Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors › The JVC HA-S500.. Appreciation, fan thread.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The JVC HA-S500.. Appreciation, fan thread. - Page 191

post #2851 of 6367
11/6/12 at 6:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TigerA View Post

 

Except the soundstage, they sound good. Well, they are closed headphones, right? So it makes sense they can't beat the HTF-600 in that department, but if the bass and clarity is better than that's already amazing. I'll keep researching the different headphones, but I definitely have these on my radar. Thanks.

 

Edit: These also have better build quality from the sounds of it compared to the Pana's, while good looking they are quite flimsy. Just saw a red version of the JVC's  (red ring, not entirely red), damn, they look so nice, but unfortunately, no Ebay sellers are selling them :(

 


Hi there Tiger... i had the 600 a few days ago, sold them cause they where only ocupying (sp) space on my desk.  The S500 is much better, IMHO the Panas are like 7.5 points, the S500 8.5 points, easy.. they that much better.  Even the $30 bucks S400 is better than the Panas.

Good luck

Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #2852 of 6367
11/6/12 at 6:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greeni View Post

 

I am in the same situation. The dealer in my country only carries S400 and if I jump on S500 would have to source them from Japan.

Anyone care to elaborate on how the two compares ?


if had to choose between the both, i would choose the S500.

Better Subbass,   the sound is a little bit more 3d and more dynamic.   Problem is that the S400 is not that far behind.  

 

Im using aftermarket pads, to lessen the bass.

Reply
post #2853 of 6367
11/6/12 at 8:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by vsls View Post


I was wondering if the pad-on-pad mod is working with stock s500 pads and HM5's, I would prefer to have the option to have both full sized cans and portables without buying two different sets of pads.

It works, cyloh even tried to use the HM5 alone and it still feels like a pair of full sized cans.

 

To newcomers, don't get too focused on the pad mods discussion. These headphones are already very very good for their price. Their bass response is excellent and is approved by my audiophile friends. Their instrument separation is admirable, the accuracy is admirable, the mids and vocals are almost never recessed (except for some songs and low male voices). The owners are just modding the pads to make them outperform what they were designed to do.

The bad is, the highs may sound a bit 'tinny' because the decay is quite fast, and they have a very small soundstage. It makes the sound sound like they're inside your head. But overall they are a very good all around pair of headphones. You will get more than what you pay.

 

Especially the portability. You might think they have too much bass now, wait till you get out there and bring them on trains and buses. The low rumbling noise of the engines will cancel the bass in almost all headphones, but not the S500's. Isolation is good too, so you won't hear the next guy snoring, and the snoring guy won't be awoken by your Justin Biebers.

 

of course I was joking about the Justin Biebers.

Reply
post #2854 of 6367
11/6/12 at 10:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sfwalcer View Post

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

From my previous reply to a similar question:

 


No it's not just you or just getting used to kind of thing, the stock pads are not so great to say the least, comfort AND sound wise. But there are lots of pad mods/ replacements that would make these sound a million times better.  The ATH Pleather/ AKG pads I believe makes these S500s as well as the S400s sound the best.  Links if you need it, the ATH Pleathers are the most comfy besides velours..........

 

ATH Pleathers:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ear-Pads-Audio-Technica-ATH-SJ5-DJ-Style-Headphones-Black-/261120868931?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D3123184649684698189%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D251141456324%26

 

AKG DJs:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-New-Replacement-earpad-AKG-K518DJ-Leather-ear-pad-/261110634277?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D3123209210757302410%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D261079367853%26

 

AND Doc's fav HD25's:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/357361-REG/Sennheiser_075527_H_75527_Ear_Cushions.html

 

All 3 above sound the best it seems, although I have yet to try the ATH or the HD25.....

 

Oh bavman, go burn those new S500s of yours real good, a good 24hours makes a HUGE different in sound from open box, well for me at least it did...... cuz after some burn in, everything you felt lacking now is gonna come together, and esp if you get those ATH or AKG pads man these things sound amazing.

 

/quote.

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding the genres of music and source material, these S500s are not picky about the quality of the recording at all. It is not revealing, therefore all genres sound great on them, even old mixtapes of low quality sound really decent on them, as in older hip hop albums that are mastered poorly. I listen to a lot of the musical genres you listed but it is of the Korean variant, and these S500s make all of them shine. These are truly the jack-of-all-trades but it does it all beautifully.

