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HiFiMAN HE-500 Review
Oct 25, 2011 at 6:23 PM Post #46 of 60
:p
 
Blood and Plasma are in short supply, hospitals would see a crap load more people just die off quickly without blood and plasma donors.  Sperm donors, However.  Thats a different story :)
 
Oct 25, 2011 at 6:24 PM Post #47 of 60


Quote:
morbidtoaster said:
IMO the HE500 does everything better than the HE5LE (especially bass)...and it does it with a lot less power. They're dropping in price lately but aren't as popular anymore. I don't think they deserve to be forgotten though as they're still a nice headphone. 
 

 


 
 
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Thanks. I guess the question then becomes - $400-500 for a used HE-5LE, or $600-700 for a used HE-500? Then again, at those prices, I wonder where the HE-4 fits in.... Someone please loan me all three for a year or two, and I'll answer the question definitively! 
 
Oct 25, 2011 at 6:45 PM Post #48 of 60
I agree MorbidToaster.  And I agree with Project86, it is the forgotten headphone but that's truly unfortunate -- I personally think the 5LE is to the HD650 what the HE-500 is to the 5LE.  
 
The HE-4 fits in where those folks who couldn't give a crap about reference sound fit in.  The fans of the Denons out there will appreciate the HE-4.  Me, I couldn't wait to get them off my head.
 
Oct 25, 2011 at 7:29 PM Post #49 of 60


Quote:
sphinxvc said:
I agree MorbidToaster.  And I agree with Project86, it is the forgotten headphone but that's truly unfortunate -- I personally think the 5LE is to the HD650 what the HE-500 is to the 5LE.  
 
The HE-4 fits in where those folks who couldn't give a crap about reference sound fit in.  The fans of the Denons out there will appreciate the HE-4.  Me, I couldn't wait to get them off my head.
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Wait what? Now while I haven't tried all the Denons I have tried a good number of them and I don't find the sound of the HE4 and any Denons similar. The HE4 imo sounds quite similar to my DT880/600 except the mids are slightly more forward in the midrange which makes them a bit less V shaped than the DT880.
 
While I've only own the HE500 and HE4 I find there to be a place for the HE4 which are those who like the DT880 type sound signature or those that want to try out orthodynamic headphones and do not want to spend as much as a HE6 or HE500 and do not want to mod the T50RP. Also the HE4 are super comfortable and very light.
 
 
Oct 25, 2011 at 8:52 PM Post #50 of 60
I find D2/5/7K & HE-4 very similar in signature.  Same basket.  Could be that they all have ringing in a particular frequency I'm sensitive to.  I don't have a taste for that V-signature but I know many who do.  Power to all who do.  
 
And wait, you bought a HE-500?  Nice. 
 
Edit: I have some Hifiman 5LE cables I was going to donate to the silent auction at the upcoming meet, if you would like to purchase them you'll probably get a silly good price on them as I doubt there will be much interest.  I think they're copper and I have two, one balanced and one SE.  If you're still getting a ride with Charles you can check 'em out on the way up -- I'm riding up with him too.
 
Oct 25, 2011 at 9:25 PM Post #51 of 60
I'm actually more interested in the HE4 cable as it is just really good in ergonomics and perfect for what I want...too bad they aren't sold individually but I'm hoping Fang makes an exception since I don't want to dish out $150 for a cable and in that case I'd probably just keep it as it is but I rather have a more flexible and soft cable. I'll check it out assuming I haven't bought anything by then but I imagine not unless Fang lets me buy the HE4 cable but no harm checking it out. I'm still planning on going up with him unless things change such as me getting sick but other than that I'm going up.
 
I guess we hear different with the HE-4 since I find them closer to the DT880 than any of the Denons by a wide margin.
 
I picked up a HE-500 recently and I really like them. I just wish they had a velour pad similar to the leather pads since I can't put the velour back on. Good thing the leather sound good as well but I like the comfort of velour better by a small margin. 
 
Oct 25, 2011 at 9:48 PM Post #52 of 60
That sucks about the pads situation.  I haven't heard the DT880s actually, so I have no idea what they're close to.  And like you said, no harm checking out the cables, I think Hifiman cables have been through a couple of revisions and if I remember correctly I have two different kinds / generations of 5LE cables.  
 
Oct 25, 2011 at 10:19 PM Post #53 of 60
Yeah..either that or putting on the pads is beyond my level of understanding :) If I still have the DT880 by the meet I'll be bringing them and you can take a listen. 
 
If your cable is the nylon sleeving like the HE-4 cable I'll probably take it :)
 
Nov 3, 2011 at 11:48 PM Post #54 of 60
Has anyone other than me used the Beyer leather pads that they sell at B&H or headphone solutions on the HE-500? I got the new leather pads with my HE-500 but I didn't like them very much as it wasn't thick enough and then the Beyer pads fit (although tightly) as I tried my DT880 pads so saw a leather pad on headphone solutions and picked it up at B&H since they had it there too. It's a bit thicker than the leather pads and not as soft but I like it as it gives a nice fit and the right amount of thickness that I want.
 
 
 
Nov 12, 2011 at 8:53 AM Post #55 of 60
Nov 12, 2011 at 10:43 AM Post #57 of 60


Quote:
frank i said:
I noticed that on his website 699.00 Headroom had a return for 549.00 There went the resale value. In a bit anyone selling them will not get a real good price for them.
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Or from another perspective - anyone in the market to buy one used will have lots of good choices. Headphones are a terrible investment.
 
Nov 12, 2011 at 11:01 AM Post #58 of 60


Quote:
frank i said:
I noticed that on his website 699.00 Headroom had a return for 549.00 There went the resale value. In a bit anyone selling them will not get a real good price for them.
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Although I am probably one of the losers of this price change 
frown.gif
, I do believe that it makes an already excellent headphone a very good-value-for-money one.
I think this is a very wise move from HifiMan. Especially improving the cable and pads, because these were, I believe, the two main areas of HE-500 that could be rather easily improve. (I really hope that the new cable is flexible and light).
 
Nov 12, 2011 at 11:31 AM Post #59 of 60
Want!
 
I'll be looking for the $700s. 22% off feels right.
 
Thanks for the heads up!
 
Nov 12, 2011 at 11:48 AM Post #60 of 60
Hang on a sec. So the earpad material has changed? I'm not sure how to feel about that. I liked the idea of nice velour pads. My M50s are okay now that I've done the coax cable mod (9.5 inches of coax looped and inserted to create a wider ear aperture and greater space between the ears and the drivers). I was hoping for more from the HE-00s though (granted they are vastly different types of headphones, but now if I get the rev. 2 of the HE-500s I'll have another pair of leather-padded phones).
 
Hmm...
 
My father has Sennheiser HD570s which aren't really very impressive sonically, but their chassis and velour earpads are sublime.
 
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