Audio-Technica ATH-AD900 Open Air Dynamic Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had the luxury of listening to lots of top level headphones. I have the Audio-Technica ATH-A700 and ATH-AD700, ATH-A900, ATH-AD900, ATH-AD 1000, ATH-AD2000, and ATH-5000; AKG 271, 240, K601, and K701; the Beyerdynamic 770, 880 and 990; Sennheiser 280, 600 and 650; Grado GS-80, GS325i, RS-2, GS-1000; Sony 7505, 7509 and 5000, Denon 2000 and 5000. With the exception of the AKG 240 and 271, all of those headphones are excellent. It becomes a matter of taste and whether you can use them with an Ipod without a separate amplifier.
I think that I most often use the Audio Technica ATH-AD900. They are open back phones. I don't often listen to rock. If that was my primary source for music, I might rely on the Grado's more often. They are fabulous for rock.
The ATH-AD900 have wonderful treble and midrange. The bass is certainly there, but it is not prominent. These have good bass, but it is not the primary feature. By way of comparison, the Bose tri-port and earbuds are very bassy sounding to the point where the bass sounds muddy to me. For the price of the Bose tri-port, you could have the Sennheiser 280 or the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 or ATH-A700. To me any of these choices would be far better than the Bose tri-port which also appears to be more cheaply made. The separation and detail on the instruments is wonderful. I mostly listen to instrumental music.
The sound stage is large. They sound like you are close to the source of the music, but there is a very small sense of space. The headphones ae comfortable. The headphones earpieces are covered with velour pads. My entire ear (big ears) fits in the enclosure, so they do not rest on my ear.
Since my music collection is just too large to have immediate access to a large selection of titles, I have put portions of my collection on the computer and use an Ipod. These phones can be driven very well with an Ipod and no additional amplification. The Sennheisers really must have independent ammplification to not sound muddy. On acoustic music, the AKG K701 headphones do well without amplification. The Denon headphones are fabulous, but really fare much better with amplification--especially on bass. The Sony does pretty well without amplification, but sound more colored to me than the ATH-AD900 which sound very nuetral to me. You need to be careful when ordering the ATH-AD900 because Audio Technica also has an ATH-A900. These are closed backed headphones rather than open backed. Audio Technica has a number of models where the numbers are the same that are either open backed or closed backed. You need to be careful to get what you want. To my ear, the open backed models generally sound more natural.
Lastly, the Audio Technica line is reasonably priced. You can almost always find a vendor on Amazon Market Place or one of Amazon's fulfillment partners that sell for a price vastly under the MSRP on this brand and many others. All of the headphones mentioned herein were purchased from Amazon or Amazon Marketplace with the exception of Grado. Grado is a fair trade price product. There are no "deals" on Amazon on Grado headphones, but I must say that I am satisfied with the Grados at the prices Grado charges. A store called Audio Cubes often has the lowest bid on the Audio Technica headphones on the Amazon Marketplace website (amazingly enough, your Audio-Technica headphones are actually shipped directly to you from Audio Cube's supplier in Japan). To date, I have received at least three pair of headphones from them in a timely manner and the merchandise to date has all worked just fine. I still have a few more items on the way from Audio Cubes. Hopefully, the rest of the shipments will arrive as quickly and uneventfully as the previous ones have.
If budget is really an issue, the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 and the Senheisser 280's are a very good buy. The AKG 240 and 271 are quite reasonably priced, but they just don't seem to hold up next to the competition sound wise. To me, they sound kind of clinical and boring. The AKG 701 is fabulous and worth every penny. Also, the Grado GS-80 is unbeatable for the price at about $90.00. The Grado is not my every day headphone, but when I listen to the Grado's, each and every time it is pure joy!!! If you get the Grado, spend $15.00 extra and get the "comfort rings." It makes the headphones so much more comfortable. It also gives you just a little more space between the transducers and your ears. If you can spring into the middle to upper $200.00's, the Denon 2000 (closed back) is a wonderful sounding pair of headphones with mostly metal fittings and gimble like design--quite a reasonable value. It looks and feels like high quality.
If you can spare the money, the Audio-Technica 5000, the Denon 5000, the Beyerdynamic 990, AKG 701, and the Grado GS-325i and RS-2 are all top of the line in the $350.00-$475.00 range. The Sennheiser 600 and 650 are good sounding phones, but you will need to figure at least $100-$200.00 for a headphone amplifier and they are not that comfortable if you have a large head. They grasp the head a little to firmly for my taste.

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HeadRoom Micro Amp Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had the headroom dac and amp since about a year and love it. I run AKG-701s, Sennheiser 650s and Denon 5000s with it. I use it with the matching Micro DAC.
Just recently, I stuck both the amp and the dac directly into the wall socket (and later, into a Wiremold ($60) powerstrip that does not have any filtering, spike control etc.). It's like I have a totally different product. Unconditional 5 stars. Just don't starve the poor thing of electricity.


