Need a headphone amp for HE-500s… - Page 3

Chris_Himself I notice you recently sold your Lyr. I'm just wondering how it paired with the HE-500 for you and why you would not keep that pairing. It's just that I'm seeing a lot of recommendation for the Lyr as the amp for the HE-500s. What are your impressions?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_Himself 

Running the same setup, the Lyr doesn't magically turn it into a difference headphone, but it does sound fuller and it's just a nice setup to look at. The HE-500 bass is a bit flat for me since I used to own an LCD-2 months before, but I prefer this setup since it's not distracting since it doesn't have a lot of mid-bottom end to make it more "engaging"

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terja 

Chris_Himself I notice you recently sold your Lyr. I'm just wondering how it paired with the HE-500 for you and why you would not keep that pairing. It's just that I'm seeing a lot of recommendation for the Lyr as the amp for the HE-500s. What are your impressions?

 

 

 

Because THIS

It's a much cheaper setup, sounds relatively good, and I'm still gonna feel like a boss when I give head-fi advice.

HE-500 plus Lyr is still the better choice though. I don't like the hangers on the LCD-2 and I don't like looking at myself in the mirror when I wear these. It's pretty embarassing.

Hey Chris, have you given any impressions of the LCD-2? I'd be interested to know what you think.

thanks man!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_Himself 

 

 

Because THIS

 

It's a much cheaper setup, sounds relatively good, and I'm still gonna feel like a boss when I give head-fi advice.

 

HE-500 plus Lyr is still the better choice though. I don't like the hangers on the LCD-2 and I don't like looking at myself in the mirror when I wear these. It's pretty embarassing.

Lol ... just smile inside and enjoy the music. Don't those two setups cost about the same; oh yeah you mention above you found the HE-500 bass flat and from all sides there is agreement the LCD-2 bass trumps the HE-500.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terja 

Lol ... just smile inside and enjoy the music. Don't those two setups cost about the same; oh yeah you mention above you found the HE-500 bass flat and from all sides there is agreement the LCD-2 bass trumps the HE-500.

 

Don't be hatin' on Chris.    He's noted more than once, he prefers the HE series from HifiMAN, but couldn't justify the gear that was required to drive them (Schiit Lyr / Schiit Bifrost).  Also, the level of bass can vary greatly by the source being utilized with the DAC as well as the genres of music that he listens to.  For me, the HE-5LEs provide plenty of bass.  The bass is of a very good quality.  Would I love to try the Audeze?  Sure.  However, I also am trying to avoid the opportunity to listen to them as I want to stay settled with some headphones for a while - and "enjoy the music" as you've stated.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by wje 

 

 

Don't be hatin' on Chris.    He's noted more than once, he prefers the HE series from HifiMAN, but couldn't justify the gear that was required to drive them (Schiit Lyr / Schiit Bifrost).  Also, the level of bass can vary greatly by the source being utilized with the DAC as well as the genres of music that he listens to.  For me, the HE-5LEs provide plenty of bass.  The bass is of a very good quality.  Would I love to try the Audeze?  Sure.  However, I also am trying to avoid the opportunity to listen to them as I want to stay settled with some headphones for a while - and "enjoy the music" as you've stated.  

 

Personally I don't find the HE-500 bass flat at all (especially with the silver cable) - of course source and amp make a difference. But I'm with Chris in terms of the "Upgradatitis" the Hifimans cause. I'm still chasing the pot at the end of the rainbow promised by the HE-500 - looking for a soft place to land - I see a lot of jagged edges down there. Also I am not interested in problem solving when I get a piece of equipment to complement the HE-500. I think I've safely ruled out the Schiit Lyr; I need something I can use with HPs other than the Hifiman. Right now the Audio-gd 12.1 is on my radar. My Bellari HA540 was supposed to have filled that role, but shyte, not quite there yet - so upgrade (actually sidegrade) here we come. Lol - actually right now I am pushing my HE-500 through the nimble Fiio E11 and yes indeedy "I'm lovin' it."

