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Denon AH-D5000 Reference Headphones

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Denon AH-D5000 Reference Headphones

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need an external amp to drive them, I disagree. Although the majority of the time I listen to them using my Pioneer Elite receiver and they sound great, I plugged them into my iPod and they sounded very good. The quality of the music was not as full, rich, and "powerful" sounding but more than I expected, especially given the reviews I read. I do not know if I would opt for the 5000 over the 2000 if the price differential was over $300 (I've seen them from $399 to $699); but, I felt it was a bargain at the $140 difference when I bought them.

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fits the bill for them all. Reviewer's say and I have heard from others including audio techie friends that the Denon AH-D5000's are over kill for mp3/wmr files etc. That is absolutely bogus and you will never convince me. Yes straight from an un-compressed HD-CD or mp3, are you not getting the best sound that is possible from ether format through listing with these headphones? If you do have a home theater set up with a blu-ray player it is unbelievable. So I have kicked those Sennheiser to the curb and said farewell. Just kidding, I gave them to the kids to play with. You need to find out for yourself what you have been missing for all these years for just for a few extra dollars, it's worth it. Reminds me of a scene from The Blues Brothers where Jake asked where's the caddy and Elwood traded it for a microphone and the reply was "Ok I can see that". So what ever takes get you a pair. I just don't think she would have understood. "And I am not married anymore so I can"

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some of the best I have heard and are very warm, natural, and organic sounding and very well textured. I am a midrange nut, and the mids opened up as the headphones broke in to sound wonderful. In my opinion, if Denon had voiced the mids to play about 4db louder and bass about 3db less, they would have had perhaps the best set of headphones in the world. However, the sound is still great the way it is. Lawton Audio installs Markyl mods to reduce the perceived bass a little by adding some sound insulation to reduce headset resonance and tighten the bass, thereby letting the mids to relatively stand out a little more. I like the Denons so much the way they are, I wonder if the $140 mod is worth it. I would love to hear detailed reports from others who have done it. If the mods tighten the bass while leaving it intact and move the mids relatively forward, giving me one of the best headphones in the world, I would certainly consider the extra cost! I prefer the sound I hear from the Denon AH-D5000 over my Sennheiser HD650 headphones which are quit nice also. The Denons mids, treble and bass to me are superior to the Sennheisers for my sonic preferences. The midrange of the Sennheisers through a good headphone amp is a bit more forward and brassy than the Denons, yet still very smooth and nice. Overall, I prefer the sligtly more romantic and relaxed midrange of the Denons. The Denons 25 Ohm impedance allows it to be played well directly from an iPod, which cannot be done well with the Sennheiser HD650 from an iPod with its 300 ohm impedance (the Senns are great from a headphone amp though). Although the Sennheisers do indeed require a headphone amp to sound good, some of the lesser Sennheiser models with less impedance sound very good from an iPod. Connected directly to an ipod with no headphone amp, the Denons still sound very good, but loose some of the bass and fidelity. However, from an iPod the mids of the Denon headphones do sound nicely more forward as the bass, though still strong, is diminished a bit. You will need a headphone amp to get the best out of either. The Sennheisers bass sounds sounded good before hearing the Denons rich full bass. Afterward, the Sennheisers bass sounded inadequate in comparison. The Sennheisers have a significantly more forward and sligtly more brassy midrange from a headphone amp than the Denons do, yet still sound smooth. However, the Sennheiser HD650 sounds dull and overly smooth straight from an iPod, and are apparently made to be played only through a headphone amp. The Denons sit somewhat loosely on the head and are made to be listened to in a stationary position. Although the pads touch the head well enough to seal and leave the listener very comfortable even with extended listening, they can easily fall off the head when bending over. The Sennheisers on the other hand, sit very firm on the head and will not come off. However, the Sennheisers although comforatable at first, start to fatigue a little and feel a little vice like compared the the Dennons which you barely notice are there at all. The Denon AH-D5000 is the best headset for my listening preferences that I have heard. However, if you are looking for a bargain, the almost identical Denon AH-D2000 may be a better deal - and is now being clearanced at $210 compared to the best clearance price of $350 (instead of the $900 list) for the Denon AH-D5000. They both share the same drivers, and the only difference between the two is that the D5000 has wooden cups for a slightly more organic sound and a better cord. It would be wise to check and see if the seller is authorized by Denon if you want a factory warranty. Either pair represents some of the best sound that you can buy at any price for professional grade high end audiophile headphones. You will get very little extra paying $1,000 for a pair of headphones.