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Denon AH-D7000 Ultra Reference Over-Ear Headphones (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The AH-D7000 is the newest flagship reference headphone from Denon, a company usually known for their home theater electronics. Denon made a mark in the headphone market a couple of years ago when they introduced the AH-D1001, AH-D2000, AH-D5000 providing a well-rounded sound quality in the crowded market of premium headphone makers like Sennheiser, AKG, Audio Technica.
What I noted in my D2000/D1001 review is they are good headphones which have no glaring faults. They tend to have a very musically pleasing sound quality that doesn't dull the performance quality of the music, with their authoritative bass, clear and sparkly highs, but they don't overdo it either. They seem to do justice to most music types. So this "ultra reference" model carries on that tradition. The MSRP of this headphone is $999, and that puts it in the "ultra-expensive" category, but fortunately, you can actually find it discounted fairly steeply sometimes which brings the price down to earth a bit (but still orbiting). The main difference in this model over the lesser but similar wood-construction D5000 is an improved driver (higher efficiency) and a better finished wood earcup (now polished finish and nickel lettering that can't wear off). Looking at the spec sheets, there isn't much to differentiate it from the D5000 model to justify the $300 premium. Oh yes, but you do get a nicer box: A cardboard affair with leather-like panels, with a cloth material covering the main storage cradle. You don't even get an adapter to plug the ¼" plug into the 1/8" jack of portable devices, which I guess sends the message, don't even bother using these with your iPod.
Ok, enough with the small talk.
Is this thing worth $1000? In many ways, no. On the surface, it's three times more expensive than the very competent AH-D2000 model which I reviewed and gave five stars to. For the extra money, you get a nicer box and the luxurious look of the polished wood cups. You get a less unruly cable which is stated to be of higher quality. But the headphone is still `Made In China', so it's not as if you are paying Japanese craftsmen descended from a long line of great Asian artisans to craft your headphone. The headband and swivel arm hardware is basically the same as far as I can tell. Even the ear pad itself looks and feels about the same. The difference between these and the AH-D5000 is even less apparent, as the D5000 is also made of high quality wood earcups. While you can easily justify that the D5000 costs more than the D2000 due to the solid wood earcups (rigidity is good to prevent resonances) the D7000 doesn't really seem to go much farther than the D5000 to justify that it costs almost 50% more. Besides the minor appearance differences, the only real tangible difference mentioned in the marketing blurbs is that the D7000 has a stronger magnet. If you try these headphones, you will find they mostly sound similar, the familiar sound signature clearly indicate that they are all from Denon, you won't be mistaking these for the warm polite sound of a Sennheiser, or the more clinical sound of some AKGs, or the energetic snappy bright sound of a Grado Labs model.
But hey, what are you REALLY getting in terms of the sound quality?
Since the D7000 has the same basic design as the D2000, I will say that they do sound similar in quite a few ways. The bass is strong and deep. Some people think the bass is too strong and uncontrolled, more of a flatulent sound than true accurate bass, but I disagree. The bass is strong to be sure, but I feel it's very well controlled. Maybe the fact that I have a big head helps, as these headphones are known to fit loosely, but on my head, they feel relatively stable and secure, but still supremely comfortable. But here's where one difference starts to be apparent as you compare the two. The D7000's bass quality is more punchy, more tuneful, seems to have no lower frequency limit, but still has good damping or control...like listening to a high end stereo system with a carefully manually equalized Velodyne DD-18 subwoofer that costs thousands. Whereas the D2000 has very good bass that is missing in some other brands' models, the D7000 takes it up a notch further. And then there are the highs, the D7000 seems to be more pristine, just slightly clearer and more detailed through, just a bit more sparkle overall. Again, these are pretty subtle differences overall, but they are there if you listen carefully, have a good system, and have good recordings that can highlight the differences. Other things like the soundstaging (placement of instruments/staging of the music) is pretty much similar; the D7000 has a richer, bigger overall sound in general
Where does that leave the D5000? The differences between the D2000 and D7000 can be somewhat subtle already, but the D5000 and D7000 are even smaller. I can notice that the D5000 does feel like a middle ground, the bass isn't as punchy or tight as the D7000, and the highs aren't as well controlled as the D7000. What does this come down to: I'll admit it, the D7000 is, like most higher end audio gear, a clear case of diminishing returns. You are paying a premium to get Denon's best effort, and luxury construction and presentation. The actual physical and engineering differences don't really reflect the price differential. The sonic differences are subtle for the most part, if I was blindfolded, I don't think I would be able to predict that I could identify which was which 100% of the time. But does that mean it's a waste of money? I would say no to that. If you take headphone listening seriously like I do, already spent good money building up a good system, a headphone like this just rounds out your listening experience. Even though it's diminishing returns to buy a headphone like this, I do appreciate that these do noticeably improve on the excellent D2000's which I loved and cherished for a year before I upgraded to these. Even though I describe the differences as subtle, I do appreciate the differences that I can hear.
Overall, these headphones has a completeness to the sound. The bass is indeed strong, and in fact, if you aren't use to listening to truly full range loudspeakers, you might find that these headphones do seem to go *way* over the top with their bass, and may seem to drown out the midrange compared to what you are used to. However, that doesn't mean I am implying that every other headphone is wrong and these are right though. If I was to try to analyze it, I think the D7000's do seem to go about 10-15% over the top with their bass and treble energy, but for me, it's erring on the side of offering a "fun" sound but without going overboard. I wouldn't master music with these headphones, but I'd still select these over many other headphones in their price range in terms of their overall musical accuracy. Every headphone has particular strengths and weaknesses. I do find these headphones are great for popular music, jazzy nightclub performances, electronic/dance, big band, but slightly less good for huge orchestral pieces (partly due to the closed nature, they sound a bit less 3 dimensional compared to the best open style headphones). As closed headphones, these don't leak that much sound.
So the bottom line is: for the most part, these headphones don't make any sense, but if your love of music runs deep, you like sound that is biased toward "fun" over purely clinically accurate sound quality, don't mind paying a bit more to get that luxurious look, then these are as good of choice as any other $1000 headphone that I can think of. The only other thing I should mention is that these headphones do have a very slight tendency to emphasize the upper midrange. Depending on the vocalist, there is just a tad bit of edginess to the voice. This could be a limitation of my system (as it usually is in most cases), but it's something to watch out for if you are sensitive to treble artifacts. All in all, the treble has a slightly more lively sound than average headphone I've owned over the years.
For the most part, I don't think I really want to try to convince anybody that these headphones are worth every penny, and that you shouldn't consider the cheaper D1001/D2000/D5000 models. You should because those are all great choices in their respective price ranges. I think these D7000's can compete against any other $1000 headphone, but like all things in the top 3% percentile pricewise, it's made for the fanatic or hobbyist that doesn't mind paying big dollars for the privilege of owning a top model to squeeze out that extra 3% of improvement. For the most part, I think the D2000 is a sweet spot and you should probably check these out first if you just want an enjoyable, excellent sounding, high quality, comfortable set of cans for general use.

