Customer Reviews

Denon AH-D7000 Ultra Reference Over-Ear Headphones (Black)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The AH-D7000 is the newest flagship reference headphone from Denon, a company usually known for their home theater electronics. Denon made a mark in the headphone market a couple of years ago when they introduced the AH-D1001, AH-D2000, AH-D5000 providing a well-rounded sound quality in the crowded market of premium headphone makers like Sennheiser, AKG, Audio Technica.

What I noted in my D2000/D1001 review is they are good headphones which have no glaring faults. They tend to have a very musically pleasing sound quality that doesn't dull the performance quality of the music, with their authoritative bass, clear and sparkly highs, but they don't overdo it either. They seem to do justice to most music types. So this "ultra reference" model carries on that tradition. The MSRP of this headphone is $999, and that puts it in the "ultra-expensive" category, but fortunately, you can actually find it discounted fairly steeply sometimes which brings the price down to earth a bit (but still orbiting). The main difference in this model over the lesser but similar wood-construction D5000 is an improved driver (higher efficiency) and a better finished wood earcup (now polished finish and nickel lettering that can't wear off). Looking at the spec sheets, there isn't much to differentiate it from the D5000 model to justify the $300 premium. Oh yes, but you do get a nicer box: A cardboard affair with leather-like panels, with a cloth material covering the main storage cradle. You don't even get an adapter to plug the ¼" plug into the 1/8" jack of portable devices, which I guess sends the message, don't even bother using these with your iPod.

Ok, enough with the small talk.

Is this thing worth $1000? In many ways, no. On the surface, it's three times more expensive than the very competent AH-D2000 model which I reviewed and gave five stars to. For the extra money, you get a nicer box and the luxurious look of the polished wood cups. You get a less unruly cable which is stated to be of higher quality. But the headphone is still `Made In China', so it's not as if you are paying Japanese craftsmen descended from a long line of great Asian artisans to craft your headphone. The headband and swivel arm hardware is basically the same as far as I can tell. Even the ear pad itself looks and feels about the same. The difference between these and the AH-D5000 is even less apparent, as the D5000 is also made of high quality wood earcups. While you can easily justify that the D5000 costs more than the D2000 due to the solid wood earcups (rigidity is good to prevent resonances) the D7000 doesn't really seem to go much farther than the D5000 to justify that it costs almost 50% more. Besides the minor appearance differences, the only real tangible difference mentioned in the marketing blurbs is that the D7000 has a stronger magnet. If you try these headphones, you will find they mostly sound similar, the familiar sound signature clearly indicate that they are all from Denon, you won't be mistaking these for the warm polite sound of a Sennheiser, or the more clinical sound of some AKGs, or the energetic snappy bright sound of a Grado Labs model.

But hey, what are you REALLY getting in terms of the sound quality?

Since the D7000 has the same basic design as the D2000, I will say that they do sound similar in quite a few ways. The bass is strong and deep. Some people think the bass is too strong and uncontrolled, more of a flatulent sound than true accurate bass, but I disagree. The bass is strong to be sure, but I feel it's very well controlled. Maybe the fact that I have a big head helps, as these headphones are known to fit loosely, but on my head, they feel relatively stable and secure, but still supremely comfortable. But here's where one difference starts to be apparent as you compare the two. The D7000's bass quality is more punchy, more tuneful, seems to have no lower frequency limit, but still has good damping or control...like listening to a high end stereo system with a carefully manually equalized Velodyne DD-18 subwoofer that costs thousands. Whereas the D2000 has very good bass that is missing in some other brands' models, the D7000 takes it up a notch further. And then there are the highs, the D7000 seems to be more pristine, just slightly clearer and more detailed through, just a bit more sparkle overall. Again, these are pretty subtle differences overall, but they are there if you listen carefully, have a good system, and have good recordings that can highlight the differences. Other things like the soundstaging (placement of instruments/staging of the music) is pretty much similar; the D7000 has a richer, bigger overall sound in general

Where does that leave the D5000? The differences between the D2000 and D7000 can be somewhat subtle already, but the D5000 and D7000 are even smaller. I can notice that the D5000 does feel like a middle ground, the bass isn't as punchy or tight as the D7000, and the highs aren't as well controlled as the D7000. What does this come down to: I'll admit it, the D7000 is, like most higher end audio gear, a clear case of diminishing returns. You are paying a premium to get Denon's best effort, and luxury construction and presentation. The actual physical and engineering differences don't really reflect the price differential. The sonic differences are subtle for the most part, if I was blindfolded, I don't think I would be able to predict that I could identify which was which 100% of the time. But does that mean it's a waste of money? I would say no to that. If you take headphone listening seriously like I do, already spent good money building up a good system, a headphone like this just rounds out your listening experience. Even though it's diminishing returns to buy a headphone like this, I do appreciate that these do noticeably improve on the excellent D2000's which I loved and cherished for a year before I upgraded to these. Even though I describe the differences as subtle, I do appreciate the differences that I can hear.

