D8000 DC Pro Edition

The name DC is derived from the musical term "Da Capo" (meaning to return to the beginning of the musical score). Seven years after its release, the previous model "D8000 Pro Edition" became a long-selling product with over 2,000 units shipped domestically and internationally. 

The design of the previous model has been completely redesigned from the ground up to create a new flagship headphone. The diaphragm of the driver unit has been redesigned from the manufacturing technology, and the proprietary "AFDS: Air Film Damping System" has been completely redesigned in terms of the hole diameter, pitch, and pattern of the perforated metal.

Furthermore, by removing the magnet in front of the driver, the aperture ratio has been increased by approximately 70% compared to the previous model. The ear pads have been changed to 1.5 times thicker than before, increasing the volume of the acoustic space. In addition to the sound that balances the openness and rich bass with delicate treble of the previous model, each note is now more detailed, achieving a vast soundstage.

Also, as a result of the above design changes, the main unit has been made approximately 100g lighter, and by adopting a special Japanese paper fabric, it has been made to prioritize a dry and comfortable fit without a feeling of being sealed.

Equipped with the evolved "AFDS: Air Film Damping System"

Conventional planar magnetic drivers had a problem where the diaphragm would come into contact with the structure at low frequencies where the amplitude of the diaphragm was large, requiring the driver unit to raise the low-frequency range it could reproduce. In the previous model D8000, the proprietary "AFDS" technology, which uses the viscosity of air to control the movement of the diaphragm, overcame this problem and made it possible to lower the low-frequency reproduction range. This solved the problem of poor bass reproduction, which was a weakness of planar magnetic drivers. This can be called a reinvention of the planar magnetic driver.

Furthermore, the D8000 DC Pro Edition further evolves this "AFDS" technology, redesigning the hole diameter, pitch, and pattern of the perforated metal used. It also employs different perforated metal patterns on the front and back of the diaphragm. As a result, combined with breathable ear pads, it achieves a rich and open bass sound. The ultra-lightweight film diaphragm is formed by etching extremely thin aluminum foil. This eliminates the need for the dynamic driver-specific structure of bonding coil lead wires to the diaphragm, reducing the weight of the vibrating system to approximately one-third. By pursuing fundamental accuracy, it achieves the reproduction of delicate high frequencies that were previously unattainable.

Machined aluminum-magnesium alloy housing

Achieving AFDS requires extremely high precision compared to typical driver units. High rigidity is also necessary to prevent unwanted resonance and to firmly support the driver. Therefore, the machined aluminum-magnesium alloy housing is cut with extremely high precision and then hard anodized.

In the conventional D8000, the front magnet was the cause of fine peaks and dips. By eliminating this in the D8000 DC Pro Edition, the front aperture ratio has been increased by approximately 70%, which has improved the reproduction of high frequencies in particular, making it possible to reproduce each note with greater detail.