 

Hey I have read some of your reviews and impressions on the V Moda M100 thread, and you seem like a pretty cool/ nice dood. One of the more level headed ones on that thread that's for sure. LMAO Maybe you can give as an A/B on these S500s vs. your V Moda M100s if you don't mind. That is after you give them some good burn-in and get a good set of pads on these S500s. Or stuff the stock pads with some paper towels, cuz this does wonders for the sound of the stock pads just a heads up. But I already know you'll been having a stuffing party over there at the m100 thread as well. tongue_smile.gif

Yeah the M-100 thread is filled with a lot of fanboys...though less now than back before the VTF's were released. XD

 

It shall be interesting to compare the S500 to the M-100. Honestly I'm slightly disappointed with the M-100. I'm pretty sure big reviewers are going to give glowing reviews for these headphones (as in major tech blogs, which have already given these great reviews, Steve Guttenberg, Jude, Tyll, etc.). They aren't bad headphones by any means as they have a lot of detail and a very fun bass response, but its sound signature just isn't completely my cup of tea.

 

  • The mids are slightly recessed and thus vocals are presented in an odd fashion (as if they were 5 steps back on the stage instead of the front)
  • The bass is slightly elevated and is too much for me for home-use, but is perfect for mobile listening; I think there is some bass bleed into the mids as a bass reducing EQ helps make the mids more clear (I'm not 100% sure what the definition of "bleed" is)
  • The lower highs are slightly elevated so female vocals are slightly more pronounced as well as snare drums; on the other hand, there still seems to be the treble roll-off that's very traditional of V-MODA's headphones so cymbal crashes and initial cymbal hits often sound very distant relative to the snare drums
  • The so-called "colossal sounstage" is really, really deep instead of wide. As I mentioned, the vocals are further back on the stage, and cymbal crashes are further back from the drumset than I think they should be. The headphone I used before the M-100 was the SRH940 and that had a colossal soundstage in terms of width (similar to the K 701 but not as wide).

Anyway this is off-topic, unless someone can relate/compare their experience to the S500.

 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by penmarker View Post

It works, cyloh even tried to use the HM5 alone and it still feels like a pair of full sized cans.

 

To newcomers, don't get too focused on the pad mods discussion. These headphones are already very very good for their price. Their bass response is excellent and is approved by my audiophile friends. Their instrument separation is admirable, the accuracy is admirable, the mids and vocals are almost never recessed (except for some songs and low male voices). The owners are just modding the pads to make them outperform what they were designed to do.

The bad is, the highs may sound a bit 'tinny' because the decay is quite fast, and they have a very small soundstage. It makes the sound sound like they're inside your head. But overall they are a very good all around pair of headphones. You will get more than what you pay.

 

Especially the portability. You might think they have too much bass now, wait till you get out there and bring them on trains and buses. The low rumbling noise of the engines will cancel the bass in almost all headphones, but not the S500's. Isolation is good too, so you won't hear the next guy snoring, and the snoring guy won't be awoken by your Justin Biebers.

 

of course I was joking about the Justin Biebers.

Ah thanks for the heads up. Yeah I wasn't going to try any pad mods unless my brother finds them uncomfortable. I agree that a slightly elevated bass response is ideal for mobile listening (as is the case for the M-100).


Edited by miceblue - 11/6/12 at 10:36am
Reply
post #2855 of 6367
11/6/12 at 10:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by invalid404 View Post

Would the bass mods have the same effect on the S400? Because the S400 are less than half the price of the 500's at the moment

bump frown.gif

Reply
post #2856 of 6367
11/6/12 at 11:05am
[/quote]
Quote:
Originally Posted by penmarker View Post


To newcomers, don't get too focused on the pad mods discussion.
After deciding to go for the s500 over the s400, I do think different pads would be a good idea for me, and the cost + effort doesn't bother me in the slightest. As I'll be using them for home listening more than commuting, I feel It's quite important to tame the bass a bit, especially as I don't like lots of bass too much. Anyone have any advice on AKG pads vs Audio Technica ATH pads for comfort and a more balanced sound?
Edited by adman164 - 11/6/12 at 11:10am
Reply
post #2857 of 6367
11/6/12 at 12:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by adman164 View Post

[/quote]
After deciding to go for the s500 over the s400, I do think different pads would be a good idea for me, and the cost + effort doesn't bother me in the slightest. As I'll be using them for home listening more than commuting, I feel It's quite important to tame the bass a bit, especially as I don't like lots of bass too much. Anyone have any advice on AKG pads vs Audio Technica ATH pads for comfort and a more balanced sound?


Get the ATH pads. For certain. You want more of a balanced sound and much more comfy over the AKGs. On the HA-S500. ATH- pleather is better than the AKGs pads. The AKG pads I do like better on the HA-S400. But out of the 2 the best sound balance and comfort for the money is the ATH pleathers.

