Need help! Where to go from my DT990

[TMRaven]

They do benefit from amplification more than their sensitivity and impedance suggest-- in particular their bass tightens up and overall gain some dynamism.  Obviously it's different to some people's ears-- particularly in this thread-- but to my ears, the D2000's bass is minimally bloated.  There's no big mid-bass hump, and bass remains very controlled down to sub-bass.  If a song has minimal bass, the D2000 won't give you much bass.  If the song is low-end bass heavy, the D2000 will sound like a very powerful subwoofer.  They have about the same amount of midbass as the DT990, but where the DT990 falls off in bass strength as it reaches real low, the D2000 stays as strong as ever.
 
They're about as detailed as the 990 and seemingly as clear as the 990, but lose out a bit on crispness.  Mids for both the 990 and D2000 are equally as strong in my ears.  DT990 has a bit more treble, but it's more refined than D2000's and less sibilant.  I personally like the bass quality of the D2000 better.
 
Soundstaging wise, the D2000 is spacious, but ultimately it sounds carvernous compared to the DT990.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

No, you're twisting my post to your liking-- but I never said you were the only person who dislikes the D2000.  I've seen plenty a post from people who say the mids are too recessed to their liking, but you're the only person I've seen who has said a 30 dollar headphone could best it in sound quality.  It's not really flat-out fanboyism either.  The D2000 isn't my only heapdhone, and the headphones in my list aren't the only ones I've tried out, either.  MalveauX is correct, your take on them is extremely interesting-- but I'll add in an 'interesting' for humor sake.
 
The markL mode does exist, but it's an extremely subjective mod.  A lot of people like the changes, and there's a whole group of people who don't like the changes.  It's also common for people to say the D7000 is only minutely better than the D2000, yet you always see D7000 get praised for its sound and how it competes with other flagships.  If something only minutely better than the D2000 is one of the favorite headphones of head-fi, yet the D2000 sounds worse than a 30 dollar headphone you've auditioned, then let's get a flavor of the year trending for this headphone--- let's crush the current flagship favorites with it.

 

Can't you see how one-sided you're being? I'm not going to go into deep discussion with you because last time I did you backed out.
 
I haven't given the D7000 enough time but my brief impressions tell me they're a modded D2000, a flaghsip contender they are not.
 
If a majority believes something does that make them right?
 

 

[TMRaven]

I backed out only on the conversation in regards to bass extension because I couldn't take your approach to the discussion any longer.  It was plain ridiculous.  I wouldn't of wanted to derail the thread, either.

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

interesting.  im pretty sure the D2000 is my next set of cans to complement my 990/600.
or the 880/600.
 
or maybe ill just sell them all for the LCD2
 
BUT, i beleive the 2000 could be bloated.  not a concearn for the though.
 
how are they on clarity compared to the 990/600?
 
and do they benifit from amplification like the beyers do?

Sell everything for the LCD2. It's cheaper in the long run. Or, if you want a different version of the same sound, the HE-500.
 
(The Denon D2000 is not bloated compared to the DT990)
 
Very best,
 

 

[Rawrbington]

is there a big difference in the rev 1 and rev2 of the lcd?
 

 

[NA Blur]

I have the D2000 and DT990 running out of an m903 right now.  The D2000 is no doubt boomy in comparison.  It remains quite difficult to control the bass within a sealed / closed can.  I will admit that the DT990 is one of those headphones that scales tremendously well.  I first heard it out of an ipod and heard some things that I liked.  There was an open airiness to the music, I could hear the feel the potential bass impact, and the peak in the treble really was calm and pleasant.
 
I then amped the DT990's with a Bithead and immediately noticed a bit more bass along with an extension in the treble.  They sounded bright and to be honest I was a tad disappointed.  I went home and tested them with my m903 and the sound was simply amazing.  The bass was very deep and quick.  It was not boomy.  The mids were ever so slightly mellow, but vocals and jazz remained excellent sounding.  The brightness was gone and the peak in the treble was certainly clean and crisp.
 
For me to achieve any more listening pleasure I would have to invest in something quite a bit more expensive than the DT990.  I really did not like the Audeze LCD-2 Rev 1's nor the T1 or HD-800 I had tested.  I prefer a slightly up-front sound, deep impactful bass without any boom, and I really need good extension into the treble.  Perhaps a Stax can would interest me, but if I am going to invest any more into audio it would be into my speaker system.  The DT990 (250 Ohm)+m903 combo is realy enjoyable.  You may find yourself in the same situation.
 
The sound signature from the D2000 is too similar, aside from the boomy bass, to the DT990.  You may have to try some LCD-2's ( Rev 2 ) to really find that sound you are looking for, but a good headamp is at the same cost.  The Beyer A1 for example would fit the DT990 quite well.
 