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and computer but really bloom when using a headphone amp. Either way though, they still sound great. The only negative I can think of is that it doesn't come with a case, bag or stand of any kind. For this price, it really should. Denon has created a winner with the AH-D5000 headphones. They can be used for any type of music and for spoken word programs as well as movies. They provide good isolation, yet add the benefit of an open-air type of sound, without the negatives of that type of headphone. I recommend these headphones highly and they are a complete and total step up from other headphones I've tried or owned such as the Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone and Sennheiser HD-595 Premier Headphone.

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the first several hundred hours of play but it is not torturous hearing the change of improvement due to burn in as these phones get head time. Now there are the d7000 which I tell myself I must try but from reports from different circles of thought the d7000 may be from a little better to as like day and night over the d5000. It depends on who you ask if the sonic benefits to Denon's new flagship are worthy of the increased price. I would imagine they would well be worth the extra money but not having the available funds I am content enjoying the d5000. As an experiment I have had one of my pairs of Denons go through a series of modifications which are supposed to bring with them quite large improvements in sound. Whether these modifications will bring change is an obvious yes. With out a doubt the modifications done will change the sound but only after I've had that pair back for several days will I know for sure the advantages of the mods. I tend to expect large improvements in sound to the stock version. I will see but what I know without doubt is that even stock the d5000 have a sound to them that leave me not wanting to put on my previous favorite pair of phones. I still enjoy the lushness of a pair of Sennheisser 6XX or the upfront centre on stage sound of any Grado headphones but if your looking for a single pair of phones to cover all areas and still provide better isolation than an average open headphone the d5000 may be the answer many of us are or were looking for. The d7000 hundreds of dollars more are better but enough better to warrant the price? This is a personal choice. Sennheisser has come up with a new headphone which by early reports changes the bar a different height on which we judge the quality of good phones. They are 3 or 4 times the price of a pair of d5000's so maybe there is a new master but the d5000 should not be a purchase with which anyone who can hear will regret.

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the first several hundred hours of play but it is not torturous hearing the change of improvement due to burn in as these phones get head time. Now there are the d7000 which I tell myself I must try but from reports from different circles of thought the d7000 may be from a little better to as like day and night over the d5000. It depends on who you ask if the sonic benefits to Denon's new flagship are worthy of the increased price. I would imagine they would well be worth the extra money but not having the available funds I am content enjoying the d5000. As an experiment I have had one of my pairs of Denons go through a series of modifications which are supposed to bring with them quite large improvements in sound. Whether these modifications will bring change is an obvious yes. With out a doubt the modifications done will change the sound but only after I've had that pair back for several days will I know for sure the advantages of the mods. I tend to expect large improvements in sound to the stock version. I will see but what I know without doubt is that even stock the d5000 have a sound to them that leave me not wanting to put on my previous favorite pair of phones. I still enjoy the lushness of a pair of Sennheisser 6XX or the upfront centre on stage sound of any Grado headphones but if your looking for a single pair of phones to cover all areas and still provide better isolation than an average open headphone the d5000 may be the answer many of us are or were looking for. The d7000 hundreds of dollars more are better but enough better to warrant the price? This is a personal choice. Sennheisser has come up with a new headphone which by early reports changes the bar a different height on which we judge the quality of good phones. They are 3 or 4 times the price of a pair of d5000's so maybe there is a new master but the d5000 should not be a purchase with which anyone who can hear will regret.

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"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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was returned.

2. The "don't use MP3" myth. Perhaps, if you've got a really badly encoded MP3 from a poor original you'll find these headphones reveal all those flaws. Otherwise these headphones sound great with 128kbps MP3s and CDs. Trust me, after buying these headphones I'm practically addicted to them. And yes, I listen to "lowly" MP3s. I admit that my MP3s are encoded at 192 kbps and higher.

3. The "make sure you are up to spending the money to maximize these headphones" myth. Hard core audiophiles will gladly coax you into a $4000 CD player, a dedicated headphone amp, expensive cables, etc. If you want to squeeze that last bit of performance out of your headphones, feel free. It's not required.

