AHD2000 : Solid, Ultra Comfortable, Beautiful Sound
Before buying a set of Denon's I was using one of the higher-end AKG models, which are semi-open back design and sound very nice, but I was having problems with them comfort-wise; although a pretty light fit, some AKG earpieces are not big enough to fit clear around your ears -- they clamp your ears against your head a bit, which was really uncomfortable after a few hours. I'd heard a lot of great things about these, and I decided to pick them up because:
1. Comfort -- Big earpieces which fit all the way around your ears. The pads rest on your head, not your ears. Mine don't even touch my ears. Nice soft, thick letherette. Also the headband is really nice. Barely any pressure at all. One feature that might not work for some users is the shape of the earpads. They are ergonomically shaped very specifically to fit on your head a certain way. Putting these headphones on flipped around from the marked R and L feels pretty strange. They are very comfy and work for me, but you might want to try them on before buying. The way the pads are angled you really can't wear them with the headband in a lot of different positions. Once you get them settled though, wow are they nice.
2. A closed design. Although my AKG's do sound a little more "airy" and more like listening to good speakers in a room, they have quite a bit of bleed, both outside noise bleeding in and inside noise bleeding out. The ADH2000's do have more bleed than some other closed cans I've used, but outside noise reduction is decent.
3. Excellent sound. According to most of the reviews I'd read, these Denon's are among the best of the best closed-design, fullsize headphones. I was not disappointed. These sound ridiculously good. I really can not put them down. Tried with iPod too, definitely need to turn the volume up, but still more than enough volume.
I do have a few small complaints, although they aren't enough to detract from my 5 star rating and excitement about this headphone. The adjustment system isn't that great. It has a nice ratcheting system, all metal which is really nice, but I don't feel like the detents are strong enough. Mine never get loose enough to come off, but I do find that one side likes to ratchet out a notch after a while. Also, as mentioned the cord is REALLY thick and not very flexible when you first get them, although it is nice to see something that won't get cut when run over with a studio chair or the like.
If you are looking for a high quality, comfortable closed headphone, this is it. I don't see mine retiring for a long time.
