[Cool_Torpedo]

Oh yes, I forgot about your review Skylab, excuse me.
I still don't have a clear idea to where will the modded D5000 go, but I stay on my opinion that DX1000 and D5000 are different animals which appeal different tastes. IMHO the D5000 are more neutral, have righter midrange and are more balanced from bottom to top, while the DX1000 are kind of lusher and depending on music, funnier. Probably the D5000 are closer to be a good allrounder.

Rgrds.

 

[TKvC-SainT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's been 6 months since I wrote this review, which does compare the DX1000 and the D5000: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/rev...beware-232318/ However, more than 6 months later, I am not sure I still prefer the D5000 over the DX1000. I still absolutely love them both, though. I am listening to the D5000's right now, and they sound just fantastic. They remain one of my all time favorite headphones. Unlike so many headphones, they don't seriously lack in any area. They are not perfect, nor are they the best at everything. They have more bass than something like the W5000, and this likely will not appeal to the same listener. But for me, the D5000's are a headphone I could very happily have as my one and only. That's saying a LOT.

Bit of a far shot this, but anyways. How do the bass on the D5000 compare to the ESW9s bass. I´ve read many comments saying the D2000/5000 bass is sloppy and not to good with some music. I think it´s good to have a reference so seeing as you have the ESW9s which I also own, it would make a comparison a bit easier. I listen to alot of metal and that requires a fast bass response that doesn´t just blur into a solid bass sound. Otherwize I like the quantity of the ESW9s bass, just that it could be a little tiny bit tighter.

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool_Torpedo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh yes, I forgot about your review Skylab, excuse me. I still don't have a clear idea to where will the modded D5000 go, but I stay on my opinion that DX1000 and D5000 are different animals which appeal different tastes. IMHO the D5000 are more neutral, have righter midrange and are more balanced from bottom to top, while the DX1000 are kind of lusher and depending on music, funnier. Probably the D5000 are closer to be a good allrounder. Rgrds.

I basically agree with all of that. But with a good tube amp, the DX1000 is pure musical magic

Quote:

Originally Posted by TKvC-SainT /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bit of a far shot this, but anyways. How do the bass on the D5000 compare to the ESW9s bass. I´ve read many comments saying the D2000/5000 bass is sloppy and not to good with some music. I think it´s good to have a reference so seeing as you have the ESW9s which I also own, it would make a comparison a bit easier. I listen to alot of metal and that requires a fast bass response that doesn´t just blur into a solid bass sound. Otherwize I like the quantity of the ESW9s bass, just that it could be a little tiny bit tighter.

The Denon has much tighter bass than the ESW9. I disagree strongly that the D5000 has sloppy bass. Not as tight as the DX1000, but not sloppy. The ESW9, on the other had, is a bit loose on the bottom.

 

[TKvC-SainT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Denon has much tighter bass than the ESW9. I disagree strongly that the D5000 has sloppy bass. Not as tight as the DX1000, but not sloppy. The ESW9, on the other had, is a bit loose on the bottom.

Alright, then those could really be a option worthy considering, now that I´m on the look for a pair of comfy fullsized home cans (sold my K701s because I felt the ESW9s were more musically pleasing), and I would like to get another woodie pair

Although a recent quick listen to the HD650s really got me into those. I think I´d like a pair of open 'phones for the nice open airy sound you get from those.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Denon has much tighter bass than the ESW9. I disagree strongly that the D5000 has sloppy bass. Not as tight as the DX1000, but not sloppy. The ESW9, on the other had, is a bit loose on the bottom.

The pad modding on the D5000 improves them by leaps and bounds. If you still haven't done the mod, I would be happy to do it for you. I just don't happen to feel that the D5000 need dampening like Markl says, but then again maybe we just don't know what the perfect material would be yet. When you do the pad mod, it cleans up much of the bass bloat. I am just of the belief that music does not sound natural unless you can hear and feel the bass the way the artist and engineer intended. That is one of the qualities that the D5000 excel at.

 

[Skylab]

I truly appreciate the offer, IPodPJ, but I actually don't want to change the bass in the D5000. I like the bass the way it is, and I wouldn't want to lessen it.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif I truly appreciate the offer, IPodPJ, but I actually don't want to change the bass in the D5000. I like the bass the way it is, and I wouldn't want to lessen it.

You know Skylab, I felt the exact same way you did. I said the same thing many times and I know you heard me say it. But having done it, I would not go back to it unmodded.

