Denon AH-D2000--big disappointment.

[Dusty Chalk]

I don't understand where you guys are coming from with this "bass light" and "shrill piercing highs" -- I thought the bass was nice and straightforward without being overwrought (like the DT770 -- which I will never argue is anything other than a basshead's cream-dream headphone). It certainly had better bass than the fucking DT990, I have no idea where that myth came from. And I remember it having nice highs -- certainly better than the HD600, although the Balanced Max rendered the two almost exactly the same, the DT880 was the better of the two. And it certainly isn't as sibilant as the DT770, which I agree will reveal the worst of any recording's predisposition toward being rendered sibilant.

It's like we're listening to different headphones. Methinks you guys like to exaggerate to make a point.

[deepak]

I don't understand where you guys are coming from with this "bass light" and "shrill piercing highs" -- I thought the bass was nice and straightforward without being overwrought (like the DT770 -- which I will never argue is anything other than a basshead's cream-dream headphone). It certainly had better bass than the fucking DT990, I have no idea where that myth came from. And I remember it having nice highs -- certainly better than the HD600, although the Balanced Max rendered the two almost exactly the same, the DT880 was the better of the two. And it certainly isn't as sibilant as the DT770, which I agree will reveal the worst of any recording's predisposition toward being rendered sibilant.

It's like we're listening to different headphones. Methinks you guys like to exaggerate to make a point.

Which DT990? I had the DT990-2005 and DT880-2005 at the same time and the DT990-2005 had a lot more bass than the DT880-2005. So I'm not going off memory.

[swt61]

My old DT990 600 ohm had uber bass!

[spritzer]

The owner of Sound Lab is a very nice guy. Was willing to set up an audition for the Majestic 945 with a private owner even though I told him I couldn't purchase them in the immediate future.

That's very cool! I know that there is a set in my future once I can find a place that's big enough with the ceiling height to match.

[deepak]

That's very cool! I know that there is a set in my future once I can find a place that's big enough with the ceiling height to match.

Huge room (either golden ratio or bigger) will be a top priority in my next house. No pushing the speakers closer to the wall to get bass crap.

And since Sound Lab has so few dealers, they offer them up for an in home trial with money back return if you're not happy. Apparently they haven't had a single set of speakers ever returned.

[spritzer]

Huge room (either golden ratio or bigger) will be a top priority in my next house. No pushing the speakers closer to the wall to get bass crap.

And since Sound Lab has so few dealers, they offer them up for an in home trial with money back return if you're not happy. Apparently they haven't had a single set of speakers ever returned.

Massive line sources tend to make believers out of just about anybody...

[Dusty Chalk]

Which DT990? I had the DT990-2005 and DT880-2005 at the same time and the DT990-2005 had a lot more bass than the DT880-2005. So I'm not going off memory.

Well, I admit, I didn't have them at the same time. But I'm pretty sure it was the new one, because dave1 bought them based on everyone's impressions on head-fi (they were described as DT880's with bass over there), and he lent them to me for several days, and I was completely underwhelmed with them. And all of this was very recent (like within the last year).

I did not remember being underwhelmed with the DT880's (and that's saying something, as I like my bass -- I will only live without the bass if it does something else that I want extremely right -- like the K501's midrange). But I'll be getting my own pair, so will revisit this argument when I have more recent impressions.

[Dusty Chalk]

I just went to Headroom to see what the frequency responses told me. I refuse to believe that my hearing is that good. There's a huge upper midbass hump in the DT990, but it drops off just slightly faster in the bottom 5 Hz (from 20 Hz to 25 Hz). There's no way on earth I can hear that. I guess we'll see, when I hear them again.

link

[krrm]

The DT 880 have bass, as in deep bass that can be heard on Angel by Massive Attack or Koyaanisquatsi (beginning of first track) by Phillip Glass. But I also can understand those who describe them as without bass, because with some music they can be thin and less engaging than other phones.

I like mine (250/2005) and more than DT770 pro (80/2003), but the Pico does a very good job in taming the bass of the 770. But then for use at work the 770 is perfect, they isolate well and I can throw them in a computer sack without worries matter what else I throw in there. Now try that with a pair of O2s

[Dusty Chalk]

Pfff.

[deepak]

send me your Omegas and i'll tell you how the Thiels stack up

They won't. At least the last time I heard the Thiels.

[dc]

I'm quite pleased with my DT880-2003, I like to pair it with a warm amp (in my case the Ming Da MC66-AE) it's a very transparent sounding phone, really brings the sound of the source/amps to the front. One of the best buys I've made IMHO, as I got it new from B&H at the clearout price of $150.

