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Post by rob100 on Sept 13, 2012 22:28:18 GMT
Hi All, it's been a while since I posted here, but I arrived home today to find me new headphones waiting for me and wished to post my first thoughts. I know HifiMan may be a small company, but I did expect some kind of retail packaging rather than just a brown box. The travel case they come with (inside the brown box) is nice and there is also a velvet bag for the headphones which had the silver cable, the spare velour earpads (imitation leather pads are fitted) and also spare connectors. These are heavy headphones and clamp a lot harder that my Q701, but are fairly comfy to wear. The cable is already getting on my nerves and I've only used it for a couple of hours! It fastens with a small screw connector which is a little fiddly but the main problem is it is very microphonic so I will have to learn not to move! So what do they sound like? They are too new to give a full review, and need a little more juice from my Panda Amp (built by Mike and still sounding great!) than my Q701s. But first impressions is I'm going to be really happy. They dig out even more detail than the AKG's and have a much fuller more rounded natural sound. Whilst still extremely detailed, they play music rather than analyse it like the AKGs. I've fancied a pair of these headphones since first hearing them a year ago at a show and I did intend to go to the Whittlebury Hall show next week and try them again vs others before parting with my hard earned cash as £695 is a heck of a lot of money to spend on headphones. But a bit of googling and I bought mine from a German dealer for €599 (worked out as £500 delivered) and this was too good a price to miss...
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mrarroyo
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Post by mrarroyo on Sept 15, 2012 12:44:12 GMT
Rob, I hope you enjoy the heck of the HE500. I have had my pair for a while and find them to be a top tier can that needs a bit more juice than the K701 but not as much as the HE6 also from Head Direct. If you have access to an old receiver from the 70's by Pioneer, Marantz, Technics, etc you will be surprised at how good these old receivers will drive the HE500. Ideally you would have all the old caps replaced and the bias set, plus a pigtail to use the speaker out to drive the HE500 into balanced mode with the lower power amps (under 20 watts). The higher power units are fine using the 1/4" headphone out to drive the HE500.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2012 13:53:31 GMT
Hi Rob,
I've been wondering about these for a while. Where did you get them?
It'll be interesting how you feel about them after a while with them.
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Post by rob100 on Sept 30, 2012 11:53:22 GMT
Hi Ian I purchased mine from a German Dealer, link below. But I actually purchased from his ebay site to gain the extra buyer protection. Very friendly and great service from the dealer Harry Langer. He's put the price up €100 since I purchased (as have all European Dealers - up to €699) but it is still a significant saving compared to the UK price of £695. He has a 14 day no quibble return under German law. cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310428536155#ht_3092wt_1152www.blackpearls-online.de/Whilst I've listened to several other top headphones at shows I can only really compare them properly against my Q701s using the Panda amp. The HE-500's clamp hard and are heavy. To be honest, they are not the comfiest but they feel solid and well built and the weight is well distributed when wearing them. They made the HD800's feel flimsy (i'm sure they are not) and lightweight to me - the LCD-2 felt about the same weight wise, but with softer and sculptured pads were better to wear. The LCD2s were also more biased towards a stronger bass if that is the sound you prefer. Compared to the AKG's the sound is not quite as open and is more personal. The sound signature is different too, its a richer fuller sound. They dig deep, its not a bass heavy sound but certainly not shy in the bass like the AKG's. To my ears they sound very natural and unforced across the full frequency spectrum, excelling in the midrange. Its a very precise, dynamic clear sounding headphone. The AKGs are great for listening to the detail, these take it it to another level. However, they don't lose sight of the fact I'm at home enjoying music rather than in a recording studio. I'm listening to Adele live at the royal hall as I write this. Sounds fantastic, easy to pick out all the instruments, backing singers + a "real" sounding crowd loving the concert. They are not cheap and the laws of diminishing returns do kick in when spending this much on headphones. I'm am very pleased and, apart from a quick comparison, I have had no desires to listen to the Q701s since buying these and should really get round to selling them as I can't imagine why I would want to listen to them again! The AKG's are a good headphone, but the HE-500s are in a different league.