Overall, these headphones has a completeness to the sound. The bass is indeed strong, and in fact, if you aren't use to listening to truly full range loudspeakers, you might find that these headphones do seem to go *way* over the top with their bass, and may seem to drown out the midrange compared to what you are used to. However, that doesn't mean I am implying that every other headphone is wrong and these are right though. If I was to try to analyze it, I think the D7000's do seem to go about 10-15% over the top with their bass and treble energy, but for me, it's erring on the side of offering a "fun" sound but without going overboard. I wouldn't master music with these headphones, but I'd still select these over many other headphones in their price range in terms of their overall musical accuracy. Every headphone has particular strengths and weaknesses. I do find these headphones are great for popular music, jazzy nightclub performances, electronic/dance, big band, but slightly less good for huge orchestral pieces (partly due to the closed nature, they sound a bit less 3 dimensional compared to the best open style headphones). As closed headphones, these don't leak that much sound.

So the bottom line is: for the most part, these headphones don't make any sense, but if your love of music runs deep, you like sound that is biased toward "fun" over purely clinically accurate sound quality, don't mind paying a bit more to get that luxurious look, then these are as good of choice as any other $1000 headphone that I can think of. The only other thing I should mention is that these headphones do have a very slight tendency to emphasize the upper midrange. Depending on the vocalist, there is just a tad bit of edginess to the voice. This could be a limitation of my system (as it usually is in most cases), but it's something to watch out for if you are sensitive to treble artifacts. All in all, the treble has a slightly more lively sound than average headphone I've owned over the years.

For the most part, I don't think I really want to try to convince anybody that these headphones are worth every penny, and that you shouldn't consider the cheaper D1001/D2000/D5000 models. You should because those are all great choices in their respective price ranges. I think these D7000's can compete against any other $1000 headphone, but like all things in the top 3% percentile pricewise, it's made for the fanatic or hobbyist that doesn't mind paying big dollars for the privilege of owning a top model to squeeze out that extra 3% of improvement. For the most part, I think the D2000 is a sweet spot and you should probably check these out first if you just want an enjoyable, excellent sounding, high quality, comfortable set of cans for general use.

Its the bass. that's where it starts. No other phones have bass exyension like this. Not boomy or sloppy, but it goes all the way down. No other phones can do this.

Without sacrificing magical transparency and extension, smoothly through the midrange to the extreme highs, the foundation, the low end, of these cans, more than any other, creates a magical soundstage. If its on the recording, you'll hear it, unattenuated, flat, all the way to 20Hz. I've never experienced this in cans before. These Denon 7000s can create the impressive, sometimes shocking impact that I've only heard before from huge speaker systems like Pipedreams or big Wilsons. The way Pipedreams can pressurize a room, so these Denons can pressurize your soundfield, but they manage to sound totally natural doing so. I've never heard better cans. Compared to Audio-Technica W5000, they seem not to have the excess air on top like the A-Ts, but the A-Ts are so bass shy. Sometimes I miss the over-airiness of the A-T, but the Denons are flatter. Highest recommendation. Its like getting a $100,000 speaker system!

I would say the original price of $999 is probably a bit of a stretch on my wallet for these cans, but I would probably say that about ANY headphones. I bought these from a local dealer for right around $700 and I could not be happier with them.

The sound quality is phenomenal and the BASS is the best I have ever heard from a set of headphones. If you like bass, there is no doubt you will absolutely love these cans. All that being said, the bass is not overpowering at all, in fact the entire spectrum of sound is warm and completely audible. If you like hip hop, trance/electronica, rock, or any kind of music with punch, these are the headphones for you. I cannot really speak on jazz and classical, but I have read many reviews suggesting that these cans are a bit to bassy for those particular genres.

Now for the "but". These are NOT the headphones you would want to plug directly into an Ipod. If that was your plan, don't waste your money. For that, you can buy a set of Denon AHD1001 for a fifth of the price. Denon D7000s don't come with a 1/8 inch converter plug, so that should tell you something right off the bat. These are reference headphones with a VERY revealing sound, so anyone planning on listening to only 128kbps music in your Itunes library, and plugging directly into the headphone jack on your dell, probably don't want to spend the money. So what does all that mean? Basically if you feed these headphones garbage, that is what you will get. These cans should also be driven properly by a decent headphone amp, otherwise you wont even come close to hearing their full potential. So unless you have a nice dedicated headphone amp, sound card, DAC (digital to analog converter), or any combination of the these, you might be happier spending a third of the price on a set of Denon D2000s, which are also a pretty nice set of headphones. That being said, they are worth their weight in gold if you have the right equipment.

