New Hifiman HE-5LE planar magnetic headphone - Page 105

I spent most of the afternoon listening to my 5LE's on my Hifiman EF-5 amp.  The main purpose was to finally roll all my 12AU7 tubes (~7 tubes), as well as a 12BH7.

 

The 5LE are special headphones: Capable of deep/impactful, but taut and natural bass with a nice balanced non-syrupy mid-range - and nice extended highs that never make you feel like you're missing out on anything.  They're quite fast with the right amp, and they do respond and modify their sound with different tubes.  I even tried different cables and opamps in the EF5 and thought I could detect some slight differences, though the tubes seemed to make the most difference.

 

If I want to listen to the music closest to the way I think it was intended/recorded, these are the right cans for that.

 

I've also owned the DT880/600's, which I found a bit too thin overall and mids a little recessed/thin in particular, even from the Bottlehead Crack which is supposed to be a good amp to pair it with.

 

I also had the HE500, which is a nice set of cans, but I didn't feel they were quite as balanced/uncolored as the 5LE's - a little accentuated in the midrange and a little rolled off/veiled in the highs - this is running off the EF5 as well as speaker taps (so power wasn't a problem).  But if someone preferred the HE500, I could understand that.

 

I still own HD650's, which are, to me, a great complement for the 5LE.  The 650 is similar enough to the HE500, but even a bit softer around the edges.  Colored, but in a good way.  Full, meaty, and great for when you don't want any fatigue even with less than stellar recordings.  

 

With these two cans, I don't have the desire for any others.

Cap, I 100% agree with you.

 

LCD-2 is a little dark, I'm spending a lot on a DAC/amp combo to bring more life into them, HE-5LE is the can I should have stuck with. I don't think they're bad, I just prefer treble energy at the expense of listening comfort most times.

I have passed from HD598->K702-> HD600->DT990/600->HE400->HE5LE.

I had some difficulty to understand K702, and finally found that it has wonderful in the music of strings. Then I tried to find the equivalent beauty in the entire spectrum of sound. HE-5le has statisfy me for that regard.

 

My language might be somewhat different from standard or commonly used words here, and hence I am not qualified to use those language because I could not be associated with musical quanity with them.

However I can use analgeous language from in terms of spectrum of light ray.

 

HE is inclined toward red side ( ie darkside equivalent), so that it is not very good with classical full ochestral music.

HD650 has overall white or flat with some seniment of pink peak, which is good but it is grainy ( not smoothe at least compared to HE-5le)

HD600 has more grainy than HD650 ( maybe more tolerant in their QC for parameter control in production)

HD598 with them I loved Cello music, and now I missed it whenever it goes Dvorak's America quartett.

Finally DT990/600 ohm it suprised me of the highs and lows. But one time supprise has not been enough. The pair made me after k702 for mid and the string beauty, both of which headpones I sold out.

 

HE-5LE might have purple tinted sprectrum with equal or higher quality than K702 at its mid range for strings.

HE-5le are great for Strings and woods,  and vocals too without siblings through Little dot mkvii+ and Matrix mini.

Hey guys, I am looking to buy these pair of headphones new at 500 bucks since I believe I prefer them to the HE-500s after reading various comparisons.

 

I was looking at ODAC (supposedly it's quite better than the Modi) and the Magni from Schiit. Would this be an adequate setup for the HE5LEs? If not, what is the cheapest option as a system for them?

 

Hi! I think Modi/Magni or Modi/ O2 DAC will do.

Probably would take Modi instead of O2 as Modi outputs quite a lot more power than O2.

O2 would not be enough to power the HE-5LE

 

Additionally the best choice would be a small speaker amp, such as the Emotiva Mini-X

 

 

 

 

For the HE-5LE I would not take the O2/ODAC or the Magni/Modi.  To sound their best the HE-5LE needs a little more umph.  These combo might work better with the HE-500.  Even then you might be left with wanting more.

 

 

Good post captouch.

Agree with preproman, you shouldn't skimp on power with the 5LE's jay567.