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mrarroyo
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Post by mrarroyo on Sept 30, 2012 12:57:31 GMT
The band in the HE500's have steel inside so you can bend it to reduce the over clamp. Let the cans burn-in for at least 200 hours and you will find the sound opens up and it will blow the socks of the AKG's Q701. Or at least I think so!
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Post by rob100 on Sept 30, 2012 16:22:01 GMT
Thanks Miguel, I will try bending the headband a little to ease the clamp.
They already blow the socks of the Q701s, and they have nowhere near 200 hours yet!
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joethearachnid
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Post by joethearachnid on Sept 30, 2012 16:35:40 GMT
The HE-500's clamp hard and are heavy. To be honest, they are not the comfiest but they feel solid and well built and the weight is well distributed when wearing them. They made the HD800's feel flimsy (i'm sure they are not) and lightweight to me - the LCD-2 felt about the same weight wise, but with softer and sculptured pads were better to wear. The LCD2s were also more biased towards a stronger bass if that is the sound you prefer. The comfort factor really made me dislike the whole HE-series. I've never tried them for extended periods but the pads just seem to sit like solid plastic rings around my ears rather that softening and changing to shape around my head. Having tried the HD 800 and the LCD-2 I found the comfort to be something of a let-down. I think I preferred the sound of the LCD-2 too, since the HE-6 and others had a kind of 'hardness' in the treble I didn't like. Still great cans though, just not my cup of tea. -JoetheArachnid
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mrarroyo
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Post by mrarroyo on Oct 1, 2012 12:14:51 GMT
In addition to the velour ear pads you can get their newer "leather" ones. BTW, the newer velour pads have more padding now.
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joethearachnid
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Post by joethearachnid on Oct 1, 2012 13:01:47 GMT
I did actually manage to try the leather pads quite recently. I can't really speak for what they did for the sound (I don't even recall which HE-model it was) but I did find them to still be a lot harder than I was expecting. Perhaps it's just necessary for their sound?
-JoetheArachnid
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2012 14:10:24 GMT
I have both the leather and the velour pads with my HE-6`s, but prefer the velour for comfort on the ear.
I can not detect any SQ difference between them.
The problem of possible discomfort with these HP`s, comes mainly from there weight, they are much heavier than the HD 800`s, and PS1000`s and this is certainly evident after an hour or so of use.
However, i feel this is a small price to pay for the SQ they produce.
Mick.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2012 17:00:16 GMT
Hi, Mick
Have been absent for awhile, but in catching up, I have been reading your comments about the HE-6, and read some other comments about the HE-500 online with great interest!
I am thinking of buying the HE-500 HPs, but wondering if I have an amp that is powerful enough to drive them. I have the Horizon amplifier that Frans designed and Jeremy built for me, as well as the Sunrise I, which I assembled a while ago. I recall that you have the Sunrise also, and wonder if you have tried to drive the HE-6 with it, and if yes, how well did it do?
Perhaps Frans can also enlighten me here. I also have the Neco Bossfet amp, which is excellent, and a bunch of Chinese hybrids (which I don't even want to consider for using with the HE-500.
Any input from you or Frans, or anybody else would be most welcome.
All the Best! Israel
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mrarroyo
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Post by mrarroyo on Oct 6, 2012 10:46:54 GMT
As the owner of an HE500 I can say without a doubt that your amps will drive the HE500 w/o any issues. RMAF is coming up soon and you may be able to visit and try many headphones/amps. audiofest.net/2012/index.php
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2012 18:53:39 GMT
As the owner of an HE500 I can say without a doubt that your amps will drive the HE500 w/o any issues. RMAF is coming up soon and you may be able to visit and try many headphones/amps. audiofest.net/2012/index.phpHi, Miguel Thanks for the information! I have been reading your comments on the HE-500 with great interest! Unfortunately, I am now somewhat under the weather, and will not be able to visit the RMAF, though it is so close to where I live; only a 1 1/2 hour drive from my home. I would much appreciate it if you can comment a bit more on the SQ of the HE-500. To give you an idea about my taste in SQ of the headphones I have (at least a dozen and a half!?),presently my favorite ones are my Denon D2000, which I have recabled with Cardas 4x24 cable; a close second is the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, which I have also recabled with the same Cardas cable - it is very similar to the D2000, but with a somewhat wider stage. Right now, my preferred amp is the Horizon with a nice ECC88 Telefunken tube. From what I have been reading online, the HE-500 comes with a silver Canare cable, and since I don't usually like silver (got rid of my two Moon Audio Silver Dragon custom cables for my HD650 and the HD600), I will have to recable them with my favorite - the Cardas 4x24. Because HiFiman supplies them with two extra connectors, it looks like it will be an easy job, without having to take the phones apart, as I had to in the case of the Denon and the Beyerdynamics, among others. Thanks in advance, and All the Best! Israel Sent from my iPad
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2012 1:35:54 GMT
i just put in an order for the HE-500s with Amazon.com. Should have them by Wed., 10/10/12, and will probably recable them as soon as I receive the 6 feet of bulk Cardas 2x24 headphone cable and a Cardas 1/4" stereo plug from a supplier.
