[GrandMasterK]

I absolutely adore the D5000s but i'm interested in finding out how much better it gets for the kind of music I like. I listen mostly to EDM and bass heavy hip-hop. All digital files but mostly lossless formats. I run my headphones through an mbox pro 3 interface. I'd be willing to spend up to a $1,000 if it's a clear improvement.

Any thoughts gentlemen?

2018 EDIT: Still on the hunt. Willing to spend up to about $800 (including used). Not interested in investing in a headphone amp at this time so I'm looking for something easy to power or something that will work fine with my audio interface (mbox pro 3)

 

[NotaLefty]

Have you tried the LCD-2's?

 

[DoctaCosmos]

The best headphone I have ever heard for edm is the zmf-blackwood. Its almost one of the best headphones I've ever heard period but is a little too dark for the likes of some music genres but not all. Stupidly good and the best part is that a very comparable headphone needed a ridiculously expensive amp to best it. The zmf products were tuned for a minimalist setup

 

[barid]

I absolutely adore the D5000s but i'm interested in finding out how much better it gets for the kind of music I like. I listen mostly to EDM and bass heavy hip-hop. All digital files but mostly lossless formats. I run my headphones through an mbox pro 3 interface. I'd be willing to spend up to a $1,000 if it's a clear improvement.

Any thoughts gentlemen?

Nothing is really going to beat the fun visceral slam of your d5000. You can get better clarity and separation with other gear, but the d5000s were one the most 'fun' phones ive tried. Im guessing you'll miss that attribute with EDM if you move up to another headphone.

That being said, the audeze sound is also pretty nice. Any of those models might be your next option.

 

[moriez]

What comes to mind is the TH600. Have a look at the thread which contains comparisons with the Denon.

 

[GrandMasterK]

I was thinking about giving the Fostex an order. Maybe the LCD-2 with it.
 
One thing I miss about my older cheaper headphones is they had a wide soundstage where as the D5000 sound is really tight. I long to have a comparable headphone with more space. What would you say?

 

[GrandMasterK]

Hey guys, been awhile! Just wondering if anybody has any updated opinions on this? After deliberating for months I ended up actually having to sell my Denon D5000s to pay some bills. Now I'm back at looking for a pair of high-end cans. I'd like to give something else a try before just throwing my hands up and going back to the D5000s. Any new input for ya boy?

 

[chimney189]

Have you thought of the TH-900?

 

[nraymond]

Hey guys, been awhile! Just wondering if anybody has any updated opinions on this? After deliberating for months I ended up actually having to sell my Denon D5000s to pay some bills. Now I'm back at looking for a pair of high-end cans. I'd like to give something else a try before just throwing my hands up and going back to the D5000s. Any new input for ya boy?

https://www.innerfidelity.com/conte...ening-tests-denon-ah-d5000-massdrop-fostex-th

"...switching back to the original D5000 at this point is almost painful—vocals are hard and body-less; the unbalanced treble delivers cymbals that are harsh caricatures of their former self; and the image collapses into a confused mess in a line between the ears. Putting the E-Mu Teaks back on (ahhhhh) the music pops back into proper perspective and can be taken in as a luscious whole."

There will likely be another Massdrop of the E-Mu Teak with detachable cables in the coming months:

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/e-mu-teak-headphones?mode=guest_open

 

[nraymond]

If you're considering any headphone at the ~$500 pricepoint, the Hifiman Sundara (open-back planar magnetic) was recently released and reviewed well:

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/hifiman-sundara-around-ear-open-planar-magnetic-headphones

 

[GrandMasterK]

Have you listened to any of these cans personally?

 

[GrandMasterK]

Looks like Fostex TH900s can be gotten for $800ish. Any other competitors anyone wants to mention in that range?

 

[nraymond]

Have you listened to any of these cans personally?

The E-Mu Teaks are something I will purchase at some point, they're pretty universally liked, but I haven't listened to them yet myself. I have a pair of Hifiman HE-400i (second revision, 2.5mm jacks on the cups, no internal backplate) which are my current favorite headphone by far (especially once I switched to some protein leather earpads).

I personally wouldn't consider the TH900s because I've never heard anyone say they are superior to the E-Mu Teaks (or even the TH-610s for that matter). If you're going up to $800, based on everything I've read I'd put the MrSpeakers Aeon on your shortlist:

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/mrspeakers-aeon-over-ear-sealed-planar-magnetic-headphones

 

[chimney189]

I was thinking about giving the Fostex an order. Maybe the LCD-2 with it.

One thing I miss about my older cheaper headphones is they had a wide soundstage where as the D5000 sound is really tight. I long to have a comparable headphone with more space. What would you say?

The E-Mu Teaks are something I will purchase at some point, they're pretty universally liked, but I haven't listened to them yet myself. I have a pair of Hifiman HE-400i (second revision, 2.5mm jacks on the cups, no internal backplate) which are my current favorite headphone by far (especially once I switched to some protein leather earpads).

I personally wouldn't consider the TH900s because I've never heard anyone say they are superior to the E-Mu Teaks (or even the TH-610s for that matter). If you're going up to $800, based on everything I've read I'd put the MrSpeakers Aeon on your shortlist:

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/mrspeakers-aeon-over-ear-sealed-planar-magnetic-headphones

The original poster is looking for a comparable headphone with more space.
I'm pretty sure the TH-900 has a similar sound-signature likened to the D5000 just with more space in the sound-stage and refinement in the upper and lower-registers (which it is known for).
The E-Mu Teaks are a polite version of the D5000 and TH-900, so if that's what the original poster would rather like then the Teaks would be an easy choice, but from what I'm getting the original poster wants something just as exciting and aggressive sounding as his original pair of D5000.

 

[nraymond]

The original poster is looking for a comparable headphone with more space.
I'm pretty sure the TH-900 has a similar sound-signature likened to the D5000 just with more space in the sound-stage and refinement in the upper and lower-registers (which it is known for).
The E-Mu Teaks are a polite version of the D5000 and TH-900, so if that's what the original poster would rather like then the Teaks would be an easy choice, but from what I'm getting the original poster wants something just as exciting and aggressive sounding as his original pair of D5000.

You might be right, I guess it wasn't clear to me exactly what the OP was looking for. The TH900 might be what he's looking for, though based on Tyll's comments if the OP gets a pair, he should also pick up a the TH-610 earpads, since it may be the Th-900 stock earpads that leads some to be less impressed:

"Ouch! Holy smoke, these are bright. What the heck is going on?

Measurements show this headphone, and the preceding TH900, to be substantially different than the other headphones in this survey, mainly in having a large, wide bass bump, and having extra energy in the 4-8kHz area. I found both the TH900 and TH900mk2 abrasive and hard to the point of aural discomfort. These suck.

It's surprises me because during the disassembly photo session I noticed these were the only headphones in the group that had damping material in the earcups. I also noticed they had earpads with circular holes rather than the ear-shaped holes of the other headphones. Pads can make quite a difference, so I swapped the TH610 pads and....

My goodness, what a difference! I really didn't expect that much change. Doesn't quite get the tonality as good as the TH-X00 or Teak, but they're much closer than with the stock pads. Also, I hear these headphones as fairly hard sounding. The measurements show quite a bit of distortion, but frankly those plots look a little weird to me...not sure if I trust them. None the less, the impression of having a hard sound persists as I listen to this headphone after the pad change.

If you're a TH900 or TH900mk2 owner, do your ears a favor and get some TH610 earpads."​