[roma101]

Indeed, you guys have got it rough. 

 

[epithetless]

If it helps, I finally took the plunge and snagged a pair from BuyDig (an authorized dealer with a 45 day return policy) for $236.69 shipped. To get that price, I:
 
1. added the Pioneer HDJ-2000 to my cart,
2. added a JVC Mini DVD-R disc to my cart (since it was the cheapest item I could find that put my total over $250), and
3. applied the coupon "BUYDIGCLUB15" to get $15 off of orders over $250.
 
The coupon may be set to expire at the end of today, so I'd jump on it now if you're interested.

 

[priest]

Quote:

If it helps, I finally took the plunge and snagged a pair....

 
We await your impressions with great anticipation.

 

[roma101]

I concur with priest!!! Nice deal you got there btw. Thanks for sharing.

 

[epithetless]

I'll admit I'm not much of a review writer (I find I lack the patience for lengthy analyses), but I'll be sure to post my impressions when I have them!

 

[priest]

Even a simple thumbs up or thumbs down, with a few choice observations on major sound qualities, comfort and styling will be very welcome.

 

[roma101]

Bumping this up for more impressions. I just pulled the trigger on these today from a seller on eBay for $213 shipped. They were listed as new other (open box/display model) and are supposedly in great condition and genuine. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them. Hopefully they are legit!

 

[Armaegis]

That's a good price for them. Hope they turn out!

 

[priest]

epithetless and/or roma101, any thoughts? impressions? images?

 

 

[roma101]

I just received them yesterday and from what I can tell, they're legit. The most impressive aspect about these (besides the build quality) has to be the bass extension. It's a full-bodied bass which is neither excessive or boomy, but impactful. The mids are nice and the highs are definitely not as sharp as the M50's. I did some A/Bing last night and I find the HDJ-2000's sound a little more natural and balanced while the M50's are definitely more colored and aggressive (which is not a necessarily a bad thing - it can be fun to listen to). A couple of caveats are the isolation - not as good as the M50's but definitely decent. And I noticed the driver touches my left ear (and I don't have big ears) just a tad. Not painful, just noticeable and sometimes annoying. But overall - I'm glad it was $200 I spent on them and not $400. The build quality is amazing but the sound is not worth $400 IMHO. I'd say it's reasonable price at $200-$250. 
 
Anyway, take my impressions for a grain of salt as I'm still getting to know these headphones. Will post more impressions soon!

 

[Armaegis]

I rolled up some gauze and put it under the earpads to give me my ears that bit of extra clearance.

 

[roma101]

Thanks Armaegis, I'll have to try that. It's weird; a driver is only touching my left ear but my right ear couldn't be better. Learned something new about myself: my left ear stands slightly more out than my right ear. You wouldn't be able to tell by seeing them but I just think it's funny I learned this through new headphones. I used them portably today, which wasn't so shabby. If I had to rate their isolation out of 10 I'd give them a 7. The only issue was that driver on my left ear. Became a little painful after a while and I kept shifting the headphone to no avail. But I will try either gauze or cotton balls. 
 
At this point, I'm still evaluating the sound. I find myself getting immersed into the music - definitely bobbing my head more. But I mostly have the same impressions so far. Very detailed and very balanced indeed and I love the refined bass. I'd say the headphone does just about everything right. 

 

[priest]

Thanks roma, excellent impressions and very helpful. Any further impressions as you get more time with this headphone would be great to hear.

 

[Armaegis]

It actually wasn't my ears that needed the clearance, but the corners of my head. I have a very square head, and the rounded band of the HDJ-2000 would just touch those corners which wasn't painful but just... odd feeling.

 

[roma101]

Yeah I can imagine the comfort with these headphones rely very much so on the shape of your head. My head is round so it conforms to my head just fine - it's just the left driver touching my ear that's the issue.
 
So usually when I get headphones these days, I usually know sooner than later which are a keeper and which I'm gonna sell/trade since I'm not the richest person and always want to try more stuff. I'm always looking for 'phones that are more portable and isolate while remaining comfortable (and style plays a factor too), however sound is my number one priority. For a moment today, I thought, 'what if I try to trade them for the DT1350's?' Then I put them on again and here's my verdict:
 
HDJ-2000's are keepers! I can't sell or trade them. They're just too good to sell in that they do pretty much everything right and that can be very rare in a headphone. The bass response is amazing. The mids are upfront, not lacking at all. The highs are definitely there and present - not sharp or fatiguing at all. And the build quality is out of this world. I'm just a big fan of natural, full sound and I find nothing artificial about these. They're actually pretty reference IMO without being boring in any way. The music seems to surround me and yeah, I love them. My only caveats are how shallow the earcups are and I wish the isolation was stronger (then I'd have my perfect headphone) but these are very small complaints. I love the sound, period.