Mal, if you have not heard a DT990 through an m903 I really suggest you find it and give it a go.  I am very curious about your opinion on the pairing.  To me it sounds really amazing.

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

is there a big difference in the rev 1 and rev2 of the lcd?
 

 
That's a relative relationship. There's maybe a 5% difference, quantitatively, between a $50 headphone and a $1000 headphone, at least to my ears. I have both. So it's not about misleading, but rather, how much is a miniscule amount of difference worth to you?
 
Very best,
 
 

 

[NA Blur]

I would say there is nothing earthshakingly different, but for many of us there is a better balance on the high end on the Rev 2 along with some nice design changes.  Personally I prefer the peak in the treble on the LCD-2 Rev 1's, but they both sound quite similar.  They both were dark to my ears and become less so with time.  As my ears became more accustomed to their sound signature they sounded about right, but were too uncomfortable for me to really enjoy.
 
Quote:

is there a big difference in the rev 1 and rev2 of the lcd?
 

 

 

[Rawrbington]

Mal was your Matix Cube able to drive your 990s at all(it has an amp in it right?)?
what impedance were they?
 
 
 
while were on the subject of high ends, more bass in the T1 or LCD2?

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Mal, if you have not heard a DT990 through an m903 I really suggest you find it and give it a go.  I am very curious about your opinion on the pairing.  To me it sounds really amazing.

Send me your m903 and I'll give ya the text wall.

 
More realistically, if an amp is coloring your sound in some way, a small EQ change will likely mimic it from amp to amp unless it's an issue of available power. Kind of like how tube rolling is really just a hardware way to equalizing in many respects. Just take a really clean DAC and a powerful enough amp to push your headphone and then just enjoy it. Beyond that, it's time for a new headphone. Then again, it's clear I don't just tweak a single headphone. I end up having... tons of headphones. Bleh. Heh.
 
Very best,

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

More realistically, if an amp is coloring your sound in some way, a small EQ change will likely mimic it from amp to amp unless it's an issue of available power. Kind of like how tube rolling is really just a hardware way to equalizing in many respects. Just take a really clean DAC and a powerful enough amp to push your headphone and then just enjoy it. Beyond that, it's time for a new headphone. Then again, it's clear I don't just tweak a single headphone. I end up having... tons of headphones. Bleh. Heh.

Unbelievably conceded. A great refreshing post from NA Blur and it's quickly swept under the proverbial head-fi carpet.
 
BTW what EQ setting do I need to add the neutrality and instrument seperation of the m903?

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Mal was your Matix Cube able to drive your 990s at all(it has an amp in it right?)?
what impedance were they?
 
 
 
while were on the subject of high ends, more bass in the T1 or LCD2?

Heya,
 
The Cube drove the DT990 600ohms great. I really couldn't tell a truly appreciable difference between it and my Schiit Lyr. But maybe I'm deaf. Or maybe it's just a bunch of numbers. I had no reason to plug it into my Lyr. So I left my HE-500's plugged into that.
 

 
LCD2 has more bass than the T1 in terms of how you'll perceive the bass.
 
Very best,
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Unbelievably conceded. A great refreshing post from NA Blur and it's quickly swept under the proverbial head-fi carpet.
 
BTW what EQ setting do I need to add the neutrality and instrument seperation of the m903?

You clearly misunderstood. Apologies for not providing a schematic.
 
Though before continuing, I must ask, did you mean conceded or conceited, as there's quite a difference and I'd rather not assume what you meant.
 
Very best,

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

You clearly misunderstood. Apologies for not providing a schematic.
 
Though before continuing, I must ask, did you mean conceded or conceited, as there's quite a difference and I'd rather not assume what you meant.

Maybe I did, I hope I did. It looks like you're saying that you can mimic his and any amp and source with EQ...
 
Erm conceited is it? Mal is conceit with his headphone setup but later conceded he was wrong. 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Maybe I did, I hope I did. It looks like you're saying that you can mimic his and any amp and source with EQ...
 
Erm conceited is it? Mal is conceit with his headphone setup but later conceded he was wrong. 

Ok, so you perhaps you did misunderstand. The idea is, many flaws with many amps is that they color sound. This is very similar to equalizing frequencies, which is the same as coloring sound. Buying an expensive piece of equipment to do virtually the same thing is pretty silly. However, as already mentioned, if it's a power relationship that's different, if a headphone sounds the way it does because it simply doesn't have enough power, that's different. But if the headphone is sufficiently powered, and the sound is different, then the amp is merely coloring the sound be it a quality issue or frequency preference issue. All of which are miniscule and hardly appreciable unless looking at decimal points as significant digits in terms of appreciation.
 
You're second statement could be true, to you, if you chose it to be. But I giggled. I always giggle when I compare $30 to $900 headphones. I feel silly for even having them. But alas, I like them. It's completely subjective and not rational.
 
Very best,