 Out of the park. Good job Denon. *The* do-it-all headphone |
| Review Date: April 5, 2008 |
| Reviewer: RT, Canada |
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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Excellent value for the money
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| Review Date: March 11, 2008 |
| Reviewer: strudel, |
I have a pair of Shure in ear monitors (SE420s) and I needed something to use at work that did not irriate my ears after a few hours. I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD650s which sound exceptional but their sound leakage makes them somewhat impractical for use at work. I purchased these Denons and have not regretted the purchase whatsoever.
The AHD2000 have excellent clarity, detail, dynamics and are the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn. The bass response is a just a touch on the bloated side, but the headphones make up for it by accurately reproducing extremely low frequencies, possibly even lower frequencies then my beloved HD650s. The highs are not rolled off like there are with the HD650s or the Shures which can make some music a little fatiguing after awhile but for a lot of people the more accurate treble is a plus.
Another plus with the Denons is they are very efficient with a impedance of 25 ohms and sensitivity of 106 dB/mW so driving them with my Zune connected to the Zune dock at work leaves little to be desired. I have not listened to these extensively with a dedicated headphone amp so there might be a lot I am missing but I am happy with how they sound right now which works fine for now. |
solid, ultra comfortable, beautiful sound.
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| Review Date: April 27, 2008 |
| Reviewer: T. Schafer, CO USA |
Before buying a set of Denon's I was using one of the higher-end AKG models, which are semi-open back design and sound very nice, but I was having problems with them comfort-wise; although a pretty light fit, some AKG earpieces are not big enough to fit clear around your ears -- they clamp your ears against your head a bit, which was really uncomfortable after a few hours. I'd heard a lot of great things about these, and I decided to pick them up because:
1. Comfort -- Big earpieces which fit all the way around your ears. The pads rest on your head, not your ears. Mine don't even touch my ears. Nice soft, thick letherette. Also the headband is really nice. Barely any pressure at all. One feature that might not work for some users is the shape of the earpads. They are ergonomically shaped very specifically to fit on your head a certain way. Putting these headphones on flipped around from the marked R and L feels pretty strange. They are very comfy and work for me, but you might want to try them on before buying. The way the pads are angled you really can't wear them with the headband in a lot of different positions. Once you get them settled though, wow are they nice.
2. A closed design. Although my AKG's do sound a little more "airy" and more like listening to good speakers in a room, they have quite a bit of bleed, both outside noise bleeding in and inside noise bleeding out. The ADH2000's do have more bleed than some other closed cans I've used, but outside noise reduction is decent.
3. Excellent sound. According to most of the reviews I'd read, these Denon's are among the best of the best closed-design, fullsize headphones. I was not disappointed. These sound ridiculously good. I really can not put them down. Tried with iPod too, definitely need to turn the volume up, but still more than enough volume.
I do have a few small complaints, although they aren't enough to detract from my 5 star rating and excitement about this headphone. The adjustment system isn't that great. It has a nice ratcheting system, all metal which is really nice, but I don't feel like the detents are strong enough. Mine never get loose enough to come off, but I do find that one side likes to ratchet out a notch after a while. Also, as mentioned the cord is REALLY thick and not very flexible when you first get them, although it is nice to see something that won't get cut when run over with a studio chair or the like.
If you are looking for a high quality, comfortable closed headphone, this is it. I don't see mine retiring for a long time. |
ONE OF THE BEST HEAPHONES YOU CAN BUY AT ANY PRICE!
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| Review Date: September 6, 2009 |
| Reviewer: P. Langenfeld, Tucson Arizona |
The Denon AH-D2000 headphone is basically the same as the $900 list Denon AH-D5000 headphones (clearanced due to a reportedly not much better replacement), with the exception that the Denon AH-D5000 has wooden head cups and a little better cord. This information comes from a professional who has taken the two apart and examined the identical drivers and frames. Many dealers now have the Denon AH-D2000 discounted to $210 (and the Denon AH-D5000 is discounted to $350). This means you can get get the equivalent sound of the $900 list Denon AH-D5000 high end audiphile grade headphones for $210. However, you may want to check to see that the seller is a Denon authorized rep so that you get a factory warranty also.
