HE-5..initial musings - Page 21

Better than the D7000 (US) and DX1000 (EU)? Nice headphone

It's a bit early for me to dissect them fully but they are a faster sounding headphone (typical of this tech or electrostats), they are thinner sounding overall, not as "rich" compared to the PS-1000s but again, this is typical of the tech. The highs, as others have mentioned, are very very dependent on amplification. They can be strident, with an odd peak somewhere up there, but with better amplification, things are smoothed out. The bass is very nice and fast and again, with more power comes better bass. The bass is not in the same league as the PS-1000's where the bass is very much a forte of those headphones. At the same time, the bass is tight, deep enough for most music and there is no apparent bump anywhere in the lows or mids. As others have mentioned, compared to electrostats, they have a bottom end

Some may feel the HE5s are as good or better than the PS-1000's. I can foresee this from those who really love the electrostatic sound. I think the HE5s are better balanced than any electrostatic headphone (and I admit to being pretty wet behind the ears when it comes to orthos, with a bit of experience with Beagle's Yamahas).

Again, for $600, one gets a very fast, nicely balanced, warm electrostatically fast headphone without the sick pricetag of both the phones or the amp

Notice I didn't say they are the best at $600, just that they are impossible to beat That leaves wiggle room. Others may tend towards one unit or another, but to say any one in that price ranges "bests" the HE5 would be a horrible stretch.

Furthest I've gone is the Stax 2020 Basik (which I own). They are fast but not what I would call foot-tapping, and they are prone to a slightly quacky quality in the upper mid. This makes the possibilities of the HE5's very intriguing, to say the least.



But those have those awful Denon pads on them!

Almost all 'stats have a bottom. The same cannot be said of dynamics, not even close.

Link?

It will be a blast for sure!

I like this to give a visual of the terms that we tend to use in audio.

The citrus expression is surely one i will recall.

I really like the HE5 and think it will be better than most commercial headphones but I am looking forward to see if the LCD2 gets it perfectly right for me ..dB

I loved the pads on my denons ! IMO this is a plus point for the lcd2

interesting...all who have heard the HE-5 with GOOD or right amplification they dont hear the peak and all who dont have heard the phone say it has the peak

Sachu uses an EHHA and dBel84 uses a Stacker. Are these too weak?