[JUSTINDTH]

Quote:

....I was ready to give up on headphones when I stepped into a Best Buy and heard a set of Dre Beats and they knocked my socks off! Unfortunately, I have read a ton of reviews online of people bashing those headphones so I have dropped them off the list... 

 
May I ask why if you are blown away by these headphones you are dropping them off your list because other people don't like them? I say forget what other people have to say about something. If you like it them then get them! After all you are the one who will be listening to them every day. I find everyone likes different sounds. I was listening to a $1350 pair of phones today (Beyerdynamic T5p) and was very unimpressed. The 32ohm DT 990 that were only $399 (in canada) on the wall I tried first were more "blew me away". They were bassy with very clean high end. They sounded great.
 
I also got the "blown away" feeling from the Denon D5000. 
 
I am selling a 2 month old set of Beyerdynamic DT 770 if you're interested PM me. I would say they sound similar to the beats but with clearer highs (IMO, which is why I bought them). I'm selling them because I now have a pair of Sennheiser HD650 that are just rocking my world.
 

 

[driver 8]

Where are you all getting this idea that I'm being a snob on account of Beats?  Nothing about post indicated that he should be drawn into this hobby, let alone the fact that most of you are asking him to double his budget already... 
 
The Beats Studios aren't very source dependent and the only real bit of information in that post was that he was more impressed with them than the Senns.  He obviously wants something colored that isn't picky and that's what the Beats are.  I also think there's a convenience factor the Beats have that a lot of combos won't and Fiio + a midrange phone will probably give him upgraditis.
 
If I was being a snob about anything it's the fact that he spent years of his time and hundreds of dollars without doing any real research and then acts so downtrodden. 
 
Here's my "timeless wisdom": If you really don't want the Beats, lurk these forums for awhile to gain some decent perspective; a buy on your part really shouldn't come from someone's direct recommendation so much as your consideration of several made for others and reactions to said recommendations.  This hobby exists due to the fact that, short of shelling out $10-$11k on a single system, apparently, there are compromises to all this gear and we're chasing minor improvements/differences in what's frankly a not-so-ideal listening method. 
 
 

 

[lejaz]

You might pick up a used set of sony v6 or 7506 and see how you like them....good bass and fairly detailed....also very easily driven. Lot of people like those, but If you don't, they're easy to sell for what you paid. I forgot totally about the shure 840....haven't heard them myself(I have heard the sonys), but they got great reviews when they came out. 

 

[hans030390]

Get the Denon D2000 and be done with it. It has a similar enough sound signature to the Beats Pro (highest end Beats you can find, definitely the best sounding of the bunch) that I'm almost positive you'll be blown away by it. Even though they sound more similar than different, the D2000 has a much more refined sound overall and is cheaper than the Beats Pro!
 
I've seen the Denons for $200 open-box before on Electronics Expo, though the average price is $250-300. They should satisfy you even without a dedicated DAC/amp. They sounded great straight out of my laptop (Alienware M11x). Picking up a nice amp and DAC down the road (or at the same time) will only make them better! On top of that, the D2000s have TONS of modding potential that extends their abilities well beyond their price point.
 
The D2000s have quite a bit of bass that extends really deep. They can be slightly boomy at times to someone with an experienced ear, but it's almost always very tasteful. They have very sparkly treble, and as such, the music has plenty of clarity without being overbearing or sharp! They have a fairly open, non-congested sound as well despite being closed headphones. The midrange isn't as notable as the bass or treble, but they're still very balanced sounding headphones overall.
 
I personally wouldn't even consider the XB1000. I just checked out it's frequency response measurements, and they look pretty awful regardless of the bass boost. 
 
Get the D2000s. You won't be disappointed!

 

[nicholars]

Just to add about the D2000, If you are bothered about sibilant or harsh / sharp sounding treble then they are not perfect in that way although the comfort and bass (most of the time) is good. I sold mine because the treble hurt my ears and ordered some HD650 instead. The Denons do sound nice but they are a bit lacking in treble refinement IMO (and bass to some extent, bit boomy)

 

[thund3rstruck]

Wow these forums are active! Seems like there are some seriously dedicated audiophiles here, which is awesome because most people these days just don't appreciate music as an art. Even music as obviously masterful as Gershwin, Sondheim, or even Beethoven goes utterly overlooked by the current generations.
 
In any event, I was blown away by the Dre Beats but I didn't buy them ($399) because I'm not the type to put down that type of cash until I have the opportunity to research the investment. I'm not going to blame anyone here, I am responsible for my desicions and I'm going to put down the cash on a pair of Denon AHD2000 along with a FiiO E7 headphone DAC/amp.
 
