The JVC HA-S500.. Appreciation, fan thread. - Page 268

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute 

 

I might add that anyone listening to PC based music library and not using jRiver Media Center should really give it a try....it is free for 30days, has very good support on their Interact Forum, and is built with the Audiophile in mind.......depending on your hardware it doesn't get any better for PC based users.  Another excellent device is the Musical Fidelity V-Link, which is basically a USB sound device that converts the USB output to SPDIF, either coax or optical, or both depending on your need.  The V-Link provides asychronous clocking and eliminates jitter, giving a clean/clear signal fed to you DAC or receiver.  The V-Link can be had for under $100, best money I have spent to improve on sound, along with jRiver Media Center.....worth looking into for the serious listener!

I second this. I've been using jRiver for a while and no matter what other program I try I always come back.

I received my HA-S500 headphones in the mail today from another user who had "gently" broken them in for me.  Up until today, I had been using a pair of HA-S400s that I had purchased locally at the end of last week.  I'm sorting through the differences between the two, but will give the nod to the HA-S500.  Being that the price is so close, a $15.00 difference is quite easy to absorb in going with the HA-S500.

I'll do some digging to see how the HM5 pad has been attached.  Hopefully, there are some pictures that have been posted to provide some overview of how it all looks together.  I'm in the process of sewing up a pair of velour pads at the moment with some fabric that I purchased earlier today.  The pads that I'm creating will use some black elastic string to hold the pads into the standard groove that the factor pads were placed into.  I'm trying to work on a modification that serves two purposes -  increased comfort, but one that doesn't kill the appearance either.  I'll get more information on the pads and mounting mechanism later (end of Tuesday?) if all goes well.

Meanwhile, I'll keep on enjoying these as the bass is taking me back to the AKG K167s that I had a few weeks earlier.  However, the JVC doesn't have the upper frequency level of detail that gets to the point of ear piercing.  The pad / fit issue is about the same as the K167s.   However, at about 1/4 the price, I'm more  inclined to make some custom mods for the JVCs to have them provide for a better level of comfort for hours of music enjoyment.

Keep those AKG167 comparos coming wje, i almost fell for those AKGs but good thing i didn't. haha These S500s I think can hang with them for sure now thanks to your impressions/ DannyBai sending his AKG167s back. These mighty S500s has not fallen yet!!!

Happy New Year!

I got home from the party like 4 hours ago and for some strange reason instead of going straight to bed I powered up my pc and decided to listen to a couple of songs on my s500. Darn, I'm still listening to it 4 hours later and I just can't stop and the volume is so high that it's literally rattling on my head. I'm seriously tripping right now LOL

Anyway, I hope everyone else had a good time celebrating and let's hope that 2013 will surprise us with a lot more quality audio stuff.

This is my "source" for testing out the bass capability - texture, and detail for headphones.  The album version has a lot of "slam" in the bass when I listen to it on my HifiMAN HE-400s.  I can hear very similar bass with the HA-S500 headphones, too.  I haven't listened to this video on the JVC headphones yet, but have just tested the album version.  It's hard to believe the player can get so much bass out of the small drum with playing the brushes.  Killer sound !!

Here is a shorter version, but more representative of the album version:

Quote:

Originally Posted by wje 

This is my "source" for testing out the bass capability - texture, and detail for headphones.  The album version has a lot of "slam" in the bass when I listen to it on my HifiMAN HE-400s.  I can hear very similar bass with the HA-S500 headphones, too.  I haven't listened to this video on the JVC headphones yet, but have just tested the album version.  It's hard to believe the player can get so much bass out of the small drum with playing the brushes.  Killer sound !!

....

 

Here is a shorter version, but more representative of the album version:

....

i'm very interested in how you feel the ha-s500 with hm5 pads stack up against the he-400.  i have the pads in hand and had the s500 bnib ... just wondering if i should bother getting the s500 again ... or if i should go for something a little more upscale.

Quote:

Originally Posted by geetarman49 

i'm very interested in how you feel the ha-s500 with hm5 pads stack up against the he-400.  i have the pads in hand and had the s500 bnib ... just wondering if i should bother getting the s500 again ... or if i should go for something a little more upscale.

I need to find a HM5 pad option.  Also, I need to locate some pictures of how it would appear.  I have plenty of leather, pleather and velour to make pads using high-density foam, as needed.  However, I also have a pair of HM5 pads that are a bit "abused" as I reworked them eight-ways-to-Sunday as I was trying to better adapt them for Fostex use.  I might have to revisit the pair I have, though, and see if I can't devise a method to put them back into operation.  More to follow on that front ...