I will post my impressions after they have had at least 200 hours of burn in.
Cheers! Israel
Sent from my iPad
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mrarroyo
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Post by mrarroyo on Oct 7, 2012 12:17:50 GMT
Israel, I have the D2000 with a full set of mods form Mark Lawton. I owned the DT990, and IMO the HE500 blows both of the water. Mind you I love my D2000 and it is one of my top 5 cans. Only two cans are in IMO better than the HE500 the AKG K1000 and the HE6, I say this with the caveat I have not listened to some of the new top tier cans like the LCD3. I have listened to the Senn HD800 and the top Stax cans with top tier amps like the Blue Hawaii and I still prefer the HE500. As far as cables you can get a balanced OCC cable from Head Direct form about $100. I have the original (un-used) stock copper cable that came with the HE500, perhaps we could trade your silver stock cable form mine.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2012 14:31:24 GMT
Hi, Miguel
Thanks for your comments, and I appreciate your offer to trade your OFC balanced copper cable for the silver that will come with mine. Somewhere down the line, after I will have had a chance to do some comparisons, I may take you up on this. I however, have the Cardas on order, and either way, I intend to make a cable for the HE-500s, simply because all my worthwhile phones now have been recabled with that, and for me, this is a constant for comparison. You have piqued my curiosity though, and this still remains a possibility, which I much appreciate.
From what I have read the Stax 009 is fantastic, and I would love to be able to hear it one day. Is it really that great, and worth the $5,000.00 price, plus at least another 5 grand for an amp?
All the Best! Israel
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2012 15:24:37 GMT
Oops! I misunderstood! Too early in the morning, and I am a little groggy from the medicine I am on, battling this damn virus! You offered the original copper cable that came with your earlier version of the HE-500 for the silver one that will come with mine. Sorry!
Anyway, I appreciate it.
Cheers! Israel
Sent from my iPad
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2012 15:34:26 GMT
Hi Israel,
Sorry for the late reply, yes no problem driving the 500`s with the Amps you have mentioned, as they are far easier to drive than the HE6`s which require an Amp with a power output of at least 3Watts into 50ohms to perform at their best.
I am sure you will like the 500`s when they arrive, and might well benefit from a cable upgrade. They have a SQ which i find quiet addictive especially in the mid-range.
As mentioned earlier, the only downside to me is the weight, which can become an issue over extended periods of listening.
ATB Mick.
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Post by colinb on Oct 9, 2012 23:04:16 GMT
Hi Guys,
Hope all has been good. Not been around for a while. Just catching up.
I've got a pair of HE500s coming with an EF5 amp (both bought secondhand). I heard the HE6s before (the demo pair a couple of years ago) and had a few issues with the sound balance. I thought the treble/upper mid was a bit peaky (I have a suspicion the silver cables might haved caused some of that), but hopefully the HE500 will be a bit more up my street as its supposed to be a bit warmer sounding. Will report how I get on.
I also have another Audeze LCD2 V1 on its way too (wanted to try it again), so the healthy power output of the EF5 amp will come in handy.