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Sennheiser SET900 Wireless Assistive TV Listening System Review

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(More customer reviews)The product appears to be well-made and of good quality materials, and it does amplify the sound so that with my hearing deficiency I can hear and understand dialogue on the TV without blasting others out of the room. However, the sound is tinny and you have to be sitting up fairly straight in order for the microphone on the earpiece to pcik up the sound. This devise doesn't work when you are stretched out and the microphone is not aimed at the sound source. I thought this was a transmitter that relayed the sound, but it is just a powerful microphone. The earpieces are OK, but get uncomfortable after extended use. Also, be prepared for the devise to pick up a distracting "scuffing" sound as it rubs against your clothing when you move slightly. While far from ideal, I would purchase it again, since it allows for comfortable sound levels for everyone when persons with normal hearing are watching TV with me.

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HiFiMan HM-602 Portable Player Review

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(More customer reviews)Hifiman is a real nice product but without directions on how to use it. That's right, no directions and nothing on its website. I have gone through the menus and am starting to get a handle on some of the options. The sound, the real reason for buying the product, is exactly what I had expected. I use the SD card option and unfortunately it only plays one file at a time-I can't just hit play and expect it to play everything on the card without interruption. Too, bad. Because the sound is real nice, real nice, so much better than my Ipod that the money expended seems insignificant. I hooked up Grado headphones and play my music to put me to sleep. Funny, I seem to sleep better now. Highly recommended product.

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Sennheiser HD 650 Lightweight Open-Air Dynamic Audiophile Headphone Review

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(More customer reviews)So headphone.com calls them "simply the world's best headphone." I can't speak for the Grado or AKG contenders. I can say that they're better than my Sennheiser 590's, and that is shocking.

Which leads me to my first (and probably most important) point about this headphone. They cost a lot. A whole lot. Sennheiser has many units, including the 580, 590, 595, 600, and 650 (among many others), which could be construed as 'reference' quality. You'll spend about half as much on one of the 5xx models as you will on the 650. So if you were to ask me whether the 650 is *twice as good* (that is to say, it costs more in proportion to its increased capability), I'll tell you no, probably not. I might just not buy them, given the decision again. Perhaps if the price came down a bit.

At any rate, they are really a superb headphone. The sound is really incredible. You never really realize what you're missing in a recording until you've heard it through a set like this. You can hear the saliva in the back of a vocalist's throat. I'm not kidding. Everything is reproduced clearly, accurately, crisply, and I've yet to find any recording (Vocal, Classical, Electronic, etc) that can tax them. I suppose I'll stop trying to some day, but it's just wonderful to hear the headphones doing their job.

The construction is far more solid than the 590's are. Where there is plastic on the 590, you see metal and (no kidding) Kevlar. They are more attractive. They are also quite a bit heavier. They have a 1/4" connector instead of the more customary 1/8" mini connector -- this doesn't particularly bother me, I'll get to it in a minute.