The great thing about the pad mod is that you can undo it if you don't like it. It doesn't lessen the quality of the bass at all. The bass still hits just as hard and deep as it did before... it just doesn't overshadow the other frequencies anymore.

You should buy an extra set of pads so that you can mod them and then switch back and forth between the two. It won't be long before you only use the modded version, trust me on that.

We have very similar tastes in the sonic signature of our gear, and I know you would find the D5000 to be improved.

 

[Skylab]

We do indeed have similar tastes. What exactly did you do to the pads? Do you think the bass quantity is the same?

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif We do indeed have similar tastes. What exactly did you do to the pads? Do you think the bass quantity is the same?

You can see in Markl's mod thread what to do to the pads. You just stuff them with cotton balls. I didn't tape it shut like he did, though. The pads are still comfortable to wear after you do that, but by doing so they place more distance between the drivers and your ears.

The bass quantity only comes down a notch, but it's a positive thing. The bass quality and impact are still there. I love bass. I can't understand how so many people here love headphones (or speakers) that have virtually no bass. Music isn't music if it's missing the sonic impact that was present in the recording. But this mod allows the bass detail to come through and reveal all the nuances that you miss out on when the drivers are that close to your ears.

If you use the DAC in the Opera (which I highly don't recommend since the DAC is pretty poor), the sound is very warm to begin with and the bass bloat of the stock Denons just makes it worse. But the Opera's DAC has no bass detail anyway, so I would steer clear of it. For the money, the combination of analog outs from the Juli@ using SSRC@192kHz/Ultra in Foobar cannot be beat and is a great match with the Opera and D5000. The AK4398 chip is optimized to run at 192kHz; it is one of the best DAC chips on the market imo. This actually sounds better overall than the $5,500 Audiomeca DAC I had borrowed from my neighbor; the Audiomeca only bettered it in certain aspects of the mids and highs.

But that's not the only improvement at all. The most MAJOR improvement is in the soundstage, depth, and imaging department. You won't believe how much more of those you get. No longer do you have that "wall of sound", as you once described of the D5000.

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

IMHO Markl's mod doesn't remove bass quantity, it just makes it better quality, cleaner, tighter and more precise. You still have the kick, depth and tone, but only cleaner and non resonant. The cans also gain a lot of imaging precission and space around, more depth, and wider presentation.
The best thing about it is that you can do it incrementally and undo the mods whenever you like. These sort of things are very illustrative

Rgrds

 

[Solan]

Damn, I know where you guys were when Adam was cast from Paradise: Coiled around a branch of an apple tree, with a big grin!

So how are the D5000 for wearing when going for a walk (both modded and unmodded), and how is isolation?

 

[Kabeer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Damn, I know where you guys were when Adam was cast from Paradise: Coiled around a branch of an apple tree, with a big grin! So how are the D5000 for wearing when going for a walk (both modded and unmodded), and how is isolation?

I have the D2000, but for your question it would have the same answer. Isolatio is not that great, just so-so. Compared to other closed headphones it would probably come lowest or near lowest in terms of isolation.

Also for walking, they dont have a lot of clamping force (which makes them extremely comfortable btw), so depending on your movements, you might get the feeling they might slip off if your bending down, or jogging or something.

 

[direcow]

IPodPJ - did you use the mountain mist fiberfill too? I can't seem to find it where I am (Singapore), and quite feel like buying a huge 500g bag of something similar when it might not work the same... would just normal cotton wool or bear stuffing work? I'm guessing it does, but i'd like to be sure.

Thanks!

 

[Solan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by direcow /img/forum/go_quote.gif IPodPJ - did you use the mountain mist fiberfill too? I can't seem to find it where I am (Singapore), and quite feel like buying a huge 500g bag of something similar when it might not work the same... would just normal cotton wool or bear stuffing work? I'm guessing it does, but i'd like to be sure. Thanks!

Someone (in the US) should set up a little shop selling markl mod kits ...

 

[silverrain]

I like my stock D5000 and D2000 -- they do NOT have sloppy bass -- I drive them with decent sources and amps, so maybe that is the difference?
If I could only keep ONE can, it would be either my D5000 or D2000.
They just do everything so well, without excess anywhere, or missing frequencies anywhere -- if it's on the CD, I hear it -- if bass is too heavy, it is only because the bass was recorded too heavy in the mixing, not because the cans "added" extra bass, where none existed.