Denon D2000

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,959
157
106
I don't know where these headphones have been all my life and shocked to see no one here owns them. I just can't believe how good they sound and not just that but they are closed. I didn't think headphones could get so comfortable either. They sound like open headphones to me they are that good and I like them better than the HD 650.
 

pennylane

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2002
6,077
1
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I ordered these headphones because I need closed headphones at the office to block out a little bit of noise, while still being super comfy. They're supposed to arrive in the next day or two. I can't wait!
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,959
157
106
Originally posted by: fanerman91
I ordered these headphones because I need closed headphones at the office to block out a little bit of noise, while still being super comfy. They're supposed to arrive in the next day or two. I can't wait!

Where did you order them from ? Will you be using a amp with them? You should really love them but let us know. The thing I like about them best is the comfort and second of course the sound quality. Comfort is very important to me because it is my main source of sound. I don't have speakers.
 

pennylane

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2002
6,077
1
0
Originally posted by: pcslookout
Originally posted by: fanerman91
I ordered these headphones because I need closed headphones at the office to block out a little bit of noise, while still being super comfy. They're supposed to arrive in the next day or two. I can't wait!

Where did you order them from ? Will you be using a amp with them? You should really love them but let us know. The thing I like about them best is the comfort and second of course the sound quality. Comfort is very important to me because it is my main source of sound. I don't have speakers.

I just got them from amazon. They had a pretty good price. I'll be using them with a tin mint cmoy. Unfortunately I won't be able to right away. I lent the cmoy to my friend because I didn't need it for awhile and he lost it, but he's recently found it and should ship it to me soon. These will be my primary work headphones (I have HD-580's at home), and my work "source" is just my ipod, so adding an amp would be quite nice.
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,959
157
106
Originally posted by: fanerman91
Originally posted by: pcslookout
Originally posted by: fanerman91
I ordered these headphones because I need closed headphones at the office to block out a little bit of noise, while still being super comfy. They're supposed to arrive in the next day or two. I can't wait!

Where did you order them from ? Will you be using a amp with them? You should really love them but let us know. The thing I like about them best is the comfort and second of course the sound quality. Comfort is very important to me because it is my main source of sound. I don't have speakers.

I just got them from amazon. They had a pretty good price. I'll be using them with a tin mint cmoy. Unfortunately I won't be able to right away. I lent the cmoy to my friend because I didn't need it for awhile and he lost it, but he's recently found it and should ship it to me soon. These will be my primary work headphones (I have HD-580's at home), and my work "source" is just my ipod, so adding an amp would be quite nice.

Yeah amazon does and it even sweeter if you have amazon prime with the free shipping. So it equals out to about the same as other places. They seem to still sound really good without a amp so I wouldn't be to worried hearing them without one at first. Though I am sure you will be shocked at the difference once you get your amp back.

I was thinking of getting the Denon D5000 but just couldn't accept the pricetag. By what I was reading they don't sound that much better. For double the price not worth it unless you want the wood heads. Thats the only disadvantage I can see with the Denon headphones needs a amp as well. Brings the price up a lot.

 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
22,048
877
126
I was extremely happy when Denon started making headphones again. I was very upset when they pulled out years ago. Still use my old AHD-750s. How is the bas response on the 2000? Do you feel the bass? Does it clip at high volumes like the Senns 280pro? I have been torn between getting the 1000 and the 2000, but really want to feel the bass. My MDR-v900HD cans, while they can take the power and dont clip, I just dont "feel" the bass like I do on my Mdr-v700DJ or my AHD-750s.
 

pennylane

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2002
6,077
1
0
I haven't actually heard the headphones, but from what I've read, the D2000 seems the sweetspot with the current Donen line. The D5000 sees diminishing returns as pcslookout said. I think there is a significant jump in quality between the D1000 and D2000, though. The D2000's get a lot of talk at head-fi. I couldn't comment about the bass.

You may also want to consider the Ultrasone HFI 780's. The bass on those is supposed to be great and very visceral (feelable).
 

pennylane

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2002
6,077
1
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Ahhh full detailed review? My ears aren't discerning enough!

Here are some first impressions. I've been listening for about 2 hours or so, so everything is subject to change.

They really are super comfortable. Noise isolation is pretty respectable. They get the job done for the office. The big reason I went with these headphones is to cut down on office noise (mainly HVAC and random chattering) so I could listen to music without having to pump it up to loud volumes, and they do just that. They attenuate the HVAC noise, though not completely. Some low-frequency fan noise still comes through (that will affect some impressions on sound quality I've had). I can also still hear people talking, which isn't a bad thing, as I need to know if someone's calling for me.