What is your budget?

NFB-12 is a great amp/DAC for under $200.

If you have the $, I  would go lyr/bifrost under $900

slightly cheaper option could be asgard/bifrost

I own NFB12 and lyr/birsot for my he500.  I can say that the NFB12 sounds great with them.  I would get the lyr/bifrost or asgard/bifrost if you have the $.  If money is tight or your on a budget then I would go NFB12 in a heartbeat
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac336 

What is your budget?

 

NFB-12 is a great amp/DAC for under $200.

 

If you have the $, I  would go lyr/bifrost under $900

 

slightly cheaper option could be asgard/bifrost

 

I own NFB12 and lyr/birsot for my he500.  I can say that the NFB12 sounds great with them.  I would get the lyr/bifrost or asgard/bifrost if you have the $.  If money is tight or your on a budget then I would go NFB12 in a heartbeat
 

Thanks. How would you compare the Schiit Lyr vs the NFB12 paired with the HE-500, soundwise and also useability? I guess I'm asking for a mini comparative review.

Well NFP12 on its own sounded good to me.  I got the lyr then paired them (using NFB12 solely as DAC/lyr as amp) and it sounded similar, lyr just added a slight smoothness and warmth the music.  bifrost+lyr really opened them up.  wider sound stage, better separation, much clearer sound.  NFB12 had narrow soundstage and sounded slightly veiled by comparison.  not comparing them, the NFB12 does sound good on its own and as long as your not comparing it to equipment 3x more $ than it, you wont notice what your missing.  That being said, its not going to play the HE500 to its potential, but it does a good job for both an amp and DAC under $200. 

If your dead set on getting the HE500, and dont have alotta extra $ for equipment, NFB12 is probably the best option you have budget wise in my opinion.

I'm just going to post this on all my subscribed thread today.

I don't even have silver cable on it yet... I'm too lazy to build one for myself plus I'm buried in orders haha.

Uh I prefer HE-500. The LCD-2 bass is not like obviously better. It's slightly deeper, but with punch I think the HE-500 mids provide the impact that the bass doesn't for me. I don't get where people are saying LCD-2 is king of bass though. It's not any more than my Magnum Grado setup in RS-2 shells, no joke.

Terja, homie, if we don't try to get the best gear for our money, what separates me from any other dude with mad moneys just buying up the most expensive stuff just to make a point and say he has the best gear? I just downgraded my budget and the sound quality overall remains relatively the same. I got lucky scoring the LCD-2 for $650 tho. 

I'm also blessed with no fanboy-ism or sound sig preference preinstalled into my auditory software so I can pretty much pick up any good can and appreciate it for what it is.

ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY, HE-5LE's CAN BE HAD FOR $425. HMMMMMM 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_Himself 

I'm just going to post this on all my subscribed thread today.

 

 

I don't even have silver cable on it yet... I'm too lazy to build one for myself plus I'm buried in orders haha.

 

Uh I prefer HE-500. The LCD-2 bass is not like obviously better. It's slightly deeper, but with punch I think the HE-500 mids provide the impact that the bass doesn't for me. I don't get where people are saying LCD-2 is king of bass though. It's not any more than my Magnum Grado setup in RS-2 shells, no joke.

 

Terja, homie, if we don't try to get the best gear for our money, what separates me from any other dude with mad moneys just buying up the most expensive stuff just to make a point and say he has the best gear? I just downgraded my budget and the sound quality overall remains relatively the same. I got lucky scoring the LCD-2 for $650 tho. 

 

I'm also blessed with no fanboy-ism or sound sig preference preinstalled into my auditory software so I can pretty much pick up any good can and appreciate it for what it is.

 

ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY, HE-5LE's CAN BE HAD FOR $425. HMMMMMM 

Oh oh.  People have been flogged around here for saying less bold statements than that about bass.  However, for reference, it is good to know where the LCD-2 compares since I've owned Magnums in wooden cups and am aware of the sound.

