Headphones
DENON AH-D5000 Balanced w/ 10ft Cardas 'Fat Pipe' XLR Cable
Product Features:
- A lush and liquid presentation with outstanding bass extension.
- Re-cabled with Cardas' proprietary "Fat Pipe" for balanced operation.
- Superb styling, comfort, and build quality.
Applications:
We have been waiting a long time to say this: The Denon AH-D5000 are reference-grade, sealed-earcup headphones capable of audio performance on par with the best open-backed cans in the industry. The scientific audio lab measurements don't lie: the results we've seen in every category for the AH-D5000 rival that of any high-end audiophile reference headphone that has entered our testing facility. But of course it's not just the stunning specs that have us grinning like kids as we exchange hi-fives and fist-bumps, its the actual sound that is the real ultimate test for demanding audiophiles. And, boy, what a sound. Lush, inviting, and evenly focused musical detail in every part of the frequency spectrum with a pure, seamless tonal quality that brings subtle nuances of the recording into clear relief. The overall timbral presentation is certainly a bit 'warmer' in the AH-D5000 versus its excellent little brother, the AH-D2000, with the D5000 offering a lovely tube-like smoothness against the more forward-sounding and energetically lively approach of the D2000 model. The soundstage image of the Denon AH-D5000 is simply breathtaking as it extends to the very edges of space with a depth of field and a precise dimensional expansiveness that even many open-backed headphones can not touch. Wow, looks like we have a serious contender for crowned king of 'sealed/closed' category dynamic headphones.
Despite the AH-D5000's seemingly efficient low impedance rating of only 25 ohms, it is definitely not a sensitive headphone so there's absolutely no question it will demand a top-shelf headphone amp behind it to hear its full musical capabilities -- otherwise it'll tend to sound flat & dynamically lifeless especially from portable audio sources like iPods and laptops. But once the D-5000's are correctly powered, expect gorgeous, highly dynamic, vastly spacious, and reference-oriented sound quality. Words like these aren't frequently associated with this category of sealed headphones... Kudos, Denon!
The AH-D5000 are fantastic-looking, superbly-designed headphones. The lightweight magnesium frame supports full-size circumaural mahogany wood earcups covering the entire ear which provide respectable ambient noise attenuation while minimizing potential headphone sound leakage to the outside world. The rich woody look of the D5000 is highly impressive -- as appropiate for an upscale headphone -- and the deep-well earcups are fully padded in an uber-comfy black glove-soft leather. Careful with too much overhandling of the earcups since that may cause the gold-toned D5000 DENON logo to wear off prematurely. Headband sizing adjustments are easy via a solid click-slider mechanism that is a joy to use and secure once set. The D5000's headband clamping force remains very light on the head as typical for Denon; some smaller listeners may feel the full-size headphones almost a bit too loose on their noggin. However, that loose headband fit also contributes mightily to their superb comfort during extra-long audiophile listening sessions. The headphone cord is a non-detachable 3 meter "Y" type OFC cable, terminating to a 3.5mm (1/8") mini-plug, and is covered in a abrasion-resistant tech-flex material that provides great durability for the long haul. A full-size 1/4" screw-on adapter is handily provided in the package. 1-year Denon-USA manufacturer's warranty is standard on their entire headphone line serviced through New Jersey, USA with worldwide warranty centers available in many countries for international buyers.
Balanced Recabling How to get it even better? Custom cabling on your DENON D5000's will offer even richer detail and a more spacious sound. How do we do it? We start with a custom fabricated, highly upgraded 10-foot cable, specifically designed, trimmed, tinned, and finished for DENON AH-D5000 headphones. Then we carefully disassemble your beloved D5000s and completely remove the stock cable and connectors. The end result is a completely professional and fully warranteed upgrade that will long serve your balanced listening pleasure. Of course... you'll need a balanced XLR-output headphone amp and, ideally, an excellent balanced source. We currently offer the superb HeadRoom Balanced Desktop Amp. Kill two birds with one stone and get your balanced source too with the BDA's built-in DAC installation. Our DACs allow you to get a truly balanced signal out of any source that offers a digital output. This means that anything offering optical, coax, or USB outputs will serve as an excellent source for balanced drive. That's right folks, this means that your PC or laptop computer can become one of the best balanced sources around. More About HeadRoom Cabling Our HeadRoom connector cables are hand-crafted in our Bozeman Montana plant by highly skilled technicians using only the very best materials available. No cheapo, noisy wiring here, babe! The Fat Pipe geometry is a four-conductor with braided shield cable featuring Golden Ratio, oxygen-free, pure copper Litz wire with pure teflon dialectrics just like the big boys. The connectors are terminated by hand using Cardas Ultra Pure Quadeutectic solder. The connectors are mechanically inert, isolated from electrical noise and completely resonance-free, producing a very quiet, musical and superbly accurate cable capable of beautiful sound reproduction.
Specifications:
- Cord Type: Straight Y
- Coupler Size: Large
- Cord Length: 10 ft. (3 m)
- Detachable Cable: No
- Driver Type: Balanced Armature
- Ear Coupler Type: Full-Size
- Noise Cancelling: No
- Microphone: No
- Wireless: No
- Sensitivity: 106 dB/mW
- Connector Type: Balanced XLR
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 25 ohms
- Balanced: Yes
- Acoustic Seal: Closed
- Warranty: 1 Year
Average Rating
Posted by imzadi from Ontario, Canada on 2010-01-22
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Amazing Sound, Very Comfortable, Look Amazing
Cons: Only that they can reveal the flaws in the music.
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