Still, having headphones that can provide a solid 10 dB of noise reduction while not clamping down on one's head is really amazing. They might be a tad sweaty in a warm environment, but that should not be a problem in the office. I think the HD-580's are more comfy because they're not as sweaty, but they're not that much more comfy.

I'm listening to it straight out of the box (no break-in), straight out of my ipod, and with no amp (which I don't have yet). It does sound quite good. They do sound airy like open headphones.

Bass certainly has some punch it. More than my Sennheiser HD-580's and maybe more than my Grado HF-1's (same as SR-225). It's not exactly slapping on a subwoofer to my head, but there are some moments where I can feel the bass a little. The HVAC noise that still gets through the headphones tends to be low-frequency, so it's possible some of the bass gets lost in the noise. Bass lines still aren't as clear as my speaker/subwoofer system, but that could be due to the noise. Still, they are more prominent than on my HD-580's without being overwhelming.

I heard before getting it that the mids were a bit recessed relative to the bass and treble, but I haven't noticed it too much. They feel pretty smooth. Treble isn't as bright as the HF-1's (SR-225's), but that's understandable because the Grados are pretty bright. Treble is detailed and clear without being harsh. Stuff like Miles Davis' trumpet on some recordings (or Bob Dylan's harmonica) can be pretty harsh on my Grados, but I think they're more tolerable on my D2000's.

So, The D2000's more upfront than the Sennheiser HD-580's which are pretty laidback, but they're kind of airy like the Senns and are also pretty smooth. They're maybe not as upfront as Grados, but not as harsh either. Bass is quite solid without being overwhelming. And it's all in a closed, reasonably sound-isolating, super comfy package. They're really great and perfect for an office environment and sound quite good unamped.
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,959
157
106
Wait until you get your amp back. It will make a big difference though I do love how they sound like open headphones, like I said before in one of my posts, but are really closed headphones! I don't get how they did that!

How loud does the volume go on your ipod? Bet not very loud and that may be your problem with a little sound isolation sense no closed headphones can get rid of all sound when not having anything playing.
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
22,048
877
126
If they sound somewhat decent on an ipod, which imo is not a decent source of music, even tho I own a classic 160gb:) I bet they will sound great on a decent stereo or the ipod with an amp. And I'm sure with a coupla hundred hours of burn-in they will just get better. Thanks for the review! Now to research the best price and try and demo them with my own music source.
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,959
157
106
Originally posted by: Oyeve
If they sound somewhat decent on an ipod, which imo is not a decent source of music, even tho I own a classic 160gb:) I bet they will sound great on a decent stereo or the ipod with an amp. And I'm sure with a coupla hundred hours of burn-in they will just get better. Thanks for the review! Now to research the best price and try and demo them with my own music source.

They get a lot better after around 20 hours of burn in sometimes it could take as long as 100 hours. I think the best part about them is comfort, comfort, comfort.

Who doesn't use there headphones more than minutes ?
 

pennylane

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2002
6,077
1
0
My iPod can go a LOT louder than I've bothered to listen on my Denon D2000's. I listen at a pretty quiet volume level. I've gotten paranoid about hearing. That's why I wanted closed headphones, so I could hear the quiet parts of music without having to crank the volume up. That said, the extra power/amperage of an amp ought to help even at low volumes.
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,959
157
106
Originally posted by: fanerman91
My iPod can go a LOT louder than I've bothered to listen on my Denon D2000's. I don't listen at pretty loud volumes. I've gotten paranoid about hearing. That's why I wanted closed headphones, so I could hear the quiet parts of music without having to crank the volume up. That said, the extra power/amperage of an amp ought to help even at low volumes.