I started with the Hifiman EF5, which I like and still have and has plenty of power while allowing you to tube and opamp roll if you're into that kind of thing. It'll run you $250+ used - I would expand my search rather than pay the $499 new/retail price though.

I don't know if 5LE still ships with XLR cable as well, but that makes it easy to pick up a $20-30 speaker tap cable (or make your own) and run it off a vintage receiver speaker output (I sometimes use a 15wpc Yamaha CR-220 that's beautiful looking and cost $35 on CL) or even just the headphone output if you can verify it's just a resistor drop off the main amp. Or something like the Emotiva mini-amp for a little over $200.

Point is, you don't necessarily have to spend a lot, but don't starve the 5LE of power.

Good luck - the 5LE's are keepers in my book!

HE-5LE owner here who has been using these headphones with the speaker taps off my Marantz PM5004 stereo amp. Sounds damn good with good recordings, but not so great with most run of the mill recordings. I'm wondering whether the EF-5 would be a step up, or whether it's worth considering HiFiMan's HE-adapter. As for DAC, I'm using a Cambridge Audio DacMagic. My CD player is a Marantz CD 5004. My turntable is a Dual 1219 with a Shure stylus. 

I am listening 5le with little dot mkvii+, which is not only driving he400 well, and also 5le very well.
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring is amazing with he 400, and Bach mass B is also amazing with 5le.
After this experience I decided to sell hd650 which was really bad for the Stravinsky for The Rite of Spring.

Both of the phones are operated in balanced, and hd650 was also driven balanced too.

General knowledge tells that 1 watt output is not enough, but what I hear is just all right.

Especially with 5le, it seems 1 watt of LD mkvii+ is enough for Bach cantata, mass b, Matheu passion, and lots of Wagners.
The performances were really amazing in comparision to hd650.

Am I wrong or when 5le is driven by more than that power 5le will release its true potential?
If this is true, Mjolnir or yulong a18 is good choice for 5le?

 

IMO you would have to side grade to the HE-500s.  They are more forgiving on bad recording when compared to the HE-5LEs.

 

 

Very true.  Yes the MJ would be the better choice IMO.. Even the Emotiva a-100 mini X speaker amp even better choice at a much lower cost.

What do you mean by 'not so great'? What's lacking - is it just too revealing of flaws in the recording?

The EF5 is a good amp - I like it and while some have described it as warm, I don't think it's overly warm. Last time I compared my HD650 on a Crack vs EF5, the Crack was noticeably warmer.

I don't have your amp, but I have run my 5LE's off speaker taps of various old receivers from 15W-60W. But looks like your receiver is new/modern, so the potential issues of vintage (hiss, chubby bass, etc) shouldn't apply. And you shouldn't be lacking power with 35W.

I would say the EF5 would allow you some tailoring of the sound since you can change tubes and opamps, but ultimately you'll still be using the same cans and you can only change characteristics so much.

If you can afford it, you may want to consider picking up some more forgiving cans like HD650's instead of another amp. That way, you'll have the 'damn good' 5LE available for good recordings and a more forgiving set of cans for less well recorded stuff. If you trade the 5LE's for something less revealing, you may fill in the SQ 'valleys' that are disappointing you now, but you may raze the 'peaks' a bit too and long for the excellent full potential of a great recording with revealing cans!

By "not so great" I mean too revealing of the recording's flaws (loudness, no dynamic range). I already own HD650s and ATHM50, the latter of which sound better with less than stellar recordings than my more expensive cans. But who wants to switch back and forth during a free-association listening session?

I dont think its problem of recordings at all. You should probably work at better source, good converter if u use PC.  Or maybe not best synergy with amp. Or your really sensitive ears. I can easily listen youtube tracks a lot and theres no problem at all. I think saying that opinion "better system you get worse quality tracks are unlistenable more and more" is false. 

You could also try and use pleather pads. I find it better for my taste with better midrange imaging and focus. But I also removed foam from outside.

For me these HP are tremendous and Im shocked how forgotten they are.