[deafmutelame]

They have to be:

- Closed
- I am looking for the best tight, deep sub bass and also smoothest treble —non-sibilant— for electronic music.
- No need for an external amp.

 

[SilverEars]

Curious as well. I do like these classes of phones if tuned well. I like the bass results from them, and the closed nature.

I've taken a likeing of Denon D9200 over time. The bass got addicting and the highs were well separted and well resolving without too much emphasis. I hope these types of phones keeps improving.

The above looks like Fostex based assembly, but newest Denons are completely made by Denon including the drivers.

I find dynamic bass very interesting if the subs are heard to a good level.

 

[xRaptorxPunisher]

The original Denons had a certain magic about them, maybe it's nostalgia but I've always found the newer Fostex creations took away the lush sound the D5K, D7K had and got rid of the budget performance of the D2K which is a solid headphone.

The newer Denon's imo are not great, the D7200 + D9200 are a downgrade from the old line in many ways.

The Massdrop Fostex X00 is an obvious choice and a modern take on the Fostex drivers for your needs, no it isn't as smooth as say a D5K or D7k and doesn't carry that lush sound they had they made the original Denons a classic but your options are limited and they do a lot right.

 

[Markolav]

The newer Denon's imo are not great, the D7200 + D9200 are a downgrade from the old line in many ways.

Could you go a bit more into detail about that? Ive been eyeing D5200 and D7200, they have dropped significantly in price (D5200 for example can be found for around $400).

If I would have to keep only two headphones (lets say one open and one closed) and sell the rest I would probably keep D2000. I think D5000 is also a very decent can but Ive always found them somewhat too "polite" or "inoffensive" sounding in comparison. D2000 has more lively and exciting feeling to it (works better with more "aggressive" music like metal etc.) while still retaining some of that "lushness" and the bit stronger sub-bass just makes them more fun to me, I just think them as a better "all-arounder". D5000 is a better pick for bit more laid-back music like acoustics, singer/songwriter stuff etc. + I think they are pretty excellent for gaming because of the imaging. So maybe no clear winner here after all.

Can anyone tell could E-MU Teak possibly be a good replacement for older AHD-series?

 

[xRaptorxPunisher]

Could you go a bit more into detail about that? Ive been eyeing D5200 and D7200, they have dropped significantly in price (D5200 for example can be found for around $400).

If I would have to keep only two headphones (lets say one open and one closed) and sell the rest I would probably keep D2000. I think D5000 is also a very decent can but Ive always found them somewhat too "polite" or "inoffensive" sounding in comparison. D2000 has more lively and exciting feeling to it (works better with more "aggressive" music like metal etc.) while still retaining some of that "lushness" and the bit stronger sub-bass just makes them more fun to me, I just think them as a better "all-arounder". D5000 is a better pick for bit more laid-back music like acoustics, singer/songwriter stuff etc. + I think they are pretty excellent for gaming because of the imaging. So maybe no clear winner here after all.

Can anyone tell could E-MU Teak possibly be a good replacement for older AHD-series?

The newer Denons have a slightly more metallic timbre, it isn't as obvious as something like a Focal Elear but it makes them sound a bit unnatural sounding and even the wood resonance doesn't hide it. I found the other Denons mainly the D5K and D7K to have a nice tonality, they were harsh in areas but the timbre was always spot on. The D2K did sound a bit faster due to less decay. The EMU teak are very lush, warm sounding, so if you found the D5K too much of a good thing then the EMU teak will be too much for you too. The EMU teak has a wonderful timbre, very enjoyable for those who really enjoy that thick, resonant sound. It has the smoothest treble of the bunch. I really think the THX00 is the headphone you will like if you like the drier presentation of the D2K.

 

[Malevolent]

The newer Denons have a slightly more metallic timbre, it isn't as obvious as something like a Focal Elear but it makes them sound a bit unnatural sounding and even the wood resonance doesn't hide it. I found the other Denons mainly the D5K and D7K to have a nice tonality, they were harsh in areas but the timbre was always spot on. The D2K did sound a bit faster due to less decay. The EMU teak are very lush, warm sounding, so if you found the D5K too much of a good thing then the EMU teak will be too much for you too. The EMU teak has a wonderful timbre, very enjoyable for those who really enjoy that thick, resonant sound. It has the smoothest treble of the bunch. I really think the THX00 is the headphone you will like if you like the drier presentation of the D2K.

I've always found the bass on the D5000, whilst absolutely satisfying, to be a little slower on the decay than the D2000, which was quite rapid. Both headphones share the same driver, so a lot of the differences in sound is due to the wood cups, and how the resonance within the chamber contributes to these changes. I can't remember how the THX00 sounds, so I'll have to defer to you in your impressions. But you are right about the EMU Teak - it has a nice, lush sound that is quite reminiscent of the old D5000 & D7000.