Yes that does help a lot. Do you still own your Sennheiser HD-580 ? Are they really comfortable? I never own those before but I do have the Sennheiser HD-280 pro. Did your Sennheiser HD-580 headphones ever have a death grip where it hurt the top middle part of your head after wearing them for a few hours ? I had this problem with my Sennheiser HD-280 pro for months after buying them new. It actually hurt and my ears got relief even just taking the headphones off. It was horrible. I keep hearing and reading about all brands of Sennheiser headphones having this problem even the Sennheiser HD-650. Is it really true ? Sense you own both or did which headphones would you say are more comfortable ? The Denon D2000 or Sennheiser HD-580? Any other headphones have you tried on that felt more comfortable than the one you answer with ?
 

pennylane

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2002
6,077
1
0
Originally posted by: pcslookout
Yes that does help a lot. Do you still own your Sennheiser HD-580 ? Are they really comfortable? I never own those before but I do have the Sennheiser HD-280 pro. Did your Sennheiser HD-580 headphones ever have a death grip where it hurt the top middle part of your head after wearing them for a few hours ? I had this problem with my Sennheiser HD-280 pro for months after buying them new. It actually hurt and my ears got relief even just taking the headphones off. It was horrible. I keep hearing and reading about all brands of Sennheiser headphones having this problem even the Sennheiser HD-650. Is it really true ? Sense you own both or did which headphones would you say are more comfortable ? The Denon D2000 or Sennheiser HD-580? Any other headphones have you tried on that felt more comfortable than the one you answer with ?

Yup I still have the HD-580's. I also used to own the HD-280 Pros awhile back. They're very different headphones. HD-580's are open while the HD-280 Pros are closed. I've experienced the death grip on the HD-280 Pros, and it really was annoying for me. I thought it was mainly because it was a closed headphone and to get good noise isolation, it clamped down on your head to seal off your ears.

I've never really experienced a death grip on the HD-580's. I heard they were comfy and when I got them, they were comfy, so I haven't done further research on other people's opinions. Compared to the D2000's they're smaller, lighter, and since they're an open design, your ears can kind of breathe so they don't get as sweaty. They don't clamp down either. And that velour feels so good. I'll put them on tonight and see what I think about them, but I don't normally wear them for that long (only a couple hours at most), and I usually just forget that they're on my head.
 

Auric

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,591
2
71
Well, they look good. I am not a fan of dual cords though. Are all the silvery bits actually metal? The wood cups on the 5000 are intriguing... I wonder if they increase isolation? I would certainly break them in over nights or whenever with various samples.
 

aphex

Moderator<br>All Things Apple
Moderator
Jul 19, 2001
38,572
2
91
Originally posted by: pcslookout
Originally posted by: fanerman91
My iPod can go a LOT louder than I've bothered to listen on my Denon D2000's. I don't listen at pretty loud volumes. I've gotten paranoid about hearing. That's why I wanted closed headphones, so I could hear the quiet parts of music without having to crank the volume up. That said, the extra power/amperage of an amp ought to help even at low volumes.

Yes that does help a lot. Do you still own your Sennheiser HD-580 ? Are they really comfortable? I never own those before but I do have the Sennheiser HD-280 pro. Did your Sennheiser HD-580 headphones ever have a death grip where it hurt the top middle part of your head after wearing them for a few hours ? I had this problem with my Sennheiser HD-280 pro for months after buying them new. It actually hurt and my ears got relief even just taking the headphones off. It was horrible. I keep hearing and reading about all brands of Sennheiser headphones having this problem even the Sennheiser HD-650. Is it really true ? Sense you own both or did which headphones would you say are more comfortable ? The Denon D2000 or Sennheiser HD-580? Any other headphones have you tried on that felt more comfortable than the one you answer with ?

Just out of curiosity, are you 'martin5115' on eBay? I got this exact question on my HD580 eBay auction earlier today, within 5 minutes of your post on here.
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,959
157
106
Originally posted by: aphex
Originally posted by: pcslookout
Originally posted by: fanerman91
My iPod can go a LOT louder than I've bothered to listen on my Denon D2000's. I don't listen at pretty loud volumes. I've gotten paranoid about hearing. That's why I wanted closed headphones, so I could hear the quiet parts of music without having to crank the volume up. That said, the extra power/amperage of an amp ought to help even at low volumes.

Yes that does help a lot. Do you still own your Sennheiser HD-580 ? Are they really comfortable? I never own those before but I do have the Sennheiser HD-280 pro. Did your Sennheiser HD-580 headphones ever have a death grip where it hurt the top middle part of your head after wearing them for a few hours ? I had this problem with my Sennheiser HD-280 pro for months after buying them new. It actually hurt and my ears got relief even just taking the headphones off. It was horrible. I keep hearing and reading about all brands of Sennheiser headphones having this problem even the Sennheiser HD-650. Is it really true ? Sense you own both or did which headphones would you say are more comfortable ? The Denon D2000 or Sennheiser HD-580? Any other headphones have you tried on that felt more comfortable than the one you answer with ?