Like the 590, they are an open headphone. That is, they are not "sealed" or "isolated". Sound from around you will seep in, and it is possible for others to hear what you are listening to (somewhat).

They are less comfortable. My guess is because of the metal band, the "spring" mechanism that keeps them round is tighter than the 590's, and it pinches. It really feels as though somebody is compressing your head. The ear cups are fine. They are almost identical to the 590's, but a little larger.

So, you probably wouldn't be here if you didn't know you needed an amplifier for these headphones (this is where the 1/4" plug comes in). However, it bears mentioning that you should not even consider buying these cans without first buying a capable amplifier. The PPA/PIMETA amps are cheapish, and Headphone.com has some that will work fine. To demonstrate this, you'll need another headphone and the 650. Connect the other headphone to your amplifier. Listen at a comfortable level. Then, relax a second, and attach the 650. The first thing you should notice is that the white noise is gone. The second thing -- other than the sound quality, of course -- is that it is much quieter. These cans need a lot of power to drive them effectively. Look at their specifications and you will understand (300 ohms of impedance!).

Buy em if you want the best and aren't afraid to spend the $$. Buy the 590's or 595's if what you need is a stellar headphone and you don't want to spend too much. Use the extra money to buy yourself an amp. You'll need it.

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Grado Professional Series PS1000 - Headphones ( ear-cup ) Review

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(More customer reviews)I started to listen with Grado cans since I was in China years ago, from sr80, sr325, rs1, mpro, gs1000 until this ps1000. Among them gs1000 gave the deepest impressions, cause it's been so different from its predecessors by the huge sound filed plus the heavy bass, this mostly aroused my desire to own a pair of PS1000 which is 80% more expensive. PS1000 didn't show a striking or ,say comprehensive boost compared with GS1000. It has a little bit smaller soundstage and heavier bass than GS1000, but the good thing about PS1000 is It's a balanced headphone with high quality in playing back all kinds of music and at the same time preserve the grado-style sound, here I mean "passion". I am not encouraging you to buy it, but it is the best phone that grado has ever made.

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Sony MDR-SA5000 DJ Stereo Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)I've owned quite a few high-end headphones over the last few years, but this new model from Sony take a page from Metallica, and kills 'em all. The comfort and design are unparalleled, and the materials used are top-notch, outclassing similarly priced and even more expensive cans. The sound is unprecedented, certainly among sub-$1000 dynamic headphones. The frequency spectrum is amazingly well balanced, from the deepest bass to the highest treble, with no readily apparent gaps or peaks. The frequencies transition very smoothly, which results in virtually no listener fatigue. Detail is excellent, surpassing all other dynamic headphones I've heard, rivaling that of the expensive, esoteric electrostatic models. Individual instruments and sounds are rendered wonderfully, each with it's own distinct static place in the spectrum, and are placed with pinpoint precision around your head.
If you listen to a lower-quality source or amp, the SA5000 might not be for you, as it will spit that garbage right back into your face. In that situation, more forgiving cans like the Sennheisers or Grados would be better suited. If you have some great sounding gear though, like my Benchmark DAC-1, then the SA5000 will give you the detail and transparency that other cans will hide.

Here are my impressions of a few other prominent high-end cans compared to the SA5000:
Grado RS1 (An ergonomic nightmare, and no benchmark for build quality, the Grado succeeds in making even a lowly MP3 player sound exciting to listen to. However, it achieves this through a bumped upper bass and upper mids, which can grow annoying when used on a high-class source and amp, which reveals these colorations. Also has the most distortion (sibilance) and least frequency extension of the group. It's best attribute is that bass boost, which is quite thumpin' with the right music.)
Sennheiser HD650 (This headphone makes almost anything quite listenable, with its slow, decay-oriented presentation, and muted high end, it takes the edge right off even the harshest recordings. This is good if you like your hi-fi to whisper sweet lullabies, however it makes the sound quite dull and lifeless compared to any of the other cans mention. The Zu Mobius cable helps fix this, and extend the lower and upper ends, but it is still no match for the detail and accuracy of the SA5000.)
Sony MDR-CD3000 (The SA5000's predecessor, by comparison has bloated bass and a lacking midrange. The extreme frequencies are also underrepresented. Its only "advantage" is an artificially wide soundstage that can make a studio rock recording sound more like a live concert. The cans are also VERY large and bulky, which makes them a tad annoying to wear, though they are very soft.)

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Sennheiser HD650 Open-Air Audiophile Headphone with HP4 Amp and Adapter Cable Review

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(More customer reviews)I just got these headphone today and I can already hear the difference from the one I was using for the last 5 years(Bayerdynamic DT990). From what I read from other reviewers that these cans will open up after breaking them in for about a month or so. I am very excited about this and cannot wait till the day it happens. For audiophiles like me the only thing that is missing is the Cardas aftermarket cable ($220 for 10ft) with the package. Personally, the Cardas cable will make a significant mid and high frequency output difference than the stock cable and you should invest the money on purchasing this together or immediately after purchasing this headphone. As for my fortune my co-worker has the same headphones for his studio and I was given the chance to listen with it before purchasing it. Otherwise, there is not much to say than what has already been posted by other reviewers.

