[JohnnyTan]

Hey guys just a quick one here.

I already own Westone 3 IEMs but wanted something with a greater soundstage IEMs can't give. I'd been considering the AKG K701 (or K702) but after reading a bit they seemed too analytical and perhaps slightly less bass than what I'm used to.

I listen mostly to rock and find them great on my Westone 3s... But for full-sized headphones I found positive reviews of the Denon D2000. I'm also interested in the Audio Technica A900 but I read about their recessed mids and became more hesitant.

I already own a Marantz PM4001 amp for speakers and wouldn't really be willing to buy another amp (budget...). I also don't really mind if the headphones are closed or open.

So to sum up, if I'm looking for headphones that don't sound worse than the Westone 3s (but of course with better soundstage), would the D2000 be a good idea? Or would the K70X or A900 be better? Are there any recommendations for other headphones with similar prices? (~$250)

Thanks for reading and for your opinions!

 

[koven]

SRH840 is another good option.. I've read many people say they prefer it over the D2000.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyTan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey guys just a quick one here. I already own Westone 3 IEMs but wanted something with a greater soundstage IEMs can't give. I'd been considering the AKG K701 (or K702) but after reading a bit they seemed too analytical and perhaps slightly less bass than what I'm used to. I listen mostly to rock and find them great on my Westone 3s... But for full-sized headphones I found positive reviews of the Denon D2000. I'm also interested in the Audio Technica A900 but I read about their recessed mids and became more hesitant. I already own a Marantz PM4001 amp for speakers and wouldn't really be willing to buy another amp (budget...). I also don't really mind if the headphones are closed or open. So to sum up, if I'm looking for headphones that don't sound worse than the Westone 3s (but of course with better soundstage), would the D2000 be a good idea? Or would the K70X or A900 be better? Are there any recommendations for other headphones with similar prices? (~$250) Thanks for reading and for your opinions!

The D2000 and A900 would be good options for a Westone 3 lover, but the D2000 will be able to give you a little better midrange detail and they are easy to mod. You can get a D5000/7000 cable for $30-40 used and install it for an upgrade, then buy wood cups later. Plus you can stuff the earpads markl style or buy the really nice JMoney leather Denon earpads (rumor has it soon to be stocked at Headroom).

My A900 were modded by -=Germania=- with internal dampening and a silver plated copper cable, and they compare well with a re-cabled but otherwise stock D2000 (but still with a little midrange congestion in complex musical passages that the D2000 didn't have). A stock A900 Limited sounded about as good as a modded A900 Art (side by side), but I haven't heard a stock A900 Art to comment on.

They both respond well to proper amping by giving you improved sound as the drivers are controlled better.

 

[punkaroo]

Definitely get the D2ks! But definitely consider at least a cable upgrade.

 

[anetode]

D2k are a solid buy and can be modified with damping material for a different bass delivery. Forgo the cable "upgrade". Another couple of phones you may want to consider include the K601, a stepdown model of the 701 with more bass and less etched highs; or DT770, a fairly popular closed phone that sounds good with most genres of rock.

 

[moomooemu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif The D2000 and A900 would be good options for a Westone 3 lover, but the D2000 will be able to give you a little better midrange detail and they are easy to mod. You can get a D5000/7000 cable for $30-40 used and install it for an upgrade, then buy wood cups later. Plus you can stuff the earpads markl style or buy the really nice JMoney leather Denon earpads (rumor has it soon to be stocked at Headroom). My A900 were modded by -=Germania=- with internal dampening and a silver plated copper cable, and they compare well with a re-cabled but otherwise stock D2000 (but still with a little midrange congestion in complex musical passages that the D2000 didn't have). A stock A900 Limited sounded about as good as a modded A900 Art (side by side), but I haven't heard a stock A900 Art to comment on. They both respond well to proper amping by giving you improved sound as the drivers are controlled better.

where can i buy a used d5000 cable? will it make a significant tonal difference? im just using stock right now and its pretty good except it tangles sometimes and gets annoying lol.

do you know how much the pads will be about???

