Charles_1985
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2007
- Posts
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Greetings Head-Fi - this is a review of the Denon D2000s coupled with a Jena Labs 18G cable, but mostly about the cable which is why I posted here. I'm a first-time reviewer.
Why?
I had the opportunity to listen to a friend's D2000s with Jena Labs cable and instantly noticed the difference between the stock D2000 cable and the Jena Labs. I will get more into that in a minute, but in short, I decided I had to have that sound!
You can go here to learn about the Jena Labs cable.
How?
I contacted Lil' Knight here on the forums and purchased a 7.5' Jena Labs 18G cable ended with a Furutech 1/4" connector. I then had Zach @ Enigma Audio do the install.
Total cost was about $320 for the entire process; total value of the headphones is now around $350 + $320 = $670 and I also did the MarkL mod so +$150 = $830 or so.
Setup
Source: KECES USB D/A Converter DA-151
Amp: Little Dot I+ Hybrid
IC: Grado Labs Prestige (to be replaced soon)
UPDATE: I did the MarkL mod shortly after the cable upgrade however that was not included in this cable review, which is strictly of the differences between the stock Denon 2000s and with the cable upgraded.
Music
I used these artists/albums to conduct listening tests:
BT - Rare & Remixed, 10 Years in the Life, Movement in Still Life, Emotional Technology
ATB - No Silence
Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the Night
Kaskade - Strobelight Seduction
The Thrillseekers - Nightmusic Vol. 2 & 3
Background Info on Denons
Denon's model line of AH-series headphones (D2000, D5000, and D7000) use the same construction and the drivers are very similar; they are the same for the D2000/D5000 and only slightly improved on the D7000. So, the only real difference between them lies in the cable. Therefore there is no point to getting anything but the D2000 sound-wise. You can re-cable the D2000s to sound much better than the stock D5000/D7000, which is what I did and saved money in the process.
THE RESULTS
The stock D2000 cable is, quite frankly, a piece of crap and really holds back the D2000s potential as evidenced by my ears. Going from several hundred hours of listening time on the stock D2000s to the recabled Jena Labs D2000s, the difference is very apparent. The Jena Labs cable improves the D2000s sound every way but in some areas more than others.
Overall Impressions
The sound is across the board more transparent; by comparison, the stock cable is a bit opaque and simply not as clear. The sound is overall much more pure with the Jena Labs. With the stock cable, it's like the sound was going through a screen and now that screen is gone.
Bass
Next, the bass. One of my criticisms of the stock D2000 was its somewhat uncontrolled/bloated bass. The Jena Labs cable tightens up the bass considerably and it is able to provides a measure of control; the bass is more accurate as a result. The bass is still somewhat bloated but I desire such an effect due to the nature of the music I listen to (Dance&DJ, Electronic). Another plus with the Jena Labs is that the bass extends deeper.
Mids/Highs
The mids/highs improve noticeably; the Jena Labs cable makes them pleasingly smoother. The transparency of the Jena Labs cable is especially evident in the mid/high ranges. Most of the music I listen to has female vocals and vocals are where the most pronounced differences are with the Jena Labs cable; they are a smoother and a bit sweeter, like all the creases have been ironed out. Truly a great improvement.
Detail
Detail - there is a positive difference here but it's not to the degree that the mids/highs or bass are improved. Details at the edge of the soundstage are resolved slightly better due to the overall increase in transparency, and drum hits and similar details are smoother all the way up, but that is about it. Nothing huge, and I wasn't looking for improvement there either (already satisfied @ stock).
Visuals
This is a gorgeous cable. The copper is very pink and you can look through the clear casing to see how fine it is. The Furutech connector is huge and also nice-looking.
Conclusion
The increase in sound quality I experienced going from the stock D2000 cable to the Jena Labs 18G has been nothing short of fantastic. The overall sound is noticeably more transparent, the bass is tighter, deeper, and more controlled, the mids/highs are smoother and a bit sweeter, and there is some increased resolution in small details. After the Jena Labs upgrade, the D2000s are still warm but the side effects are lessened (e.g. bloated bass). To top things off, the cable is absolutely beautiful, real eye-candy.
The Jena Labs cable upgrade won't make you like the Denons if you don't already like them at stock. If Denons are the type of can you're looking for (and there are plenty of Denon reviews here that I agree with so I won't bother with that), then my recommendation is to just go with the D2000 and have the cable upgraded - as I noted, Denon uses the same drivers for the D2000/D5000 and only a slightly improved version in the D7000 so really there is no point to getting anything but the D2000.
Everything in life is relative, so naturally take what I said above with a grain of salt. Everyone has different ears and preferences. For my ears and music preferences, this is awesome and I'm very satisfied.