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Beyerdynamic T1 Tesla Audiofile Stereo Headphone Review

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(More customer reviews)NOTE: This is copied from my Head-Fi.org profile, Zombie_X.
I won't get too technical or get too in depth int his review. I will just state what I believe these headphones do and how they sound, just very straight to the point.

The T1 is beyerdynamics' latest entry into full size open dynamic headphones. This model can achieve one Tesla with it's new driver and magnet system. This allows the T1 to be far more efficient and easier to amp than the DT880/600Ohm by quite a bit. This also means your amp won't strain to power them like some amps do with the DT880/600 (and this is from my experience).

IMO the Tesla 1 is at about the same level of the HD800, but I vastly prefer the T1 as it sounds more natural and dare I say less synthetic than the HD800. The HD800 has a leaner sound with more prominent treble and less bass, though the bass on the HD800 is slightly more accurate.

Well onto the sound. I will be comparing to the HD800 in this review as I find them to be in the same league. I will go in sections: DETAIL, TRANSPARENCY, TREBLE, MIDRANGE, BASS, SOUNDSTAGE, CONCLUSION.

DETAIL:
With this headphone you can hear a lot of things you may have never heard before, such as footsteps, raindrops, and even whispering. The detail retrieval is very close to that of the HD800, but rather more subtle sounding. The HD800 seems to revel in it's ability to bring out the smallest details. The T1 still has nearly the same amount of detail as the HD800, but it's just not so painfully obvious. The HD800 makes you want to focus on the details while the T1 is more of actually listening to the music, but that's my view on it.

TRANSPARENCY:
Man oh man these cans can reach deep into the music. They are so transparent that you can hear nearly everything that's there. I don't have the HD800 on hand but I would say the T1's are slightly more transparent. The transparency really shines in the midrange where the guitars and vocals are. The guitars are so crisp and clear and you can hear fingers sliding up the fret board and can hear little nuances in the voices of singers.

TREBLE:
The treble on the T1 is really great for many reasons. It extends just as high as the HD800, but unlike that headphone it is not as in your face. To me the T1's treble is very smooth without a hint of stridence or harshness. It also sound more natural to me. The treble is also very airy, not as airy as the HD800's, but very close. I also found the treble to be very detailed.

MIDRANGE:
The T1 has the best midrange I have ever heard. It has exceptional resolving capabilities as well as being more transparent than the HD800 in my mind. I also found the midrange to be more fleshed out than the HD800's, and though the T1 has neutral mids they are very slightly warmer. This warmness makes music sound more natural and lifelike. To me the HD800's mids were really good, but a little thin and could be somewhat lifeless on certain recordings.

BASS:
The T1 definitely has more bass then the HD800 and this means more body and impact. I also found that the T1's lower most regions are a little rolled off, but not by that much. In fact I think the rolled off bass can make music sound more natural. The T1's bass still extends nearly as deep as the HD800's, but has more body and impact without sacrificing control or tightness. The bass of the T1 is more impactful than the DT770/DT880 but less than that of the DT990. The bass to me is perfect in it tonality and texturing capabilities which are really exceptional.

SOUNDSTAGE:
The soundstage is clearly much bigger than any of the DT770-DT990 variants and is also airy. I found it to be almost as big as the K702's soundstage, but has more depth and height to it. It's a really big stage that is nearly as big as the HD800's, but to me the HD800's is a little too big. The T1's is very spacious and provides great reproductions of spatial nuances and separation of instruments as well as providing a more accurate stereo image. Speaking of imaging, it's nothing short of incredible. You can place musicians on the stage really well and little nuances can be picked out really easily.

CONCLUSION:
I find the T1 to be a very good headphone and also the best reference all rounds out there. It has a very liquid and natural tonality that is heard to beat at any price. It's easily my no.1 recommendation for those who do not have a budget.

One thing to note is that these headphone will require a powerful desktop headphone amp for reaching their maximum potential. I suggest a good OTL headphone amp or powerful solid state amp. the Woo Audio WA2 and WA3+ amps are OTL and can drive this headphone no problem. A good solid state amp would be the Audio-GD ROC/PHOENIX as well as a Beta 22.

Also the T1's are very unforgiving of low quality audio and if fed crap, they will spit it back at you. As for me I don't really care as I will use them anyways ;)

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The completely redesigned transducers achieve values of over one Tesla (a unit of measurement for magnetic flux density). That provides the listener with almost double as much volume as traditional headphones.

