[Ham Sandwich]

 
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I don't doubt there are some as you describe, but I also think poor synergy with the associated equipment is part of the reason for such complaints.   
 

 
I was being sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek with that comment.  I hope the comment doesn't get misinterpreted.  But in order to have effective sarcasm there needs to be an element of truth.  So yeah, some people are confused by bass.  ::
 
There is also personal preference in sound that plays a part.  Some people may consider accuracy to be more important than having bass extension.  So they would chose to give up bass extension for accuracy and clean sound.  That's certainly a valid choice.  And there's times that I would like more accuracy than what the D2000 delivers.  For example when trying to hear the difference in fingering technique by a bass player.  When I want more accuracy I've got my HD600.  Though the HD600 doesn't extend as low or have as much punch.
 
The D2000 has some quirks in the bass and in other aspects of the sound.  The bass does have added harmonics and reverb that intrude on other frequency regions.  It's not perfect.  It has its own character.  So what do you do?  You make some compromises cause no headphone is perfect.  Where we are willing to make compromises in the sound is personal choice based on preference and need.  Did I mention that the D2000 can play a 32-foot organ pedal reasonably well?  

 

[priest]

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Would you say that these were intended to be portable? It's hard to tell from the pictures.

 
Was this a dumb question? Offensive somehow?

 

 

[Argyris]

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The Phiaton PS500 sounds like a congested D2000 because it has an even more recessed upper midrange than the D2000.  Both headphones suck out the upper mids.  The PS500 just moreso.
 
Listen for what's in the upper mids.  Things like the breathyness in a vocal.  The sharpness of consonants in a vocal.  The edgyness (opposite of dull) in a guitar or violin.  Those sorts of things are going to be more recessed on the PS500.  I tried a PS500 at a shop.  The recessed midrange and duller midrange was very noticeable on even the first song I tried which was an R.E.M. song from Eponymous.  The breathyness in the vocal was gone.
 
The difficulty is if you're comparing them directly to the D2000 which also has a recessed midrange in the similar range.  Compare the midrange against a headphone that has a more balanced midrange and you'll notice.

This more or less is why I couldn't stand the M50. That, and the thick lower midrange/upper bass. If this PS500 is the "M60" and still retains this element of the sonic signature, then it's still not up my street.

 

[Katun]

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Was this a dumb question? Offensive somehow?

 

These "can" be used for portable (as can the M50), but they are not ideal. Although, the isolate very well.
 
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This more or less is why I couldn't stand the M50. That, and the thick lower midrange/upper bass. If this PS500 is the "M60" and still retains this element of the sonic signature, then it's still not up my street.

I would say the PS500 has even "more" bass than the M50, no doubt. It's a bit too much for me -- as it takes a chuck out of the overall SQ.

 

[Katun]

I have reached a verdict on this headphone.
 
How does it compare to the D2000?
Answered simply, it doesn't. Enough said.
 
Did burn in improve the sound?
I listened to this headphone straight out of the box. I did extensive AB comparisons against my D2000 on specific segments of my music. I then burned it in for 35 hours. After that, I did the exact same AB comparisons with the exact same segments I did before. Improvement? Not that I could tell. It sounded pretty much exactly the same. All the congested, muddy, blurring sound was still present.
 
Is this really considered an M60?
I'm starting to doubt this myself. I don't even remember the M50 being this bass heavy. Although, this may be slightly skewed as I didn't compare the M50 to the "better headphone" (D2000), so I don't know for sure. But, the $80ish price increase would push me toward the M50 instead. Regardless, the M50 has much better build, possibly a bit better isolation, and maybe even better sound. Then again, I haven't directly compared the two, so I can't be for certain. But all I remember is the M50 possibly sounding more balanced.
 
Should I get the PS500?
Probably not. There are much better options out there, and for less money. Even if you pay more for something like the D2000, it is worth every penny. And, if you pay for something less like the M50, you are still getting most, if not more than what the PS500 has to offer. But, if you absolutely loved the M50, and I mean *loved* the M50, then I may suggested you try out the PS500. Other than that, just get the M50, or save up for something better than both -- like the D2000.
 
So what is the verdict on the sound?
It's honestly hard to tell. The bass is so "in your face" and it blurs the music so badly, you really can't tell if the detail is better than something like the M50. Yes, I will admit, on some songs, it actually sounds quite good. But for most, users will find the SQ unsatisfactory, and even a bit fatiguing. Talk about frustration -- you listen for something so hard, only to hear it resolved in a sludgy mess of bloated bass.
 
What is my overall verdict then?
This headphone is definitely not staying with me. That is all.

 

[blackzarg]

Nevermind The search continues, eh?

 

[Katun]

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Nevermind The search continues, eh?

Actually, the search has ended. With the D2000.

 
(For now...)

 

[xtasi]

Bummmmmerrrrr.  I was excited for these headphones.
 
Just curious, did you try amping them?

 

[Katun]

No I did not. But I really don't think an amp would do all that much.
 
Even if the bass was "cleaned up", it still wouldn't be THAT good...

 

[jyin94]

So guys what do you think I should get if I have 200 bucks/
 
the phiaton ps 500
the m50 or the dennon2000?

 

[grokit]

These do need an amp IMO. I can't believe how good they sound with my iMod>Vcap>Arrow setup. I am trying to convince myself to return these to Amazon because it upsets me that there's no case but I don't think it's going to happen. I like them better than my MD Tributes that cost almost 2x as much. I think I'll probably sell the Tributes and pick up a case that will hold these and my iMod rig instead of returning these for full purchase price. I didn't listen to them for a week after they blew me away when I first got them, and auditioned a bunch of other phones just to make sure and am trying them again, they still sound great to me. Extended highs, full mids and a nice deep low end, very musical and clean, what's not to like? It's no LCD-2 but I find the FR quite similar.

 

[Katun]

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These do need an amp IMO. I can't believe how good they sound with my iMod>Vcap>Arrow setup. I am trying to convince myself to return these to Amazon because it upsets me that there's no case but I don't think it's going to happen. I like them better than my MD Tributes that cost almost 2x as much. I think I'll probably sell the Tributes and pick up a case that will hold these and my iMod rig instead of returning these for full purchase price. I didn't listen to them for a week after they blew me away when I first got them, and auditioned a bunch of other phones just to make sure and am trying them again, they still sound great to me. Extended highs, full mids and a nice deep low end, very musical and clean, what's not to like? It's no LCD-2 but I find the FR quite similar.

Awesome, I'm glad you like them!
 
I actually kind of miss them. There was something about them I kinda liked. I do also wish I could have used them with my current setup though. They would have sounded much better.
 
Keep us posted on further impressions. This headphone needs some more attention!