[hasanyuceer]

Good idea. Friend of mine has a WES and Omega System. I can go and try
Quote:

Sell both and get a Stax system

 
 
I am both using HE500 and HE6 from a speaker amp. (Primaluna Prologue Two, 40W per channel) All rig is modded and upgraded. (Tubes, cables, feet, amp etc) So I dont think there is a problem with my rig.
 
I am trying both with leather pads and it is not that much difference. Bigger than %10 but not apples and oranges.
Quote:

I'm sorry.  But IMHO the HE-6 is far better in every way than the HE-500.  However, you must amp it correct.  Like captoch is doing with his HE-500s.  If you put the HE-6 on a speaker amp you'll see.  It's an headphone experience you must have.  I have not heard many STAX headphones except at a few meet.  The HE-6s when amp properly rivals some Stax headphones.  Please try it out then come back with your impressions.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

Good idea. Friend of mine has a WES and Omega System. I can go and try
 
 
I am both using HE500 and HE6 from a speaker amp. (Primaluna Prologue Two, 40W per channel) All rig is modded and upgraded. (Tubes, cables, feet, amp etc) So I dont think there is a problem with my rig.
 
I am trying both with leather pads and it is not that much difference. Bigger than %10 but not apples and oranges.

 
 
The higher you go with power / current the HE-6s gets better and better.  They scale much better than the HE-500s. 

 

[mike1127]

I'm just astonished by how good the HE-500 sound with the Cardas Clear cable. They are still burning in, and sounding better and better. It makes me interested in the HE6 but I just don't want to do the power requirements. I'm probably going to get a different cable made for HE-500 (by the guy who re-cabled my LCD-2) and it may reach for even greater heights.
 
I think the HE-500 is better all-around than the LCD-2, but doesn't have that stunning bottom octave of the LCD-2.
 
Mike

 

[amader7]

Quote:

I think the HE-500 is better all-around than the LCD-2, but doesn't have that stunning bottom octave of the LCD-2.
 

I've read conflicting/opposing views from "many" head-fiers !!

 

[Darkbeat]

Quote:

Have you listened to any stax ? 
And I have read that article of Tyll but can't find any sentences actually state a direct comparison between omega and he 500.
 

 I never said there were any. He specifically states the HE-500s hold their own against the competition in the test, Omegas included. A cursory reading will also show he prefered the bass of the planar magnetics, finding the Omegas to be a little loose and thin in that department.
 
 
Quote:

 Huh?  Man I paid $250 each for my Dual mono blocks and I got my HE-6 used for $850.  So yes - price is an object for me.  I have no Idea where you got that from?   I never said price is no object for me.  I said for some people..  That does not include me.  If that was the case - I would be STAX all the way baby

 
You're the one who brought up "price is no object". Of course if price is no object then the HE-6s are the better buy, but then the SR-009s would be anyway. If price is an object the HE-500s are probably equal to the LCD-2s as the best buy in Summit-fi, depending on your preference.
 
Note; a vast majority of consumers, even in Summit-fi, fit into the "price is an object" category.
 
 
Quote:

 

And I must disagree with Darkbeat. HE-500 are world class headphones but I don't think they're on the same league with the Stax. I have not heard the current production of Lambda series but mine are the limited edition of SR-404 and they beat the HE-500 in every way possible, including the bass. Sure you don't get a jaw shaking bass out of them but you get a quality bass and once you hear the clarity and the instrument separation you can't go back to HE-500. I held onto both headphones for several weeks. I listened to my SR-404LE for several days and then went back to HE-500 and they sounded like crap.. I couldn't believe my ears. And I was thinking that HE-500 were the last stop for me as I've never wanted to deal with Stax systems as the myth says that they are too expensive. Not really...

Everyone's ears are different. I much prefer the planar magnetic bassy sound to the quickness of the electrostats, but your mileage may (and does) vary.
(Never mind the fact it's comparing conventional headphones to what amounts to wearing two speakers on your head.)