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NuForce Icon HD Black (High Performance Headphone Amp and USB DAC) Review

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(More customer reviews)NuForce Icon HD greatly improves the sound of my computer and AKG 701 headphones combination.
If you are listening to a music service like Spotify Premium you do not need to by CDs anymore, since it is very difficult to notice that CD sound is only a little bit better than the Spotify Ogg Vorbis 320 kbps sound. If your favorite music is available only in your own CD, it takes only two minutes to copy it to your computer.
The only negative issue with this DAC/Headphone amplifier is that in some PC configurations it may not work because the Windows USB driver may not support NuForce. However, most likely this may not be a problem at all.

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Dared SL-2000A Review

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(More customer reviews)The Dared SL2000A has gotten plenty of positive reviews, and I can see why.
It is solidly well-built, physically attractive, and -- most importantly -- it sounds really good.
The latest version has two inputs and two outputs, as well as a wooden remote volume control.
This compact, versatile unit is a great way to add some tube warmth and liquidity to your system at a reasonable price. It is often available on the used market for about $300, which is what I paid for mine.
My only minor quibble with the unit is a minor aesthetic one: there's a large unsightly engraving of the Dared logo, model number and -- bizarrely -- a toy-like line drawing of tube etched into one side of the chrome body. IMHO, it is an unfortunate aesthetic blunder on an otherwise classy chassis.
That tiny gripe aside, this little preamp has quickly become one of my favorite pieces of audio gear. I find myself listening to the budget system in which I have it more frequently than some of my more pricey systems.
In short, this little Dared is highly recommended -- especially with some nice NOS tube substitutions!
PS - When I first wrote this review, the retail price was in the low to mid 400's. Now I see it has gone up again to 519. At that price, I'm not sure that it is such a bargain. My advice would be to keep an eye out for a used one in good condition.

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DACport USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier Review

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(More customer reviews)Stupendously wonderful product. Do your ears a favour and buy this now. Running this from a 13" MacBook Pro, via Fidelia player, all settings maxed out with best quality flac into B&W P5s and the space, aeriness and separation just blow your socks off. If like me you constantly strive for " the best sound ", buy this little beauty! Love your work Centrance!

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NuForce Icon-2 Integrated Desktop Amplifier with 24bit/96kHZ USB DAC and high performance headphone amplifier Review

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(More customer reviews)I received the Icon-2 as a Christmas present and I couldn't be happier. It serves 3 different purposes very well. As a desktop amplifier, it powers most fairly efficient bookshelves to decent db levels with clarity and punch. I have it powering a pair of Triangle Comete bookshelf speakers and the little Icon makes them sing. It really is amazing how such a tiny little thing can create so much power! The DAC sounds incredible - from mp3's to high resolution flac files, everything just sounds clearer, punchier, and more dynamic. Also, the headphone amplifier does an impressive job with my Sennheiser hd600. If this device cost 500 bucks, I'd still be amazed at the performance. That it does all this for 350 is just downright mind boggling.

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Sennheiser HD600 Open Dynamic Hi-Fi Professional Stereo Headphones (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the best dynamic headphone in the world, and is rivalved only by the Grado RS-1 headphone. Many studio engineers and audiophile's use these as their REFERENCE headphone...they are a steal for such a high quality headphone. The Grado RS-1 [costs more], and is definately less comfortable than the Sennheisers. These headphones have an extremely detailed, open, airy sound, that nears electrostatic sound. They are also unique in that they suit all types of music very well, they have great punch for rock music, but can perform clasical pieces with all the fullness and detail they were designed.
It should be noted these headphone have an impedance of 300 ohms. Most headphone are 16-32 ohms. What this means is to get the full potential out of them you will need some type of amplifier. Headphone.com offers a couple inexpensive sollutions to this problem, as does audioadvisor.com. Althought they are not true audiophile components, they will greatly enhance your experience with these headphones. If you are planning on travelling with them, you can almost bet you won't be content with their sound when powered only by a portable CD player. I use a Audio Valve RKV Mark II Headphone Amplifier at home, and the headphone.com Airhead on the road. Buy these headphones if you are looking for true audiophile sound, or just the best dynamic headphone, but be aware of their limitations without am amplifier.

