The Denon AH-D2000 Headphones with JMoney Leather Pads
Plenty of times we try to cut corners and enter the realm that only the rich or lucky get into. Most of us try to take the easy road but usually end up with results that are frivolous and shallow … except in this case! You see, for the low price of these headphones, you finally get a taste of true audio extravagance, filet mignon at a budget price!
The Denon AH-D2000s are some of the most refined headphones I’ve ever come across that don’t cost an arm and a leg. There’s something about the sound and build that just screams quality. It doesn’t matter what you’re playing either. It can easily be enjoyable playing hip-hop and electronic as it is playing rock and jazz.
I’m kind of a late bloomer when it comes to these headphones. I only heard about them recently and I wish I would’ve known about them before. I’m playing song after song on my playlist and rediscovering music as I haven’t heard before. It could be the lead singer taking a deep breath before singing a verse or even the hum of bass guitar as the bassist gets ready to play, these headphones can be chalked up as a revealing delight. Now, I don’t want you to think this is an analytical or neutral sounding set of headphones. You’ll hear unheard details, but then you’ll be thrown into the nice impact of the bass making it more of a musical (or fun) sound.
Now the design is one of my favorites. Aesthetically it draws my friends like moths sittings amongst my collection. They feel comfy on your head and the construction is sturdy and solid. It sits on my head nicely while the cushions rest perfectly around your ears (and my ears are big!).
Amping these things are a bit touchy, and by that I mean you may not get the “full picture” if you don’t use a proper amp. I purchased a nice, yet inexpensive, headphone amp and they sound great. But I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t run well straight out of the headphone input of my iPod and laptop. They ran a bit better from my audio video receiver but it lacked all those nice details and bass my headphone amp provided. The good news is you don’t have to spend a lot to get good sound. It just has to be better than your average headphone output, that’s all. Most portable amps or small desktop amps should be sufficient. If you want recommendations, email me.
When all is said and done, I can’t seem to take these off my head. I rarely use my powered speakers anymore (I can’t buy a subwoofer because of the neighbors) and my other headphones are starting to collect dust.
The only real drawback I can think of to these headphones is some people might not like the sparkly highs mixed with the thumping bass. It might seem like too much of a contrast with not enough midrange in between, but to me it’s sweet gravy and needs to be heard before judging. These headphones are meant to be fun and engaging rather than neutral and analytical.
Another minor complaint is I feel the headphone wire could’ve been a bit better. It’s stiff and prone to tangling. But even with these small drawbacks, I wouldn’t hesitate pulling out the old plastic for a pair. It’s not just me either, they have a nice following among audio enthusiasts. Buy a nice amp and perhaps check out the aftermarket support for them (I replaced the stock pads with beefier pads).
You’ll be happy you did and you’ll get back to enjoying your collection all over again.
Pros:
Nice hard-hitting bass, the kind that’d make anyone smile.
Classy design and a luxurious feel.
Cons:
Amplification is a bit touchy.
Headphone wire is prone to tangling.
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Hi Ray,
Thanks for the review of the D2000. Also for the Tale of Two DAC’s! I’m in the process of getting myself a D2000 and I’m also looking for a nice affordable DAC/Amp combo. I’ll be mostly driving my hp’s out of the USB or Toslink from my iMac. My music taste is quite extreme – from near ambient stuff to the most brutal of death metal. I suppose the quality of the DAC is perhaps most important since I’ll probably start experimenting with different amps later on. Could you recomment a good starting point for a complete hp-noob such as myself? Thank you. eM!eL, NL.
Honestly, I feel like the AMP is the next logical step after buying a set of headphones. You could “live” off an iPod with a line-out cable or dock to a nice amp until you can afford to pair it up with a nice DAC. Some combos (not all) have subpar amps, so I’d try searching for a nice amp first like the Little Dot I+ ($159 shipped). I’m going to do a review about it soon.
I just got some really good feedback from other people that went ahead and paired this amp with their D2000s and I’d recommend giving it a try. Good luck and let me know what you went with.
I went ahead and got myself an Apogee Duet. It has yet to arrive so I couldn’t say what it sounds like…
For portability – with my Sony MDR-EX500LP – I ordered a Headstage Arrow 12HE and a Whiplash Audio Elite SCSCag Switchcraft LOD.
So much for affordability. Or your recommendation. Thanks anyway Ray
)
eM!eL.
Bought denons a few days back & now thinking of buying a dac/amp for it.
I have udac-2,xonar essence ST & Audinst HUD MX1 in mind.
Which out of these is perfect for denon’s.
I use a NuForce Icon Mobile to power them every now and then and I heard the uDac uses the same amp stage, but I think the differences in the DAC make it a not so great fit, BUT (again) I heard the uDac-2 has a better Dac, so this is left in the air. I haven’t tried the other two at all, so you’re on your own in that regard. Have you considered the Matrix mini? I haven’t had a chance to try it, but I hear great things about it. Your best bet would be to go on head-fi.org and read a few threads. I personally feel you should build it piece by piece and buy a nice amp first then a DAC. My “budget” system for my D2000s consist of the Little Dot I+ and a Keces 151. Bought the Dac second hand would let me to pay about 400 with wires, tubes, and replacement opamps.
I wouldn’t sell it for the world, going on one year this October.