Just out of curiosity, are you 'martin5115' on eBay? I got this exact question on my HD580 eBay auction earlier today, within 5 minutes of your post on here.

No.
 

aphex

Moderator<br>All Things Apple
Moderator
Jul 19, 2001
38,572
2
91
Originally posted by: pcslookout
Originally posted by: aphex
Originally posted by: pcslookout
Originally posted by: fanerman91
My iPod can go a LOT louder than I've bothered to listen on my Denon D2000's. I don't listen at pretty loud volumes. I've gotten paranoid about hearing. That's why I wanted closed headphones, so I could hear the quiet parts of music without having to crank the volume up. That said, the extra power/amperage of an amp ought to help even at low volumes.

Yes that does help a lot. Do you still own your Sennheiser HD-580 ? Are they really comfortable? I never own those before but I do have the Sennheiser HD-280 pro. Did your Sennheiser HD-580 headphones ever have a death grip where it hurt the top middle part of your head after wearing them for a few hours ? I had this problem with my Sennheiser HD-280 pro for months after buying them new. It actually hurt and my ears got relief even just taking the headphones off. It was horrible. I keep hearing and reading about all brands of Sennheiser headphones having this problem even the Sennheiser HD-650. Is it really true ? Sense you own both or did which headphones would you say are more comfortable ? The Denon D2000 or Sennheiser HD-580? Any other headphones have you tried on that felt more comfortable than the one you answer with ?

Just out of curiosity, are you 'martin5115' on eBay? I got this exact question on my HD580 eBay auction earlier today, within 5 minutes of your post on here.

No.

Lol, just a strange coincidence then :)
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,959
157
106
Originally posted by: fanerman91
Ahhh full detailed review? My ears aren't discerning enough!

Here are some first impressions. I've been listening for about 2 hours or so, so everything is subject to change.

They really are super comfortable. Noise isolation is pretty respectable. They get the job done for the office. The big reason I went with these headphones is to cut down on office noise (mainly HVAC and random chattering) so I could listen to music without having to pump it up to loud volumes, and they do just that. They attenuate the HVAC noise, though not completely. Some low-frequency fan noise still comes through (that will affect some impressions on sound quality I've had). I can also still hear people talking, which isn't a bad thing, as I need to know if someone's calling for me.

Still, having headphones that can provide a solid 10 dB of noise reduction while not clamping down on one's head is really amazing. They might be a tad sweaty in a warm environment, but that should not be a problem in the office. I think the HD-580's are more comfy because they're not as sweaty, but they're not that much more comfy.

I'm listening to it straight out of the box (no break-in), straight out of my ipod, and with no amp (which I don't have yet). It does sound quite good. They do sound airy like open headphones.

Bass certainly has some punch it. More than my Sennheiser HD-580's and maybe more than my Grado HF-1's (same as SR-225). It's not exactly slapping on a subwoofer to my head, but there are some moments where I can feel the bass a little. The HVAC noise that still gets through the headphones tends to be low-frequency, so it's possible some of the bass gets lost in the noise. Bass lines still aren't as clear as my speaker/subwoofer system, but that could be due to the noise. Still, they are more prominent than on my HD-580's without being overwhelming.

I heard before getting it that the mids were a bit recessed relative to the bass and treble, but I haven't noticed it too much. They feel pretty smooth. Treble isn't as bright as the HF-1's (SR-225's), but that's understandable because the Grados are pretty bright. Treble is detailed and clear without being harsh. Stuff like Miles Davis' trumpet on some recordings (or Bob Dylan's harmonica) can be pretty harsh on my Grados, but I think they're more tolerable on my D2000's.

So, The D2000's more upfront than the Sennheiser HD-580's which are pretty laidback, but they're kind of airy like the Senns and are also pretty smooth. They're maybe not as upfront as Grados, but not as harsh either. Bass is quite solid without being overwhelming. And it's all in a closed, reasonably sound-isolating, super comfy package. They're really great and perfect for an office environment and sound quite good unamped.

fanerman91 so did you get your amp back from your friend yet and able to try your Denon D2000 when connected to a amp ? So far I am loving mine and I believe they are just about burned in by now. I am using a amp with them and only tried them once with the amp just to see though I prefer with the amp.
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
Those are remarkable headphones. Their impedance profile is so benign that I doubt they even need an amp to sound excellent. They are very easy to drive and do not have any impedance swings. I'll be saving up for a pair of those. Where did you get yours from?