Bottom line - these headphones sound fantastic out of my computer's sound card playing mp3's encoded in 1998. They also work really well for almost any genre of music I throw at them. However, with the Cello's vibrating strings, the headphones are just heavenly. Classical, Jazz, Bossa-nova, and instrumental are like a drug.

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need the "Markl Mods" after their fully burnt in (400 hrs), after which the bass tightens up and the entire sound becomes much cleaner and clearer.

If you like "pedestrian, unrefined, boomy, car audio bass," then you can leave them stock... but... if you like "correct, high quality, audiophile bass"... they've got to have the mods and the right amp. But... if you're a "hip-hop, kinda guy/gal - leave them stock and don't worry about the amp, 'cause you'll never know the difference, anyway."

If you're not up to meeting their requirements to sound great - then get the Sennheiser HD600s, or maybe the Grado RS-1s, or ATH AD-2000s.

By the way... this review is by an "informed and experienced" reviewer, who's compared these phones to the best available - I'm not just "a gamer-guy who just tried them after my cheap WalMart Sony's or Bose phones," who has no idea what good, high-end phones sound like.

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sound of, say, the popular AKG K701.
= Even though they have hardwood cups, the D5000 isn't resistant to nicks. A coating of carnauba wax is useful, but not an assurance against wear. Wooden headphones do require slightly more care than typical phones.
= These are definitely audiophile, but their closed design and bass presence may not appeal to listeners who favor a more realistic sound. The D5000 aims to achieve a specific effect, and you will need to employ an equalizer if you want something closer to realism. That said, its style is best suited for pop, rock and electronic; the lean sonorities of classical are better served by a K701-style.

Some listeners have gone so far as to mod the phones to bring down the bass. In general, however, it's best to get the D5000 if you know you like their style of delivery. I always recommend that, for high-end phones, it's best to preview the alternatives before purchasing.

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eyes and feel like the eagles are playing live in your backyard, or your rocking out with Metallica on their black album at your private shop with the perfect acoustics to maximize the sweet riffs of the guitar, or the deep bass of the drums with lead vocals so clear its like your standing front row.
I have some Sennheiser 555's and they sound great as well, not that they are a comparison, but brands do very. Other reviewers have said that the Denons, are comparable and more comfortable than the Grado 1000's. The only complaint I have is the cloth braided cords need to be carfully turned so they don't get a twist in them when you coil and uncoil them. More of a maintenance issue than a problem.

I play these on my Media Center with the Asus Xonar DX2 High Definition 192khz 24bit sound card; which takes 5.1 Surround and converts it to Stereo Dolby Headphone Surround Processing. Using this with Cyberlink PowerDVD 7 ULtra for Blu-Ray and Movies are Amazing!
The 25ohm impedance means they can run well with portable items link Ipods, but I still recommend a Headphone Amp for the best Sound. Gary Hand Makes one called the Pocket Amp 2 or PAV2. It has been featured in Audio Magazines. Do a search for it, very reasonable price and I would'nt want to live without it for true Audiophile sound on these CANS.

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that you would miss in a room with other background noise. The bass is warm and solid -- an advantage of the closed head design. The upper ranges are also very well balanced, crisp and clear. In short -- there is no sacrifice anywhere along the spectrum without one range being emphasized over another.

So far, I have only listened to them through my PC and they are outstanding. I can only imagine how great they would be on a real system.

The cord is plenty long so that you can easily move around (stand and pace a bit) while listening. The phones come with an adapter so you can use them in the smaller computer jacks as well as the larger jacks that you find on real stereos.

My ear buds are outstanding for portability (they cost as much as these denons) and the ability to go into your "alone cone". However, prolonged use of the buds can lead to inner ear irritation (yeast infections etc) and get uncomfortable. These are an excellent alternative if you are going to be sitting at your desk for hours on end and want to shut out the rest of the world. The construction appears to be very solid and give the impression that they will last for ever (though you'll probably have to replace the ear pieces when they get skanky).

One note: if you are primarily listening to MP3s, don't bother with this level of headphones. The sampling rate and sound quality of MP3s and other lossy formats just won't have the level of detail to where the difference between an $500 set of cans can offer over a $100.00 set. And in fact, the detail picked up by the more expensive headphones can be quite annoying when it detracts from the music. If you are wanting the true high-end listening experience, rip your music using a lossless format. Sure, it takes more disk space but you'll enjoy your music as it was intended in all its full-bodied glory.

