Denon AH-D950 Stereo On-Ear
Denon AH-D950 Stereo On-Ear
USER REVIEWS
[Jan 06, 2003]
Basher
AudioPhile
Strength:
- GREAT soundstaging for headphones. - Good (but not 100%) isolation from outside ambient noise. - Strong frequency response from crystalline highs to intestine-rupturing lows, everything in between. - Build quality VERY solid, very durable phones, surviving a couple drops, cables being rolled over in computer chair, etc. (See below, though.)
Weakness:
- A bit 'bass heavy', which I suppose some people could consider a weakness. Definately not me though. - Cosmetic complaint ONLY - The printed text on the side of the phones (for Digital / AH-D950) is beginning to wear off. Having owned these headphones for considerably over a year and a half, I felt it was finally time to review them, provided they've had PLENTY of time to break in, show flaws, etc. Soooo, here we go! I was introduced to these headphones back when I was just coming out of my 'big boom theory' stage, and into the hi-fi world. A friend showed me the headphones in the Denon Professional Products catalog, and I saw the frequency response (2hz-31khz) and was blown away! NEVER before had I found a company that even claimed below 18hz in LOUDSPEAKERS, much less headphones, so needless to say, the bassfreak in me came out, and I said 'Those are SO mine.'. Two VERY anxious weeks went by before they were finally delivered, and in the initial listen, my mind was blown! Never before had I heard such pure sound out of ANYTHING, while retaining that ultra-deep, forward bass response! It was put best when a friend was listening to them, and commented while listening, 'Wow..it feels like my chest should be vibrating!'. I simply beamed with pride. Nowadays, when I listen, it's 'that same old perfect sound' out of them, having a relatively flat response and sounding very 'capable', if that makes any sense. These headphones have forever changed my audio tastes. Unfortunately, I lack a good headphone amp, so I'm not really sure of what they're REALLY capable of outside the headphone amp in my Klipsch promedia 4.1's. You ask, 'But what about bang for the buck? '. Denon's all over it. These phones have practically annhiliated everythinig else I've heard so far. AKG is its closest contender so far but lacks the extended bass response and presence of the Denons in a serious way. Not to mention how noisy they get past 25hz, and how hard they are to power (600 ohms?! Give me a break.). I have yet to hear Grado, so I can't quite say Denon makes the best phones out there yet. But it's looking very likely, so far. At least, to my ears. Similar Products Used: Listened to many models of AKG, Sennheiser, Sony, Koss, etc. |
[Dec 31, 2002]
ShnikeJSB
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
- AMAZING sound quality for the money (especially the bass) - Seem to be very durable - Comfortable and adjust well to anyone - Long, thick, flexible cord - Gold-tipped 1/8" jack - Just amazing all-around headphones (price/performance)
Weakness:
- Though comfortable, my ears begin to sweat when listening for a long enough time. - $100 may be a lot for some to spend on headphones, though I think they are worth 3 times as much! - Cord is so long, it can sometimes get in the way. I did a TON of research on the internet before getting these cans, and when I do research, I REALLY do my research (usually means weeks of searching, comparing, surfing, reading, etc...)! It came down to these Denon AH-D950's, and Grado SR-125's. After lookign around, I realized most people said the Grado's were best for Rock, while it seemed the Denon's were more suited for more beat-oriented music. Well, I listen to more techno, dance, trance, and rap than rock, so I went with the Denon's (not to mention I LOVE bass, and these things go WAAAAAY low), not to mention the Grado's were more $$$! So, I ordered the Denon's, and have not regretted it since! THE BASS IS AMAZING (especially when driven decently, which is why I have ordered a HeadRoom Total Airhead protable headphone amp, so I can get the most out of these beasts!). The highs are clear and crisp, though not piercing, like I have heard in other cans), the midrange is warm and inviting, and like I said, the bass is amazing and responsive. There has been ZERO distortion, even when I jack up the volume (except on the Bass Test CD turned up high). These babies have some range (in more ways than one, I have never seen such a long and thick cord!). They are so detailed, I hear things I have never heard before. They seem to be of high quality construction, so I don't think reliability is a question (no problems after about a year or so). They will be with me for a long time. For $100, you can't beat these headphones. I strongly recommend them to anyonw who can afford them. I hope the Total Airhead will drive them to their full potential. In all, great headphones! -JB Similar Products Used: - Various Sony's that ranged from $30-$65 - Kenwood noise-cancelling (came with portable CD player) - Wireless ones my aunt gave me (kind?) - A million cheap ones, from earbuds to crappy stock cans |
[Oct 24, 2002]
Mike
AudioPhile
Strength:
Loud, Awsome Bass, Crisp Highs.