Also, people shouldn't overlook the HE-4.  It has a sound signature very similar to the HE-5LE and similar power demands.  Yet, the HE-4, can be found used for under $300 (shipped), if one looks hard enough.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by wje 

 

 

Oh oh.  People have been flogged around here for saying less bold statements than that about bass.  However, for reference, it is good to know where the LCD-2 compares since I've owned Magnums in wooden cups and am aware of the sound.

 

Also, people shouldn't overlook the HE-4.  It has a sound signature very similar to the HE-5LE and similar power demands.  Yet, the HE-4, can be found used for under $300 (shipped), if one looks hard enough.  

 

I will probably get mega-canned for this, but $700 later and having my Magnum Grados side by side, aside from comfort, build quality, and accessibility, I will still say that unless those things bother you, the Mags are better bang per buck DEPENDING ON YOUR BUILD. The shape of your cups can either make or break your build. That is why you have a lot of people who do not notice anything substantial. Although I will not go out of my way to obsess over what wax to use in my cups because... cmon Grado doesn't even care.

Haven't heard the HE-4 I'm fairly certain that it's one of those power hogs too, the HE-400 should pretty much supercede it in the next few months. I firmly believe that based on my experience with HE-300, HE-5LE, and HE-500, that it will still be the king of the court for the price range and lack of necessary equipment to make it sing.

WJE, you are always welcome to visit San Jose, CA and listen to whatever you want in my collection haha. We can just buy a bunch of crap on the marketplace and sell it all back on Monday :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_Himself 

I'm just going to post this on all my subscribed thread today.

 

 

I don't even have silver cable on it yet... I'm too lazy to build one for myself plus I'm buried in orders haha.

 

Uh I prefer HE-500. The LCD-2 bass is not like obviously better. It's slightly deeper, but with punch I think the HE-500 mids provide the impact that the bass doesn't for me. I don't get where people are saying LCD-2 is king of bass though. It's not any more than my Magnum Grado setup in RS-2 shells, no joke.

 

Terja, homie, if we don't try to get the best gear for our money, what separates me from any other dude with mad moneys just buying up the most expensive stuff just to make a point and say he has the best gear? I just downgraded my budget and the sound quality overall remains relatively the same. I got lucky scoring the LCD-2 for $650 tho. 

 

I'm also blessed with no fanboy-ism or sound sig preference preinstalled into my auditory software so I can pretty much pick up any good can and appreciate it for what it is.

 

ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY, HE-5LE's CAN BE HAD FOR $425. HMMMMMM 

Right now best gear for the money is my Fiio E11. Now here's the thing, I feel guilty that I am enjoying my HE-500 out of a small portable player. There is something somewhere (a strident voice) saying I shouldn't be. Lol .. and here's the funny thing, if someone did a blind sound test on me, I mean hooked up my HE-500 to the E11 secretly and then asked me to guess what amp I thought I was hearing them with, I would not in a thousand guesses think I was hearing from a portable - I would overshoot every time (of course for the hypothetical first time). That little amp has become my standard to beat. I am not going to drop more mullah on another headphone amp if it is not going to do better than an E11 small portable amp. It's a bit of a quandary because even if something is 'technically' superior doesn't mean it really is superior. Both my Bellari HA540 and Fiio E9 are technically superior to the E11 (and cost more too, 5x more in the case of the Bellari) and yet both are inferior to the E11 in terms of audio quality output. So I have a bit of a quandary, I am really wary of dropping silver on something before I have actually heard it perform, and living up in Canuck land I have limited options to do that. And so .. I must keep hunting

Audiophilia is a very silly hobby, let your ears tell you everything regardless of what the dollar signs and product information tells you. 

I'm starting to think I might be a closet basshead which is a very scary premonition.

Boombox here we come ... or better yet one of those speaker headphones - yeah you know which one - more life like (just like listening to speakers, heh ) Hey if that doesn't work you can always hook up a bass speaker amp for a real closet bass boooooommmmm! Just don't shake and blow the house down ...