[bagwell359]

Ouch...I just took a look at the frequency response of the 5XX and compared it with the different Hifiman cans that Crinacle has measured...just to see if I could spot some resemblances...Jude and Crinacle use the same measuring gear after all...and well..the 5XX genuinely looks like a carbon copy of a Deva..in black.

Ugh

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I never counted it up, but the main HE-500 thread here probably has more posts by me than anyone else over past 3 years or so. I'm real interested in them - like the mods of which there are many, other commentary, and of course people interested in the 500 tend to congregate there. It certainly can warp ones view of the entire headphone universe - but after being a salesman, investor, builder, etc. in audio for over 50 years, and owning/demoing thousands of products - I like what I like.

I know this - if the HFM community puts out a bad opinion of them, led by HE-500 fans, it will chill the sales a good deal. People like the 6XX so that worked out, 4XX has worked out. xx not so much - primarily because either the HEX v2 and Ananda are better. I've got a very modded and EQ'd out pair of 500's, it might be unfair for me to go after the 5XX, unfair if I'm predisposed to a POV. I mean HFM is a very wise company in terms of business. If the 5XX is better than Arya, Ananda, and Sundara - then why so cheap? If its a REAL HFM can, why not bypass Drop? No, I'm pretty sure what it is, a nice engineering move for a small potent magnet - but not ready to mess with changing established products, so they took the bucket load of requests at Drop for the 500 (I know, I droped a few off myself), and here we go. Big hit - the 400 and Sundara go in for refits in 5-6 months using much of the technology. I've been expecting new revs for the Ananda and Arya - maybe some of the technology squeeks into those. Not many dull moments watching HFM and wondering whats next.






If your within 90 minutes of Lowell MA could lend you mine.

The way I see it, it's a lower priced alternative that harkens back to the 500 (their words, not mine). I dunno where people are getting the notion that they have to be AS good.

The Sennheiser 560 is compared to the 660S sound at a lower price point, and people love them for that. So why all the animosity towards the 5XX which is essentially doing the same thing?

I don't get it. AT $220, these are the first headphones I'd absolutely get at this price point, period. For $220, these are amazing. I dunno what else it needs to do then be what it is. I'd put them next to any $220 range headphones I can think of, and choose them over them.

If they were HE-500 lite...not as good, but similar in sound signature, but not as proficient, they'd still be worth it. The 500 isn't $220. I dunno why people can't see them as lower cost alternatives with a similar-ish tonality (if they are).

 

[cel4145]

That's a silly assumption. I'm sure current and former HE-500 owners will weigh in on this headphone eventually, but it's likely useful to more people to compare the HE-5XX against other headphones that they can actually buy in this price range right now than to compare it against a headphone that has been discontinued for more than 5 years that the vast majority of people here never owned.

Exactly!

$220 puts it in the range of or an upgrade from HE4XX, HE400i, HD599, HD6XX, DT990, DT880, TYGR 300 R, X2HR and the new HD 560S and X3 (now that the price has dropped).

 

[ciber]

Come on, $220, maybe not the same level of Sundara, or original HE500, BUT what's your expectation? From the review, we can clearly see this is a nice upgrade of HE4XX, HE400i, HD599, HD6XX, DT990, DT880, TYGR 300 R, X2HR,....

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

I’m fairly certain I’ll prefer the 4XX and 6XX over a wired black Deva...but hey that’s just me.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Maybe fuji apple to granny apple? Which as someone who eats a lot of apples, knows they taste quite different even in the realm of apples.

I dunno where I'm going with this, lol.

Guess we'll have to wait for the 5XX to be compared to all the Hifiman headphones people seem to think they are wannabes of.

I'm waiting for someone to say they are just rebranded 4XXs now. I mean, Why not, let's throw out all the wild assumptions.

 

[Resolve]

But again, the Deva is single magnet design, the 5XX is dual magnet design. So, it's not apples to apples...

Deva is double-sided. My guess is this is just an asymmetrical design, similar to some of their other more recent releases. I should mention, Fang Bian also told me in an interview that there are so many additional parameters beyond simply "double sided vs single sided". I think maybe we focus on that a bit much because it's easy to talk about, but there's a lot more that goes into it than just that.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Deva is double-sided. My guess is this is just an asymmetrical design, similar to some of their other more recent releases.