I hope you enjoyed the review - thanks for reading!
Why?
I had the opportunity to listen to a friend's D2000s with Jena Labs cable and instantly noticed the difference between the stock D2000 cable and the Jena Labs. I will get more into that in a minute, but in short, I decided I had to have that sound!
You can go here to learn about the Jena Labs cable.
How?
I contacted Lil' Knight here on the forums and purchased a 7.5' Jena Labs 18G cable ended with a Furutech 1/4" connector. I then had Zach @ Enigma Audio do the install.
Total cost was about $320 for the entire process; total value of the headphones is now around $350 + $320 = $670 and I also did the MarkL mod so +$150 = $830 or so.
Setup
Source: KECES USB D/A Converter DA-151
Amp: Little Dot I+ Hybrid
IC: Grado Labs Prestige (to be replaced soon)
UPDATE: I did the MarkL mod shortly after the cable upgrade however that was not included in this cable review, which is strictly of the differences between the stock Denon 2000s and with the cable upgraded.
Music
I used these artists/albums to conduct listening tests:
BT - Rare & Remixed, 10 Years in the Life, Movement in Still Life, Emotional Technology
ATB - No Silence
Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the Night
Kaskade - Strobelight Seduction
The Thrillseekers - Nightmusic Vol. 2 & 3
Background Info on Denons
Denon's model line of AH-series headphones (D2000, D5000, and D7000) use the same construction and the drivers are very similar; they are the same for the D2000/D5000 and only slightly improved on the D7000. So, the only real difference between them lies in the cable. Therefore there is no point to getting anything but the D2000 sound-wise. You can re-cable the D2000s to sound much better than the stock D5000/D7000, which is what I did and saved money in the process.
THE RESULTS
The stock D2000 cable is, quite frankly, a piece of crap and really holds back the D2000s potential as evidenced by my ears. Going from several hundred hours of listening time on the stock D2000s to the recabled Jena Labs D2000s, the difference is very apparent. The Jena Labs cable improves the D2000s sound every way but in some areas more than others.
Overall Impressions
The sound is across the board more transparent; by comparison, the stock cable is a bit opaque and simply not as clear. The sound is overall much more pure with the Jena Labs. With the stock cable, it's like the sound was going through a screen and now that screen is gone.
Bass
Next, the bass. One of my criticisms of the stock D2000 was its somewhat uncontrolled/bloated bass. The Jena Labs cable tightens up the bass considerably and it is able to provides a measure of control; the bass is more accurate as a result. The bass is still somewhat bloated but I desire such an effect due to the nature of the music I listen to (Dance&DJ, Electronic). Another plus with the Jena Labs is that the bass extends deeper.
Mids/Highs
The mids/highs improve noticeably; the Jena Labs cable makes them pleasingly smoother. The transparency of the Jena Labs cable is especially evident in the mid/high ranges. Most of the music I listen to has female vocals and vocals are where the most pronounced differences are with the Jena Labs cable; they are a smoother and a bit sweeter, like all the creases have been ironed out. Truly a great improvement.
Detail
Detail - there is a positive difference here but it's not to the degree that the mids/highs or bass are improved. Details at the edge of the soundstage are resolved slightly better due to the overall increase in transparency, and drum hits and similar details are smoother all the way up, but that is about it. Nothing huge, and I wasn't looking for improvement there either (already satisfied @ stock).
Visuals
This is a gorgeous cable. The copper is very pink and you can look through the clear casing to see how fine it is. The Furutech connector is huge and also nice-looking.
Conclusion
The increase in sound quality I experienced going from the stock D2000 cable to the Jena Labs 18G has been nothing short of fantastic. The overall sound is noticeably more transparent, the bass is tighter, deeper, and more controlled, the mids/highs are smoother and a bit sweeter, and there is some increased resolution in small details. After the Jena Labs upgrade, the D2000s are still warm but the side effects are lessened (e.g. bloated bass). To top things off, the cable is absolutely beautiful, real eye-candy.
The Jena Labs cable upgrade won't make you like the Denons if you don't already like them at stock. If Denons are the type of can you're looking for (and there are plenty of Denon reviews here that I agree with so I won't bother with that), then my recommendation is to just go with the D2000 and have the cable upgraded - as I noted, Denon uses the same drivers for the D2000/D5000 and only a slightly improved version in the D7000 so really there is no point to getting anything but the D2000.
Everything in life is relative, so naturally take what I said above with a grain of salt. Everyone has different ears and preferences. For my ears and music preferences, this is awesome and I'm very satisfied.
I hope you enjoyed the review - thanks for reading!
)
