been sufficiently burned in. Despite this I played a selection of heavy metal through both pairs while I was at work just to make sure I was getting everything the 'phones had to give. At the end of the week I hadn't noticed any significant improvements in overall SQ, however.
Anyway, to my actual impressions:
Comfort
The most significant difference between the Shures and the Denons is comfort. Both the Denons have extremely fat pads which makes them supremely comfortable. If you look past the obvious drawbacks of closed designs, I'd say they match my Sennheisers pretty much exactly. As it is summer they did get a little hot after the first hour, but that's understandable.
Going back to the Shures after spending a week with the Denons, the SRH 840's felt like a god damn vice sitting on top of my head. The heavy build of the Shures really shows and when combined with the weight of the coiled cable (most of which floats in the air while you use them, adding to the weight), I actually experienced a little discomfort I hadn't really noticed before while using them. The Shures clamp fairly hard on your head as well, while the Denons gently float and only form a partial seal around your ears. The drawback of the partial seal is a fair amount of sound leaking both in and out. According to the purely subjective opinions of my SO, the Denons aren't all that much better than the open-backed HD 650's as far as isolation goes. Because of the poor isolation they we're pretty much DOA, since the sole reason I own a closed pair is to keep the noise from bothering the girlfriend.
Build quality
The SRH 840's are built like a tank. I've thrown them around, traveled the world with them in my bag and they haven't really missed a beat. The only complaint I have with them is the adjustable headband, which tends to drawn in so you're constantly adjusting and readjusting. I'm not entirely convinced the collapsible design was the way to go for a full sized pair either, since the drivers have a tendency to turn around on themselves while not in use. It adds to their transportability, I guess. The drawback of the overall design is the relatively massive weight.
Both the Denons felt fairly solidly built and especially the D5000's are a very classy set of headphones. I liked the headband design which was very easy to adjust and stayed in place while in use. The headband material feels very comfortable and satisfyingly expensive.
I can't comment on how they'd hold up in use as I only had them for a week, but as they had been used as demo pairs, I'd say they're fairly good in that department. I enjoyed the fabric covered cables as well.
If I were to rank the three pairs on build quality, it'd go something like this:
1st D5000
2nd SRH 840
3rd D2000
The mahogany cups really give the D5000's the edge here. They look and feel good when they're on your head or just hanging in the headphone stand. The D2000's lose out on the cheap-ish plastic cups they have which takes away from the overall look and feel especially when they're sitting next to the more expensive pairs.
Ease of use
The SRH 840's are the winner here, flat out. They scale extremely well with every source you throw at them. While the SQ is obviously better when you couple them with an amp with enough power, they still sound great when paired directly to a portable player. I've used them extensively with my HTC HD2 while on the move and the SQ is simply excellent.
Both the Denons
really need amplification. When paired up with a portable player, they both sound distant and muddy. Another thing I noticed while testing them with both the CanAmp and Swing is that both the Denons are extremely inconsistent when it comes to sound volume. I don't know if the problem is with my source, but when watching movies the volume is all over the place. I ended up turning the volume up in quieter scenes only to turn it back again when the action ramped up. I experienced the same with music: the volume was very inconsistent between different songs even with different tracks off the same album. The Shures and the Sennheisers are very predictable when used with the same setup, however. It's perplexing.
Sound quality
As I mentioned earlier, the main thing I wanted from the Denons was a more significant lower end and that is what I got. I can't help but to agree with different posters on these forums who have said that they're as close as you're going to get with headphones to feeling like there's a subwoofer strapped to the side of your head. As far as movie watching goes, the bass feels nice and impactful which really adds to the experience, especially with more action oriented titles.The D5000's have the most satisfying lower end out of all the headphones I've had the pleasure to own or to test out, the D2000's to a lesser extent (the D2000's still beat the Shures and the Sennheisers here, however). Bass heads, look no further!
Compared to the Shures and the Sennheisers, the mids are noticeably recessed, however. I'll give you that I'm probably a little spoiled by the extremely analytical and clear sound signatures of the other two pairs but I ended up feeling massively let down by the Denons because of this.
The highs are a little harsh on the Shures when compared to the other three pairs and the Sennheisers can sometimes feel a little lazy with the sound just gently rolling off instead of the snappy reproduction of the closed pairs. The tube amp probably isn't doing the Senn's any favors in department either, but I'd still rank the Sennheisers the highest overall out of all the pairs I tested. The Shures aren't very satisfying on the lower end and the highs are a bit too far forward. Both the Denons just lack the overall clarity. The Senns - while they have a fairly laid back sound - have no obvious flaws.
Both the Denons have their moments and some of the time they really do shine, the extreme unpredictability almost makes them unusable for me. Out of all the pairs the D5000's especially are as close as I've gotten to feeling like I'm actually at a movie theater. The opening scene of The Dark Knight in particular was reproduced stunningly and everything from the gunshots to the tense score added to the feel of the scene immensely, which is something even the Senn's weren't able to match in this particular case. I just wish the consistency was there so they'd blow you away all of the time. Now it's just a rollercoaster ride of stunning sound reproduction and jarringly noticeable flaws.
Soundstage
I would've thought that the lack of a proper seal would give the Denons a more significant soundstage but I ended up being disappointed in this department aswell. The problem here, again, is the inconsistency. Listening to
Layla off Eric Clapton's
Unplugged both the Denons left me feeling like one moment I'm sitting right in the middle of the band. Then the next verse rolls around and I'm sitting a few rows back. What's the deal here, Denon?
The Shures and the Snnheisers meanwhile are extremely predictable. With the Shures you're smack dab at the middle of the stage. They separate all the different instruments absolutely beautifully and they're the closest I've ever gotten to feeling like I'm actually right there with the band at the actual studio during the recording session, with people playing their instruments around me! With the Sennheisers you're midway through the stage and the venue back door and especially with live sets they reproduce the feeling of space extremely well, which is something the Shures lack almost completely. At times the Denons, especially the D5000's, really shine which only adds to my disappointment when the next track ends up sounding like the band is playing tin instruments inside a cargo container... Disappointing!