P.S. I have a Macbook Pro, and I run an Apogee Duet DAC/headphone amp. Apogee Duet 2-channel FireWire Audio Interface This is a relatively inexpensive DAC/amp combo with a 1/4 inch headphone jack. There is better stuff out there, but for the price, you probably wont find a better sounding DAC/headphone amp solution. I would recommend this to any mac user planning on purchasing these cans.

I upgraded to these cans from the Grado GS1000 in hopes of having deeper and punchier bass. The Denons delivered on their promise to have the cleanest bass out of any avaialble pair of closed headphones. Although I did sacrifice the soundstage and superior clarity of the Grados, it was more than made up for in other areas. I am driving these with a Headroom amp/DAC.

Pros
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- Well balanced accross the whole range. The mids aren't lacking due to bass, the treble is very sharp but not overdone.
- The bass. It's strong and not overwhelming: an extremely hard feat to accomplish in headphones. They don't sound like a ghetto blaster w/ 2 15's & stock speakers inside of a car, they also don't sound like in-ear monitors. The bass is collected in away that it hits very hard when it needs to, but also subtle when not needed.
- Excellent CLOSED cans. Lots of high-end headphones are open, and for a good reason. Having closed cans means you keep the music to yourself while eliminating outside noise. I'd rate the isolation to be about 10 - 15 dB, similar to a very weak pair of earplugs, but it's something.
- Very comfortable. The leather padding is soft to the touch and you can wear the cans for hours wihout discomfort.

Cons
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- The wires could use better shielding. I do like the outside material though and the wire construction is sturdy.
- After listening to some of the best open-air headohones, the sound stage is noticeably small. Also, the clarity, resolution, whatever you call it, isn't 100%, but very close to it.
- They need a strong amp. I have a Headroom Total Bithead, and I can see how they could be pushed further with a stronger amp (the DAC on that amp is awesome though). Don't let the low impedance fool you, they need to be driven well.

Other Notes
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- They need burn-in for a while (100-200 hrs). The sound gets clearer and everything just sounds smoothed out. I really don't think I'm imagining it, since I observed the effect in my last pair of headphones as well.
- They are beautiful. The polished mahogany wood chambers really stand out. I really only care for the sound, but it's a nice-to-have.
- These are not bass-head headphones only for rap. You will realize how much better everything sounds with the bass that was intended to be heard.
- Don't think of the price as a barrier. These headphones can replicate a high-end speaker system listening experience. Buy a pair of nice floor-standing Polks, a sub and a strong receiver, and you're easily past the $700 mark. If anything, you're getting more sound for the price paid without annoying your neighbors.

The sound Quality is the best I've ever owned.
The sound quality is so good, that music will never sound the same.
Also, never plug the headphones out of the stereo so you instantly can tell the difference from them and the speakers you own, you'll regret it :)

I started to notice sides of music i never heard before.
The bass is amazing, not overdramatic, but present as a feeling as well as a sound.

I own some fairly expensive Dali speakers, and these are ofc. way better.

I was fearing that the headphones would be to hard to power from my iPhone, and would only work on my stereo. But that was not the case, they are actually quite loud, and could play higher than my laptop speakers.

One of the most impressive things about them, is how low the volume can be without losing anything of the sound.

All-round these headphones are not headphones.. but small speakers, and they make me smile every time i use them.

The only complain i got is that the cable is quite hard to manage.
That there is NO jack to mini jack converter with it.
And in the beginning the sound kinda stressed my ears out, so it was kinda freaky to wear.

sound- heavy bass that is not overpowering- not for mp3- great highs and mids- so crisp- no sound leakage- and average sound isolation- big sound stage- great instrument separation
comfort- softess leather- lightweight- earpads shaped differently for comfort
durability- magnesium frame makes it very durable. it wont break unless you set it on fire or something
looks- best looking woods- very pretty leather- and gold lettering
cable- very strong and doesnt tangle
downside- expensive- no carrying case- no adapter for jack

I just received my set from amazon today and I can't seem to stop listening to these headphones. I stepped up from Beyerdynamic DT770s which were and are still a very smooth sounding headphone (provided you have a headphone amp).

The first impression in unboxing these headphones was like opening a Christmas present that you had really looked forward too and had hoped would live up to your expectations. This is the red-rider b-b gun without shooting your eye out.