Up until this point I have read Amazon reviews and asked advise from co-workers and friends and I have wound up extremely disappointed. In fact up until I experienced those Beats headphones I was convinced that the days of hangoing out in my dad's garage (in the early 80's) listening to dad's kickass HIFI Sansui stereo (headphones vibrating my cranial matter aroundin my skull) were a thing of the past!
 
I do sincerely appreciate everyone's help in this matter. I have placed the amazon order so hopefully in the near future I will be a proud owner of some ass-kicking bass pounding Denon 2Ks.
 
 
 
 

 

[Splungeworthy]

Make sure you call J&R  for the d2000-apparently they have the cheapest price on those (some sort of Head-Fi special?).

 

[KneelJung]

 
Quote:

 I am responsible for my desicions and I'm going to put down the cash on a pair of Denon AHD2000 along with a FiiO E7 headphone DAC/amp.
 
Up until this point I have read Amazon reviews and asked advise from co-workers and friends and I have wound up extremely disappointed. In fact up until I experienced those Beats headphones I was convinced that the days of hangoing out in my dad's garage (in the early 80's) listening to dad's kickass HIFI Sansui stereo (headphones vibrating my cranial matter aroundin my skull) were a thing of the past!

Congratulations on your purchase. I think you are going to like your new cans. They are very comfortable, so if you're going to have them on your head for long periods of time you made a great choice. Personally I prefer the forward mids of a Grado to the signature of the Denon's. That's just a personal preference though. I'm glad you got the DAC though too. I think the headphone out on your computer was probably the source of your frustration. I know it was for me. My solution was a uDAC back when it was the fad of the month here at head fi. Then the head fi state of mind led me to some other purchases. One of which was a Harmon Kardon 330b hooked to my computer via a DAC. Vintage receivers like your Dad's Sansui make kick ass headphone amps.

 

[Tequilasunriser]

Quote:

I was ready to give up on headphones when I stepped into a Best Buy and heard a set of Dre Beats and they knocked my socks off! Unfortunately, I have read a ton of reviews online of people bashing those headphones so I have dropped them off the list.

Dude, if that's what you like then that's what you like. Don't let all the bashing turn you away.
 
I don't own Beats so I can't give my opinion on their sound but then again would that matter? Ideal sound is subjective, so no single person can tell you what you will like or dislike.
 
Try before you buy and buy what you like the best.
 

 

[swbf2cheater]

The people who made fun of you for liking the beats are the same people who spent $300 on an interconnect and $5,000 on an amplifier in todays energy efficient tech market.  Tell them to stick it, your ears like what your ears like and do not ever let anyone sway you from something you think you will enjoy.

 

[thund3rstruck]

Quote:

Make sure you call J&R  for the d2000-apparently they have the cheapest price on those (some sort of Head-Fi special?).

the J&R website had the MSRP listed ($350). I ended up buying from Amazon for $330. The phones and the amp together was $420, which is $120 more than I wanted to spend but how often do you buy high-end audio equipment --once in a decade maybe? Up to this point I've never spent more than $200 on headphones; here's to hoping that extra $130 is worth it!
 

 
 

 

[tribestros]

Grado.  That's exactly what you want.  Sounds like you want the impact.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

the J&R website had the MSRP listed ($350). I ended up buying from Amazon for $330. The phones and the amp together was $420, which is $120 more than I wanted to spend but how often do you buy high-end audio equipment --once in a decade maybe? Up to this point I've never spent more than $200 on headphones; here's to hoping that extra $130 is worth it!
 

 
 

Not sure if you read earlier but if you contacted them by phone you could have haggled (bring them down on the price) to around $200+ dollars. That is a big savings over $330.00. I got my Denon 5000 cans for $399.00 when they were on sale at amazon. Just FYI.
 
 

 

[NinjaSquirt]

The best way to curb your disappointment is to go out and listen to the headphones before you buy them. Who knows, you might find all headphones disappointing period.

 

[thund3rstruck]

Yea, so I'm confused why so many people recommended the Denon 2Ks? These phones don't have much bass at all. Sure the overall sound is great, but I already had Sennheiser HD 515s (which also don't have any bass) which also sound fine, other than having no bass --which is the entire point of my wanting a new set.
 
The wife would absolutely kill me if I spent any more money on this so perhaps in a few years I can re-continue my search for a pair of headphones that can actually produce some bass.
 
I do appreciate everyone's help though! Thanks again!
 
Cheers!
 
Playback:
 

1. FLAC
2. 320Kbps MP3
3. Fiio E7 Portable DAC/Amp
4. Input: Windows 7 x64 (AlienWare M14x)
5. Input: Creative Zen X-Fi MP3 Player