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Topic: MarkL mod (Read 5467 times) previous topic - next topic
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MarkL mod

This is the mod in question.

I (hopefully) will pick up some Denon D2000's soon, and I know Head-Fi can be pretty deluded sometimes so I have a few questions:

-What objectively does this mod do? It claims to "tighten bass without losing detail" but there are plenty of people who do not like this mod.

Here is an excerpt at the very bottom of the topic:
Quote
Post-Script: I'm Scared Of Doing The Full Mods. What If I Only Want A Little Bass Tightening?
I recognize there are folks here who think there's absolutely nothing wrong with the stock Denon D5000. Obviously, for those people, there would be no point in doing these mods. Better to leave well enough alone. There will always be people who like the sound of 12 subwoofers in the trunk, and that's fine.

However, if your impressions of the stock D5000 match mine, then you owe it to yourself to give these mods a try in full.

But what about the guy in the middle? You don't care about the bass bloat of the Denon's quite as much as I do, but you wouldn't mind a little tightening up. For you, I would suggest the following:

1. Do the ear pad taper mod. This should be mandatory no matter what. It is totally reversible if you don't like it.
2. Apply the circle of Dynamat (with center hole) to the smaller butt of the driver.
3. Apply the layer of Dynamat to the inside of the ear cup.

You will end up with a phone that is about half way between the overblown stock phone and the "perfectly balanced" full set of mods. It will still rattle your skull a bit, but you will experience a very solid degree of tightening. From this point, you can do some more critical listening and decide for yourself if you want to go any further or not.


This is what I am considering doing. Thoughts?

As for other mods people do to Dx000's:

Some people are replacing the plastic cups on the D2k's with the D5k/D7k mahogany cups. They claim there is a sonic difference, but do you think it would be audible?
Of course there is the aesthetic appeal, but I have my doubts that there is an audible difference that would merit spending $80+ on wood cups.

Head-Fi'ers also say that the cable is a weak point for the D2k's, so re-cabling is an option as well.
Of course, I see conflicting opinions on this. an eccentric re-cabling article:
Quote
I really couldn’t have cared-less about the audio “improvements” of the D7K cable could give me, over the stock D2K cable. In all honesty, I have noticed next-to-no improvement or worsened audio quality with the wire change – of course if I had a custom copper cable for example, it would output a slightly different audio output (and that’s coming from someone who never believed in audio cables) – but my cable, was just a stock D7K cable.


So, I guess my real question is: what should I do to these heavily-modifiable headphones that are worth the price?

Right now I'm looking at the getting a Fiio E10 ($45) && doing the ear pad taper mod. ($15?)
If I ever get the wood cups (probably for aesthetics than audio improvement) I would consider dampening them as well. (I have to void my warranty anyway!)

MarkL mod

Reply #1
I don't get it. Why buying headphones with such excessive bass response, and then doing magic to control the bass, and not buying some other headphones which doesn't have these problems? AFAIK, these are quite expensive headphones, I am quite sure there are others that sound "better", with more controlled bass - IF it's true that they have such bass response.
Same thing was said about Sennheisers HD 212 Pro, but I find them to have just enough bass for normal listening - nothing boomy. I just hate when people listen to speakers (or headphones) which lack bass and call that hi-fi
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MarkL mod

Reply #2
Why buying headphones with such excessive bass response


The D2000's are perfectly fine, including in the bass area. There's no over-emphasis on the bass at all. It's just right. Best headphones I've ever owned.
Audiophiles just want to mod everything, that's what it is. They're never content. They really think that they know better than headphone designers and that their McGuyver voodoo beats years or even decades of expertise. I don't buy it!

MarkL mod

Reply #3
Quote
I (hopefully) will pick up some Denon D2000's soon,//
Personally, I think you're nuts!     Have you heard these headphones?  Is there something wrong with them?  I think Denon knows what they are doing, and I'll bet they sound exactly like Denon wants them to sound.

If there's something wrong with the sound, or if there's something you don't like about them, why buy those particular headphones????   I can understand trying a modification if you already own them and you're not happy with the sound (of if you think you can make an improvement).    But, there are lots of headphones on the market.  They all sound different, and they (mostly) all feel/fit different.    You should be able to find something you like without resorting to custom modifications, especially in that price range.  In fact, if you feel the sound needs improvement, there's a good chance you can find something that sounds better (to you) for less money!   

I'd be cautious about doing anything that's irreversible.    In this case, it's apparently reversible (if you don't damage something).  So if you decide to do it, I'd try one side at a time so you can A/B the change and decide which sounds best.

Sometimes I modify stuff.    But, you always run the risk of damaging/destroying something.  So, you have to weigh the risk of damage against the chance of success and the potential benefits.    Usually when I modify something,  it's something that I'm willing to risk destroying, or something that I simply cannot use without making the modification, and/or I'm very confident of success.

I just finished an irreversible, "unauthorized" modification to a lighting effect.    The probability of destroying the thing was minimal, and I was willing to take the loss if I did destroy it.    I can't remember the last time I modified a piece of audio equipment.  But, it's usually for a "good reason", like adding a headphone jack, or something useful like that.


MarkL mod

Reply #4
I don't get it. Why buying headphones with such excessive bass response, and then doing magic to control the bass, and not buying some other headphones which doesn't have these problems? AFAIK, these are quite expensive headphones, I am quite sure there are others that sound "better", with more controlled bass - IF it's true that they have such bass response.
Same thing was said about Sennheisers HD 212 Pro, but I find them to have just enough bass for normal listening - nothing boomy. I just hate when people listen to speakers (or headphones) which lack bass and call that hi-fi


I think I get it. It is a head game.

Why spend literally thousands of dollars on headphones with the idea of brutalizing them with a paper punch?

Don't get me wrong. I modify the sound of virtually every set of headphones I own. I do it on my Clip+ and Fuze with the built-in equalizer. I do it on my home AV system with a Rane MX230 30 band graphic eq.  If I don't like the last mod I made, I move one or more sliders up or down a notch or two. I hear this also works with Foobar. ;-)