Ah ok.

Either way, even if drivers were to be the same, it's almost like people forgot what miracles people can do to drivers, like what has been done to T50RPs. Drivers are just one part of the equation.

edit: saw your edit. EXACTLY. There's so much to a headphone's sound and performance than just the driver.

 

[bagwell359]

But again, the Deva is single magnet design, the 5XX is dual magnet design. So, it's not apples to apples...

Maybe fuji apple to granny apple? Which as someone who eats a lot of apples, knows they taste quite different even in the realm of apples.

I dunno where I'm going with this, lol.

Guess we'll have to wait for the 5XX to be compared to all the Hifiman headphones people seem to think they are wannabes of.

I'm waiting for someone to say they are just rebranded 4XXs now. I mean, Why not, let's throw out all the wild assumptions.

I've been out of sub $1k budget for this year. I just looked at the Deva, and its got the same cup shape, and the magnets look the same as the 5XX from the back - that doesn't mean its a clone, but the price is sort of similar. I hope HFM knows that there a folks that can tell the diff between a single and double sided magnet.

I probably have to get a 5XX, maybe I'll sell my 4XX, because even if the 5XX is dreck, it wouldn't be listened to less than the 4XX which is going on about 13 months of not being played.

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

I’m sorry if my posts seem a bit negative - it’s certainly not directed at the one guy who has taken his time to listen to them and then post his review to what seems like a pack of somewhat disgruntled old buffoons...it is however directed a tad towards Hifiman as I was expecting more from a 5XX, which incidentally has been a thing a lot of guys have been discussing over the years: Why haven’t Hifiman reissued perhaps their finest hour in something like a 5XX collab with Drop?
And woe and behold a 5XX suddenly appears from the mist...and it looks to be a black Deva. That’s a little disheartening to say the least.

 

[SoundHelmet]

its hard to understand what earned this product the name of 5XX. it looks like a tweaked deva. the product might be good but the marketing is sus.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I think maybe the tuning process for the 500 was lost, and it's not so simple as to design something to be exactly like it? I mean hell, I'd love for Fostex to just bring back the Denon D7000 in a new form, but even all these Fostex headphones that look like the D7K AREN'T the D7K.

It can't be easy keeping the same exact process unless you're Koss....or Sennheiser

I really wish I had the 500, the Deva and what have you to compare these. I understand the frustration of wondering.

I'd kill for some HE-4s again.

 

[xRaptorxPunisher]

I'm wondering of this is a Deva based design rather than the old drivers. Weight seems to be similar, the older design was hefty. Judging by Purrins measures they're definitely a different type of sound to the HE-500.

 

[Resolve]

Ah ok.

Either way, even if drivers were to be the same, it's almost like people forgot what miracles people can do to drivers, like what has been done to T50RPs. Drivers are just one part of the equation.

edit: saw your edit. EXACTLY. There's so much to a headphone's sound and performance than just the driver.

Here's the interview in question, and by the way Fang Bian was simply great to chat with about this stuff. I learned so much from this conversation:


Regarding the HE5XX, all signs point to this being a wired Deva - at least the driver looks to be identical (same specs too). Maybe there's some difference there we don't see, or maybe with the pads so I'll have to wait until I get one in for review.

 

[DivineCurrent]

Based on what I've heard you have to get to Arya/Clear level of cans before you can easily beat a pair of properly modded HE-500's. They are easily better than the Anandas or LCD-2 IMO.

Although I have never heard an HE-500, I have a Sundara using some EQ in the upper mids and treble, and it does lots of things better than the Clear. I bet the HE-500 has tighter/cleaner bass and wider soundstage than the Sundara going off others' impressions, so I wouldn't be surprised if the HE-500 outperforms the Anandas and LCD-2s in many ways.
Unfortunately though, it looks like the 5XX will sound more like the Deva than any of the other Hifimans. Won't know for sure until more reviews come in, but going off the overall lackluster impressions of the Deva, saving up for the Sundara is probably the better option.