Upgrade from Denon D2000 Redux

[Steve_72]

The Ultrasone PRO900 might be something to consider. I've auditioned them (albeit quite briefly) and they seem like a good candidate given your criteria.

 

[jonathanjong]

Hm, Ultrasones, eh? I'll read up on them. Never did like the visuals, though. Not that K601 is gorgeous. Then again, mine's loaned out.

 

[K3cT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathanjong /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nope, no IEMs. Just don't like having the things in my ears, though I always have one pair for the times when it's most convenient. My current pair are RE0s. I don't really have a budget, which is a dangerous thing to say, but I don't think there are many closed headphones in the uber-expensive region anyway. If you must...say under-$600?

The ESW10? I saw a few of them floating in this forum.

 

[Mink]

This may be interesting:

This shows graphs don't say a thing about how things actually sound.
The Shures don't look neutral at all, a big bass peak and treble peak.
Laid-back treble?
Many consider the D2000s to be more bass heavy and more sibilant than the Shures ...but look at those graphs.
???

The D5000 graph is actually pretty much how they sound in reality (imho), extended treble but not edgy and evenly darke colored over the complete low frequency, I find the bass pretty easy to eq.

 

[erikzen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathanjong /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think there are many closed headphones in the uber-expensive region anyway.

R10!

 

[talan7]

I own both the D2000s and the 840s. The Shures are more neutral and have a better midrange but the D2000s have better bass, treble and better soundstage. The Shures may be "technically" better but the D2000s sound way more pleasing and dramatic. I lived with the D2000 first for quite some time before I purchased the 840s. I'm living with the 840s now exclusively and feel like I've stepped down. I do like them however.

Where the 840 really shine is isolation and leakage. I use them with my XM5 at work and can have them blasting but if I take them off and place them closed on my desk I can't hear a thing. You would think there wasn't any music on until you open them up.

I also find the D2000s better for lying in bed as the Shures feel like the headband is the heaviest part and want to rotate back off my head whenever lying down. The clamping force is stronger so they don't fall off my ears but the constant rotating annoys me.

I plan on doing a 3-way comparison between my AD700s, D2000s, and 840s once I've really lived with the the Shures for a while. As I'm building my collection it's interesting to see the differences between phones.

 

[jonathanjong]

I've considered ESW10, but I wonder if that's too close to my ESW9. Might be worth a shot anyway, since I love my ESW9.

Hm, I've always been bothered by the disjunction between our perception and the graphs (which allegedly tell us something about the physical properties of the sound waves). While the physical information shouldn't be expected to correspond perfectly with our perception, I'd expect a fairly good correlation between them. After all, it's a physical wave impinging upon our sensory organs. But meh, perception isn't my field.

Thanks fore those notes about 840, talan7. I wonder if there's a way to get them for Northern's price at $117. I got a quote today, but I live in NZ.

 

[talan7]

I payed $159 at a local shop here in New Jersey and I think they are worth it. Oh I forgot to mention the removable cable, carrying bag and foldable design, great benefits for travel over the D2000. Those were my main reasons for purchase as I love my D2000s too much to be lugging them back and forth to work.

My advice, hold out a bit. Many will probably be selling them used soon. Myself, it was a toss up between the DT770s and the Shures. The Shures won on price. I still want the DT770s or a Beyer of some type and the HD650s.

 

[jonathanjong]

Hm, that's a good piece of advice; to wait. I might just do that.

But keep the recos coming. I might just get the 840s out of curiosity.

 

[K3cT]

The ESW10 is a lot more neutral and has much better defined bass IIRC. Conversely it's a brighter too which I don't like.

 

[jonathanjong]

Sweet. So far – besides the R1o – it looks like I should either go up the Denon route, get an SRH840 for a sidegrade, go up to ESW10, or try an Ultrasone.

Hmm. None of these options are ideal. The 840 is most tempting, but then it's not so much of an upgrade...

 

[myk7000]

840 is not an upgrade to the d2000. heard them both extensively.

 

[jonathanjong]

No, it seems like more of a sidegrade, though many prefer SRH840.

Would you like to gimme a comparison?

 

[Jodet]

Mark Lawton does a mod to the 2000 where he puts on the cable from the 7000. Might be worth looking into.

 

[bajaiman]

I have D5000 (half MarkL self modded) and 1 week old Shure 840....I prefer the sound of Shure840 as I like more forward mids. Shure has punchier/tighter bass and less treble sparkle compared to D5000.

Comfort wise Denon wins by a landslide.... I couldn't wear the 840 longer than 30 min without taking a break. I think they're just too tight and very heavy. I ended up not using both of them ... Instead I use my UM3x with C2C amp...

I might sell both of them to fund JH13....