[jim723]

Imo yes. I've auditioned them twice on grand setups and their sound would lead you to think they should cost around th600 price.

 
So how about TH600?

 

[cizx]

So how about TH600?

Universally* reviled.

 

[elms]

AKG K3003i for 799.99
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_039K3003/AKG-K3003i.html?tp=60828&awkw=75620070145&awat=pla&awnw=g&awcr=47439178105&awdv=c

 

[Stillhart]

Universally* reviled.

 
You mean the one in the Head-fi winter buying guide?
 
"

No, the TH600 doesn't sound exactly like the TH900; but, sonically, the key differences between the two are, for me, only readily apparent when the TH600 and TH900 are right next to each other, and I go back and forth between the two. The TH900 is more transparent, with more treble presence--more shimmer--and with more controlled bass. I don't keep them side by side, though, so, for me, the TH600 is essentially everything I say the TH900 is. And, like the TH900, the TH600 can scale to world-class performance, and fit in wonderfully in the very best rigs.

 

If you listened to and loved the Fostex TH900, but just can't stretch your budget to get to it, the TH600 is raising its hand wildly, and you'd do well to call on it." -Jude

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Universally* reviled.

Yeah. It is a sad story. When Denon and Fostex went their own ways and discontinued the legendary D2000/D5000/D7000 line, each of their replacement products were a step down. Way too much bass, sloppy mids and erratic highs. Denon's are much, much worse and Fostex's are actually good, but not incredible. The original Denon headphones gave open-back headphones a run for their money. These products are just average sealed headphones at best. Too bad Denon and Fostex aren't willing to revive the product line that we all loved and raved about way back then. I still have regrets about not having picked up the D5000's back in 2012.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I recently sold my modded d2000 and the gent that bought it said it was 90% the sOund of the d5000.

I wonder what some work can do to the th600.

Yeah. It is a sad story. When Denon and Fostex went their own ways and discontinued the legendary D2000/D5000/D7000 line, each of their replacement products were a step down. Way too much bass, sloppy mids and erratic highs. Denon's are much, much worse and Fostex's are actually good, but not incredible. The original Denon headphones gave open-back headphones a run for their money. These products are just average sealed headphones at best. Too bad Denon and Fostex aren't willing to revive the product line that we all loved and raved about way back then. I still have regrets about not having picked up the D5000's back in 2012.

 

[Magick Man]

It does seem that Amazon has the best deal for HD558. Just wondering if anyone could provide some quick comments on the sound quality of 558. 

They're not great, but they're inoffensive and don't really do anything terribly wrong.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

I recently sold my modded d2000 and the gent that bought it said it was 90% the sOund of the d5000.

I wonder what some work can do to the th600.

Did they have actual D5000 wood cups or were they custom-made cups? I am curious to know if simply doing a cup swap would give the D2000's D5000 performance. If so, I might get a pair of D2000's just so I have a fun pair of headphones around to complement my HD600's.

 

[KG Jag]

 

It does seem that Amazon has the best deal for HD558. Just wondering if anyone could provide some quick comments on the sound quality of 558. 

They're not great, but they're inoffensive and don't really do anything terribly wrong.

I generally agree, but would class them as very good.  The 558/598 are some of the best all arrounders in their (somewhat changing from time to time) price class--although they are not very fast.  Their velvet smoothness is their strength, but can also be a drawback.

 

[KG Jag]

 

I recently sold my modded d2000 and the gent that bought it said it was 90% the sOund of the d5000.

I wonder what some work can do to the th600.

Did they have actual D5000 wood cups or were tthey custom? I am curious to know if simply doing a cup swap would give the D2000's D5000 performance. If so, I might get a pair of D2000's that just so I have a fun pair of headphones around to complement my HD600's.

D5000 came with wooden cups.  The cable on the D5000 was better than that on the D2000.  They shared drivers.  See:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/luscious-denon-ah-d2000-ah-d50000-and-ah-d7000

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

 
Did they have actual D5000 wood cups or were they custom-made cups? I am curious to know if simply doing a cup swap would give the D2000's D5000 performance. If so, I might get a pair of D2000's just so I have a fun pair of headphones around to complement my HD600's.

 

 
D5000 came with wooden cups.  The cable on the D5000 was better than that on the D2000.  They shared drivers.  See:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/luscious-denon-ah-d2000-ah-d50000-and-ah-d7000

Mods were dynamat in the cups + partial mark-L, alpha pads and mogami cables. You could very well buy wood cups and swap cables and probably get similar results.

 

[Magick Man]

I generally agree, but would class them as very good.  The 558/598 are some of the best all arrounders in their (somewhat changing from time to time) price class--although they are not very fast.  Their velvet smoothness is their strength, but can also be a drawback.

They are good, especially for $100, there simply isn't anything about them that I think is great. Actually, I take that back, they're quite comfortable.

 

[Lorspeaker]

I plugged th900 into my fiio e18...
And they matched up beautifully, every test song was good to my ears.
If price dips to sub 1k...I will myself to save a pair from the dump yard!!

 

[Hifihedgehog]

 
D5000 came with wooden cups.  The cable on the D5000 was better than that on the D2000.  They shared drivers.  See:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/luscious-denon-ah-d2000-ah-d50000-and-ah-d7000

Thank you for the reply and the information. I already know that the D5000 and D7000 have wooden cups, because I eyed those models for years. When they went out of production and the prices skyrocketed, I had no choice but to resort to the DT990, which was okay but not as much to my liking as the HD600. At any rate, in my reply, I was asking if Soundsgoodtome's modded D2000 had D5000 wooden cups or custom-made wooden cups.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

   


Mods were dynamat in the cups + partial mark-L, alpha pads and mogami cables. You could very well buy wood cups and swap cables and probably get similar results.

OK. I am just trying to stick as close to a stock configuration as possible because I have never found a modded headphone I really cared for besides the HD555 modded into an HD595. For me, there have been just too many downsides that seem to add more distortion and coloration than what was in the manufacturer's original design. There was a used $280 D5000 mentioned in passing a little while ago elsewhere in the forums.