 

[preproman]

Quote:

If price is an object the HE-500s are probably equal to the LCD-2s as the best buy in Summit-fi, depending on your preference.
 

 
 
In the price " IS AN OBJECT" category my vote for best by in Summit-fi goes to the (HE-400s and the Paradox)

 

[Darkbeat]

 
 
In the price " IS AN OBJECT" category my vote for best by in Summit-fi goes to the (HE-400s and the Paradox)

 
Throw the Mad Dogs in there too, fantastic headphones. I'd put them in "Mid-fi", but I certainly won't argue that they provide exceptional bang for the buck.

 

[hasanyuceer]

Then I cant say HE6 is a successful headphone if it is not driven with a 40W x 2 speaker amp.
 
Quote:

 
 
The higher you go with power / current the HE-6s gets better and better.  They scale much better than the HE-500s. 

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

I'm just astonished by how good the HE-500 sound with the Cardas Clear cable. They are still burning in, and sounding better and better. It makes me interested in the HE6 but I just don't want to do the power requirements. I'm probably going to get a different cable made for HE-500 (by the guy who re-cabled my LCD-2) and it may reach for even greater heights.
 
I think the HE-500 is better all-around than the LCD-2, but doesn't have that stunning bottom octave of the LCD-2.
 
Mike

The HE500 does have that bottom octave only it's not as naturaly clear because it has a more prominant peak a little higher up, and unfortunately that also muddy's up the lower mids a little. Apart from that its a close call, I love the treble on the 500's its the best I've heard yet. I think the LCD2's just win for me because of the more natural and whole (cohesive) sound they do, simply more enjoyable. The 500's bass isn't as tight and refined as the rest of their FR, and can sometimes sound a little detached. I find it hard to A/B between these 2 phones because they are quite different and you need quite a bit of time to adjust to their sound sigs each time, otherwise you instantly want to go back to the one you just listened too!
 
I think this can be said with a lot of A/B testing. (not aimed at anyone)
Spend a week with one phone, then change to another and judging... without giving the other phone a week? Its an unfair assessment.      

 

[preproman]

Quote:

Then I cant say HE6 is a successful headphone if it is not driven with a 40W x 2 speaker amp.
 

 
 
Successful in who's eyes?
 
In my eye's along with every other person that drives them with speaker amps - There very, very successful. 
 
Success must be in the eye of the beholder.  Those that have the HE-6 and drive then with speaker amps holds that success in their eyes.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
Throw the Mad Dogs in there too, fantastic headphones. I'd put them in "Mid-fi", but I certainly won't argue that they provide exceptional bang for the buck.

 
Yep - Mad Dogs to.

 

[mike1127]

Is the stock cable with the HE-500 really a pure silver cable?

 

[spkrs01]

Quote:

Is the stock cable with the HE-500 really a pure silver cable?

 
I didn't bother finding out on my HE500. I changed out the stock cable pretty quickly...........

 

[captouch]

Is the stock cable with the HE-500 really a pure silver cable?

I'm not 100% sure, but when I retermed them from TRS to XLR, the wire did look like solid silver, one conductor. Didn't see any sign of copper within the wire, but then again I don't know what SPC looks like if cut either.

When I retermed them, I re-braided at the same time since I thought it was kind of sloppily done as it came stock. Even rebraided, it's still stiff with memory making it a bit of a pain.

On the other hand, when I did the same with Double Helix nucleotide wire, it was made up of many, many small copper wires. That, with it's soft pliable plastic coating make it a very easy to handle cable - not a fancy covering, but easy to handle.

Right now, I'm using the silver cable on my 500's and Double Helix on my 5LE's as I thought theoretically the characteristics of each cable would complement the characteristics of each can the best. I never took the time to A/B cables to test the theory though.

 

[.Sup]

So I'm in a bit of a situation. I need to go to bed as I have work very early tomorrow but I can't make myself to take them off of my head. I keep hoping the next song will suck but it sounds even better than the first one. Help?