[nmxdaven]

So whats my next step?
 
I have quite a few headphones. From sen 600's, 650's, m50's, a700's, 325i's and on and on, but for pure musical enjoyment I always reach for my 2000's. They tick all my boxes. Musical, a little dark, decently detailed without being annoying, and deep as a well.
 
I've recently been on a spending spree, and am looking for the next step up. Is my best option to just go on up the line to the 5 and 7k's? Or is there something else that can fit my bill in the 600-900 price range? I havnt had the pleasure to hear any of the other models yet, and I read mixed reviews if they really stay with the 2k's strong points. (by my ears)
 
Listen to everything, and listen to it on either my home rig (Benchmark DAC-1 -> WA6-SE) or my laptop rig (Fiio e10 as dac > ibasso D2)
 
Thanks!

 

[eucariote]

Quote:

So whats my next step?
 
I have quite a few headphones. From sen 600's, 650's, m50's, a700's, 325i's and on and on, but for pure musical enjoyment I always reach for my 2000's. They tick all my boxes. Musical, a little dark, decently detailed without being annoying, and deep as a well.
 
I've recently been on a spending spree, and am looking for the next step up. Is my best option to just go on up the line to the 5 and 7k's? Or is there something else that can fit my bill in the 600-900 price range? I havnt had the pleasure to hear any of the other models yet, and I read mixed reviews if they really stay with the 2k's strong points. (by my ears)
 
Listen to everything, and listen to it on either my home rig (Benchmark DAC-1 -> WA6-SE) or my laptop rig (Fiio e10 as dac > ibasso D2)
 
Thanks!

HE-500

  In another league altogether, for less than D7000 (whose crazy bass/treble signature I could only handle at very low volumes).

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
You love the D2000's. You will have a torrid love affair with the D5000's. They're the D2000, but refined and better in every way. You get your mids back. Your bass is a little warmer. Treble is oh so sweet and sparkly. You can get it usually around $400ish. You can also get the D7k for around $600 usually. I personally like the D5k best of the line. It has the warmer and sub bass emphasis that I crave, while having a nice flat mid section and no recession. Such a great headphone without a high-end price.
 

 
Hands down my favorite closed headphone.
 
Very best,

 

[Redcarmoose]

Denon AH-D7000

 

[nmxdaven]

Quote:

HE-500

  In another league altogether, for less than D7000 (whose crazy bass/treble signature I could only handle at very low volumes).

You know I have largely ignored the hifiman lineup for some reason. I think I may have to track someone down that has these and give them a listen. How to you compare the sub bass between the 500's and the 2-5-7k's?
 


Quote:

Heya,
 
You love the D2000's. You will have a torrid love affair with the D5000's. They're the D2000, but refined and better in every way. You get your mids back. Your bass is a little warmer. Treble is oh so sweet and sparkly. You can get it usually around $400ish. You can also get the D7k for around $600 usually. I personally like the D5k best of the line. It has the warmer and sub bass emphasis that I crave, while having a nice flat mid section and no recession. Such a great headphone without a high-end price.
 

 
Hands down my favorite closed headphone.
 
Very best,

Great run down. Can I ask specifically why you like the 5k's over the 7? Do the 7k's loose some of the bottom impact like some of the reviews suggest?

 

[thrillhaus]

Quote:

Great run down. Can I ask specifically why you like the 5k's over the 7? Do the 7k's loose some of the bottom impact like some of the reviews suggest?

He is exaggerating in my opinion. I have the 2ks, and modded them with wood cups. The bass is more controlled with the stock 2ks because the wood cups do not have damping unlike the stock 2k cups. So the upgrade is not necessarily better, it is just different. And I have no idea why anyone would think there are more mids in the 5ks when the bass is more prominent with wood cups. My ears and Tyll's graphs tell me the 2k has more mids than a 2k with wood cups (which is essentially the same thing as a 5k as they share the same drivers). The only other difference is the 5k has a different stock cable, but whether and how much that affects the sound is another debate. If you really wanted to though, I know that Mark Lawton sells the surplus stock cables he has from making the LA7000s.
 
Try stuffing the earpads of the d2k. It's a reversible mod that makes a significant difference in soundstage and balances out the bass a little. I would not recommend shelling out for a 5k without at least auditioning it first. You don't want to spend that much money for something without knowing that it will be better to you, even if some guy on the internet says you'll love them.

 

[Croozer]

Go for the D7K's, you will love them.

 

[Canadian411]

I've had Denon 2k, 5k and now 7k.  For my taste I like D7K the best with a proper amp/dac.
 
To me AH-D2000 and AH-D5000 are just bit lower level than D7000, but it's up to your taste.

 

[rezel]

Quote:

I've had Denon 2k, 5k and now 7k.  For my taste I like D7K the best with a proper amp/dac.
 
To me AH-D2000 and AH-D5000 are just bit lower level than D7000, but it's up to your taste.

Are the cup covers (ie, plastic, wood) on the 2k, 5k and 7k the same shape? Thinking of removing the wood cup covers on the 5k/7k.

 

[Croozer]

I found the D7K to be much better than my old D2K's in a side by side comparison.

 

[fabio-fi]

The D7k is better than the 5k by a small margin to my ears. 

 

[nmxdaven]

Most people seem to be going with the 7k's. Between the 5 and 7 has anyone notice the sub bass dropping off between them any? The thought of getting my mids back is making me happy.
 
I'm going to the Texas headfi meet in the next few months. I heard some 5 and 7k's will be showing up. I really hope some HE-500's do as well. The more I read about those the more I like.

 

[TMRaven]

I still read conflicting things.  Some say the D2000 and D5000 have different drivers.  Some say they have the same driver while D5000 to D7000 is a different driver.
 
Some say they're all the same driver but the differences lie in the acoustics and cabling.

 

[SoundFreaq]

Quote:

Heya,
 
You love the D2000's. You will have a torrid love affair with the D5000's. They're the D2000, but refined and better in every way. You get your mids back. Your bass is a little warmer. Treble is oh so sweet and sparkly. You can get it usually around $400ish. You can also get the D7k for around $600 usually. I personally like the D5k best of the line. It has the warmer and sub bass emphasis that I crave, while having a nice flat mid section and no recession. Such a great headphone without a high-end price.
 

 
Hands down my favorite closed headphone.
 
Very best,

Every time you talk about the D5000, it's all I can do to keep from ordering. *sigh* I want to replace my Pro900's with them. 
 
Have you ever heard the Edition 8? And the D5000 is still your favorite closed?
 

 

[Vonx]

Quote:

Heya,
 
You love the D2000's. You will have a torrid love affair with the D5000's. They're the D2000, but refined and better in every way. You get your mids back. Your bass is a little warmer. Treble is oh so sweet and sparkly. You can get it usually around $400ish. You can also get the D7k for around $600 usually. I personally like the D5k best of the line. It has the warmer and sub bass emphasis that I crave, while having a nice flat mid section and no recession. Such a great headphone without a high-end price.
 

 
Hands down my favorite closed headphone.
 
Very best,

I'm surprised you didn't give an honorable mention to the he-500's. 
 
Its in the same ball park as the d5k-d7ks.
 
Could you describe the differences?