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Denon AHD2000 High Performance Over-Ear Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)The Denon AH-D2000 is their second best model below the D5000 in this relatively new series of headphones from Denon, which isn't usually the first brand you think of when you mention "best headphones". But I think that is going to change now. This headphone is fantastic. As you may have noted in my other reviews, I'm not a stranger to nice headphones, spending thousands over many years trying different models (my version of my wife collecting shoes). My previous favorite, the AKG K701 (another $300 headphone) was my previous reference quality headphone but this headphone supercedes it. Whereas the AKG sounded more analytical and exacting, this Denon sounds more fluid and dynamic.
This headphone is a sealed design, so it doesn't leak or let in as much sound as open design headphones (which are most common type among the higher quality designs). It is SUPREMELY comfortable due to the well padded earcups and soft headband with a very light clamping pressure. Big-eggheads rejoice! It may feel a bit loose on those with smaller heads though, so you may want to try before you buy.
The sound:
Holy moly. This is the DO-IT-ALL headphone. Bass is deep and punchy, there is no mistaking that the bass is there, but not in a overbearing way. I compared the tonal balance of the bass to my home theater system which is flat (+/-3dB) down to a low bass limit of 23Hz. And these headphones present the bass in an accurate manner down to the lowest frequencies. It beats out the AKG K701 in that respect which always seemed to lack some impact in the bass. The highs are sparkly, clean and present. The crash of the cymbals are present, the sizzle of the high hats are there. As far as tonal balance, these would definitely rank up any of the other headphones short of the multi-thousand dollar sets. To me, this headphones gets the balance better than the Sennheiser HD650, AKG K701, any Grado, Beyerdynamic DT880 or 990, all the other contenders in this price range that are considered the top players. Soundstage (the positioning and sense of space of the sound) is very good too, expansive but with the sense that you are in a mid-sized venue, sitting about mid-way back. It's not as expansive as the AKG K701 in that respect but far better than a lot of other headphones. The mids are still well balanced with the highs and lows and never sounds disjoint. The highs are quite sparkly, but less sparkly and edgy than most Grado headphones, and nice detail without overdoing it. If you have recordings that sound bright, you may find this headphone does nothing to tame those recordings. But on reference audiophile quality recordings, you should find that these headphones are quite revealing. There are other headphones that might be better if you listen primarily to vocals, this headphone does justice to Dido, Diana Krall, the Carpenters very well. It worked well for jazz, trance, electronic, pop, rock, and orchestral music that I've tried. The sound is rich but yet detailed....the old cliche that you will hear things you never heard are applicable....I was literally pulling out my old recordings to hear stuff that I didn't notice in my previous AKG and Sennheiser models. Some people think the bass is a bit too loose and overpresent, but I think this is often a case of the music mastered as such. Heavy bass music such as trance will come across very strong, but this is no different than if you had a very deeply resolving subwoofer in a real speaker system. Compared to many other headphones, this headphone resolves way down to the lowest frequencies, and you are hearing what you can't hear at all with other headphones. The objective graphs show this, there is strong response down to 20Hz.
The only issue I have with the headphone is that the cord has a "TechFlex" type sheath which makes it very stiff, but it does increase its durability. Not a deal breaker in my opinion.
All in all, a solid FIVE star rating, no questions ifs or buts. You might be wondering if the more expensive D5000 at double the price is worth it. If you like the look of the wood cups and a tiny bit of refinement in the sound, and money is no object, you MIGHT want to consider the D5000, but it's a great example of diminishing returns. The D5000 cable isn't as annoyingly unruly as the D2000 cable, and is of higher quality though. If you want the best $300 headphone around, and are even willing to spend more, you should not overlook this choice. It's little brother model, the D1001 also takes top honors so you might want to check that one out if this one is too spendy.
This headphone is really meant for use for a home stereo, and if you use it with an iPod, the volume level is definitely weaker and may lack some punch. So I'd definitely recommend a separate headphone amplifier for that application. But otherwise, I was very happy with the sound of this headphone plugged into anything I could throw at it. If you have a first class system with high quality recordings, this headphone will really let you hear what you put into your system...it's revealing of bad sources, but yet somehow even lower quality MP3 recordings are still enjoyable due to its do-it-all versatility.
Sound quality: 9.5 out of 10
Comfort: 9.5 out of 10 (does get hot as all closed cup headphones do)
Value: 10 out of 10. Can't be beat in its price range
Build quality: 8 out of 10, some people report that the pivot screw comes loose after while....we'll see if this is still an issue. The headphone does look fragile due to the pivots, so I would be afraid to drop these.
These headphones ended my quest for the "one headphone" that I could happily live with for a long long time
Edit: after a couple of years, I ended up selling my D2000. I upgraded to the new D7000 model. You can read my review of that one. As well, I also have a Shure SRH840 which is a better headphone for monitoring because it blocked outside noise better than the Denons


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Denon's AH-D2000 High-Performance Headphones offer two signature sound-enhancing technologies.First is the latest microfiber diaphragm technology.Microfiber's smaller size results in a denser diaphragmatic material which increases transmission rates for better sound and higher detail, affording maximum presence of acoustic sounds with low distortion.In addition, a special acoustic optimizer adjusts sound pressure balance on both sides of the diaphragm to deliver dynamic bass sound.The AH-D2000 includes a lightweight magnesium frame for maximum comfort during extended listening sessions, as well as aluminum connector covers, gold-plated connectors, and high-purity OFC cables.