Cheers, Colin
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2012 16:48:03 GMT
Hi, Colin, Mick, Miguel, et all
My HE-500s arrived yesterday, and my first impressions are: WOW!!!! Simply astounding! And, Yes. The highs are indeed a bit more prominent, however I also attribute this to the stock silver cable, which I intend to replace with my favorite -- the Cardas 4x24. I will however keep the silver one, because my wife seems to like it, and I suspect she may even prefer it to my favorite OFC Cardas.
The bulk Cardas wire is expected to arrive tomorrow, and I am hoping that I will get around to soldering the proper connectors, including the Cardas Gold Rhodium-Plated 6.3mm stereo plug, and see (hear) if the highs will be somewhat tamed with it.
I also think that after at least 200 hours of burn-in, the cans' frequency curve will smooth-out a bit, rendering them more neutral. Mind you, I am talking about minute differences here, and IMHO even as they are now (unmodded) the SQ is excellent, and even spectacular! These differences become unimportant after listening for awhile, for our ears and brain compensate for them, just as well, or even better than any electronic frequency equalizer.
Right now the phones are connected to my computer via a headphone amplifier, and continuously fed a pink noise signal, and once in a while I listen to some music through them, also fed from my computer, just to check if there has been any change, since the first listening. It has been now about 20 hours of burn-in, and I am barely hearing much of a difference, so I am more and more convinced that a 200 hour burn-in period is the minimum required. 300 to 400 hours would probably be better.
The bad news is that after hearing my new cans, I will probably not want to hear any of my others (more than a dozen and a half, which are considered to be high quality, and all of which I have recabled with Cardas 4x24 and Cardas Gold Rhodium-Plated 6.3mm stereo plugs). For sentimental reasons, however, I may be compelled to hold on to them for as long as I am walking the face of this earth.
Cheers! Israel
Sent from my iPad
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2012 19:35:36 GMT
Yup!!,
My sentiments entirely, now and again i listen to the rest that i have, but not for long, before returning to the HE6`s, SQ is in a class on their own to my ears, if only they could be a little bit lighter in weight!!.
I also think that "break in" time is not that essential with ortho`s, as the SQ of mine has changed very little if at all after at least 200hrs of use, perhaps more time is needed, time will tell.
Mick.
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Post by colinb on Oct 12, 2012 0:05:36 GMT
Hi Israel,
Glad you like the HE500s. Mine should be arriving next week. I'll be interested to find out how you get on with the cardas cable and how the change effects the highs. My residing memory of the HE6 was a peaky treble and a bit of a glaring upper midrange which could have been helped with a decent copper cable (IMO). I'm also not very keen on silver cables, as in manufacture its very hard to get the annealing right to get a good sound and there are horrible oxides! You get more brightness and extension but too often with some unacceptable side effects! Copper cables usually gives a much more natural sound in my experience.
Cheers, Colin
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2012 0:55:57 GMT
Hi Israel, Glad you like the HE500s. Mine should be arriving next week. I'll be interested to find out how you get on with the cardas cable and how the change effects the highs. My residing memory of the HE6 was a peaky treble and a bit of a glaring upper midrange which could have been helped with a decent copper cable (IMO). I'm also not very keen on silver cables, as in manufacture its very hard to get the annealing right to get a good sound and there are horrible oxides! You get more brightness and extension but too often with some unacceptable side effects! Copper cables usually gives a much more natural sound in my experience. Cheers, Colin Hi, Colin I just love the HE-500s! They make everything else I have sound like cheap cans by comparison. My experience with the Cardas cable has been very satisfactory. While not rolling off the highs, it seems to flatten-out the frequency curve, tightens the bass, renders a better transient response, and in general is a much more musical cable compared to the silver, which tends to be a bit hard and brittle sounding. I will report soon after I recable; hopefully, this weekend. All the Best! Israel
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2012 7:58:59 GMT
My HE6`s which are less than a year old have a copper cable supplied as standard, plus both velour and leather ear pads Colin.
Mick.
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Post by colinb on Oct 12, 2012 9:39:26 GMT
Hi Mick, That might explain why I didn't like the HE6 when I heard it. I'm pretty sure the demo version had a silver cable. I just can't hack silver! Even with something is dark its not a good way to lighten it up in my opinion.
Cheers Colin
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