The Denon headphones sound absolutely wonderful once broken. I have a pair of great sounding Sennheiser HD650s and I like the Denons better. The Denons with their lower impedance can easily be played at loud levels from an iPod.(25 Ohm instead of 300 Ohm with the Senns). The Sennheiser HD650s cannot be played at anything above relaxed background levels and sound a little muted straight from an iPod - be aware though that some of the lower priced Sennheisers are much better that way). The Denons fit somewhat loosly yet are very very comfortably on your head. The Sennheisers feel a little vice like after awhile in comparison. However, if you bend over, the Denon headphones can easily slip off your head. They are for use when stationary. The Sennheisers, although not as comfotable, stay firmly on your head. The posh leather of the Denons feels much better on the skin than the fuzzy velvet of the Sennheisers in my opinion.
The bass from the Denons is wonderfully full, rich, and accurate once they are broken in (plan on 200 hours for this). Not muddy and boomy at all. As they break in the bass tightens up a little, the highs which were a just little forward loose any edge, and the mids open up and move more forward and loose most of the recessed sound. However, you had better like bass. The Sennheisers sounded great in the bass department until I heard the Denons, now the Senns sound inadequate in comparison. When you listen to Diana Krall through the Denons, the sound of the bass is such that you are right there with Ray Brown playing the acoustic bass. You would need speakers with 12" woofers to get this kind of bass.
As far as break in goes, if you wish to break the headphones in quickly, pick some bass heavy material such as Fleetwood Macs Greatest Hits, etc and put the volume level at a comfortably slightly higher than normal setting, and cover them with blanket or pillow if you want, and let them play constantly for 3 to 7 days.
The midrange on the Denons is natural and nicely textured, yet ever so slightly recessed compared to the Senns because of the relatively strong bass. I found the highs on the Denons after break in to be delicate and revealing, almost Angelic, without any harshness. Piano and steel guitar is seductive through the Denons. The highs are the best I have ever heard and are superior to the Sennheisers by my ears.
I have read some say the Sennheiser HD650 headphones are too smooth. Chances are they were referring to the sound heard without a headphone amp which is inadequate at best. Through my lovely Cayin tube headphone amp (or probably almost any headphone amp), the Senns actually sound slightly forward instead to me in the midrange and treble, yet very smooth and nice. Without a headphone amp, they are a little dull and overly smooth and to me, not worth having.
I have compared hearing the Denons with and without a headhone amp. The Denons unlike the Sennheisers, still sound very good straight from the iPod, but allot of the bass and some of the fidelity is reduced from the incredible sound that you hear with a headphone amp.
So, don't hurt your head wondering if the Denon AH-D2000 headphones are worth the $210. Just buy them. You won't even get much better sound at all for $1,000. They are within a hairs difference of nuance at most, of the best headphones available at any price and one of the best deals going anywhere for a pair of ultra professional grade high end audiophile headphones. |
A couple of things to consider.
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| Review Date: April 18, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Adam Schichtel, Crested Butte , CO |
I highly recommend the Denon AHD2000 headphones but there are a couple of practical considerations that I discovered when using them. First, I was surprised at how much sound escapes them. They are rated at 10db reduction and in practice that means that at a moderate volume anyone nearby can easily hear what you are listening to. Exterior sounds come in as well. I don't have any experience with "open headphones" so I can't say how much these isolate compared to them but they are not total by any means. The second thing is that although they are very comfortable, they feel a little loose. I would like a tighter fit so that they wouldn't move when I bend down. They are not secure enough for anything but general controlled movement. They are also so large that they will push against whatever you may lean back and rest your head against.
I love the sound and wouldn't trade them easily but the above mentioned items may be important to some buyers.
Additional note: I tried these with my daughter's Ipod Nano and they produced more than acceptable sound volume. With my two channel stereo system they are unbearably loud at full volume. |
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