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Denon AH-D5000 Reference Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)My perspective is a bit different:
Let me preface this review with a few points that should add to the review's credibility:
1. I am a classical sound engineer primarily, but work exclusively in acoustic genres where audio fidelity and sonic accuracy are paramount.
2. I work in both balance engineering and mastering, where I am often required to perfect the spectral balance (in both dynamic and frequency) of the final mixdown.
3. For over 10 years I have used Bowers and Wilkins loudspeakers in various environments (anechoic and otherwise) in addition to custom EQ'd headphones for my work. B&W is widely believed to manufacture the finest loudspeakers in the world.
4. I regularly attend live classical music concerts, often in ideal seating locations, resulting in a great familiarity of how live music sounds.
I researched a number of headphone options before settling on the Denon AH-D5000. I was curious about the Ultrasone models from Germany, but was wary of a technology that supposedly "corrected" cross feed and phase issues often experienced with headphones. The Denon frequency response curve was generally smooth, and any corrections could be made with a high quality EQ within the DAW.
There are immediately two things that are apparent when you first hear the AH-D5000. They require extensive burn-in. I have been listening to these headphones for approximately 5 days now, attempting to leave as much signal in them overnight as possible. There has been a very apparent change in their sonic character as related to frequency response throughout this period. I can tell you that burn-in is a very real requirement for those of us in the music recording business. Loudspeakers often are very rigid when new, resulting in a limited frequency response and higher than normal distortion-giving you that characteristic "hard", new sound. Headphones present the same challenge, and these Denons require significant burn-in. What appears to be happening over time is a reduction of deviation from a flat frequency response, resulting in a smoother curve as time goes on. I would not be surprised if these phones need at least 300 to 400 hours before they are finally settled.
They are bass heavy, but the curve is very smooth and easily correctable, and again appears to be smoothing out with time.
I knew they were something extraordinary however when I listened to the dynamics. I have never heard dynamic range so clearly represented. More specifically, I have never heard so many poor compression jobs, recordings where the engineers applied too much compression, inconsistently, at both low and high levels. You will actually hear varying degrees of compression used in individual tracks within the mixdown-astounding. You will also be presented with a soundstage that reflects EXACTLY what was happening during the mixdown process. When every recording you audition has easily differentiated characters of depth, compression, spectral balance, and soundstage, you know you have something that exhibits an uncanny level of resolution. I have never heard music so ruthlessly resolved in my life. NO speaker has ever done this for me.
I have to comment on driving these headphones. While for average listening to pop music with little change in dynamic range, you might possibly get by with a mediocre soundcard upgrade, these headphones require real amplification if you want to experience aural nirvana. I have auditioned them with various lower end amplification, and the result is always the same-a hardening of sound during high level transients. This disappears completely with better amping. Additionally, and I have never experienced this before in a headphone, I plainly hear changes in the character of the sound, particularly in soundstage and dynamics, when switching some audio plugins in and out of the mixer that are designed to NOT change the character of the sound. Specifically I'm referring to final stage limiting plugins that are intended to be transparent. Again, to have this so plainly demonstrated is just astonishing, and Denon deserves tremendous credit for this design. I can only guess this is due to the unusually thin transducers used (micro-fiber construction).
These headphones are sending back to mixes I have already done. Suffice it to say that my golden ears have just received a tremendous boost.
Finally, the construction. The mahogany is beautiful, the magnesium finish is of the highest quality, yet the phones are unbelievably light and comfortable.
I HIGHLY recommend the Denon AH-D5000. The listener must be patient with these though, as with regular use it may take up to weeks to get them to settle into their true character.Some further observations (Sun, 4 Jan 2009 20:55:54):
I have already mentioned the tremendous resolving power of these headphones. I would like to supplement on two points, amplification and general resolving ability.
It has become very apparent that these headphones demand the highest quality amplification. Wide spectrum music with tremendous dynamic range suffers terribly with anything but high quality power. You will immediately notice a "collapsing" soundstage and a reduction in the frequency response at the outer ends of the spectrum, with an earbleed quality pushing heavily around 3000hz. When auditioning, make sure you have clean, sufficient amplification.
I have researched a number a specifications for these headphones that clearly demonstrate their superiority. Particularly interesting are the impulse response graphs (available on the Headroom sight). These are some of the cleanest I have seen, and in comparison to other top end cans, are clearly superior. Headroom is overwhelmingly positive about these headphones, even alluding to the outstanding specs. No doubt these specs support my belief that these may be the most highly resolving headphones I have ever heard.
I'd like to add yet another observation. Tracking using a single mic vs. stereo mic during the mixing process is extremely obvious, particularly in multiple mic environments like those in symphonic recording. The monophonic tracks have a flat, airless, and overly focused quality to them in comparison to tracks that had the benefit of stereo microphones. Clearly this is something that Balance engineers will have to deal with as the mediums improve. Pop music engineers often use all their tracks in stereo, then adjust field and panning as necessary, resulting a very open, natural sound, granted sometimes to exaggeration. Classical engineers should really look into spot micing with pairs or stereo mics to really achieve a natural, open stereo sound. That said, all these characteristics are plainly obvious with these headphones.
For those of you interested, I have been researching and testing multiple EQ curves to get this headphone as spectrally accurate as possible. Please let me know if you would like these specs.
By the way, Denon has just released the ah-d7000, and by just about all accounts, it is substandard to the ah-d5000, yet almost twice the price. The preliminary specs show a more jagged frequency response with less extension on both ends, plus less accurate impulses. Get the ah-d5000 while you can.

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