[morphsci]

The DT-880 600's have plenty of bass, it is just not pronounced compared to the mids and highs so it may seem recessed to some. Although not as power hungry as K340's the 880's you really can't use a fagpiley amp or they will sound thin. Running them balanced out of a GS-X sounds very good, but they have also been recabled.

Back to the D2000's. I use them at work as I really need a closed headphone there. Although not up to the standards of the HD-25-1-II, they are much more comfortable over longer listening sessions. An APS recable certainly helps the frequency balance as it makes the bass much less pronounced caompared to the mids. They also sound better out of the tubed Shanling than they do out of the headroom portable desktop.

[deepak]

I wouldn't consider the M^3 to be a fagpiley amp, it's probably one the best SS amps

If I still had the DT880 I would have liked to have used it with the Beta22, but I somehow doubt that would have changed my perception of them. It's not really the bass that is its sole weakness. The entire headphone doesn't sound natural to me.

[deepak]

I completed half of the markl mod on my D2000. Basically stuffed the earpads and added Dynamat to the back of the earcup. I'll do the rest of the mods tomorrow.

They do change the headphones, but with these initial mods they aren't any better than the stock headphone. As is expected the entire presentation is moved further back, but nothing else really improves much.

[guzziguy]

I completed half of the markl mod on my D2000. Basically stuffed the earpads and added Dynamat to the back of the earcup. I'll do the rest of the mods tomorrow.

So they are a little better than R5's now, right?

[deepak]

So they are a little better than R5's now, right?

R5? Is that half an MDR-R10

[elnero]

I don't understand where you guys are coming from with this "bass light" and "shrill piercing highs" -- I thought the bass was nice and straightforward without being overwrought (like the DT770 -- which I will never argue is anything other than a basshead's cream-dream headphone). It certainly had better bass than the fucking DT990, I have no idea where that myth came from. And I remember it having nice highs -- certainly better than the HD600, although the Balanced Max rendered the two almost exactly the same, the DT880 was the better of the two. And it certainly isn't as sibilant as the DT770, which I agree will reveal the worst of any recording's predisposition toward being rendered sibilant.

It's like we're listening to different headphones. Methinks you guys like to exaggerate to make a point.

I agree, I only heard a pair on a couple of occasions at meets and they were recabled so I don't know how much that changes them but out of all the headphones at the meet that I didn't own myself they were the ones that I liked the best and actually thought might be worth further investigation.

[aardvark baguette]

I completed half of the markl mod on my D2000. Basically stuffed the earpads and added Dynamat to the back of the earcup. I'll do the rest of the mods tomorrow.

They do change the headphones, but with these initial mods they aren't any better than the stock headphone. As is expected the entire presentation is moved further back, but nothing else really improves much.

Dood, yer naught heering dems at der bezt. Dey needz like 600 hourz bern in b4 u ken judge em

[Caution]

I'll break it down why the DT880 is a piece of shit:

-awful shrill piercing highs

-terrible midrange, unnatural and cold. Horrible midrange timbre

-bass light with poor extension

At least with the D2000 it's more of a Grado PS-1-ish sort of presentation where the bass is overpowering but the rest of the headphone isn't so terrible.

Moot point since the Omega 2 crushes both of them.

:/ I disagree with the first 2 remarks, the D2000 defiantly had way more highs than the DT-880's in my system, which is part of the reason why I got rid of them. I don't think DT-880's like solid state amps as well, I've heard them with a few solid state amps, and yes they didn't sound as good when they were driven by a tube amp. Bad midrange timbre? :/ I don't agree either , maybe against a PS-1 or an Omega 2, but with in it's price range I wouldn't say they have bid midrange timbre at all...

yea they are light are semi light on bass, but thats how I like it , the extension isn't poor by any means either.

[morphsci]

I wouldn't consider the M^3 to be a fagpiley amp, it's probably one the best SS amps

Well I guess that is all relative to what its being compared to. My comment was meant as a general comment and not directed at anyone in particular.

[Guest troymadison]

It was weird, I loved them fully for a few weeks. I thought it was the end-all-be-all of headphones. But after a while, meh :/

[PFKMan23]

Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio - View Single Post - Introducing the Denon MD5000 Deluxe Edition & MD2000 Deluxe Edition

Markl mod denon with Jena labs cable!!

[jinp6301]

Then think huge, powerful dynamics with pitch-black background, more extension at both ends, and increased focus leading to better resolution of fine details.

easiest audiophile banter ever

[postjack]

OMFG, he actually put the fleshtone cable on there. I actually was giving mark the benefit of the doubt until now.