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that you would miss in a room with other background noise. The bass is warm and solid -- an advantage of the closed head design. The upper ranges are also very well balanced, crisp and clear. In short -- there is no sacrifice anywhere along the spectrum without one range being emphasized over another.

So far, I have only listened to them through my PC and they are outstanding. I can only imagine how great they would be on a real system.

The cord is plenty long so that you can easily move around (stand and pace a bit) while listening. The phones come with an adapter so you can use them in the smaller computer jacks as well as the larger jacks that you find on real stereos.

My ear buds are outstanding for portability (they cost as much as these denons) and the ability to go into your "alone cone". However, prolonged use of the buds can lead to inner ear irritation (yeast infections etc) and get uncomfortable. These are an excellent alternative if you are going to be sitting at your desk for hours on end and want to shut out the rest of the world. The construction appears to be very solid and give the impression that they will last for ever (though you'll probably have to replace the ear pieces when they get skanky).

One note: if you are primarily listening to MP3s, don't bother with this level of headphones. The sampling rate and sound quality of MP3s and other lossy formats just won't have the level of detail to where the difference between an $500 set of cans can offer over a $100.00 set. And in fact, the detail picked up by the more expensive headphones can be quite annoying when it detracts from the music. If you are wanting the true high-end listening experience, rip your music using a lossless format. Sure, it takes more disk space but you'll enjoy your music as it was intended in all its full-bodied glory.

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with separation. I listened to some Diana Krall. The vocals and instrumentation sounded wonderful.

The headphones were powered by a tube amplifier at an audiofile stereo shop. The headphones may have sounded better on this integrated amplifer called Decco by Peachtree. It is important to note this because the amplifier used both tubes and chips. The amp had a specific headphone amplifier and created a more warm than usual sound with plenty of power to make these headphones sing. I have npt purchased them yet and I do not know how they would sound on moderate to very good equipment or on an Mp3 player. I compared the phones with Grado 225 and Sennheiser 550. Both the Grado and Sennheiser sounded very good. I was particularly impressed with the Grado, but both paled in warmth compared to these Denon headphones. The Denon was far more comfortable than the Grado which is to be expected. If you get these phones, they will work with an Ipod, but I believe that they really need a headphone amp to due them justice.

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with separation. I listened to some Diana Krall. The vocals and instrumentation sounded wonderful.

The headphones were powered by a tube amplifier at an audiofile stereo shop. The headphones may have sounded better on this integrated amplifer called Decco by Peachtree. It is important to note this because the amplifier used both tubes and chips. The amp had a specific headphone amplifier and created a more warm than usual sound with plenty of power to make these headphones sing. Since I originally wrote my review, I have actually purchased a pair of these phones. They do sound wonderful on an Ipod even without a headphone amplifier. I have chosen to put all music into the Ipod on the lossless setting. Like the other reviewer, I think it is overkill to buy such wonderful headphones and lose so much music through the highly condensed signal you get from an mp3 recording. The headphones still sound good, but you could easily get buy with the Sony MDR 7506, Audio-Technica ATH AD700, or the Grado SR80 all at around $100.00. I compared the phones with Grado 225 and Sennheiser 550. Both the Grado and Sennheiser sounded very good. I was particularly impressed with the Grado, but both paled in warmth compared to these Denon headphones. The Denon was far more comfortable than the Grado which is to be expected. With a headphone amplifier, these headphones will add far greater depth especially in the bass department. While the price is high on these phones, they really are worth the price. The sound and the esthetics are great on these phones. I purchased them for around $480 on Amazon Marketplace. In the local stereo store, the best they could offer was about $625.00. At $480.00, it is worth it. I wish that they came with a case like the Beyerdynamic or the Audio-Technica W5000 which come in at a similar price.

AT $488.00, THIS IS AN AMAZING PRICE AS THE DOLLAR KEEPS DROPPING AND OTHER SOURCES FOR THIS HEADPHONE HAVE RAISED THEIR PRICES. BUY NOW! AUDIO CUBES WHICH WAS GENERALLY THE CHEAPEST PRICE FOR JAPANESE MADE HEADPHONES RAISED THEIR PRICE TO $599.00 FROM $499.00.