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

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.

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------------ 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------------- 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------------ 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 Denon AH-D7000 Ultra Reference Over-Ear Headphones are Denon's flagship headphone and are built using high-quality materials, including mahogany wood ear cups, leather head-band, and a audiophile-grade 7N OFC tangle-free headphone cable. Like other Denon headphones, these are closed-back, minimizing potential leakage, making them ideal for portable use or scenarios where sound leakage is a major factor. The D7000s are the only Denon headphone other than the AH-A100s to come in a high-quality luxurious storage box. They also have a standard, 1-year manufacturer warranty.Although these share the same high-quality headphone cable as the AH-D5000s, these employ different drivers that result in a sensitivity rating of 108 dB vs. 106 dB (Denon AH-D5000). The overall sound stage is slightly more balanced than the AH-D5000, which has a polarizing effect -- some majorly prefer it due to its more refined highs and lows, while others feel that it is lacking the heartiness that the D5000s have.If you have previously owned the AH-D2000s and really enjoy the sound signature that they have, I would recommend the vastly cheaper, AH-D5000s; however, if you felt that the D2000's bass was overwhelming and thought the overall sound was somewhat distorted, the AH-D7000s are a great choice.Overall, the Denon AH-D7000s are still a somewhat expensive set of headphones considering that they do not benefit from use with a headphone amplifier as much as other more high impedance cans. They do offer one of the best sounds from a headphone that can be easily powered with a portable source, such as iPod or iPad, and have a extremely attractive and comfortable look and feel.