The packaging is amazing, the leather box and the presentation of the headphones upon opening is opulent. I don't want to know how much I paid for the box I'll never use again, but it made an amazing first impression. Admittedly, I am also spoiled on the component side of the house but without making this a commentary on audiophile equipment--I want to emphasize what I noticed with these specific headphones.

First, while I am sure I have not "burned" them in, I am anxiously awaiting how much better these will continue to sound. Right out of the box, the sound is simply extraordinary. I went straight to Paul Simon's "Still Crazy after all these years." The background cymbal presentation is as subdued as I am used too, but there is SOO much more detail. In fact, all the instruments in this song have a much more musical quality, bringing you closer to being there. The Saxophone at 2:12 sounds brighter and more detailed than I had ever noticed before.

Next I have to go to Neil Diamond and "Walk on water". This is the track that I use to listen for all-around performance. All I can say is prepare to be literally blown away at the 1:20 mark. I keep going back to the beginning of this song just to listen to this section. Everything has detail, power, presence, and impact. Absolutely the best presentation I have ever heard for this song. From the 1:14 mark where the piano reverb in the room is clearly audible to the choir outburst--absolutely intense and wonderful. The drum beat almost seems to be inside your head. The acoustic guitar is dizzying.

I could write a review for every song on the DJ Sammy Heaven album and note what I heard differently. All I can say is there is a lot more going on here musically than I had ever noticed and I have to attribute this to the AH-D7000s. Dwell on "Paradise of love" for an example of how good electronic music mixed with piano can really sound when presented properly. OK, now skip to Heaven (Candlelight version). Be prepared to hear the piano as you have never heard it in this song. Now also prepare for something that many of you may be used too when listening to this version--no harshness. None, not in the vocal energy portions, not in the instrumental overtures--it's just absent. I am so used to hearing all the things that I thought were wrong with this song or the recording or my equipment. It's all gone now; what's left is a pure, clean, beautiful rendition of what I had always hoped to hear.

I have so much music to re-enjoy--I am really looking forward to exploring my collection with these headphones and making so many new discoveries! I wish I could give them 6 stars. This is the best sounding, most comfortable set of headphones I have ever owned--if you're on the fence I want to help push you over. They are worth every penny.

Need 200 hours of warm-up!
Detailed, deep sound. At first time, the detail was sharp.
I like it more than Sennheiser HD650. I listen it on the Benchmark DAK1 - excellent! Incidentally, contrary to expectations, decent sound, even on the iPod touch.
I listen mainly to classical opera, but also brutal metal on these headphones sound great. I recommend!
If we talk about the shortcomings, then, finding fault, we can note a hint of sibilance in female vocals. It was gone after warming up, but sometimes it seems that what is left. However, it is difficult to say this recording flaws or weaknesses are headphones. With such high detail all the shortcomings of records are obvious.
PS
Plays with Denon DCD-1450 was with accent on high. At Harman/Kardon HD990 everything is fine. Velvety and detailed sound.

I currently own every single Grado can (I used to be cheap, and now I'm not). I swore by the 335 and the 225 (for travel).

So, I'm searching for something better and bassier than my 225s, and probably a bit more colored; something not entirely 100% true to reference. Decided these would be OK to at least give a whirl since they'd been reviewed pretty well by everyone.

Buy it.

That's it.

They are a bit bass heavy. I listen to R&B, electronica, dubstep, etc etc.

If you are wondering if they are worth it...they are worth every penny and probably a few more.

K.

-Avi

I had no problems with the price or the transaction--both were exemplary. And the box is lovely and the headphones extremely comfortable to wear, as advertised.

My only problem with them is that they don't sound that good. A rather average, "hi-fi" sound, in my opinion--very competent but a bit thin and synthetic sounding, despite or because of the bass, which occasionally calls attention to itself unduly--a sound that emphasizes the frequency extremes. (BTW, thin sound--lacking body in the midrange--is described as "detailed" and "transparent" in the audio press, so if you like that, go for it.) I'm using them with a Musical Fidelity X-CAN V8P headphone amp, and I've been listening to them for about a month now. So why did I buy them? Because there is literally not a single place where I can go audition headphones locally. I had to buy blind (or deaf, should I say?), by mail. Not the way to buy headphones, or speakers. But what can you do?

The best headphones I ever had were a pair of Stax electrostatics--actually I think they were called "electrets" if that means anything to anyone--the model number "SR-44" just popped into my head. But that's been a long time ago now.

These are not bad, don't get me wrong. Just not unusually good, and I fail to see why they justify a retail price of $1000. Since I've already bought them, they will do for me for the foreseeable future. But I wouldn't buy these if I had it to do over again.