RS2 w/ flats vs Recabled AH-D2000
Jun 9, 2011 at 7:52 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 13

kjoh

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I currently have the RS2's w/ flats but I'm starting to feel that itch of trying out new equipment. Anyone have any experience comparing the RS2 to a D2000? Particularly a D2000 that has been recabled or Markl modded or both?  I'll add that I do quite enjoy the forward grado slam and I'm not really stuck on any particular music genre. My current amp is a Little Dot i+. Thanks in advance! 
 
Jun 10, 2011 at 4:44 PM Post #2 of 13
well, it's not a perfect comparison but I have the D5000 with the Jmoney pads (slightly greater soundstage, slightly less bloated bass than stock) and the RS2s.
 
The D5000 have much more powerful bass and are my preferred cans for hip hop and rap for this reason. but the midrange is definitely recessed compared to the RS2s and can make some genres and instruents (guitar, drums) feel less involving than the Grados.
 
I have used both a Fiio E9 and a Schiit asgard amp to drive both. I found the asgard helped increase midrange emphasis with the D5000, making them sound a bit more lively and slightly closer to the energy of the grados. the grados sounded very similar on both amps I've used.
 
I really do think these two cans compliment each other really well since they are quite different in their strengths. Since I've heard around here that the D2000 and D5000 are pretty similar, I think you might like it if you want to listen to more bass heavy music and don't mind a less prominent midrange than the grados.
 
Jun 10, 2011 at 4:47 PM Post #3 of 13
That's going to be a downgrade for sure... unless you believe that an expensive cable will give you tangible benefits proportionate to its price.
 
Jun 11, 2011 at 12:43 AM Post #4 of 13
Thanks for your reply LCfiner. I could see how these hp's would be great complements
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  The lack of interaction with the mids is my only concern, but at the same time I'm a bit of  basshead. Hard to tell which I would prefer.
 
Quote:
well, it's not a perfect comparison but I have the D5000 with the Jmoney pads (slightly greater soundstage, slightly less bloated bass than stock) and the RS2s.
 
The D5000 have much more powerful bass and are my preferred cans for hip hop and rap for this reason. but the midrange is definitely recessed compared to the RS2s and can make some genres and instruents (guitar, drums) feel less involving than the Grados.
 
I have used both a Fiio E9 and a Schiit asgard amp to drive both. I found the asgard helped increase midrange emphasis with the D5000, making them sound a bit more lively and slightly closer to the energy of the grados. the grados sounded very similar on both amps I've used.
 
I really do think these two cans compliment each other really well since they are quite different in their strengths. Since I've heard around here that the D2000 and D5000 are pretty similar, I think you might like it if you want to listen to more bass heavy music and don't mind a less prominent midrange than the grados.



 
 
Jun 11, 2011 at 12:50 AM Post #5 of 13
I've always been a fan of cable upgrades but I think you need to be careful about which headphones you do it to.  For some there's hardly any difference in sq while others make them sound like a completely different headphone.  From what I've read, the d2000 sees quite a noticeable improvement from upgrading its cable. There were even a few reports of a recabled d2000 sounding better than a stock d5000.
 
Quote:
That's going to be a downgrade for sure... unless you believe that an expensive cable will give you tangible benefits proportionate to its price.



 
 
Jul 13, 2011 at 2:07 AM Post #9 of 13
Well its been a month and I wanted to breath back some life into this thread since I still have interest in the topic
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rsgladwin85 by chance were you able to compare your rs2i and d2000?
 
Also I probably should have brought this up earlier but... I previously owned the hd650 and dt880 and found them both unexciting. I felt the mids didn't have a forward enough presentation for my taste.  Overall, they just seemed too laid back IMHO. Considering this would the d2000 be an unwise choice for me? If so, any other suggestions? 
 
Jul 13, 2011 at 2:24 AM Post #10 of 13
Recable the RS-2? 
 
DIY-ing the woodied G's are a little harder but it can be done with a hairdryer and an exacto knife along with your typical soldering supplies and of course, the wire you intend to use?
 
Jul 13, 2011 at 2:35 AM Post #11 of 13
Hehe cracking open a plastic grado is one thing but I don't think I'd ever be brave enough to open a woodied grado. It seems you have a silver recabled sr225 in your collection. What are your thoughts towards recabled grados? 
 
Quote:
Recable the RS-2? 
 
DIY-ing the woodied G's are a little harder but it can be done with a hairdryer and an exacto knife along with your typical soldering supplies and of course, the wire you intend to use?



 
 
Jul 13, 2011 at 6:52 AM Post #12 of 13
I speak to you as fellow Gradophile and not a person who builds cables:
 
 
They sound good but the problem is that they're usually associated with other mods while you've got them open so it's hard to pinpoint what does what exactly for a lot of these modified cans.
 
It doesn't do anything for the bass thats worth the investment, it cleans up some of that "sparkle" in the treble, how much that improves really varies upon materials, how your cans were built, and your hearing perception/taste, but the midrange in my experience at least, as a Gradophile, definitely becomes livelier, warmer, and you really get that last 5 percent of detail retrieval. 
 
Never in a million years would any sort of mod make these headphones neutral so it won't cure anything, but there are things you can do to improve on the low end, but considering you have an RS-2 you probably have quite a bit of that already.
 
Cables are an interesting topic of discussion, we have all the people who like to bring up anti-cable threads, but then we have Grado who improve upon their lower end models with nothing but a cable sometimes.
 
You have a lot of options with materials, who builds them, sheathing, but for the most part I prefer a nice 4-conductor cable over a tightly braided 8-conductor. Grado uses the same gauge wire for their 4 and 8 hence the thicker, more robust cable.
 
Jul 13, 2011 at 12:14 PM Post #13 of 13
Thanks for the input
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For me the thought of improving that grado sparkle is a big plus, but I was also hoping of a way to improve the lower end as well. I like the grado's punchy bass but I never thought the bass extension was all that good. Just lots of mid-bass.
 
This is what originally peaked my interest in the D2000 after reading positive reviews on their bass quality. Then I heard a cable upgrade can greatly tighten up the bass and bring forward those recessed mids. I just wonder if the mids would be forward enough for my liking(compared to grado).
 

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