Reply
post #2858 of 6367
11/6/12 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dsnuts View Post


Get the ATH pads. For certain. You want more of a balanced sound and much more comfy over the AKGs. On the HA-S500. ATH- pleather is better than the AKGs pads. The AKG pads I do like better on the HA-S400. But out of the 2 the best sound balance and comfort for the money is the ATH pleathers.
OK thanks for your help.
Reply
post #2859 of 6367
11/6/12 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by adman164 View Post

[/quote]
After deciding to go for the s500 over the s400, I do think different pads would be a good idea for me, and the cost + effort doesn't bother me in the slightest. As I'll be using them for home listening more than commuting, I feel It's quite important to tame the bass a bit, especially as I don't like lots of bass too much. Anyone have any advice on AKG pads vs Audio Technica ATH pads for comfort and a more balanced sound?

 

I am a strong believer in the ATH pleather pads. Here were my impressions after I switched:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes/2355#post_8788767

 

These are dsnuts impressions:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes/2340#post_8788091

and

http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes/2475#post_8804292

 

This is where you can get them:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes/2445#post_8797830

Reply
post #2860 of 6367
11/6/12 at 9:14pm
ok i ordered them this morning

regarding the comfort with the stock pads, how are they? (eg. how long can you wear them for?)
and are they more on ear or around ear for you?
Reply
post #2861 of 6367
11/6/12 at 9:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fuzzyash View Post

ok i ordered them this morning
regarding the comfort with the stock pads, how are they? (eg. how long can you wear them for?)
and are they more on ear or around ear for you?

They are on ear for me. They don't hurt my ears, they just make them sweaty after a couple albums. That's why I got HD25 velours.....no more sweaty ears!

Reply
post #2862 of 6367
11/6/12 at 10:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by penmarker View Post

It works, cyloh even tried to use the HM5 alone and it still feels like a pair of full sized cans.

 

To newcomers, don't get too focused on the pad mods discussion. These headphones are already very very good for their price. Their bass response is excellent and is approved by my audiophile friends. Their instrument separation is admirable, the accuracy is admirable, the mids and vocals are almost never recessed (except for some songs and low male voices). The owners are just modding the pads to make them outperform what they were designed to do.

The bad is, the highs may sound a bit 'tinny' because the decay is quite fast, and they have a very small soundstage. It makes the sound sound like they're inside your head. But overall they are a very good all around pair of headphones. You will get more than what you pay.

 

Especially the portability. You might think they have too much bass now, wait till you get out there and bring them on trains and buses. The low rumbling noise of the engines will cancel the bass in almost all headphones, but not the S500's. Isolation is good too, so you won't hear the next guy snoring, and the snoring guy won't be awoken by your Justin Biebers.

 

of course I was joking about the Justin Biebers.


Thanks for the response! Of course I'm not trying to mod a pair of HPs that I don't have, but the pad cost should be included since everyone agrees that it is useful change.

Is it possible to use HM5 alone with no other modifications?

I would give a pair to everyone that listens to Biebers and sits next to me then :)

Reply
post #2863 of 6367
11/7/12 at 12:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by WAYNENUMM View Post

I am a strong believer in the ATH pleather pads. Here were my impressions after I switched:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes/2355#post_8788767

These are dsnuts impressions:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes/2340#post_8788091
and
http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes/2475#post_8804292

This is where you can get them:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes/2445#post_8797830
Thanks man! Looks like ath pads are the way to go!
Reply
post #2864 of 6367
11/7/12 at 1:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baycode View Post

My HA-S500 and HA-S400 finally arrived today :)

 

I am burning S500 first.

 

First impressions: No wow factor. Generally good headphones with good and effective bass response. I hope they gain some more clarity and separation by the time.

 

Bass is too much for my tastes... Although its not fair to compare, but I will prefer my Vsonic GR07 over them for now...

 

Will inform after burn-in...

 

Man, Thats a tough turkey to bake !   ...I highly doubt you'll find them better than your Vsonic GR07. But then you're comparing a $150+ IEM to a $50 on-ear !

Reply
post #2865 of 6367
11/7/12 at 1:35am

Doc suggests I ask my questions in this thread. I'm currently choosing between S400/500, DT 235 and PX 200 II. I'd like to be able to wear a pair for 3+ hours without the common heat, sweat and pain issues. Therefore, lightness and comfort are very important. Although I'm not an audiophile, I'd prefer decent SQ when listening to classical, house, pop and rock. What would be the best for me? At the moment, I'm swayed towards DT 235. I'd also be grateful for safe shopping (i.e. where to buy a genuine product) advice.

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors › The JVC HA-S500.. Appreciation, fan thread.