[Whyifide]

Hello everybody. What would be the most logical step up from the AD700's - just enough of a step to get that "wow" factor without completely sinking the bank account. I listen to mostly electronic music (down-tempo, ambient, chill-out, trip-hop, folktronica, trance), classic rock, folk music, and other stuff like that. I love a lot of detail, smooth and silky, depth, etc.

My source is the ASUS Xonar Essence ST.

 

[nhancakes]

What qualities about the AD700 did you like and what do you want to be improved on?

 

[MomijiTMO]

I'm not really sure if anything is going to give you a wow factor without breaking the bank. A fair few people can't get past the AD700. It's definitely one of the great value cans out there.

If you want something a bit different, you could try a Grado.

If you are really after an upgrade, you could try the AD900. The AD1000 and AD2000 are not like the AD700. An alternative could be a closed headphone like the Shure SRH840 or 440 as they have more bass and do sound pretty open for closed cans.

 

[Whyifide]

What I fell in love with was the clarity, details, smoothness, expansiveness. I especially loved how the details I never heard came out.

 

[NapalmK]

You might want to consider the Ultrasone HFI-780. They do well with electronic music. They are on sale for $190 at rmcaudiodirect.com. I've also heard good things about the Beyerdynamic Dt880 and Denon D2000 in those regards. How much are you looking to spend?

 

[MomijiTMO]

Hmm the D2000 might just blow his/her ears off compared to the AD700!

 

[Whyifide]

How do the HFI-780 and D2000 sound?

 

[igotyofire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MomijiTMO /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not really sure if anything is going to give you a wow factor without breaking the bank.

agreed about the wow factor, the 600ohm DT880s i bought do not sound more enjoyable then the ad700's. that is not to say i dont like them or that they are not better at doing other things, just that the ad700 is a darn good headphone. & farthur up the Audio technica line might be the answer if looking to improve the current sound signature, but if looking for a different type of sound then another brand may offer that, Heh ill have to see what i think once my HD600s get here.

 

[NapalmK]

I haven't actually heard the D2000's so someone else can probably give you a better comparison but as far as I understand it...............
The 780's are often described as energetic. They have a tremendous bass which is tighter than the D2000's. The highs on the 780's according to some are sibilant but I didn't have this problem with the pair I listened to. The Ultrasone's also have a long burn-in time ~400 hours or so.
On the hand, Denon's are often thought to be mellower than the 780's. They have a warm, "laid back" sound or so I've heard. They are more comfortable than 780's though but larger and not as portable. I've heard the Denon's also work well as an all arounder.

When I was looking for a pair of headphones I found this thread to be very helpful.
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/den...-780-a-311181/

All of this is based off of my experience with the 780's and reading on the D2000's.

 

[MomijiTMO]

I like bright headphones and don't mind if they are a bass light. Forward mids are an extra bonus. The D2000s have more emphasised bass which really overshadows the mid range. It's the opposite of what I normally like BUT it manages to work well with electronica. I would say the mids are recessed relative to the treble and bass which explains why they do so well with said genres.

 

[Brandon7s]

I went from the AD700 to the DT990 Pro (250ohm), and I really like my choice. I think I would have liked the DT880's even better though, because of their more forward mids, but I AM thoroughly enjoying my DT990s. Great clarity with the bass and highs; the mids are much more recessed than the AD700s though, which took some getting used to.

I recommend trying the DT880 (600ohm if you have a proper amp).

 

[Marximus]

I have both the DT990 Pros and the AD700s, and the only thing that I miss from the Pros is the bass response. Everything else is wonderful. I'm hoping the cMoy BB (Bass Boost option) I've got coming to me will help the AD700s, because if they were given a bit more heft in the bottom end, they'd be perfect, IMHO.

 

[Whyifide]

So besides the bass, the DT990 isn't much of a difference from the AD700s?

 

[bcpk]

My next upgrade from the AD700 will be the K701.

 

[Marximus]

Perhaps I should have worded that better. The DT990s definitely sound different from the AD700s. The AD700s have excellent mids (as far as I understand what midrange is). Guitars sound fantastic on them. I think the DT990s have a bit of a recessed midrange, so they've got good bass and treble. I suppose what I meant to say that the only thing I'd want from the DT990s is the bass response, and not even a whole lot of it. Just a tiny bit more oomph added to the AD700s. Everything else with the AD700s is great.