Is the D2000 an upgrade from HD595?
Apr 15, 2008 at 7:10 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 31
iKonoKlast

iKonoKlast

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The Denon D2000s are looking very attractive now. My honeymoon with the HD595 is over... I've decided I don't like the neutral sound. I want something engaging, but not so sharp as my Grado SR60. The D2000 seems like they're right for me. But...

Is it really an upgrade from the HD595 in terms of overall sound quality? Am I going to miss out on the soundstage that open headphones offer? This is an either/or question for me... I'm not going to have two expensive headphones lying around so I need an answer quick!

edit: source/amp is Total Bithead... that should be enough, right?
 
Apr 15, 2008 at 1:16 PM Post #2 of 31
After I got D2000, I never used my HD595 anymore, and sold them.
Just couldn't compare. For *me*.
 
Apr 15, 2008 at 4:57 PM Post #4 of 31
Read some more reviews on the site here... Seems like there's a real love-hate relationship with these things. I love mine, and hated the HD595. They were too neutral and cold to me... almost boring. This is very dependent on the type of music you listen to IMHO and the source amp. I listen to a little classical, but 99% of the time listen to more rock, folk, etc. Incidentally, I went from Grado SR60 -> SR325i -> MS2i on my open headphone front, and listen to those the most. The D2000's are great closed phones IMHO, and a steal at Amazon right now. You can always return stuff to amazon if you don't like it.

I'm not sure how the bithead will handle 25-ohm phones. I'm sure it will drive them, just not sure about real "authority". I think the d2000's mate pretty well with different SS gear and sources.
 
Apr 15, 2008 at 5:26 PM Post #5 of 31
I would have a hard time calling the HD595 "cold". Compared to grado, perhaps they may be called boring because they are more laid back.
Depending on your listening preference, you could call the D2000 an upgrade, if you want more lively bass and a more lively sound.
Perhaps the review in my sig will help, where I compared the D5000 and the HD595. The D2000 is said to be quite similar to the D5000.
 
Apr 15, 2008 at 8:27 PM Post #7 of 31
Ear pain from the sound pressure levels or the pressure of the headband? D2000's are very comfortable IMHO. Just about more comfortable than any phone I've worn.

I guess cold was a bad word choice on my part. Any phone can seem "cold" or "warm" depending on the source and amp its used with. A good tube amp is really "warm"... literally! I use my D2000's with tube and SS amps. Sounds good with both.
 
Apr 15, 2008 at 10:57 PM Post #8 of 31
Quote:

Originally Posted by iKonoKlast /img/forum/go_quote.gif
What about fatigue and comfort with the D2000? After a couple hours with my HD595 I start feeling a little ear pain.

Also, would you say that the D2000 is warmer?


Comfort is where D2000 is hard to beat. Listening fatigue is non issue either -Denons are smooth and laid back a little, or in other words not so aggressive and "in your face" kind.
 
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:28 PM Post #9 of 31
Good timing with this thread, I just put my HD595's for sale because after a couple of months I still find them harsh and cold sounding, even when plugged into an RSA Predator.

I'm looking for something a little warmer and more fun, something similar to the sound signature of Ultimate Ears' higher-end IEMs. Are the D2000's what I'm looking for?
 
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:54 PM Post #10 of 31
Fun is a good word for the D2000. Some people find the bass overwhelming, but I find it very balanced. The D2000 highs are "realistic". Whereas Grado's make everything seem sharply focussed and superbly airy, I don't find the effect realistic. The HD595 has a laid back approach but I don't find that the weight of the performance carried through as well as the D2000, like the musicians are holding back a bit. The soundstage of the D2000 is fairly good, about midway among all the open cans I've heard. It's not K701 spacious, more like the DT880. I find it more intimate than the HD600
 
Apr 16, 2008 at 12:24 AM Post #11 of 31
Soundstage isn't massively important for me, as long as there's some its fine. From what you've said they sound exactly what I'm looking for. I did feel like the HD595's were holding back. Energetic or heavy music sounded kind of strained (to me, at least.)

Looks like I've got something else to save for (again.)
 
Apr 16, 2008 at 2:18 AM Post #12 of 31
These are the cans I've had - Senn HD580, 600, 650 (SAA recabled) - JVC DX1000, Grado GS1000, Denon D2000 - guess which one I kept (if you guessed the Denon's - you get a gold star! Proves again you don't need big bucks to get it right.
 
Apr 16, 2008 at 2:29 AM Post #14 of 31
D2000 sounds like a decent fit, if you don't mind mellow phones. Instruments sound amazingly realistic on them. Find a song that emphasizes an acoustic guitar at some point. You can seriously feel it being plucked. Kind of.

If you had/were willing to get a tube amp, I'd also recommend the HFI-780. No where near the comfort of the D2000, but it is extremely engaging and it's not very neutral. In this case, however, IMO it's a good thing and enhances the overall sound. But, it's pretty harsh and sibilant at high volumes without tubes or a recable to fix it.
 
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