Weakness:
Non-Coiled Cord. The Denon AH-D950 headphones offer superior "bang for their buck." With deep pronounced bass and crisp highs. The mids are sometimes drowned out by the bass, however this is easily fixed by use of an equalizer. Similar Products Used: Koss Pro4A, Varios Sennheiser's |
[Nov 23, 2000]
Charles
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Excellent bass response - clear and tight. Great highs and satisfactory mids.
Weakness:
Can't really think of any at this time.
|
[Feb 14, 2000]
Bob
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Deep Bass, Clear mid & high
Weakness:
None This headphone is great for $150. It's sound is much better than v-600 that lack of bass. It's sound almost compare $350 Sennheiser 590. Similar Products Used: Sony MDR-V600, Grado SR-1, Sennheiser 590 |
[Sep 07, 2001]
Paul Chan
Audiophile
Strength:
Overall clairity and accurate reproduction. Very smooth
Weakness:
sealed unit perfect for people at work, but bad for producing a aureal sound, still very rich Imagine the Sony V6, with more clairity smoothness, and comfort. The sony V6 was very bassy, perfect as a good priced reference tool for dj's to beatmix. Yet I would never use them for listening to hi-fi. These are so smooth and accurate and rich it's amazinig. It's a closed unit perfect for monitoring reference, but not quite as nice for producing a 3d aureal sound that like the sennheiser 590's would, yet I still think they can produce a smoother louder sound. I didn't want sennheiser, they made too much noise because they are open eared. These are great, 50mm driver, lower reistance of 30ohm, and range from 2hrz-30 000, a super wide range. Similar Products Used: Technics DJ1200, Sony V6 |
[Jan 02, 2002]
Ghengis
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
crisp highs, great mids, and solid, punchy lows. drives very easily. i plug them into my preamp on my logitech z560s (from an sblive!5.1 card). i can even turn the bass all the way up on the equalizer w/o distortion :)~
Weakness:
none. bought these from a local store because i could. this way i didnt have to deal with shipping if something goes wrong. these things are amazing. the circumareal design provides fairly good isolation. thx to the padded headband, i can wear these for hours w/o tiring. sound is excellent. im hearing little details that i've never heard before (compared to my $20 sony walkman). Similar Products Used: grado sr-60, $20 sony walkmans (the ear plug things) |
[Sep 08, 2000]
Morticide
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Great frequency range. Very detailed sound. Comfy.
Weakness:
Cord 2 inches to short for me to sit on my couch. ;) Very detailed. I heard more details than with my pretty decent home speakers (DefTech Pro Tower 400s), but disadvantage of lesser imaging and smaller sound stage. Which is to be expected from a pair of headphones. Similar Products Used: Sennheiser 580, Denon 210, Denon 550, Sony v600 |
[Jul 19, 2000]
Duell
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
The bass is UNBELIEVABLE for headphones, very comfortable for extended listening times.
Weakness:
Foam that covers the speaker grilles deteriorates over time. I have been a Denon user for years now, and these are the absolute best sounding phones I've heard at any price. Similar Products Used: AKG K-270S (a reference model used in recording studios) |
[Mar 27, 2000]
Eric D-J
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
These headphones are full of clarity and bass. Durability is there and comfort.
Weakness:
They don't come with a golden stand that they should be on. These are better than any Sony, Sennheiser or any other brand. They have clrity, full of bass and feel good to wear. Sennheisers are for old people. They have quality for classical and can be rebuilt, but lack that oompf. Buy these. Similar Products Used: I also own AH-D650's which I use for travel. |