I do have some initial impressions of the S500s which I've been using with my regular headphone rig: Yamaha integrated 2-channel amp + Squeezebox as well as with my Asus DG sound card, and the Asus U3 USB sound card option.  The HA-S500 is a somewhat different beast than the HE-400 headphones.  Yet, while different, it is also alike in some ways.  The bass capabilities of the HA-S500, to my ears, can get quite near that of the HE-400s.  Plus, the mids and upper frequencies of the JVC option are not horrible and do respond nicely to some EQ adjustment.  The HE-400s, while an excellent headphone - in my opinion are not necessarily without flaws either.  There can be sibalance noted with female vocals, which can be resolved with a slight EQ adjustment, too.  The HE-400s were also not as comfortable and great fitting as I had liked, so I went about sewing a new leather headband cover, and used cotton batting to increase the comfort and thickness of the band.  This brought my HE-400s right into where I really now love the fit and am pleased as punch.  The JVC option is a great, guilt-free option that allows major portability so the headphones can literally be used anywhere the HE-400s can't be.  The great sound that you are used to at home can be carried with you wherever you go.  Yet, the JVC does suffer from a comfort issue - with the current ear pads.  However, I will remedy that situation real soon and make lemonade out of lemons.  More to follow on the impressions as I work on solutions ...

Also, wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year !!  I kept my senses last evening and only partied with some unsweetened iced tea and hung out with my family.  However, yesterday afternoon, I did make up a nice marinade of plain yogurt, curry, green peppers, garlic, onion wedges and garam masala (7-spice mix.)  After a good 7 hours of marinade time, I was out shortly after midnight, using my grill, with the cast iron grates to cook my chicken, and then the vegetables on skewers.  Finally, I then made a tikka / butter chicken sauce which I used as a base to add to my chicken and grilled vegetables.  This was then served over basmati rice.  Yes, I love Indian food, and ended up staying up until nearly 3:00 a.m. with the cooking.  But, it was all worth it as the food for today is fresh and very tasty.

Just a quick update.  I started work on one prototype for the pad replacement.  For this edition, I was seeking a pad for on-ear purposes, but with a deeper amount of foam, to see how the comfort level might change.  At the time, this ear pad I'm making is from pleather and if the demo turns out well, I'll reconstruct a new pair with real leather as the pleather might be quite a bit hotter than an actual leather that can breathe a bit better.  Also, the velour option that I selected might not work as I thought.  The velour is more of a knit and it has a few issues in holding stitches.  I've also spotted some black micro-fiber fabric which should provide a softer fit than the leather, and still be able to breathe -- as well as hold stitches when sewn.

Inside view of the "donut" - the other side of the pleather is actually a flannel lining.

many thnx for that info ... if EQ weren't an option, what would your thoughts be re:  he-400 vs s500 (i.e. source is un-adjustable analog output from set-top box).

btw, great work on those pads ..
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by geetarman49 

many thnx for that info ... if EQ weren't an option, what would your thoughts be re:  he-400 vs s500 (i.e. source is un-adjustable analog output from set-top box).

 

btw, great work on those pads ..
 

I believe with the limitation of no being able to adjust at the source, you might look at a DAC that might pair better for your needs.  However, where to start and how to proceed would be quite a process. You could collect some input from the forums here, but that really means relying on the input of others and then going with a suggestion.  Yet, your actual results could be really different.  I'm not sure how to go about using the necessary filters to control certain frequencies --- or, I'd really consider an older EQ from the used market.  I was able to get a 10-band ADS EQ for just $10.00.  Since you can add this into your analog chain, it might be the best solution with the least cost involved.  With a physical EQ, you would be able to get the HE-400 controlled in such a way that you'd probably really love the results.  I'm still kind of kicking around the thoughts from the past that led me to sell my HE-500 and HE-5LE and keep the HE-400.  I think it might have had something to do with the "fun" aspect as opposed to the more accurate aspect.  I'm getting too far along in life to just go for a "sterile" sound, but want something that I can enjoy, as an enthusiast, without having to be too critical of it each time I decide to listen to some music.

Since I'm frustrated with the Asus Xonar U3, Sound Blaster iGo, and most of my "trial" methods of getting better audio out of my computer, I'm able to return the items within the return window - some of them not even opened. I just think my Antec computer case, Asus motherboard, Thermaltake power supply, etc. - while under the impression that the products are some of the better names within the computer industry, there is still too much "noise" within my computer itself to find an acceptable audio solution for headphone listening.  I made the leap to purchase the Schiit stack that was for sale here in the forum from another member.  I'm eager to get connected back into some audio via the PC options.  In the past, I had used the HifiMAN EF-2a hybrid amp / DAC, the Audiostreamer II and the Little Dot 1+, Nuforce options, as well as a few Audio-GD options.  From what I've read, this new combination is quite "silent" with regards to receiving any noise from the computer level and passing it along.  So, the next few days will be a bit exciting.

In regards to my HE-400s, I had just finished a new "slip / sewn on" leather head band covering with some internal layers of cotton batting.  The original headband is in place and under the surface of the implemented improvement.