 

[K3cT]

Keep in mind the the latest revision of the D2000 already comes with what seems to be the D5000 cables. It has been documented in this forum, just search around.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

If they have upgraded the cable great - if you get one with the old cable, try Lawton Audio (markl) as he sells used ones cheap.

 

[SchneiderStudios]

I very much like my D2000 and im very happy i got them for $200 from amazon just before they jumped in price, they are now $300!! and been like this for over a month now.. but if you could get them for cheaper you will be happy. they do need an amp though..
people stop asking if they upgraded the cable, they did! the cable is awesome.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SchneiderStudios /img/forum/go_quote.gif people stop asking if they upgraded the cable, they did! the cable is awesome.

Oh really? Great. That's news to me.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K3cT /img/forum/go_quote.gif Keep in mind the the latest revision of the D2000 already comes with what seems to be the D5000 cables. It has been documented in this forum, just search around.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SchneiderStudios /img/forum/go_quote.gif people stop asking if they upgraded the cable, they did! the cable is awesome.

I'm not sure how true it is that Denon upgraded the cable for the D2k as I have yet failed to found such document in this forum. However, even if it is true, be aware that what you are getting may not be the so called "latest version". I got my D2k from JR about 2 weeks ago. As written on the box, the cable is a 3 meter OFC cable, and if I recalled correctly from the D2k/D5k documentation, the D5k is using 7N-OFC cable

 

[cswann1]

If you do decide that the D2000 is for you, I can't recommend the JMoney Pads (now on HeadRooms web-site) strongly enough. At $75 shipped you get a genuine leather pad that is thicker than the stock Denon pad (which is the result of the Markl mod for the ear-pads), will last years longer (maybe decades), improves isolation and imaging and is more comfortable imo.

Edit: I liked them so much, I bought a second set, so that I'd never have to be without a pair on my D7000's.

 

[aimlink]

Good to hear the heads up on the JMoney pads since I just ordered a pair from HeadRoom.

I did a partial MarkL mod of my D5000's. Wasn't so bad at all. I opted out of stuffing the stock earpads for getting the JMoney Pads.

I remember listening to the stock D5000's with Diana Krall's greatest hits. The bass was way too boomy. The mod definitely works. Now, it's great. The bass isn't at all castrated. It's very much there... just more controlled.

There's a depth to base resolution and depth that I've not heard from my other cans and it's still preserved after the mod.

 

[K3cT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkmatter /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not sure how true it is that Denon upgraded the cable for the D2k as I have yet failed to found such document in this forum. However, even if it is true, be aware that what you are getting may not be the so called "latest version". I got my D2k from JR about 2 weeks ago. As written on the box, the cable is a 3 meter OFC cable, and if I recalled correctly from the D2k/D5k documentation, the D5k is using 7N-OFC cable

Perhaps the old stock is intermingled with the new stock but the difference between the old D2000 cable and stock D5000 cable is very obvious: old D2000 cable is thinner and tangles like hell, D5000 cable is thicker and supple due to its nylon coating. Even if there were no sonic improvement, the new cable is worth it alone for its practicality.

 

[bigizzy75]

Johnny Tan, I will be as simple and as helpful as possible. The D2000 is a great headphone and honestly any full size will sound better than a IEM. The D2000 are mostly known for their comfort. Its very good to wear with glasses but due to the comfortness it leaks noise both in and out. People will think that you are listening to music very loud when really you are playing at a moderate level. The Headphone is bassy in the since that it goes very low but it doesn't have the punch that bassheads expect. The headphone produces very good guitar sounds and vocals. The Soundstage is very realistic. Please keep in mind that this headphone is meant to listen while being situated and not laying down. Also a great benefit from this headphone is that you dont need an amp to enjoy the quality of these headphones.

Good luck,

Izzy